I'M A PRETTY AGILE OLD FELLOW

       Today was our Christmas bird count. I've done the same area close to 50 times. I know the area well as I go through it summer and winter. The bike trail goes through the area. 

      Today was not a good day . I found ten species but only about 50 birds.

      Now the area is a small valley that has a stream running through it. Like most valleys it's variable terrain.  Some of the terrain is very rough.

     I had been following a game trail that I wanted to leave and go back to the top again. I had to find my own trail which is something I've done all my life. I chose a route to go up and of course some of it's steep. I put my foot on something that was covered with snow but not solid. I started moving backwards and then lost control. So when I was finished I'd done a backward roll and my feet were much higher than my head. So I was proud of myself that I completed a backward roll! Do I hear the applause?

    When I stopped my feet were much higher than my head so I had to roll over and get my feet lower than my head before I got up. 

     A couple of things: I'm happy no one was watching to see this embarrassing situation. And second I thought about the possibility of serious injury. The micro Manager wouldn't miss me for a long time and when she would notice that I hadn't returned, had no idea where I had gone, So reminder to self. Tell people where I'm going.

     Anyway, how many of you can do a backward roll and live to tell about it?

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CHILDREN OR WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?

      As a young man I spent much of my time partying but sooner or later I found somebody who I really liked and was married.

      I don't think either one of us thought about children until a couple of years later.  When we thought about children it was a very short sighted view. We tended to think of babies , toddlers and preschoolers. I couldn't get my head around thinking of children being older. 

      My children are adopted so I had lots of time to think things over. After you go through interviews and fill out forms with all kinds of information , you've had time to think things over if you want a family. They ask yoi over and over if you want to adopt a child. You have to get people to give you references. I've often thought that all people should have to go through such a procedure and then some people may make a different choice of being a parent. I remember going to pick up both kids. Again we were asked if we wanted children. Then you got  chance to see the infant. Then they asked again if this is what we wanted. 

                               

             At this time of year this is one of my favorite photos of the kids.

Time passes quickly and those little kids grew up. As I said I couldn't really see past pre school. And when school age hit time really flew until suddenly those little kids were ready to leave me. I wasn't ready to let them go but that was the only decision there was. 

   And guess who the guy with the white shirt and tie is?  And did he have friends.

    Today I have children who are 49 and 51 years old. How did that ever happen?

      

      Choosing some favorite Christmas decorations.

    I realize that at the same time this was happening to my kids I was aging very quickly. 

    So after all this time my answer is still yes for children.

     So the kicker in all this is that both children were picked up on the 22 nd of December! How's that for a Christmas present you'll never forget. 

CARROT SOUP

      This morning was dull, cool and windy so I said to myself, "This is a soup day."

      I went to the freezer and got the bag with five cups of carrots and got on my way to making carrot soup. While the soup cooked I worked on a sudoku puzzle. 

     When the soup finished cooking I took the blender and pureed the soup. Ah , great stuff.

     However, I wouldn't have got good marks on presentation as I had orange food on a red table cloth and I had slopped soup up the sides of the soup bowl.

    How do I know about presentation? My classroom was beside the Home Ec lab for a few years. I was in the home ec lab often . Sometimes the  kids baked cookies and I was right there. The kids were always judged on how they presented the food they made.

   I have great respect for those teachers who taught in a lab situation. Shop ,drama, art and home ec teachers always had their kids on task. I always thought that these teachers could naturally be excellent administrators. I can remember going into the shop and kids were using saws and other tools without killing themselves.

   Well, one time the guys on staff got the idea that they would treat the female staff members to a formal breakfast. Guys knowing anything about a formal breakfast?!!! I don't think so. So the home ec teacher was a good sport and helped us to make a menu, prepare and serve a formal breakfast. My contribution was fruit salad. It was fun. We acted as formal waiters and served each table. It was a highlight of the year. Later in the year the guys were served a lunch.

    Good rapport is extremely necessary for a successful staff. Money can't buy rapport but a fun breakfast can.

    And by the way home made soup on a cold day is just right.

SOMETHING ON THE IRRATIONAL

     Most of us have had the misfortune to run into some one who is irrational. Most of the time we have a sense that something isn't right and we come away with out damage. But there are times when an irrational event can turn serious and damage is done.

    What I'm trying to talk about is people who are irrational. We meet people who are a little irrational from time to time and then we meet others who are seriously disturbed most of the time.

     I am sometimes in contact with one person who continuously thinks that other people are always out to harm her. There's nothing you can do that will persuade her that people are not out to get her. 

    I am sometimes in contact with a guy who continuously makes a mountain out of a mole hill. The salt shaker tips over on the table and it's like a national disaster. 

   These people are an inconvenience. 

   Then there are others who get into more serious trouble. The schizophrenics can cause very serious problems . Many get shot when there is an alteration with police. 

   Some have no idea of reality. They have no idea how to deal with other people. They are not able to make reasonable judgements. 

   What made me think of this topic is Trump's behavior towards the recent election. He believes he won the election. He believes that somehow the election was stolen. He believes that there was massive fraud to influence the election results. He has made  many attempts to have the election results over turned. He has requested some very illegal actions when he asks a legislature to overturn election results.  He has requested that certain votes should not be counted and then the total votes would be in his favor.

    These actions are irrational. They do not line up with the reality. Unfortunately in this case  there does not seem to be any successful strategy to deal successfully with his irrationality.

    Watching what is going on is alarming and you wonder where  and when it will end.

SUNRISE ...SUNSET

     We quite often see great sunrises and sunsets if we're watching. At this time of year with the sun low in the sky we get some great sunrises. 

     One thing I liked about the Arctic were the great skies. For 6 weeks a year the sun didn't come above the horizon but that didn't stop us from getting some great skies.

    Okay, it took me a long time to say that the other day I had a beautiful sunrise and sunset on the same day.

                                        Sunrise

                                              Sunset

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY...

      The area I photographed on the last post is called the Bower Woods. Mr. Bower gave it to the city for a park. The land had been used for cattle. Most of the trails were those that Mr. Bower made and used for his farming operation. When the city developed the park they put in one main trail that cut through the area. However all the other trails are still there.

      The other day the photos were from the north part of the park . Today's photos will be from the southern section.

     This is my favorite area to photograph. You've seen summer and winter photos before. There are always more good photos in this area.

WHOSE WOODS ARE THESE....

     These woods are about 700m (1/2 mile) from my house.  Yesterday was very mild so I went for a pleasant walk.

        I've always liked Robert Frost's poetry and especially this poem. I can sense the stillness in the woods as he stopped.