A LIFER FOR ME!

     Those who follow me very much know that I'm a bit of a birder. For those into birds know that a lifer is seeing a bird that you've never seen before.

     I'm not reporting a lifer but something in the bird world that I'd never seen before.

    Many people have told me about seeing a Cooper's hawk that's caught a bird and is sitting on the post ripping the feathers off so that it can be eaten. Well this week I saw that event happen. I didn't see the bird being caught , but Cooper's hawks chase their prey through the trees and catch up to it and seize the bird.  they will also catch squirrels and chipmunks. Cooper's hawks now are found in wooded urban areas. Cooper's hawks are about 16 in long and have a wing span of about 30 in.

    The bird I saw is a juvenile which means that it was hatched last year. They are a very neat clean looking bird with the creamy white and brown plumage.

    These photos were taken through the window.  The first shows the bird on the fence with it's prey. In the second photo I wanted to show the upper markings. The third photo shows that he's caught a house sparrow and the barred under tail parts.

THOSE APPOINTMENTS

     We had three medical appointments this week. Now I know three appointments is nothing compared to what some people have to go through. 
These appointments were the check up kind . 

    However, what gets me is how these three appointments can mess up your week. Everything gets out of sync. Today we we had a two o'clock appointment. We went out for lunch so after lunch we had not enough to to go home and a short time to get something else done. So the Micro Manager had just enough time to buy a card we needed.

    So the dental check up went well. The hearing aid appointment went well.

   So one more to go. This one will be a nuisance. I have an appointment with an ophthalmologist the requires eye dilation.  It means that I can't drive for a few hours. The Micro Manager doesn't drive so that leaves us in a bit of a bind. Meanwhile we're not getting any grocery shopping done.

    Okay , I know this is  very whiny. These are only your regular general check ups. It's not as if there is something wrong and treatment is required. 

    So tell me not to whine about a minor issue. Get on with my life!

GOOD BYE TO A NEIGHBORHOOD FRIEND

This week a very prominent tree in the neighborhood was taken down. It covered three lots and although it was a beautiful tree there was some risk. If part of the tree came down there was a possibility for damage. It spread across fences, two garages and three houses.  Many times this tree was inadvertently in my photo. It could also make a striking photo on it's own. Who could resist the yellow leaves with a bit of early morning sunlight.

     The process of taken the tree down was very technical. Many neighbors watched . This neighbor even took photos so her goes. The tree was over 100 ft high.

    The first day they used ropes and climbed to take off one side.

     The next day they brought in a very large crane.

GUNS

     Whenever there is a mass shooting I have to think about guns again.

     The solution seems very simple. However, many things get in the way of sanity.

     I know very little about gun politics and why it becomes so complicated.

    I know that I can't understand why after a mass shooting people make a lot of noise but little or no action is taken. It would seem that anybody in their right mind would not want to see many people shot at one time. Why don't people come up with a solution to prevent mass shootings? This is not a protection issue. We don't need something that fires many rounds rapidly in order to protect ourselves. Why aren't guns used to stop mass shooting?

    One thing that makes it easy to kill many people quickly is to have guns that fire many rounds quickly. Why are people allowed to walk around with guns that fire rapidly?

    The person walking around with a single shot gun isn't going to kill many people. He probably stands a good chance of being shot.

    The point I'm trying to make is that rapid fire guns are extremely dangerous compared to single shots. It would seem that this should be enough to control the type of gun on the street. Come to think of it, maybe it would be the best idea to not have guns on the street. 

    With all the people who are killed in mass shootings, wouldn't it seem reasonable to want to prevent these deaths? 

    Why not get rid of the guns?

93 AND COUNTING

    A few days ago we celebrated a 93rd birthday for the fellow in the chair. 

    He's always been special to us as we all came to the same school about the same time. We were in our 20's and he was early 40's. He took us under his wing in many ways. He knew that most of us were young, lost and struggling. He made us welcome in the school and community. He showed us a lot of ropes. He could teach and he insisted that everyone else do their best and he was always willing to show you. 

    I team taught with him in science. We set up a lab approach to teaching science. We spent a few late nights and weekends developing the program which others borrowed. We had our own definition of team teaching. We had a few other things that were unorthodox. We had our kettle on a Bunsen burner. We always had hot water for instant coffee unless the kettle boiled dry. 

   Seven of us usually gather for a celebration. We are all in our 70's and the birthday boy was 93.

   He lives in a nursing home and is battling with Parkinson's but still enjoys a good visit.

    He was a very good mentor to us but never wants to take credit for what he did,.

WHAT IS THIS TREE TRYING TO TELL ME?

     What's this tree trying to tell me? It's a linden tree right across the street from me. It's too early for fall . Or at least I think it's too early for fall.  But this tree is definitely starting to show fall colors. Other trees in that area are starting to show a change of color.

    So here goes. I might as well like fall colors.

RACISM

    Every once on a while I have to make a few comments on racism so that I'm thinking about the issue.

   President Trump made it easy to comment on the topic with his recent comments.

   My father was a racist. He was not a man full of hatred for others. He was just ignorant. He was a dummy when it came to racism. He used the n word. He fully used all the Jewish stereotypes. As a result he gave me a good education in racism. He thought white people were at the top on the totem pole. He was most surprised when he met some one who didn't fit this stereotype of what they should be. To him Chinese should run restaurants and do laundry. They should also talk funny and he imitated them. To repeat, my Dad was just ignorant of things. Because I grew up with him I had all of his prejudice. 

    All the people in our small rural district were the same. They strengthened each other's prejudice.

   So in 1957 I finished high school and set out into the big world. I think most people were the same at that time.

    I drifted into teaching aboriginal people with my prejudices firmly attached. We were given some information about different people in our one week orientation but most of the prejudice stayed with me.

    The big bomb shell hit when I went to someone's house and knocked on the door. I could hear them talking inside and they said it was a white man at the door. It struck me like a knife. I'll never forget that instant. I have gradually changed from then on. For two whole years I was called the white man (kabloona). I didn't mind that term. I became used to it.

    Now I'm very picky about what people say. I don't like to hear people joking about issues. 

   It has to go much further than chat. We have to be able to live and work  on a daily basis with other races. 

   Where I live there are many racists and white supremacists.  Much  work needs to be done by society to teach us what racism is and in that way just maybe racism will be come a bit less.