small worlds
May. 19th, 2002 07:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gurdonarkI spent a few hours yesterday unpacking. I still have much to do today on this office organization project. My fortes do not include efficient box processing.
After a few hours at the office, I drove home and then walked to our little Glendover Park. I headed over to the small pond, and walked around it over and over, trying to see as many little things as I could see. Green algae lined the northern shore of the little pond, and I could see lots of tiny mosquito fish. Mosquito fish is the little native livebearer, now spread all over the world in the mistaken belief that it would out-eat the slacker local fish when it came to mosquito control. I have soft spot for this tiny fish, which lived in profusion in the huge drainage ditch behind our home in my south Arkansas boyhood, and which we stalked with tiny 2 x 3 inch aquarium nets taped onto broomsticks. We rarely caught any,and we always threw them back, but the intensity of the sport far outweighed tarpon fishing. Then I saw a sagebrush butterfly, a small orange guy with ornate patterns on his wings, who landed on a mass of algae as if it were a tropical island.
I saw a cowbird, that odd, exotic bird whose females lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. The eggs hatch early, and the cowbird young are 'raised' by the reluctant adoptive mother. By the little concrete spillway, a killdeer skittered on his legs like an ocean bird. Killdeers are plover, and they look as though they should be at the seashore, skittering about the sand. Instead, they live in suburbs, and love open grassy fields like little pocket parks in Texas provide. They nest on the ground,and the species is famous for having the parents pretend to have a broken wing to try to lure predators away from nests. I saw squirrels under the nearby little stand of trees. I saw a few barn swallows dive bombing the small pond for insects. A male purple martin seemed disturbed by my presence, while the female purple martin looked on.
Mockingbirds kept flitting among the little sapling trees along the pond shore. Mockingbirds are interesting, because they are natural mimics. They will imitate whatever other birds are handy. I have heard a mockingbird imitate a cat's meow.
As I wandered the small shoreline, circling it over and over, I scanned the nearby open fields. A sulphur butterfly slowly flew about ten yards away.
I saw a sort of wasp I'd never noticed before, an orange body and orange wings.
Nothing I saw on my walk was particularly unusual or rare for north Texas. All the birds were "backyard birds". None of the butterfiles and beetles and squirrels and mosquito fish were exotics. I thought about how when we are kids, we don't have cars to go to the great hiking trail or to see the unique flora and fauna. We learn to love the susan flowers and monarch butterflies and grackle birds of our own little neighborhood.
I am convinced that when we convert nature into mere exotic tourism, we lose something. I will still go hiking elsewhere and the like, and still take vacations to "scenic spots". I get bored of people who have "revelations" that basically amount to judging other people for not following their own "new found" insight. But on this Sunday,
grant me grace to see what is about me to be seen.
We had dinner with my brother and his wife last night. My sister in law, who was by training an engineer, just completed a master's in speech and language pathology. She wanted to switch fields to a more "helping" profession. The news was doubly good--she got a job offer the day before her graduation. We went to Texas de Brazil, a curious place where there is no menu, only a huge salad bar and endless steak. One is given a little
chip, green on one side, red on the other. Whenever one's chip is set green side up, waiters with skewers of various fresh cooked meats come to offer samples. The food was exquisite. I managed to stay within a short park hike of moderation amid the bounty. Then we headed back to my brother's house, and talked endlessly. When I began to do something I rarely will do, my narrative of "interesting cross examinations I have done" (subtitle: "he said THAT, and the document said THIS", so I rammed it down his throat") my wife wisely signalled it was time for us to leave.
After a few hours at the office, I drove home and then walked to our little Glendover Park. I headed over to the small pond, and walked around it over and over, trying to see as many little things as I could see. Green algae lined the northern shore of the little pond, and I could see lots of tiny mosquito fish. Mosquito fish is the little native livebearer, now spread all over the world in the mistaken belief that it would out-eat the slacker local fish when it came to mosquito control. I have soft spot for this tiny fish, which lived in profusion in the huge drainage ditch behind our home in my south Arkansas boyhood, and which we stalked with tiny 2 x 3 inch aquarium nets taped onto broomsticks. We rarely caught any,and we always threw them back, but the intensity of the sport far outweighed tarpon fishing. Then I saw a sagebrush butterfly, a small orange guy with ornate patterns on his wings, who landed on a mass of algae as if it were a tropical island.
I saw a cowbird, that odd, exotic bird whose females lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. The eggs hatch early, and the cowbird young are 'raised' by the reluctant adoptive mother. By the little concrete spillway, a killdeer skittered on his legs like an ocean bird. Killdeers are plover, and they look as though they should be at the seashore, skittering about the sand. Instead, they live in suburbs, and love open grassy fields like little pocket parks in Texas provide. They nest on the ground,and the species is famous for having the parents pretend to have a broken wing to try to lure predators away from nests. I saw squirrels under the nearby little stand of trees. I saw a few barn swallows dive bombing the small pond for insects. A male purple martin seemed disturbed by my presence, while the female purple martin looked on.
Mockingbirds kept flitting among the little sapling trees along the pond shore. Mockingbirds are interesting, because they are natural mimics. They will imitate whatever other birds are handy. I have heard a mockingbird imitate a cat's meow.
As I wandered the small shoreline, circling it over and over, I scanned the nearby open fields. A sulphur butterfly slowly flew about ten yards away.
I saw a sort of wasp I'd never noticed before, an orange body and orange wings.
Nothing I saw on my walk was particularly unusual or rare for north Texas. All the birds were "backyard birds". None of the butterfiles and beetles and squirrels and mosquito fish were exotics. I thought about how when we are kids, we don't have cars to go to the great hiking trail or to see the unique flora and fauna. We learn to love the susan flowers and monarch butterflies and grackle birds of our own little neighborhood.
I am convinced that when we convert nature into mere exotic tourism, we lose something. I will still go hiking elsewhere and the like, and still take vacations to "scenic spots". I get bored of people who have "revelations" that basically amount to judging other people for not following their own "new found" insight. But on this Sunday,
grant me grace to see what is about me to be seen.
We had dinner with my brother and his wife last night. My sister in law, who was by training an engineer, just completed a master's in speech and language pathology. She wanted to switch fields to a more "helping" profession. The news was doubly good--she got a job offer the day before her graduation. We went to Texas de Brazil, a curious place where there is no menu, only a huge salad bar and endless steak. One is given a little
chip, green on one side, red on the other. Whenever one's chip is set green side up, waiters with skewers of various fresh cooked meats come to offer samples. The food was exquisite. I managed to stay within a short park hike of moderation amid the bounty. Then we headed back to my brother's house, and talked endlessly. When I began to do something I rarely will do, my narrative of "interesting cross examinations I have done" (subtitle: "he said THAT, and the document said THIS", so I rammed it down his throat") my wife wisely signalled it was time for us to leave.
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no subject
Date: 2002-05-19 06:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-05-19 07:09 am (UTC)We have catbirds here, but not nearly as many as in my childhood in Arkansas. I had not thought of it for years, but you're right, they did use the birdbaths more than anyone.
People come to north Texas and see it is as "lesser" outdoors experience than the rolling hills and cactus of the Texas hill country, or the panoramas of the west Texas desert. Here,though, the wildflower, the butterfly and the bird are tripartite rulers over seas of grass and pleasant "small woodlands". Spring in north Texas is just stunning...blazes of color, birds everywhere,
butterflies on wing.....it's a glorious Spring here, the best Texas spring I can remember.
no subject
Date: 2002-05-19 11:01 am (UTC)Lately I've noticed quite a few white herons around here -- we used to have just one sole fellow, but I guess he spread the word and invited friends. :)
yes, exactly...
Date: 2002-05-19 11:10 am (UTC)I think that's right. The thing I find is that the more I slow down and look, *really look*, the more I see that I missed before. That's true on a nature walk, at a movie, or when I write. I love/hate that feeling when someplace I have always walked has something really cool I have always missed--*until now*. Yesterday it was the sign by the elementary school by the park saying "trespassing on the roof strictly prohibited".
no subject
Date: 2002-05-19 02:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-05-19 03:22 pm (UTC)Almost every summer our family would go back to Texas to visit family and friends. My grandmother on my father's side had a place out in the country in Seguin. We had to travel 5 miles on a dirt road off the main highway to get to grandma's. My grandmother put out a lot of bird feeders. She also put up a purple martin house. One of grandma's favorite birds was the cardinal.
I don't remember the source but I read about a mockingbird mimicking a car's burglar alarm. My mom in California is enjoying the birds that visit her backyard. She puts out a feeder and birdbath. There's also a separate feeder for the hummers. Mom gets excited when something new happens with her birds. The baby mockingbirds are often in her backyard for flight training. It was my in-laws that shared their joy and knowledge of birds with us. My husband and I were able to pass that on to our two daughters.
Today makes it 9 weeks since I broke my ankle. Tomorrow is 2 weeks that I've been home and stuck in the house. I want my ankle to hurry up and mend so I can get out and enjoy the spring and summer. Our weather has been crazy here. We had snow yesterday. My daughter and grandson will arrive the 23rd from Missouri. The weatherman says our weather will improve by then. I hope he's right.
How large is the pond? How far from your house? You mentioned working in Garland, TX. I have an e-mail friend that lives in Garland and works in Dallas. He tells me about all the hot weather and how the Rangers are doing. With your company move are you still working in Garland?
no subject
Date: 2002-05-19 05:12 pm (UTC)i enjoy that spring brings the chirping of hundreds of baby birds (or so it sounds)in the trees outside my window every morning. I used to have hanging plants on my balcony where they would nest and hatch but those have been removed so the peeping is not as loud.
there's also an owl who's moved from tree to tree that i hear only at night when the city quiets down, it's deep throated "Hoo Hoo Hoo" barely drifting through the night sky
no subject
Date: 2002-05-19 05:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-05-19 05:19 pm (UTC)My office remains in Garland. We just moved across the city to larger quarters. Garland is about 200,000 people, but it seems MUCH smaller. It's got a nice feel to it. Garland is the model for Arlen, the mythical town in the TV show King of the Hill, and that's exactly the ambiance.
The pond is very small...maybe 30 yards in diameter.
It has a fountain in the center, and takes about 5 or 10 minutes to walk all the way around. It is a bird paradise.
Last summer, I was not all that into watching it, but this year it is like a breath of fresh air each time I go.
I am thinking about you recuperating, and can hardly wait until
you are up and about again, so that you can see some nature.
See if you can't get your kids to wheel you in a chair to the local nature center....it'll be restorative!
Owls!
Date: 2002-05-19 05:58 pm (UTC)