Be Careful What You Wish For...

Friends? Well, maybe. We do keep catching them sitting together. Touching even.


Some days, Mara seems annoyed that Nyala is so close. Other days they are sound asleep, side by side.


Next thing you know Nyala's sleeping with her face buried in Mara's belly.

When Mara was young, she always wanted to be close to Tina. Tina never really wanted any part of it. Now the table is turned. Nyala wants to sleep with Mara. Mara, on the other hand isn't always so sure. Usually it starts with Mara sleeping somewhere. Nyala slips in, and snuggles up next to her. There's some grumping and swatting, but with luck, Nyala will settle in for a nap.


All too often it devolves quickly. Nyala was raised without a Mom-cat. She and Brother were left to themselves until they were six weeks old, with only a human-mom-surrogate. There was no one to tell them "don't jump on me (swat)" every time they woke up. So that's what they did. Every minute of every hour they were awake, they were chewing on one another. That's what kittens do. When Nyala came home, that's how she approached Mara, as a giant chew-toy, just like Brother. Mara was none too happy about that.

Things have gotten a little better since then.


Nyala still chews on Mara.


Sometimes she puts up with it for a a few minutes. In the end, Mara usually gets up and leaves. After all, with kittens, there is always some chewing before sleeping. Mara's patience has grown. She even chews back, sometimes.


In the meantime, there are chases around the house. Sometimes it's Nyala doing the chasing... and sometimes, with tail high and ears forward, it's Mara. I think she likes having someone to play with who is her own size. What's more, when the chasing is done, Mara has someone to nap with, if Nyala would only stop chewing on her.


So you get your wish, Mara. Sadly, you are the big cat now, and someone wants to sleep with you.


Maybe, one day, she might even learn some manners. And that wouldn't be all that bad... would it?

Hope...

Hope. It is why we are here tonight. Hope for others, hope for ourselves, hope for the future. It is a group none of us want to be part of, and yet, with each new member, we open our hearts, our arms and our lives. Hope walks around around this track all night. You can hear it in our voices. Hawkers calling wares to raise money. Babbles and games... Cakes and coffee. All for a good cause, the cause that brings us together at this time, on this night, for this purpose. In many places, on this night, there are walkers. In each place dark skies hover over lit fields. The lights, like a barrier against fear, comfort our hearts, warm our spirits and accompany our steps. We are many people, we have one purpose: Victory. And on the way to that victory we share love and companionship, support and strength, joy and peace, and sorrow for those who can no longer walk, those in whose place we walk together... with Hope for a Cure.

Back Yard Visitor...

We had (well, still have, while I write this) a visitor in the back yard this afternoon. He's sleeping in the Ficus tree, where there is all sorts of leaf litter and twigs, caught in the space between the trunks. Poor guy sounds like he has a cold, he's coughing and sneezing. The tree makes a nice nest for him. The neighbors dog woke him up. He's been out there for several hours now, just sleeping.
















This is his "night". I've never been that close to a sleeping raccoon before. Just like the cats, he's lying upside-down... and you could see his whiskers twitching. Makes you wonder what Raccoon dream about when they sleep.

Avian Paparazzi

A bald eagle is a marvelous creature. Especially in flight.

There is an eagle's nest on the way to work. It resides in a cemetery in St Petersburg, FL. At a time when our wild lands are disappearing, being torn down for development, this nest sits in a place where no one dare disturb it. Generations of guardians stand silent vigil, on sacred ground. In the middle of a city, calm prevails. The pair could not have picked a better spot. They laid their eggs on Dec 12. The stake out began then.



I had seen a number of pictures from a friend who had been visiting the nest. Finally I asked him where it was. Turned out I drive by all the time. I visited the nest for the first time on the morning of the coldest day of the year, before sunrise. It was worth it. The sky was clear and the moon a sliver in the brightening sky. One of the birds was perched in a dead pine tree a few yards from the nest's tree. He sat there, noble and graceful, waiting to greet the sunrise.










Since then I've stopped by once or twice a week. More often then not, one or another of the adults is perched nearby. Posing. At the beginning of February we stopped by the nest with visitors from Massachusetts. The sun was out, the pine tree the nest is in a striking green against the crystalline, cloudless, blue sky. When I offered to show our guests the nest, I had crossed my fingered that at least one of the adults would be there and visible. They didn't disappoint. In fact, both adults sat near or on the nest. About a dozen photographers stood on the ground near by, an assortment of lens pointed skyward, hoping to catch the perfect shot. Our visitors loved it. They had never seen an eagles nest, nor eagles that close.

Most days I visit the nest the adults are nearby, without feeling a need to be anywhere else. Generally this is good, because it gives me a chance to get a number of shots, and to sit an enjoy the view. It wasn't until a week ago I actually saw one of the fly off, on some errand only he understood. I didn't have the camera that day. I was going to have to come back.



Two days ago, I stopped by the nest on the way home from work. It was another crystal blue day. When I got to the nest site, two other photographers were there. Both of them had much larger lenses then I did. They looked like pros, and I felt a little like an amateur, hoping for a snapshot, while they were there for portraits. I didn't see anyone on the nest at first, but wandered over to the two fellows anyway. "Anybody home?" I asked. "You can see the chick..." and I could, from their vantage point. "... the adults should be back soon, they just flew off". I got a few pictures of the chick and waited, I didn't have any more then 5 minutes. Then it started, "Here he comes." one of them said, pointed east, and we were off like paparazzi snapping pictures of an approaching celebrity. Each one of us jockeying for position as he got closer, ducking behind trees on the way, dropping his feet for balance as he wheeled first right then left. My camera was set on multi-shot, full auto. Press and hold the shutter button, 3 frames per second, the camera does the rest. The sun was behind us. The light was perfect. 5 seconds later, 10 shots... with each one the eagle flew closer... He banked around an oak tree with a flash of great brown wings and I lost him. He was only checking on the nest.

There's always a tradeoff when watching life through the lens of a camera. You can miss the details right beside you while focusing only on what's in front. But sometimes, you can use that camera to get a different perspective. One you might not normally see. And find yourself a member of a group you never expected to join... hunting national symbols in a graveyard, through the lens of a camera, capturing the beginning of life, while you're surrounded by memories of the dead.

Found a Visa....

On my way over to the gym I found a visa card on the ground, on the sidewalk. Don't even remember the name. June Throughgood or something. I picked it up and looked around. No one near. I turned it in to the Director of the Gym, who checked his student list of Campus Activities Center users, then turned it over to campus police when he couldn't find her.

The card was unsigned. I've never been a fan of that. People claim that if the card is lost or stolen someone can't forge their signature from the one on the back of the card. Of course someone dishonest could then sign it and use it. Of course the signatures would match in that case. Not smart in my book. Stores don't check for a second ID if it's signed. They barely check the back anyway to see if its even signed to begin with, never mind if the signatures match even remotely. I've also seen people who "sign" the back of their card with "Check ID" or "Check Drivers License". Still not a sound practice in my book. Fake Id's are still easy to make. All it needs it to be convincing.

When I was working at a kiosk in the Mall I got a call from a credit card company investigating some fraudulent charges on a card that had passed through my cart. Strangely enough, I remembered the kid, maybe 17 or 18, and his friends. They were purchasing a necklace, somewhat pricey, but not overly so. I don't know what tipped me off to remember them. I think it was the fact that at the time, now more then 15 years ago, a teenager with a credit card was somewhat unusual. A teenager buying that particular necklace seemed a little out of place. So I looked at the signature closely. I remember thinking, it's a little off, but not that far. Who among us signs receipts exactly the same way as on the tiny back of the slippery plastic cards? I let it go through. I didn't think at the time to ask for another ID. Identity theft had not yet reached the epic proportions we "enjoy" today. When I got the call from the credit card company the woman on the other end was vaguely condescending, toward me, and a little racist toward the teenager. I made it clear I didn't share her view, of either of us. Turned out they had caught the kid. He'd stolen the card from an adult acquaintance. She was fishing for evidence to press charges. I told her I remembered him, and questioning the signature. I never did hear anything about it again.

When I found the card today, my first thought was "Oh, someone is going to be upset. They're going to be frantic..." I know, I've been there all too recently. It's not a nice feeling. It'll ruin your day. I considered calling the 800 number myself and reporting it "found" so that they could close the account. I figured that wouldn't work either. So I gave it to someone I figured would do the right thing with it. Wish I'd thought of the campus police myself. I will next time. Even if they don't find the owner of the card, at least I can feel good knowing I might have saved someone a lot of hassle from a misused card. Guess that's my good Samaritan deed for the day.... It's what I would want someone to do it they found my credit card on the sidewalk.

Yes We Can

Today we Inaugurated a new president. Those of you who know me know my politics. You know I have been unhappy with the Bush Administration. I am happy with the new president. But Obama has a long, hard road ahead of him. And so do we. How long before the nay-sayers decry all that has not been done? How long before the pundits from both sides cry foul saying he's not doing enough, or he's doing too much? Can Obama walk on water? No... nor should we expect him to. He's only one man. He has a very high approval rating, but how long will this honeymoon last?

For decades we have watched this country's initiative decline. It started before Bush and Clinton. I don't know exactly when, but we have become a nation of "No, we can't". Stop global warming? No we can't, because it will hurt the economy. Tax the big corporations? No we can't, because they will send jobs over seas. Pay people a decent wage? No we can't, because it will cause businesses to close and put people out of work. Prepare for a natural disaster? No we can't, because that would require forethought and cost billions of dollars. Give science the funding it needs? No we can't, because it might offend someone's religious sensibilities. Project our civil liberties and privacy? No we can't, because if we stay within the statue of the law, the terrorists will win if we are telling them what we're doing. Have a president who is accountable to the people? No we can't, because if we knew what laws he was breaking we would understand how far we have fallen as a leader of nations in law and justice. No, we can't continue on this path... But there is hope. We have chosen change.

What happened to the creativeness that could solve the problems of solar energy and create viable, renewable alternative fuels? What happened to the spirit that took us to the moon and Mars? What happened to the loyalty we had for our companies and they for their employees? What happened to the laws that made us a leader in human rights? What happened to the country that the world looked to for leadership and guidance? What happened to the shining city on the hill? Others have taken our place as peace makers. We have been lead by the oil companies too long. We no longer lead the world in innovation and technology. Once we flew the standard for justice and freedom for all. We have succumbed to the all mighty profit dollar.

Now there is a small light on the horizon. There is a glimmer of hope. It began with a small statement. Three words. Yes we can. Change has come to America...

We look to this man to change the course of our nation. To change the direction of our national discourse and our conversation with the world. We look to this man to return us to a place of respect. To undo the damage to our reputation. We look to this man to restore the principles for which we were known. To lead in innovation and science. To take care of our own in times of need and disaster. To have tolerance of other beliefs. To stop silencing our own people in the name of democracy. To stop imprisoning others in the name of freedom. To stop dividing our nation and start healing our national soul.

He can't do it alone. He can't do it with the snap of his fingers. We must all help change come to America. If we start now, if we believe, if we all work together, we can do it. One man can't do it alone, but many can do it together. Expectations are high, very high. There is hope in the air. Change has come. We must help it get here.

There was a formal ceremony and huge crowds. The National Mall saw the largest crowd in it's history gather to watch one man pass the reins of leadership to another. People cheered, people sang and people cried. It was peaceful, a demonstration of how a transition of power can occur. Something we can all be proud of. Now the work begins... Now comes the hard part. Can we do it? Together, Yes, We Can.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

A new venture for me... A blog... We'll see how this works.... For now: Happy New Year... 2009.

Always start the year off with something new. (I'll be posting things I've written in the past here as well, so look below for more miscellaneous thoughts....)