Max comes home tomorrow and will be home till a week from Saturday. TI is on their bi-annual shutdown this weekend, so a vacation we can't afford at a time we don't want! woohoo!
I have liquid actually leaking from my nose. I'm not gonna call it snot, cause I've already grossed out one FB friend being direct, but it is totally gross and why???? I live with consistently clogged sinuses and this is a whole new experience for me. I feel like I should shove a cotton ball up there, but I'm thinking that's not smart, eh? Any suggestions? I only know how to UNclog a nose, haven't a clue how to stop one up--lol, mine does it all by itself.
Ducky was still gone from the pond today, so I have to assume he has found a new home. I hope he comes back to visit sometimes. For those who don't know me, the VFW pond here in Lufkin is my favorite retreat. I moved to Lufkin in 1996 and am still finding my way around (didn't drive till 2005). I found the pond when Jen was in her freshman year at high school. We pass by it every day on the way. I got in the habit of stopping by there after I dropped her off to eat my Mickey D's breakfast. One morning, I was eating my sausage biscuit and saw this bird acting really strangely. It came up out of the water with its wings folded over its head and then sank back down into the water. I watched the spot where it disappeared and son of a gun if a freaking alligator didn't come straight up out of the water with the bird in its mouth, then submerge back into the pond. I just sat there with my mouth open. I mean, seriously, who expects to see Animal Planet in real life before they even get to work?
From that day on, I was hooked on this little body of water. It's not a very big place. I'm not a good judge of acreage, but I'm thinking maybe 2 acres? But I am freaking amazed at the wildlife I get to see there, especially the birds. There is something different every day. Today I saw a large red-shouldered hawk, two kingfishers, about 8 grebes, 6-8 coots, 2 lesser schaups, 4 shoveler ducks, Elvis, about 10 nutria, great blue heron, great egret, 2 double breasted cormorants, goldfinches...I could go on forever. Unless you're a birdwatcher, you probably have no clue what I'm talking about, but this is a real gold mine in the middle of a small city surrounded by homes and businesses and a not-so-pretty part of town, as well as the beautiful new VFW building which is set behind the pond.
On 12-23-09, the most powerful tornado of 2009 went through Lufkin and destroyed the old VFW building, and filled the pond with debris. There have been a number of anonymous volunteers, including a club from the high school, who have now cleared the pond of just about all the debris except for a few bits which the birds have incorporated into their lives. I love taking pics there. Yesterday it was warm and I got quite a few pics, but today was cloudy and overcast. Not great light, but I got a few pics the great egret hunting and a cormorant diving right beside him. Not a great photo day, but a good one.
I feel blessed to have found this little spot in the middle of my busy life. I work about 30 hours a week, try to be an artist as often as I can, socialize too much on Facebook, try to keep up with my busy family, deal with my daughter's idiosyncracies on a daily basis (that's a story for another day), make a reasonable attempt to keep up with the house, smoke too much, play too much, and just generally enjoy life at a rapid pace. So, every day, either after I drop off Jen or on my lunch break, I try to get to the pond. It's worth it.
Everybody should look for that quiet spot in their day; it's the only thing that's gonna help you maintain sanity and balance. You can't do anything successfully in life unless you take care of your own mental health first. Mine is maintained by visiting this tiny body of water where it's quiet and all you hear are cars passing by, birds tweeting, and fish splashing. Hope you get to hear a fish splash tomorrow!
Love to all those who love me,
allison
Peace....
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