What I Learned in Florida - Part 1

During our long weekend in the Homestead area I learned that Cuban food is very good. So good, in fact, that we returned the next day for dinner. I realized long ago that it is a good idea to ask the locals if you want to eat well during a trip. That was my experience in Greece, where a man actually wrote down instructions for the taxi driver to take us to a restaurant that was very popular with the local population.
In Homestead I asked the hotel desk clerk for a sandwich place and she pointed us to a Cuban restaurant right across from the hotel. The place was packed with Air Force uniforms, a good sign. After all, they know which eateries are good. And I think I'm in love with Cuban bread.

Out of Town During the Big Game

Last weekend, we headed to southern Florida so I could attend a bird photo workshop in the Everglades. The airport was quite busy with Steelers fans heading to Dallas. Imagine our shock, therefore, when we boarded our plane and noticed that it had a Ravens emblem next to the door. Hubby asked the flight attendant what the story was and she replied that they were going to Baltimore next [after dropping us off in Fort Lauderdale].
The next day, on the trail in the park, a ranger asked us where we were from. I replied, "Pittsburgh. Go Steelers!" It turned out that he was originally from Ohio and his family came from Pittsburgh. How small the world is...
When it was time for my husband to watch the Big Game, the cable in our room decided to die again. He ended up watching much of the game in the lobby. Well, as you know by now, the game didn't end like he had hoped for. But, die-hard baseball fan that he is, he recovered quickly. And the other day he reminded me that it is only one more week until I hear the dreaded announcement: "Pitchers and catchers report for spring training!"

Recap of a Year

As the year 2010 drew to a close last night it is time to take stock. I have enjoyed several accomplishments during the year, including winning the Feathered Friends category of Birds & Blooms magazine's backyard photo contest 2009-10 and becoming a Competent Communicator and Vice President PR in my Toastmasters club. I have also begun giving presentations about backyard habitats in the local community, which were very well received.
While I did not photograph as many birds as I would have liked during the spring because of the weather, October brought two trips to Ohio where I took beautiful photos of wood ducks and raptors. During the fall we also explored the state parks at Ohiopyle, Pymatuning, Moraine, and Raccoon Creek. While the foliage was not as beautiful as in years past we enjoyed the warm weather nonetheless.
May brought sorrow to our house as our cat Roxy deteriorated quickly and we had to put her to sleep. I also learned of the early death of a friend in Germany.

In late June, we adopted Pocket from a local shelter. She loves playing with paper balls and chasing a flashlight. In fact, she is quite addicted to both. Her 13-year old sister cat is not as enthused about her presence as we are but they get along unless Pocket plays too rough.
May the new year bring many successes--and cats on my lap.

A Toastmaster's Year

It has been quite a year for this Toastmaster. I earned my Competent Communicator award in the spring and have given three speeches from an advanced speaker manual. The title is "The Entertaining Speaker" and seems to be a good fit because my audience was clearly entertained. One of my speeches was such a success that I turned it into an essay. I hope to see it in print someday, just as one of my speeches from the CC manual ended up as a First Person essay in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this summer.
I also became Vice President of Public Relations early this year. As if that weren't enough, I was even a judge at one of our club contests. That was quite a stretch, considering that I have a hard time making up my mind...
Toastmasters has been a launching pad for me as I began giving presentations about backyard habitats at local libraries, a nursery, and at Phipps Conservatory.
What will the new year bring? The sky - or lectern - is the limit.

The Beep

It is a truth universally acknowledged that appliances never die when it is convenient for their owners. Such was the case last night when our carbon monoxide monitor started beeping between 3 and 4 o'clock in the morning. Out came the instructions. We assured ourselves that the batteries were good and that the unit itself had reached the end of its life span. We headed back to bed but sleep eluded me. Luckily, I found a new unit at the local hardware store. I hope that I'll sleep better tonight, unless our appliances have it in for me.

House Broken

We adopted our new cat, Pocket, in late June. During the summer she spent all her nights on an old blanket in our basement. She never came on our laps, but I blamed it on the hot weather. Who wants a cat on her lap when it's 90 degrees out anyway?
As fall turned to winter, Pocket has finally warmed up to us enough to hop on our laps. Okay, the throw rug helps. And she still prefers to lie between my legs and the arm rest.
Her favorite time of day is play time. Every evening we have to play "Chase the light" with her. And she loves playing with paper balls. No expensive toys for her. Of course, we spend the money we save on her food bill. That cat has quite an appetite! However, we have learned from past experience - and an over 14-pound cat - that it's a bad idea to give a cat as much food as she desires. So, no matter how much she begs, she gets the same measured amount of food at every meal. A lean kitty is a happy kitty!

Best Seat in the House

When we got a bay window a few years ago we had no idea we were getting it for a cat we didn't even own yet, who was - in fact - not even born yet. With summer's heat gone and the blinds open once again, she can spend hours sitting or sleeping in the window. For her, it's the best seat in the house.

Autumn Impressions

While I was at North Chagrin Reservation in Cleveland, I noticed the beautiful reflections of autumn trees in the Sunset Pond. I experimented a bit and was rewarded with these impressionistic shots. To take photos like these, it is essential to use a circular polarizer and a tripod. The polarizer intensifies the colors, but it will cost you two stops of light. Such slow shutter speeds require a tripod. Add to that some optimization of the colors in Photoshop and you have fall foliage photos worth framing.

Feeding Frenzy at Pymatuning Lake

Last Saturday we headed to Pymatuning Lake in search of fall foliage. Unfortunately, the trees around the lake were not very advanced yet. We stopped at the spillway first and were amazed at the amount of birds that came up close to be fed. There were lots of Canada geese - yawn! - and some mallards and ring-billed gulls. I can't get too excited over photographing geese, so I concentrated on the gulls and the gazillion carps that were looking for food. I sincerely hope that their diet consists of something else besides white bread, but it was a sight to behold. While we didn't exactly see ducks walking on the carp, as they claim in town, we had never seen so many carps so close together.

We walked on a nature trail before we had a picnic near a beach. Then we checked out the Black Swamp area, but were disappointed at the fall colors. The myriad of lilies in the water were way past their prime and the trees looked dull. We did have a great view of this huge lake. We made one last stop at the fish hatchery and wished we had gone there earlier. We admired the view from here, but didn't have time to see the visitors center. Before heading home we stopped at the spillway again and the carps were a lot more lackluster about food than they were in the morning. I guess they were stuffed to the gills.

Kitty Update

I has been a while since I blogged about our new cat, Pocket. She has been with us for over three months now and has just turn one year old. That day at the shelter when I put her on my lap and she purred up a storm was also the last day she has spent time on my lap. So far, Pocket likes her independence and loves to sit on a blanket or quilt. Most of all she loves to watch the wildlife from the window. We're hoping that she will turn into a lap cat once winter comes. Right now, she is the equivalent of a teenager--at least her appetite is that of a teenager. Her favorite toy is a piece of paper rolled up into a ball. She loves to kick it around and even fetches it. Last night, we clipped her claws for the first time and she behaved very well. The clipping was necessary since she has started to claw our chairs, and the old wallpaper in our dining room. Perhaps that is her way of telling us to do some home improvements...

Misconception

When I arrived in the U.S., my husband's relatives asked me for a recipe for German Chocolate Cake. I stared at them blankly, because I had never heard of it. They could not understand this, since I am German. After some research I found out that the cake is actually named after Englishman Sam German and has no connection with Germany at all.
Last week, our local newspaper published a big article about Oktoberfests and recipes, including - you guessed it - a recipe for German Chocolate Cake. Doesn't anyone do research anymore?

The Thunderbirds were in Town

Living near an airport is a disadvantage for most of the year. They (and lawnmowers) provide the biggest source of noise pollution in our quiet neighborhood. But when the Thunderbirds are in town for the air show, we suddenly have front row seats. Leading up to the show we could observe their practice flights from home. And during the big event we decided that we didn't want to cope with traffic congestion, so we watched the Thunderbirds from our front yard. They did not disappoint, as one of them turned his plane around right over our house. At the end of their performance two planes flew right over us while they completed their semi-circle. We could almost see the pilots. Wow! We would have never had such a close look at the planes if we had stayed at the air show.

Wings over Pittsburgh

We have spent many years working on air bases and so it was only natural that we went to see the Wings over Pittsburgh air show last Saturday. I was mostly interested in seeing the C-123K Provider "Thunder Pig" from the Air Heritage Museum in Beaver County. My article about this fascinating museum and restoration facility appeared in the July/August 2010 issue of Pennsylvania Magazine.
Of course, I was also thrilled to see another nose art by Moon artist Donna Pitaro on a KC-135. My photo feature about her awesome nose art was also published in Pennsylvania Magazine a while ago.

From Cessnas not much bigger than an SUV to a B-52, there were planes of all sizes and ages on display. Hubby, of course, knows all their names, so it was quite educational. We especially liked the aerial stunts, particularly a pilot who drew a heart into the air. We were about ready to leave when a B-2 Spirit (a stealth plane) flew by. And then we headed home to watch the Thunderbirds from our front lawn...

On the Montour Trail

We have spent entirely too much time in the air-conditioned house lately because it has been much too hot to venture outside. So on Sunday, when it was cooler than it has been for a while, we decided to hike on the Montour Trail. There were plenty of wildflowers to admire. At first, we didn't detect any butterflies because they like it hot and won't come out until the temperature is really warm. Instead, two wrens and several cardinals entertained us with their songs. When we came to a wetland area we spotted not only a monarch butterfly, but also its copycat, the viceroy. It was exciting to see both of them in one place, since viceroys look almost like monarchs. Viceroys mimic monarchs because monarchs feast only on milkweed and taste terrible.
We saw quite a few people on the trail: bikers, runners, and walkers. But I doubt that any of them even saw the birds and butterflies that we admired. Instead, they played their mp3 players, completely oblivious to the beauty around them. They might as well run on a treadmill. Nature is wasted on them.

A Short Picnic

In the middle of a hot and brutally humid summer we enjoyed a few days break. We took the opportunity of dry weather to head to the wetlands trail at Raccoon Creek State Park last Saturday. At the last minute I decided that it would be a great day for a picnic. I packed drinks, bread, snacks, and two small cans of lunch meat. Our walk was gorgeous and we worked up an appetite.
We found a picnic table in the shade and I unpacked our basket. The lunch meat cans did not have pullies, however, like others from the same brand. Without anything to put on them our bread slices were useless. We ate our snacks and headed home, stomachs growling. Of all the things I packed that day, a can opener wasn't one of them!
Sometimes I miss German trails. They're never far from a restaurant or imbiss stand.

Kitty Update

We still don't know what ailed our older cat - Miss Grouch - but do know that she is back to her normal self after we treated her with two parasite medications.
Pocket, our nine-months old newcomer, is feeling right at home here. She is very affectionate and loves to rub herself on my legs. Her favorite activity is kicking a morsel of food around the kitchen. She has a healthy appetite and is very well-behaved. Yesterday we bought a water fountain and she has already had several drinks from it. We are happy with our choice of cat and look forward to many happy years with Pocket.

Deja vu

When our older cat - aka Miss Grouch - became lethargic and there was no sign of nuggets in the litter box we thought she was constipated from overeating. But when she let us inspect her tummy without putting up a fight we became alarmed enough to take her to an emergency veterinary clinic. After all, this is the equivalent of a kid being sick on a weekend. Alarming!
Our first shock came when the veterinarian told us rightaway that Miss Grouch has fleas. Fleas! She had never had any in her life that we know of. After a blood test and x-ray we learned that MG has kidney problems, probably a kidney stone. Since our sweet Roxy succombed to kidney failure recently, we thought it was deja vu all over again. Hadn't we just been through this?  Did we feed our cats the wrong diet all those years? MG has always been partial to dry food. We now learn that that is not a good thing. Even thought we introduced canned food years ago it might have been too late for her.
The hospital kept her to perform an ultrasound today (KA-CHING!) and we are now waiting for the results. We are also thinking about purchasing a water fountain to encourage our kitty to drink more. After all, we have another, young cat to think about. And we want to do things right the second time around.

New Kit on the Block

Meet Pocket, the newest member of our household. We adopted her last Sunday at the Humane Society. She is almost nine months old and is a real purrer. I put her on my lap and she purred up a storm. That pretty much sealed the deal - that and the fact that she appears to be well-kept and in good health.

We were concerned how our older cat - aka Miss Grouch - would react when we brought home a much younger cat. There was hissing and even growling, of course. The next day, the hissing receded and I haven't observed any lately. In other words, our cats are settling in. Pocket is a very quiet cat. She never hisses or meows. We're still getting to know each other and I'm trying to keep her off our kitchen counter without giving her a complex. My biggest challenge right now is that Miss Grouch is on a diet and is taking advantage of the fact that Pocket's food is here for the taking, if Pocket doesn't get to it first. Oh well, what would life be without a challenge?

Weather Woes

There are three things for certain in life: death, taxes, and weather. And we sure have had some strange weather this year. Back in February, when we (ok, my husband) were digging out from two blizzards we were looking forward to spending the summer in our backyard. But so far, I haven't had much to enjoy. First we had a cool, windy, and rainy May, which prevented me from photographing birds. And then the temperatures shot up to the mid-eighties in no time. So far, it has been such a rainy and muggy early summer that I find myself spending more time in our dark and air-conditioned house than outside. This isn't fair! I have spent enough hours in the house this year. I want to take my home office outside and watch the birds and butterflies while I am editing my writing. Some days I can't even grill dinner for ten minutes because another thunderstorm is rolling through our town. Whatever happened to spring?

Photography Close to Home

Bird photography is a lot like going to an amusement park. You wait and wait, and then the thrill is over in a few seconds. It helps, therefore, when I can photograph an exciting subject in our backyard. Right now, I have my camera ready to shoot at all times because our serviceberry has ripe berries. These berries are irresistible to all sorts of birds and I am ready to shoot when they land in our shrub.
The other day everything came together perfectly, even though I broke a rule. You're not supposed to photograph in mid-day because the lighting tends to be flat. But it was a bright overcast day and I sat waiting in my blind. And then I fired nonstop while the waxwings snatched one berry after another. You may see one of the results of my efforts on my other blog, http://birdswithpersonality.blogspot.com/.