Late November Musings

Pittsburgh is celebrating its 250th birthday this week. I guess that's a long time for Americans. Personally, I think that's just a drop in the bucket. In Germany there are outhouses older than that. I've been to quite a few cities that are two thousand years old and more. Even my hometown once had a Roman villa, dating it pretty far back. Anyway, happy birthday, Pittsburgh!
On the homefront, our cat has turned into a heat-seaking missile. Ever since it has turned cold, she seaks heat in front of a register or in her igloo. And whenever we try to give her her medicine, she turns into a missile who launches behind the couch where we can't catch her. We've had to forego medicating her twice in one week and have now changed our routine to make us less predictable. Believe it or not, these little creatures know our routine to a T. We are determined not to be bested by a cat. But we're thankful that she is still with us considering all her health problems. Tomorrow, we'll reward her with a bit of turkey.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Busy-ness

I haven't posted a blog for a while because I have been very busy. Last week I had three meetings in two days because I joined Toastmasters. I'm hopeful that it will help me with my goal of speaking to civic groups. I also signed up for an online marketing class before realizing how much work was involved. The marketing plan is due in two days and I haven't done much yet.
I also have a craft show at the Castle Shannon fire hall this coming Saturday and Sunday. Add to this some travel planning for an unexpected trip and you'll understand why I am running in circles.

They're heeere!

My husband told me days ago that he saw a junco and yesterday I saw and photographed juncos in our backyard. As if we needed another reminder besides last week's snowfall that winter is ahead of us, that's it. I also photographed a darn cute chipmunk that was stuffing its cheeks with our birdseeds.
The sun's rays are shining through the few leaves that still cling to the trees, making them golden or russet. It won't be long before the last leaf has fallen. But this week at least, we're enjoying a last stretch of Indian Summer. After that, it is up to the birds to provide us with some color in our yard.
The new issue of Pennsylvania Magazine shows one of my photos in an article about Whiskey Rebellion sites. It will be the first of three issues in a row with some of my work in it. Stay tuned!

Writing and Reading

Ever since I started writing seriously, I have a hard time finding a novel I enjoy reading. Either the plot is weak or non-existent or the characters aren't fully developed. The two books I enjoyed the most this year are The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck and Bleak House by Charles Dickens. Research takes up quite a bit of my time, not to mention all the magazines I get each month. So, I don't have much time to read fiction, and when I read a book I want it to be good. But since I'm writing myself, I find myself dissecting each book instead of just losing myself within its pages. Life is too short to read something I don't enjoy. But my tastes have changed over the years. What I enjoyed at age 20 puts me to sleep now. I guess it's normal to change interests over time. One thing is certain: I still love to read.

Musings on a blustery day

A friend of mine invited me to join the German version of facebook. Curiosity won the better of me and I signed on today. Of course, I first checked the pages of the people I knew on her page. My brother's page was particularly fruitful, since I could not only check on our common friends, but also what his kids are up to. No sooner had I filled out my profile, that I was already bombarded with requests from class mates - and some people I didn't even know. You can waste a lot of time on such a site, but I guess it is a great place to find long-lost friends.
On the homefront, we almost ran for the hills last weekend when we heard Christmas music on the radio. We haven't even bought pumpkins yet. Of course, when we saw how much pumpkins cost this year, we went to the farm market next door and spent the money on food.

A Trip to Moraine

On Saturday, we took advantage of the great weather to go leaf peeping at Moraine State Park. The leaves looked even worse than at home and I did not even unpack my camera. Even the little cove where I took gorgeous shots last year looked different. The low water level showed so many dead trees sticking out of the water that it looked almost depressing. We picked up a map of the park and scouted out a waterfowl observation deck. It was a beautiful deck with a view on almost 50 Canada geese, three blue herons, and several coots. A birder told us that in three to four weeks there should be plenty of migrating birds there. We vowed to return.
My knee is still hurting, and so it is probably a good thing that we're not having much of a fall. Otherwise, I would be upset that I was missing something.
At home, our hillside is getting pretty bare already with many trees just dropping their leaves. Yesterday, my husband spotted the first white-throated sparrow. Can the juncos be far behind? If we needed another sign that winter is looming ahead, this was it.

Return to Presque Isle

Last week, my husband was on vacation and we took the opportunity to go to Presque Isle. I had been there for a birding festival last May and loved it. At the beginning of the peninsula, I photographed a blue heron posing on a log. That was the only bird I photographed that day. Bird-wise, it was a quiet day. I wanted to show hubby the bald eagle nest I had seen in May (minus the absent eagles). Even though I had marked the location of the nest on my map, I could not find it anymore. The Long Pond Trail was a nice trail anyway. While I was shooting some landscapes, a canoe came around the corner and I fired away until it was out of sight. Much of photography is being at the right place at the right time. We drove around the tip of the peninsula and returned to walk the Graveyard Pond Trail. It was a disappointment. I had hoped to get views of the ponds, but the dense vegetation only allowed a tiny view in two places. That's where I photographed painted turtles sunning themselves on a log. When we finally reached an open area near the end of the trail, there was nothing to see. By then, I was getting sore arms from carrying around my tripod and camera. It was time to call it a day. I concluded that birding is much more exciting in the spring when there weren't just tons of warblers, but also robins, red-winged blackbirds, cedar waxwings and others. Weatherwise, we couldn't have picked a more perfect day. A blue sky and warm temperatures lured out many people to run, bike, or walk in thpark.
In our backyard, things are pretty quiet too. The hummingbirds are probably gone because we haven't seen one since Wednesday. The trees are beginning to change and drop their leaves and the wildflowers are going to seed. Fall is here!

Anniversary

Today is our anniversary, the 19th on the 19th. Has it really been that long? We'll celebrate with a nice dinner tonight. My husband is also beginning a week-long vacation, or as they say nowadays, a staycation. That doesn't mean that we won't go anywhere, it just means that we won't go away overnight.
On the home front, it is getting harder and harder to medicate our cat Roxy. She has our routine down to a pat and disappears under the couch the moment we appear. So we decided to give her her medicine at night for a while until she becomes less suspicious. I've even googled the problem, only to find my own blog--which was no help at all. Does it really take two people to give a five-pound cat medicine? I am tired of looking like the cops on "It's a wonderful life" as they grab thin air. She does have the advantage of being very slippery. She gave me two nice scratches on my shoulder the other day as she wriggled out of my embrace.
In other news, I am preparing for the fall show season. The first show is Art under Glass at Bedners Greenhouse in Cecil on October 4. The other show is the HolidayMart at Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley which will take place in late November. I have sold another article to Pennsylvania Magazine and will have features in the January and March issues 2009.

A Froggy Day

Last Sunday, we headed out to Beechwood for a little walk and a picnic. I took my camera along, which turned out to be a good thing. Every time I leave it at home, I regret it (like that time when a juvenile hawk landed in a tree in front of us and sat there for quite a while). I stepped to the endge of the pond and spotted a bullfrog close by. This time, it really filled the frame and I got some awesome photos. I didn't take any bird photos at all because birds were mostly absent. I also stalked a monarch feasting on a field thistle. The goldenrod is just beginning to bloom and it will probably be another week or so until the entire meadow is in bloom. It was a nice day, though, and we saw quite a few families out enjoying it.
In our backyard, the New England Aster is in full bloom and looks awesome. Its purple color it quite a sight when everything else has gone to seed. We now have achieved continuous color from spring - columbines - to fall. We still have at least two hummingbirds around and keep filling our feeder. It won't be long before migrants pass through our yard. I'll keep an eye out for them.

"Independence" Day

My knee felt pretty good yesterday and so we went out to explore Independence Marsh. I had read that egrets and herons and other shorebirds gather there and wanted to check it out. Of course, although we had been there once years ago, we didn't exactly know where it was. It was not marked on any map we own, either. So we drove around and around until we made a complete circle. In the end, we stumbled on it with sheer luck and because the name Cowpath Road sounded familiar somehow. I'm glad we found it.
Although the water level was low and therefore it was no use for me to set up my camera in the blind, there were killdeer everywhere. Later, I noticed egrets and herons on the other side of the pond. We also saw wildflowers we had never seen before and butterflies flitted about the place. There were even two honeybee hives and I made sure not to get too close to them. The carp carcasses floating in the water did not diminish my desire to return to the marsh at a better time of day in fall or spring.
In our backyard, there are good news and bad news. The bad news is that a groundhog has taken residence in the area and is not only munching our flowers, but he is also devouring my tomatoes. Tomatoes that I had been looking forward to munching myself. This is serious business! We bought a repellent (making these the most expensive tomatoes we ever planted) and I'll be anxious to see if it works.
The good news is that we discovered three Monarch larvae on our butterfly weed last week. Since we hardly saw any Monarchs this summer, we weren't sure if we would see any larvae this year. And the New England Aster I inherited from Old Economy Village is coming into bloom and looking beautiful.

Canceled Plans

It is one of life's mysteries that the farther ahead you plan something, the less likely it is going to actually happen. I had signed up for a photography workshop six months ago in the hopes that it would give me a chance to improve my bird approaching skills and increase my stock photo list.
Because my bum knee is still giving me trouble, I was about to call the instructor and cancel the workshop when I received an e-mail and phone call from him. The township where the workshop was supposed to take place on Lake Erie is staging a D-Day reenactment this weekend. Because this will involve cannon fire, machine gun fire, and noisy crowds - all of which are probably going to chase birds away - he offered a refund on my deposit and I accepted. After all, if I were a bird that had just crossed a huge lake, I would want some peace and quiet instead of being greeted by cannons. Under the circumstances, I got off with the least financial damage--having only lost my deposit on my lodgings. Perhaps my husband and I can check out the lcoation by ourselves. Right now, I just can't plan anything. At least the weather is nice enough so that I can sit in our backyard.
Our little butterfly garden has assumed its late summer look. The purple coneflowers are wilting, but the black-eyed Susans are still putting on a show, even if they're drooping. The New England Asters are getting ready to bloom soon. The hummingbirds are visiting our feeder more and more often, stocking up for their big trip south. I actually spotted one checking out the flowers in our little garden. Isn't this what they are supposed to eat, flower nectar? Ours seem to prefer the fast food of our syrup feeder.

A Matter of Taste

I have always known that I'm not a beer drinker. But now I know I'm not a birch beer drinker either. After drinking a peppermint phosphate recently, I got brave and decided to try a birch beer. Luckily, I only bought one bottle. Yikes! It is certainly a matter of taste, but not mine. I have a sweet tooth, but this was way over the top. Coming from a area where bakeries bake special (=sweeter) cakes for Americans, I should have known better. My European taste buds cannot be trifled with.
My knee is still giving me trouble and that puts my weekend trip in jeopardy. Right now, I'm on the same medication our cat is on. I can attest that it does improve the appetite, if not my knee. Another call to the doctor is on my agenda.

Odds and Ends

Last Friday, my husband spotted a weird creature at the edge of our property--meaning the neighbor's wall. We whipped out our cameras to photograph what turned out to be a Dogday Harvestfly just emerging from its nymph skin. That's a fancy name for a cicada. We fired off some photos before the cicada left the skin and crouched on top of it. Its green wings were transparent and looked pretty cool. The whole process didn't take very long and so we were happy to witness another first for us. Amazing what adventures await us in our own backyard. We are not so happy about the groundhog that seems to fatten itself up in our butterfly garden.
Our cat Roxy is doing much better now. In fact, she ran outside on Saturday--something she hasn't done in years. Apparently, she felt very frisky, at least until the neighbor's dog spotted her...
I, however, am sidelined again by a persistent flare-up in my knee. Instead of playing around with my new tripod, I have to prop up my knee and wait for the swelling to subside. At least I was able to finish all my three writing assignments I worked on for most of the summer.

A great Sundae

The past weekend was pretty much perfect, for August. We had a break from the humidity of last week and the temperature was bearable. I put my new tripod to work photographing the black-eyed Susans in our butterfly garden. Nothing says summer like a group of yellow flowers buzzing with insects. We also saw a monarch, but it didn't stick around for me to photograph it.
Yesterday, we visited relatives and we all headed to Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor. It was a really great experience. I had never seen an old-fashioned drugstore before (I'm not counting new restaurants with phony interiors) and had a good time inspecting it. I tasted a strawberry sundae and a peppermint phosphate. I wanted to buy a bottle of the syrup, but my favorite flavors were not available. Perhaps next time, if there is a next time.
This morning, I headed to the National Aviary to photograph some newly hatched flamingo chicks. As I pulled up in the parking lot, I saw a van from a local TV station parked there. Apparently they had the same idea I had and were already filming the chicks when I approached. I quickly fired off frame after frame and soon they were put back into their crate again to get their breakfast. The whole experience lasted less than 10 minutes, but I got a couple of great shots to include in my article. And I was glad that I arrived a little early...

Decisions, decisions

Back in the dark of winter, I signed up for a shorebird photography workshop in Ohio which will be held next month. I decided it would be a good idea to buy a lighter, more versatile tripod before attending the workshop. When I finally settled on a model I learned it was discontinued. More research followed. Last week, I ordered it and it arrived two days later already. It is hard to order something I have never set eyes on, but this is the most beautiful tripod I have ever seen. I almost hate to use it so I don't scratch it. Unfortunately, my bum knee is acting up again and so I haven't been able to put my new purchase through a serious test yet.
Last week, it also occurred to me that I better find a place to stay during the workshop. The workshop leader mentioned the only chain motel in town, but I learned that it received less than favorable reviews. My online research revealed that there were two bed & breakfast places in town (or rather right outside of town) and one of them had rooms available. I therefore decided to "splurge" and stay there. Who knows, it might actually be cheaper than a chain motel since they always add on so many fees to your bill that you get sticker shock. This might turn into a scouting trip since there are 15 covered bridges in the county.
Our cat Roxy now has a much better appetite and seems to have put on a wee bit of weight. That doesn't mean that she likes to be medicated. On the contrary: she has a sixth sense about the exact moment when we try to give her her medicine. Oh well, at least she's eating better...

How to (not) medicate a cat

Our cat Roxy is now only getting Prednisone once a day. Nobody is happier about that than we are. That's because she's on to us now and knows that we usually give her the medicine around the same time in the morning. That turns out to be the time when she becomes Houdini and disappears mysteriously. This morning was the hardest one ever. As if the heat and humidity weren't enough to wipe us out, we had to chase Roxy all over the house. First, she crawled under the couch and I grabbed a broom to flush her out of there. Unfortunately, she ran under our bed next. I brought her syringe in and closed the door. We had her trapped, but how to coax her out from under the bed? The broom came to the rescue again. Finally, she came out and a very exhausted "mother" cradled her in her arms while my husband administered the medicine. We are going to have to alter our time schedule a bit because we are too predictable. I can understand why she doesn't want to swallow cherry-flavored medicine (it's made for children), but take it she must. She is eating much better now but still looks like a feather-weight. I have bought some prescription dry food for her and am anxious to see if she eats it. Little Miss Finicky won't just eat any old food, you know.
On the gardening front, we are having hits and misses this year. Because of the wet, cold spring, only two of the flowers we started in the house actually survived. Then we went out and bought a pot with three sunflowers for our flower island. The next morning, almost all its leaves were eaten. We suspect a rabbit as the culprit. So, now we have to buy rabbit-prove plants. Sunflowers seem to be particularly tasty since we are having bad luck planting them. Too bad, because we really love them. Our native plants are faring better this year. Last week, I photographed a honey bee on a common milkweed. Now the milkweed stopped blooming, but the purple coneflowers and black-eyed Susans bloom now. I haven't seen any monarchs yet and am wondering what happened to them. The insects sure like our little garden and it's always buzzing until late in the evening. And, best of all: we don't have to water our native garden since they're all perennials.

Sprechen Sie English?

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were at Sewickley Heights Park and noticed that the milkweed was almost ready to open. On Saturday, we went back to see if the blooming milkweed attracted any monarchs yet. Indeed, we saw several monarchs all over the park feasting on milkweed, together with honey bees and countless other insects. At one point, the sign post said that we were on a "Bridal Path." Alas, there was no bride to be seen anywhere. Neither were there any bridesmaids with interesting dresses. A look at the hoof-shaped prints in the mud confirmed my suspicion that we were on a "Bridle Path." This is only the latest example of my ongoing study how Americans mangle their language. Recently, I've noticed that my grocery store doesn't sell iceberg lettuce anymore. It's now iceburg lettuce. I have heard that produce travels long distances nowadays, but to literally ship it in from the North Atlantic is ridiculous. Are there any greenhouses in Greenland?
On the home front, there is one piece of good news. Since we put Roxy on medication, her appetite has greatly increased. She doesn't exactly eat the diet she should eat, but right now we're just trying to increase her weight so she can get her strength back. This doesn't mean that she likes to take her medicine. The better she feels, the more she fights when we try to perform our "favorite" hobby: cat wrestling. Yet, we're happy that she has regained her appetite and is also livelier.

Cat Health

After weeks of watching our cat's health and weight deteriorate, we decided to have an ultrasound done to find out what's ailing her. Did we get a diagnosis of the problem? Not exactly. One of Roxy's kidney's is small (the other one shows signs consistent with kidney stone), her adrenal glands are enlarged, and she might have inflammatory bowel disease. The last one is ironic because I have colitis. I know we have a lot in common, but that goes too far!
Because Roxy has always had an inquisitive mind and ate stuff that she found on the floor etc., we had associated her frequent vomiting with the fact that she ate something she shouldn't have or that she simply ate too fast. As a result, we eliminated canned food from both cats' diets a while ago. Another mistake. Now we know that we should have taken her to the vet much sooner for a blood test and whatever else was required. Right now, we're treating her for IBD and are trying to increase her appetite with the help of corticosteroids and a special diet.
Of the two cats we own, Roxy has always been "my" cat. In winter, she spent all evenings on my lap and the nights on my bed. Was I outside in summer, she meowed in the basement until I came back in. Nowadays, she rests most of the time with the occasional jumping on the keyboard or a window. It is hard to see such a lively cat acting so listless. Right now, all we can do is feed her often with small portions and give her tender loving care.

A Day at Beechwood

Last Tuesday, I went photographing at Beechwood for the first time this year. Usually, I spend a lot of time there in the spring, but this has been an unusual spring. Between arthritis, allergies, and bad weather, I haven't had a chance to go shooting as much as I hoped. It was quiet at Beechwood, except for the Song Sparrows. I now know how they got their name. They just won't shut up! This sparrow seems to sing "The hills are alive!" I also chased an Indigo Bunting around, but it was very skittish. A summer day at Beechwood wouldn't be complete without taking photos of bull frogs. I don't know why, but I always feel compelled to add more photos to my growing collection. Perhaps it's because there wasn't much going on at the pond. The summer wildflowers are not blooming yet, either, so there aren't many insects around the place. Weatherwise, it has been a strange year.

Green is In

I can't open a magazine or a newspaper these days without seeing countless references to green living, recycling, etc. Green is all the rage these days. Will it last? When I moved here from Germany, I had to rethink (=meaning back-track) my recycling habits. Every shopping trip yielded numerous plastic bags and I soon didn't know what to do with all of them. In Germany, people have always taken their own shopping bags to the store and if they needed plastic bags, they had to pay for them. Charging Germans for something is a sure way to get their attention.
Recycling and reusing materials is also in our genes. My frugal, depression-era mother went so far as to recycle Christmas wrapping paper from one year to the next. I will never forget that I had to open my gift so carefully that I didn't damage the paper too much. Then, before next Christmas, my mother ironed the gift wrap and the ribbons, too!
I applaud all efforts to recycle plastic, metal, and paper, but my pet peeve is litter. In this area, the U.S. could take an example from Europe. When the snow subsided, I was shocked to see how much litter had accumulated alongside the Pittsburgh roads. Why can't these people take their trash home with them? It shouldn't require the efforts and time of volunteers to keep the roadsides clean. Whenever we go somewhere, we take all our trash home with us to discard there. Why can't everybody do that?