Category Archives: Pastimes

Birds, In the neighborhood, Pastimes, PSA

Posted: Invisible birds afoot

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The perfect cure for cabin fever yesterday morning was the chance to be out in the sunshine while doing some manual labor to help protect nesting habitat for endangered Piping Plovers and Least Terns at Sandy Hook. A small group of volunteers showed up early in the cold to install symbolic fencing around critical nesting areas in the dunes at Gunnison and North Beach.

Sandy Hook hosts one third of New Jersey’s nesting population of Piping Plovers, but nest success has been quite variable in the last few years; the main challenges having been nest predation by red foxes, flooding and human disturbance.

It’s human disturbance that the fencing seeks to control. We installed flagged string line and signage every 50 feet along the dunes – hundreds of feet of string tied with little orange flags. My job was to count out the 50 ft. distance between signs, while those with more nimble fingers tied the string and the flags. We were a pretty small group, but got lots done thanks to the use of an auger to dig the holes for the posts; in years past every hole was done with a post-hole digger. What a recipe for sore shoulders! I think Sandy Hook has 8 protected nesting areas for plovers and terns; we completed only 3 of the 8, but other groups and the park rangers are responsible for the others.

The fencing is an attempt to keep people out of the high dunes where the plovers build their nests – people with coolers on their way to the water, people with dogs, people flying kites – any of those things could cause a nest to be abandoned or crushed underfoot.

Later in the season, around Memorial Day when the chicks are hatching, volunteers will *guard* the intertidal zone which will also then be closed to the public. The plovers and their newly hatched chicks use the intertidal zone to feed and if there’s too much activity by beachgoers the plovers can be stepped on or starve. I’ve volunteered this year to be a warden on weekends and to monitor the edge of the closed area from a beach chair – to keep people out of the intertidal zone during that critical time – and to try and educate beachgoers about why the area is closed off and why the plovers and terns are worth their losing access to the beach. You might not think it, but people get pretty pissed off about losing access to the beach. A friend of mine who’s been a warden for a number of years has often been given a hard time by people and even had her tires slashed. Can you imagine being that angry at someone who’s just trying to do a good thing for birds?

I didn’t spot any plovers yesterday, but they are back. Ospreys are due in this week. Spring at the shore and its birds are coming! I’m not sure when it’ll hit me, but one day soon I’ll have to sneak away from the office to greet it at Sandy Hook. Have a look here at last year’s spring fever post – also there is a link to one of my favorite pics of piping plover chicks – aren’t they adorable? Who wouldn’t want to spend weekends getting a tan to protect them?

And please, take a minute to read Julie Zickefoose’s essay Offseasons which she mentioned in the comments on last year’s post. It’s a beautifully-written and touching essay and part of what made me decide to actually do something this year for these birds that I treasure so much, rather than just sitting back and complaining that not enough is being done, as I did last year. Thanks for the kick in the butt… I mean… the inspiration, Julie!

I’m including this last pic mostly for Susan, but also to mention that the nude beach at Gunnison is one of the larger areas where plovers choose to nest. Not sure that I’d want to be assigned to be a warden there, but at the very least I’d have plenty of reasons (old wrinkled ones) to get some long overdue reading done this summer!

😉

Pastimes

Blessed are the flexible

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Looking at that pose… can you get any idea of just how good it feels? Camel pose feels wonderful to me and is my favorite among the more difficult poses. I’ve been practising yoga for about six months now, a couple times a week. *Practise* is the operative word here: practising not falling over, practising not being self-conscious about the stuff I can’t do, practising not being such a clutz!

I went to my first yoga class nearly ten years ago and was totally intimidated by it. I continued to go for a while, but eventually let it go once I realized either the teacher or the routine wasn’t a good fit for me. I didn’t expect that I would give it another try and never expected to enjoy it nearly as much as I am now.

It’s really great fun and is something of a humbling experience for me. I’ve seen a lot of improvement in terms of my strength and flexibility, but not much yet in the area of balance. I still fall all over myself regularly, but the atmosphere in the classes is such that I can laugh without feeling embarassed anymore. My poor sense of balance is a result of poor concentration skills, I know, but that’s partly what practising yoga is about, isn’t it? Developing that communication between the mind and the body without all the clutter?

Backbends like camel are a little scary because you’re sort of throwing yourself backwards into the unknown. There’s the worry that you’ll collapse or, worse, not be able to find yourself upright again. I’ve seen this pose described as one that is transformational in that it forces you to conquer fear and develop gratitude as a result. Mostly I’m just grateful for the tremendous stretch and peaceful feeling I have there. Wonderful!

Anybody else have any experience with yoga?

“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.”
Camel pose image from richardspics
In the neighborhood, Pastimes, Seasons, Wildflowers

Woodland harbingers

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The sun was shining and it felt warm like spring yesterday so I went looking for wildflowers. That was a total waste of time! The white-throated sparrows and I were digging through the leaf litter, both of us searching for some morsel to sustain us through the last weeks of winter.

I found the skunk cabbage coming to life in the wettest places alongside the brook, yet wouldn’t consider eating anything that looks like this, despite someone’s suggestion that it’s edible. Yesterday’s walk wasn’t so much about finding any true signs of spring, but about taking the time to be out and looking.

I’m guessing this might be the very beginnings of spring beauties, but no matter, that green is just gorgeous! The space for some quiet time alone in the woods yesterday and the chance to slow down and put some thought back into the rhythm of my life was worth the couple hours *wasted* looking for flowers that won’t be ready to bloom for a few weeks still.

Gill-over-the-ground had the earliest start of all and was spreading its heart-shaped carpet wherever a bit of sun encouraged it. A weed, yes, but it beats a seeing only a layer of ice and snow.

I had to really dig to find these and can’t imagine what they are, but last spring virginia bluebells and trout lilies grew in this same spot. It’s nice to have that knowledge of a place now, to see these tender shoots and imagine what they might become with enough warmth and sunlight.

The knees of my jeans were wet and muddy by the time I’d had enough rooting around in the leaves, but I’ve learned that’s part of the fun of spring too; having your hands in the earth and getting dirty again.

I’d imagine that we all have different spring milestones we look for that are dependent upon where we live. Maybe it’s the first crocus, or the first skeins of geese overhead in the night, or the appearance of buckets on a row of sugar maples.

I haven’t found mine yet.

What have you been looking for? Have you found it?

From the field, Pastimes, Whatever

Weird Monday

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Asbury Park has what I think is the nicest stretch of boardwalk here on the northern shore of NJ – too bad most everyone is too afraid to walk it. It’s empty like this even in the summer, except for the homeless people who sleep below it and then sit around leering at passerby during the day.

I’m caught deciding whether today felt more like an episode of The Twilight Zone or Candid Camera… ever have one of those days? Today’s field visits were going fine until I ran over a gull – that jinxed me, I think. Silly gulls were fighting over a bit of bagel or something along Ocean Ave. and this one decides to drop down and grab it just as I was accelerating at the green light… I think it tried to fly underneath, but didn’t make it. I hate killing things with my car!

I went by some of the local ponds to look for ducks at lunch time and every one of the good ponds is frozen. I was wandering around with my big lens looking for some open water and one of last week’s redheads or hoodies when this lady in a car stopped me and asked if mine was a good camera. I started to explain to her that it was reasonably ok for the type of photos I’m capable of and blah-blah-blah when I realized that she was trying to take pics of the Canada Geese with one of those cardboard throw-away cameras from Walmart. Pfft! Shut me up quick.

My next visit was with a lady who was off-her-rocker-crazy. Before I even got in the door I knew I was in for something interesting. I’ll just say it was a very short visit and I kept the door in clear view at all times.

😉

This evening I went to the Y for a yoga class and then tortured myself for a bit with the weight machines afterwards. There’s this guy that I see there pretty often, old with a really bad dye-job and he wears those ridiculous spandex exercise things that show every possible … nevermind … you know what I mean. He really works himself hard and wears earphones the whole time, so I guess he can’t hear all the grunting and moaning he does with the strain of it, but the rest of the weight room hears it all. I sat there on the leg press listening to the obscene sounds he was making, trying to keep a straight face myself, and watching all the women in the room doing the same. At one point, all us girls were laughing openly at him, but every single guy in the room was staring straight ahead pretending not to notice. That just made it funnier to me!

What a weird, weird day.

Bunnies, Garden, Pastimes, Seasons, Whatever

Summer… or snow

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The gray snowless sky is getting the better of my mood lately, I think. I love the winter and the chill wind, but it all seems pointless without a covering of snow to change the view some. It’s all just brown and monotonous otherwise.

I walked and walked in the woods this afternoon to get rid of the restlessness and to look for some color or something of interest. Finally I settled on the boost a visit to the greenhouse would give… that stifling heat and the smell of growing things and the color! I do this often enough that the ladies who manage the greenhouse know not to ask me if I need help with purchasing something… I’m there just to wander among the flowers and soak up enough of the moist air to help me remember that winter and its gray wont last forever.

I saw the beginnings of their Spring display, with primroses and pansies and the most wonderful of hydrangeas. Bunny topiaries and sweet little bird’s nest wreaths. It’s all deception now, in late January, like the seed catalogs with their pics of tomatoes red and juicy enough to make my mouth water at the thought of a summer afternoon wandering barefoot along the rows of my garden. That memory seems like such a luxury at this time of year, roaming around the garden to see what’s ready for picking, sitting down beside the pond to watch the dragonflies and the fish, hanging out there until the fireflies come to flash their love songs in the night.

My heart’s set on summer… or snow.

Pastimes, Small truths, Snapshots

Horseshoe Cove sunset

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“The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

If I had the time, or better said, if my work schedule permitted it, I think I would be in a place everyday where I could watch the sun set over water. Especially in the wintertime, when the colors are just so much more spectacular somehow. As it is now, it’s a race to be home before dusk, but everyday the light is lingering a bit longer. Have you noticed that yet? Spring must be on the horizon.
I like to make lists, Pastimes, Whatever

iPod meme (revisited)

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I thought it might be fun to do this again. Santa brought me an iPod Touch this year after Luka ruined the other with spilt coffee.

Put your iPod on shuffle and blog the first twenty songs in the shuffle.

1. Eider, Common
2. Sparrow, Lark
3. Save the Last Dance for Me – Michael Buble
4. Boondocks – Little Big Town
5. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing – Jack Johnson
6. Skimmer, Black
7. Trumpets – The Waterboys
8. Oh Very Young – Cat Stevens
9. Bring it on Home – Little Big Town
10. Owl, Barn
11. Your Man – Josh Turner
12. Want To – Sugarland
13. Forever My Friend – Ray LaMontagne
14. Ovenbird
15. Everything – Michael Buble
16. Church Not Made With Hands – The Waterboys
17. Plover, Piping
18. Song for You – Michael Buble
19. Water Ballerina – Luka Bloom
20. Tangled Up – Billy Currington

So.. what’s on your iPod? Something besides bird songs and sappy country music?

😉

Birds, In the neighborhood, Pastimes, Snapshots

First of 2008

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Today is the day when even common birds can be new and exciting again – if you keep a “year list” – that is! I had to hide my eyes from the house sparrows and other feeder riff-raff this morning so that my first bird of 2008 wouldn’t be the same as every other year, but was happy enough to settle for this mallard as the first of the new year. The next couple birds were canvasback, hooded merganser, and bufflehead found in the little creek that runs through my hometown.

A New Year’s tradition that I hadn’t managed for the last few years is the annual beach walk around Sandy Hook sponsored by the American Littoral Society – a great group of people who love the coast and work to protect it – plus, they have the best cocoa after a chilly hike through the dunes! That walk added a few sea ducks and a loon to my little list already.

So… what was your first bird of the new year?

Dog days, Pastimes

Puppy kindergarten

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This little sweetie is Ciao Bella. Luka seems to think she is his personal squeaky toy. We’ve been going to puppy class on Tuesday nights for the last month or so and haven’t been made to sit in the corner with the dunce cap, yet!

This is Sam, our trainer. All the puppies seem to love him – I think that’s because he always has a treat in his pocket for the well-behaved pup. He’s tough to please, but his experience as a canine police officer comes in handy with the unruly pups. That’s Ciao Bella at his feet.

This is Whiskey – he’s the same age as Luka and is so well-behaved. He’s Luka’s favorite playmate.

Luka and Whiskey became fast friends – they wrestle and chase one another. I think Ciao Bella is that little brownish blob under Luka’s feet – oops! Whiskey is the only pup in the class that’s similar in size to Luka and big enough to push him around. I love to watch them play together.

I don’t know what type of dog Skippy is, but that’s her hiding under the chair while Luka torments her. She’s funny – shy with the other dogs during playtime, but she loves to distract them (especially Luka) during the *lesson* with barks and a flirty ear shake. She and Luka regularly compete for who can bark the loudest while poor Sam tries to teach. She comes to class with her mom and at least 5 little kids – none of whom even try to keep her out of trouble. Tonight she went for a swim in the huge water bowl!

The little black pug whose name I can’t remember – she’s a sweetie too. Luka likes to chew on the side of her face.

So far we’ve learned Sit, Take It, Leave It, Down, and just tonight – Come! Whiskey seems to be the star student in the group. Luka is just a goofball, true to his nature, but we’re having fun.

Dog days, Pastimes

Crabby day

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We tried out a few new crabbing spots on the Navesink River yesterday, but this one was my favorite because it has such a nice view. We were there at a bad time in terms of the tide, as this little creek leads into a quiet cove. Due to some crabby logic that I don’t understand, a cove like this should be best when the tide is coming in. We spent very little time actually crabbing, more time moving from one bridge to the next. The first new place we tried became crowded with other crabbers early in the day and wasn’t very safe as it’s along a busy road. Then we drove to the other side of the river to this scenic spot, but the tide was going out by then and we only stayed an hour or so.
We caught a few crabs, but nothing to brag over. Well, except for my nephew – he was thrilled with anything that was big enough to keep and show off! His older brother came along with us. He’s going away to forestry school at the University of Montana in a few weeks – he wants to be a smokejumper by next summer. I’m so proud of him for going to school and being a good kid.
Little Luka came along on our crabbing adventure and was pretty cranky after a few hours without a nap. Finally he just crashed on the sidewalk of the bridge while we worked around him. We wore him out good yesterday so that he slept through the night last night – straight through til 5 am – thank heavens!