Tall, blocking the view...almost. Or maybe, just making a new view.
I young(ish) boy stood on the ledge of the bridge, having climbed over the railings. His bike parked nearby. No adults nearby. Greetings given. "Hey buddy"...he says it's a "nice view" - which it is. Why did I feel so unsettled with him on the other side of the railing?
J. & I discussed places we'd gone or climbed at that age. I was fairly fearless in that way as a kid. But still...
This evening we watched an old video (from the 1990's) about this river from its start to this very part of the valley. It continues on to the sea, but the video did not cover that part. One thing I learned is that the bike paths - city trail system began in 1993! I had no idea it was that old. I was a busy mom back then, but we could have explored them if I'd known.
We bird watched and lizard counted (of course) and also watched a coyote walk up a trail to the top of this hill. It blended in with the drying grasses so well. Almost to the the top, it turned and looked back at us.
A little sanding and some super glue or something and he'd added the little compass he found to his cane. Perhaps we all need a compass of some sort, so as to not get lost and to be able to find our true North at all times.
Simple...a short simple walk at a familiar place. City Park, quiet in the afternoon sun. School children gone home for the day, just two others there.
Ground squirrels dart back and forth, lizard on warm cement...hawk circles on the thermals, bothered by crow until it chases crow off...scrub jay lands nearby.
Children's pavement games left behind...a list that means something to someone...a hopscotch game so tiny, leaving it almost unrecognizable until her return trip.
Paused on the bridge, swallow watching from above...a new perspective. Space so wide open, sky big and not so clear.
Bench holds her for 5 minutes of peace and quiet, adding its own message as she gets up to leave: You can! You will!
Every week, they head up the short canyon towards Mentryville. It has become a nature drive ritual. They roll down the windows and let the scents carry them far away from their daily life, the city, the events of the world. For weeks she has coveted this large log, oak they think. She dreams of her old home and front porch or small patio as the perfect place for this end table. It's beautiful. The purple thistle calls to them, especially now that the lupines and poppies have disappeared. Mustard is noticed everywhere. Over the bridge that crosses the little stream...down the length of the small parking lot - pausing to sit at the wilderness end, with a path that leads to who knows where...and back again. Down the narrow road, past the cottonwoods, the wild tobacco, the walnut trees. Her eyes fall to the wildness, to the edge of the mountains and their rough rocks...her eyes leap over the construction of a new housing development, looking instead to the skies, searching for hawks. We can find the goodness if we look in the right places.
While in the parking area, she jumps out to move someone's forgotten helmet from the middle of the space. Later they chuckle at how it looks so robotic on the pay to park post, a dangling strap and a tree branch giving it two arms.
She announces it once again how meaningful, fulfilling these moments are...how grateful she is. She decides that he must think she's lost her mind. Maybe she has. Doesn't everyone do this?
We have kinda run out of free "Brokenwood" you tube videos to watch, as we've seen all of those that are currently available. So, we are back to "Sidetrack Adventures". Hi Steve.
While out running errands, I noticed that the Circus is in town! Oh, how many years it has been since I went to a circus. I think my children were 3 and 6 at the time and they still used elephants in the act. From what I read online, this one is all tricks, no animals and I am grateful for that. I'm so glad some things have changed. When the 3 of us did go to that old circus, I took them up the day before to watch them raise the tent. They had advertised this event, inviting the community to come and witness it. It was hot and a very, very slow process. The kids and those of my friend who went with us, fidgeted, sitting in the dusty dry dirt. Not exactly the thrill I thought it would be, but an experience nonetheless.
I passed by the new Yard House restaurant where a large group of new employees were lined up to go in. Their line reached the whole length of the building and then some. There all were in their all black outfits, chatting and preparing for something new. I could feel their excitement a parking lot away in my car with the windows up! haha I immediately felt happy for them, as it is hard for folks to get jobs these days and there they all were, so many of them! I tried to steer away from the assumption that there was so many new employees so they can have them work part time and not pay benefits for them, but I obviously was not successful in that. Anyway, good for them!
Back at the bridge, 5 lizards between the car and the bridge (where we usually only see one maybe). One had been hit on the bike path. We've noticed that they have not been skittering away quickly on our past few visits. The ones on the bridge have practically refused to move, digging in their little lizard heels. as J. tries to encourage them out of harms way. Oh you lizards you. As I sat on a rock in the rock circle, I noticed the orange butterfly, or "an" orange butterfly flying in the same place, near the same flowers as yesterday. How curious.
There were great clouds rolling in over the mountains from the north. I love seeing this. We are supposed to get some rain Sunday morning after two partly cloudy days.
The crows were not home, but Owly was. I wonder if Owls recognize certain faces the way crows do. Ya know that old experiment with the mask and the crows? Yeah. I talk to her and tell her I won't hurt her, that I love her. She sits up there staring me down with pure 'stink eye' expression on her broad face. I hope stink eye does not mean I am stressing her out. The dangling feather was gone.
I saw a young woman arrive with her big, zoom lens camera. I told her about the owl and she tried to get a photo. Later as we were walking towards leaving, very slowly that is, she told me that her camera does not zoom as well as she thought it would. This was valuable information for me, as I sometimes wish for a camera that could capture what my eyes see. I'm not looking to spend money for that...not looking to embrace a learning curve for that...not looking to carry around the actual weight of that...but sometimes I dream whrn I am not thinking 'good enough' about my wacky wildlife photos.
Anyway, I shared other information about what she may see at the bridge and other places she could hike out here & where to find information about that. She repeated my words as if making a mental note. Ambassador to the trails, that's me. I figure I am able to share what I've learned over time, even if my pace has slowed. She works at a local pizza place. Maybe J. wants pizza for his birthday? heehee
I wonder if the river will flow all year long again in 2026? The fallen tree with its root ball is not even near the water today.
Big views, many insects matting on the path...a lovely breeze with a great scent floating on it...another park explored. My camera makes it look so big! We didn't rate it very high and don't know that we'll go back, but it was still very nice. I think if I was there for some hard exercise, it would be a good one. We saw two different women 'exercising' there by doing laps around the loop. I'm not there for that, just some movement and nature and being outside is good enough for me.
A park neighbor down the hill seems to have trimmed their scrub into a poodle?!! My goodness.
It was a good day to get out, especially after watching ECM. I still listen to her for her take on the law, politics and trauma informed skills needed to get through these days. I am glad when I can understand things better, receive tips or tasks to help do my part or suggestions on how to move through these days. Every day is some new kind of awful.
TRUMP MUST GO! Insane 24 hours of Genocidal Threats: WHAT COMES NEXT?!
When we drove by the bridge, the parking lot was open...so we went to check on the owl. She was very upright in her nest. The lightly leafed cottonwood is getting her leaves more quickly now.
Something felt different in her posture. I take so many bad photos, yet I enjoy capturing her face. Some of the shots she has such a human expression. I've been seeing a lot of photos/videos where folks say the animal photographed looks human. This is something I had never even considered in the past and I still can't jump on the bandwagon...but look at her face! What is she thinking?
When we got past her nest and looked up again, we could have sworn we saw a baby! My heart skipped a beat and I tried to get a photo. However, when I uploaded them later...I don't know what we saw! It's hard to tell, but the bit of fluff on the front of the nest (pic above) is a beautiful striped feather. It was hanging down and fluttering in the breeze.
Today, we just crossed the bridge and sat on the big rocks in the rock circle. It was very warm and felt so good. Along with the usual birds (plus J. saw a road runner!), we also saw many butterflies. Two of the tiny white ones fluttered near each other for long, long moments, staying in place over the path.
The river shimmered in the afternoon sun. We could see where the water level has gone down.
🦉
I tried to will that feather to float down to me, but I was out of luck. haha
How do you self regulate? Yes, I bet I've asked this before. Do you have any new techniques?
