October

It's October.
For 20 years, it has been such a bittersweet month. 

October used to be hands down the favorite month for everyone, especially the men, of my family. ( I can't say it has always been my favorite though, as it makes me dread the winter season) But, the guys love hunting season and October is deep into it.  The hunting is the best this month. Deer especially, pheasants, ducks, geese you name it.  Rifles, shotguns, archery.  It is the best of the best for hunters.

Twenty years ago, though, we lost a hunter.  We lost a brother, a friend, an uncle, a dad, a son, when my youngest brother Steve was killed in a car accident.  One would think that twenty years would dull the pain, but in reality, even two decades later, it still hurts.

It always helps to choose to remember the way Steve lived.  He was big, he was happy, he was bold, he was funny.  He had twinkling blue eyes and a mischievous grin.

When he was gone, he left a giant sinkhole in my heart and the hearts of everyone who loved him.  He would have been celebrated his 50th birthday this year.

So, as October slips into November, I pause and remember my "little" brother.

Happier times  :)

A favorite poem (remembering old pets)

I Loved You Best

Copyright © Jim Willis 2002, All Rights Reserved

So this is where we part, My Friend,    and you'll run on, around the bend,    gone from sight, but not from mind,    new pleasures there you'll surely find.    I will go on, I'll find the strength,    life measures quality, not its length.    One long embrace before you leave,    share one last look, before I grieve.    There are others, that much is true,    but they be they, and they aren't you.    And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought,    will remember well all you've taught.    Your place I'll hold, you will be missed,    the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.    And as you journey to your final rest,    take with you this...I loved you best.

Phenology

"Phenology is the study of the timing of seasonal change in plant and animal species"


Phenology. That is the word!  I have been practicing it for many years before I even knew the word. Along with many others, I keep a keen ear and eye out in the winter, looking for my favorite cues that Spring is about to break out.


This week, the weatherman is predicting a "warm up", which seems long overdue. ( Of course, we have all learned that the weatherman is not always right. )


Looking at the natural world gives us the clues as to what to expect.  I have found that this is especially true when it comes to knowing that winter is releasing the grip it has had on Minnesota. 


The signs are usually the same each year, even if they come at slightly different times.


The first I notice is usually the call of the Great Horned Owl.  For some reason, they begin nesting at the end of January.  They must want to get a head start on things!  I heard the Great Horned Owls.  Check!


Then, I usually notice that my flock of hens start to lay eggs again, and they have.  Check!


Then I notice the cardinals signing and the chickadees break into the song that they sing in spring.  I have heard the cardinals, but am still waiting for the change in the chickadee song!  I expect to hear them change the song any day now.


And one of my favorite signs is when the raucous cheers of the Red Winged Blackbirds greet me when I first step out into the morning.  I love the first time I hear them chattering about being back into the low swampy areas around where I live.  Usually, they return around mid-March  After they come back, I know that we have almost put another winter behind us. 


They are followed by the emerging fuzzy "pussy willows", which are another sure sign that the warm up is on the way.


So, while the weatherman is happily telling us all that spring is coming, Mother Nature has already told those of us who were paying attention!


p.s. after I wrote this post, I went out to do some animal care.  Sure enough, my little friends, the chickadees were singing their spring song!

One half hour before sunrise

This morning, I realized that the half hour before the sun comes up is my favorite time of day. 


I have always been an early riser and my current profession has had me up and out of the house before sunrise more times than I can count.  I usually finish all my pet sits before sun up and have the joy of watching the sun rise and the world wake up.


It is a terribly cold day in late February and in spite of this, I can not help but pause and enjoy the clear, quiet, bitter beauty of this morning. 


Soon, spring will edge the winter away and we will be treated to cheerful bird song with our sunrises.  

Another farewell...

Baseball
Green grass,
  sunny skies,
    the crack of the bat!
The cheering crowd!  Fun in the summer time.
These are the memories I took with me to the funeral of a friend.


My friend, Doug, died suddenly after a short illness that I was not even aware of.  As we sat at his funeral, I kept thinking of the stark contrasts.

You see, he was the parent of a kid on my oldest son's baseball team.  We knew each other through the fun and the sunny, blue summer days of baseball.  We spent many hours over many baseball seasons cheering the team on to what we hoped would be a victory.  ( Sometimes it was. Sometimes, it wasn't. )


As happens in groups of people, we flock together with those who we feel a kinship.  So, usually, at the games, we'd be in our little cheering/score keeping section.  Almost always, it would be Doug, his wife, Merri, Angie(head score keeper and keeper of the book), and me (assistant score keeper).  There was always a fun atmosphere at the park and I would always look forward to visiting with this group of people.


Yesterday, the mood could not have been more different from the ballpark days.  Doug's wife Merri, and their son and daughter, were greeting the mourners, they were trying to stay strong.  Angie and I sat in silence.   We were still in shock that this could have happened.  The day was as cold, gray and damp as  you could expect a Minnesota January day to be.  The mood was somber.  No sunshine, no crack of the bat, no cheering crowd.  Just sad friends.


As I left the funeral, I chose to remember Doug the way I knew him.  Cheerful, happy, positive, and ready to watch the game and cheer on the boys!  That's what I will always remember.


Hats off to you, my friend.