A FROG

(APRIL 30, 2010) A great white egret flew over head as I walked onto Angler's Park. I had seen the great bird there yesterday evening, but didn't have a camera to take its picture. As I shot a half dozen frames of the bird, I thought that this bird would be the subject of today's piece. The pictures were not bad, but the bird was a bit too far away to get a great shot.




However, I did have more success as we saw a great blue heron wading in the marsh. The bird strutted its stuff as it waded through the green marsh. But that was just the beginning of the wonders of the morning as we walked from Angler's Park to Dan Daniel Park.

There were few people on the trail. I passed only one bike rider between the two parks (sum 2 miles), but when I got to the ball fields at the park, there were two women with a small girl (maybe 4 years old). The little girl was riding a bike with training wheels, and when she saw Sadie, kept her eye on my English setter rather then where the bike was headed and ended up wrecking in the grass. She was OK; she cried a few whimpers, dusted herself off, and she was off again.

On the fence of one of the ball fields, I noticed a mockingbird standing there with its tail up in the air. Another mockingbird flew some 6 feet away and landed on the fence. They stared at each other; the second bird made menacing steps toward the first bird until they were only a couple of feet apart. And then the first bird flew hastily away; the second bird followed and tracked the bird down as they both landed on the fence again. The same thing happened; the first bird went to a tree where the second bird tracked it down. They did rumble, and then they both flew off. I have a series of pictures taken of this event which I'll later put on my web site.

On the way back to Angler's Park, we passed the little girl on her bike again. She was paying more attention to her driving (a good lesson for someone at any age), and I said, "You are a good bike rider." She thanked me as she rode past.

Shortly after that we passed the large frog on the trail. Sadie was very curious, but I kept her away. The last time she encountered a frog was in our front yard after a rain. She put the frog in her mouth, it emitted a toxic substance, and Sadie's mouth foamed for the next 10 minutes. Fortunately, the frog was quickly let go and Sadie was OK - but she still hasn't learned her lesson about frogs.

When we got back to Angler's Park, the egret wasn't there, but we did see some red-winged blackbirds. As I drove past the marsh, I saw a male sitting on a post, close to the road. Since there was very little traffic, I stopped, rolled down my window, and started taking pictures. I, like the little girl on the bike, was distracted while driving; fortunately, for me, I didn't go off the road.

It was another great morning on the Riverwalk.

Black and White Birds

(APRIL 29, 2010) There were more babies on the Riverwalk this morning. The three yellow goslings of the domestic geese were walking about on the sand while a gaggle of adults circled them to protect them. As we got closer to them, the geese put their heads down in a threatening was and came towards us , not charging, but just threatening. We kept our distance.


BLACK AND WHITE BIRDS seemed everywhere. On the long in the middle of the river were the mostly black cormorants, but there were some with white markings as well. I observed the nesting Canada goose on the piling of the bridge that goes over to the train station, and a number of adults swam underneath the pilings awaiting the big day of hatching. In the debris beneath the bridge some white geese were nesting and one white goose had a distinctive black patch on her head making her look like she was wearing a toupee. Near the parking lot at Dan Daniel Park, we watched a Canada goose make a graceful landing in the water below the dam. Graceful like poetry in motion.





About a quarter mile into our walk we saw two swallows hanging out on a tree stump with a wild branch shooting out the top and another one to the right. A swallow was on each with the image of the power tower in the background. At the halfway point we saw two swallows dancing around on the electrical wires on a post in the woods. They were across from the birdhouse they had chosen to raise their family.

At the Angler's Park this late afternoon, we saw a beautiful white egret in the marsh. I didn't take my camera this evening, wanting to just enjoy the evening. We did run into a former boy friend of one of my daughters and chatted for a while. Then our friend from New Jersey pulled up in the parking lot as we were about to go; he was alone, without Louie, his small white dog; Sadie was disappointed.

As we finally got ready to leave, a van pulled up with some special needs adults. One came over to pet Sadie. One of the leaders told her to ask first. I grabbed Sadie around the chest to keep her from jumping, the lady came over to pet her and commented on Sadie's soft fur.

As she was leaving, the leader told the lady to say, "Thank you." She did, and I said, "Sadie says, 'Thank You,' too. She enjoyed the attention."

It was a wonderful day on the Riverwalk.

VARIETY AND A FISH TALE

(APRIL 28, 2010) Here's a fish story. This actually happened this morning.

These two fishermen were walking toward the river in the woods near Dan Daniel Park. They saw us walking on the path and stopped at the picnic table before going down to the river. I told Sadie to sit to let the men by, but they sat at the picnic table.
"What you got there?" one of the fishermen asked.
"This is Sadie. She's an English setter," I responded.



I told the man that I didn't hunt, but Sadie was a full-bred setter.
He said, "I had this friend who had an English setter. That dog was amazing. We took the dog out to hunt quail, and that dog would chase quail into a hole and then sit on the hole, releasing the quail one at a time."
I said, "They are amazing, that's for sure," nodding as if to believe that story.
We chatted a few minutes more, and then we headed back to the car.

On the river, in the morning, there is a variety of people. There are men and women, old and young, fit and unfit, people of all races and religions, people of all educational levels, walkers, joggers, runners, bicyclists, skaters, bird watchers, river watchers, and people watchers, and those who just walk, run, or jog.

One gentleman I see often when I walk in the morning told me this morning that he had done pretty well in his lifetime with just a GED. He is one of the smartest and friendliest men I know. He is full of wisdom and wit. On the way back, we passed him again. As we passed, he said, "Oh, I didn't mention to you that I have a degree in BS." I said, "I knew that from the first time we talked." He then pointed out to me a goose nesting in a tree (unusual sight), and then he walked on.

There is the lady who came to America from Germany and now has a small Pekingese rescue dog named, Lucky. Lucky and Sadie enjoy sniffing and playing as the two of us chat. An entourage of four women pass us in the morning. They are each carrying walking sticks and comment about Sadie. There used to be just three of the women, but one of the ladies isn't walking any more, and the group picked up two more ladies. They are very pleasant to talk with.

There is the sometimes walker, sometimes biker named Jerry. He offers a friendly greeting each morning as he rolls past us on his bike or passes us as he walks. Another fellow suffered greatly from allergies earlier in the spring and wore a mask as he walked along the trail. There are other regulars - the retired principal, the lady who works at Public Works but gets to work early to walk the trail, the two gentlemen who walk together, always talking about something to each other - seems they will never run out of things to talk about, my colleague who runs many, many miles each day, some of which is on the Riverwalk, the man who is trying to get welding training to become a welder . . . the list goes on with those who walk the trail in the morning. Of course, this is only on a small portion of the trail Sadie and I walk. We have walked on other parts in the morning and, of course, see different people. And, then, there are those we meet whom we have never met before - like the fishermen - who often tell their story or chat briefly before moving on to whatever their purpose is on the Riverwalk.

Oh, yeah. As you can see from the picture posted. These photos were all taken this morning. There is a great deal of variety among the flora and fauna as well as among the people on the Riveralk.

It was another cool, but beautiful morning on the Riverwalk.

BABIES!!!

(April 27, 2010) This was a cool morning on the Riverwalk, and we got out there earlier than usual. The birds were singing in the woods and in the trees along the river; some were calling out as they saw the "four legged beast" (Sadie) approaching; others were putting forth their mating calls - for some, perhaps, too late since we are beginning to see and hear signs of new births with the chirping of small voices in the trees and new life on the river.


As we approached the bridge over the creek near the Public Works Department, a regular walker said, "There are babies around the corner." We walked onto the bridge, looked over the railing, and there was a family of Canada geese - two adults and five babies. These were the first babies we had seen on the river this year; that will certainly change in the next few weeks.

Someone told me this afternoon that she had seen new turtles near the train station, and the walker who commented on the babies, said that there were two Canada geese nests on two pilings of the bridge across to the train station. There are also geese nests in the debris stacked up around the pilings, and surely some nests in the high grasses along the trail.

In addition, the song birds are more skittish as we walk near where they have their nests. Soon there will be smaller versions of bluebirds, cardinals, mockingbirds, sparrows, etc. serenading us with their songs in the woods and along the river. Soon there will be smaller cooter turtles, snapping turtles and box turtles sunning themselves with the cormorants on the fallen tree in the middle of the river. Soon the woods will be full of small butterflies, moths, and other insects that fascinate Sadie. Soon the baseball fields will be full of children playing t-ball and baseball. And, soon the heat of summer will be upon us, and Sadie and I will walk earlier and earlier as we try to get our walk in before 8:00.

This evening we turned the lights out at Angler's Park as we got to our car right at sunset. The sandpipers are still there as are the red-winged blackbirds. Tonight, across the marsh, right at dusk, we saw a beautiful heron settling in for the evening. As with some evenings, I didn't take my camera tonight because sometimes I just enjoy the cool air, the sights, the sounds, the joy of spending time with Sadie as we each make new discoveries and just being there.

It was another great day on the Riverwalk.

SITTING IN THE CATBIRD SEAT

(APRIL 26, 2010) This gray bird with the black crown is a little guy I haven't seen in a while (perhaps for nearly a year). This morning the bird sat quietly in the foliage as Sadie and I walked by. I would have missed this fellow had Sadie not stopped to check out something on the ground (bird droppings, I assume - they are her morning treats). As I looked around, I saw a slight movement in the trees as the cowbird was moving his head, just slightly. I moved my camera up to take a shot, and he just sat there posing for me. I believe that the catbird is a close relative to the mockingbird, and neither bird seems to be too shy.

Whenever I see a catbird, I think of James Thurber's short story, "The Catbird Seat." There was a phrase that was once popular that implied that anyone who is above another, that is, in charge of the other, then that person in the superior position is "sitting in the catbird seat." Thurber, as he did throughout his writing career, pits a strong, dominant female character against a meek, milquetoast male character.

In this story there is Mr. Martin, a man who has worked for a company for many years and has established a routine in his life. However, his world is turned up-side down when the boss hires Ulgine Barrows, a strong willed manager whose job is to change things around the place. Her favorite phrase is, "I'm sitting in the catbird seat," a phrase she uses until it becomes a mere cliche.

The story is of this meek Mr. Martin confronting Mrs. Barrows in a way that is masterful and full of deceit. At the end of the story, Mr. Martin is literally sitting in the "catbird seat" while Mrs. Barrow uses the phrase only as a cliche. It is a good read, and a good story to show how a stronger creature (Ulgine Barrows) dominates the weaker character (Mr. Martin) until the weaker character decides he has had enough.

Here is a link to the story by Thurber:

http://www.jameshilston.com/pages/reading/catbird_seat.htm

In the world on the Riverwalk, Sadie sees herself as a dominant female on the trail with weak birds and squirrels. She postures herself as a good English setter with her head held high as she stalks the bird or the squirrel. She sees herself sitting in the "catbird seat," when, in actuality, the weaker animals (the birds and the squirrels) are in that position because they can do two things Sadie can't do - birds can fly and squirrels can climb. Sadie will never catch a bird nor will she ever catch a squirrel. But she does enjoy the hunt.

It was a beautiful morning on the Riverwalk but started to get a bit warmer as we concluded our walk at around 8:00.

BUDS

(APRIL 24, 25, 2010) SATURDAY - This morning on the Riverwalk, we were greeted by a flock of Canada geese flying over and a couple of mallards settling on the side of the hill even before we had left the parking lot to start our morning walk. In the dark woods Sadie enjoyed chasing the squirrels and watching for geese in shadows of the trees.

As we approached the mile marker, I stopped to talk with another walker who petted Sadie. As we were standing there, we noticed a large image in the sky. I took a few pictures, and the walker ask me, "What was that?" I enlarged the picture on my camera, showed him the image, and pointed out that the great blue heron looks very different in the air than it does with its long legs on the ground or in the water.

Another walker told me that there were baby geese up ahead. I walked on, but never saw the goslings. The adult geese tend to be a bit skittish when they see a four legged animal (Sadie) and duck their babies into the underbrush. I did see the nesting white goose who rests on the debri next to the bridge going over to the train station.

On the way back to the car, near the parking lot, we saw a slow moving creature crossing the street; it was a box turtle. I kept Sadie away from the moving shell to allow the little guy an unhindered venture into the tall grass where it was headed.

But, of all that caught my attention this cool morning, the multiple plants that were budding were the most interesting. They were in the trees, on the ground, even on plants growing out of the side of walls. It is like nature is ready to spring forth in all her brilliance at any moment. As I stopped to photograph them, Sadie would come over to see what I was looking at. Sometimes she would walk right over the plant I was getting ready to shoot; sometimes I would take the shot and have only her rear end in the shot. But, as someone reminded me last night at a party, "It's not only David's walk in the park; it is also Sadie's." I miss several shots each day with Sadie pulling or getting into the picture, but if I were to choose to go the park with only a camera or only Sadie, I would not hesitate to choose Sadie.

The abundance of buds moved me to write poetry on this spring day (OK - limericks which are kinda poetry). Here are the three that were inspired:


BUDS #1

The smell of the buds is so sweet;
Small buds of the spring look so neat
While hanging around
All over the ground;
To the nose and the eyes they're a treat.

BUDS #2

Small buds of the spring look so neat
As I photograph them at my feet;
Sadie sniffs them with glee
'til one harbors a bee,
Then the dog runs away in retreat.

BUDS #3

Small flowers bud up on the trail;
They give Sadie nice objects to smell.
She jumps into the frame
As I focus my aim
And my last shot was one of her tail.

SUNDAY: We ventured forth this morning though it was misting rain as we left the garage. I forgot to take a towel to towel us off if we got soaked, as we often do, with the rain. Fortunately, we were spared the rain and enjoyed a 2.5 mile walk down toward Angler's Park from Dan Daniel Park. Sadie did find another box turtle in the high grass, and I allowed her the chance to sniff it. I did something, somewhat, unkind to the dog. As her nose neared the shell, I would let forth a hissing sound; she would jump back. I did this a couple of times, and then we moved on and enjoyed the rest of the walk.

These were two great days on the Riverwalk.

EARTH DAY

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." - Rachel Louise Carson, 1907 - 1964

(APRIL 22, 2010) Rachel Carson wrote to Reader's Digest in 1945 and suggested a story idea to show the effects of DDT on humans. Researchers in her Maryland town were studying the effects of DDT finding, as she suggested in her proposal to Reader's Digest, "what other effects DDT may have if applied to wide areas: what it will do to insects that are beneficial or even essential; how it may affect waterfowl, or birds that depend on insect food;whether it may upset the whole delicate balance of nature if unwisely used."

Her proposal to Reader's Digest was rejected. 17 years later she published Silent Spring, and her name became a household name as one who helped save the earth from chemicals.

On this Earth Day, I had the opportunity to see the sun come up over Dan Daniel Park and watch it go down at Angler's Park. Being surrounded by nature on such a day was a humbling experience. Watching the beauty of the geese as they flew in and landed on the field near Dan Daniel Park, seeing small sparrows in the trees, smelling the sweetness of Spring in the cool April air, feeling the soft breeze on my skin, hearing the call of the red-winged blackbirds in the evening, and watching, with keen interest, the sandpiper that had found its way into the marsh at Angler's Park made the day special.

But also among the beauty of nature were signs that humans had been there. As a small effort to do my part on Earth Day, I decided to pick up trash along Angler's Park as I came upon it and stuff it in my pockets. When I came to a trash can, I deposited the trash accordingly.

All seemed right with the world until I put Sadie in the back of my Jeep and turned on the ignition. There was the distinct smell of . . . well, I thought that the pizza crust I had given Sadie earlier had had a somewhat adverse effect upon her digestive system and that she was, not sure there is a more gentle way of saying this, but, releasing gas. I fussed at her as I saw her innocent face in my rear view mirror. She had already done her "bidnez" in the park, and I had picked up the mess in a biodegradable "poop bag." Yet, she seemed to have this "problem."

Halfway home, the smell became greater and greater, and I fussed more and more at my sweet Sadie. And then, I realized what I was smelling. In all of the effort to pick up trash at Angler's Park, I had placed a used "poop bag" in my pocket waiting for the next trash can. The bag was still in my pocket. I apologized to Sadie and gently disposed of the bag in a trash can.

It was another great day on the Riverwalk.