Out the back window

I am so fortunate. First of all, I live in Florida, where most days one can have the windows open.
Secondly, I live on a little lake and have a glorious view out my window. Thirdly, when I am working on the computer, I can see water birds of all sorts in a constantly changing panorama.
Recently, I have been privileged to see a flock of white ibis in the large, droopy oak tree hanging over the lake in front of me. At times, there are as many as two dozen of these lovely birds in the tree at once. When I went out to take pictures, I spooked a large osprey and his flight in turn, set the ibis in motion. What a lovely sight, with their white wings soaring away in a ballet of
swirling and swooping, until they all came to light again in the tree or on the banks.

The osprey sits in a very tall pine tree, eating a large fish which he has caught in our lake. From time to tiime, he gets scared off and drops his fish. At this point, the ugly turkey buzzards come to spoil the beauty of my view. I am,however, respectful of these birds. They clean up the smelly
"road kill" of life and keep our environment clean. At a bird sanctuary, a nature lecturer showed me their wings and feathers from behind and they are really quite graceful birds, despite their ugly ald heads.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF EVVY PECK, MY NEIGHBOR AND VERY TALENTED ARTIST .

Inauguration Day, 2009 U.S.A.

Today is one of the most exciting days of my life.
It is Jan. 20, 2009, the day Barack Obama was inaugurated
as President of the United States. The news media are carrying wonderful stories
of people determined to be there in spite of cold weather, no place to stay,
scarcity of bathrooms, and just general crowding. There will be thousands of law enforcement officers there, and they have to sleep on cots in a crowded hall.
Businesses all over the city are allowing their employees to spend the night at work, so that they might be on hand for the celebration.

Charley Gibson carried a news story tonight about a woman from Texas who drove to D.C. with her six children. She had been made homeless by Katrina. Her youngest was 6 months. Somehow, through the internet, she had found a family willing to house them in exchange for her doing all the cooking. She had no tickets to anything, but she just wanted to be there..to take part in this historic day.

I can't think of another event in my lifetime, other than the millennium celebration, or perhaps the Olympics, where Americans meet with such great joy and hope in mind. There is literally dancing in the streets. It is heartwarming to see our country joyful again.

Let the whole world watch and see how we have been relieved of a great weight, a burden of worry that has pervaded our lives for eight years.

In spite of 1.4 million people crowding the streets of Washington, D.C. , and in the face of 12 degree weather (wind chill -14!) there were not incidents, no fights, everyone was cooperative and helpful, and the general ebullience was contagious. The cameras panned over faces, red with cold, but still smiling and crying with happiness. Other networks carried scenes from Indonesia, Kenya, Hawaii and other parts of the world, as their people watched in awe and shared our hope for a better futures.

May be return to the days when all were proud to stand and sing the National Anthem with pride!

Inauguration Day, 2009 U.S.A.

An Attractive Woman

I started the first day of the new year right. I slept late. Then I went to the gym . Not many people there so we all felt a little virtuous. Not only was I rewarded for my exercise, but I had  a little experience that brightened my day and set me thinking.

I  can't speak for what men find attractive in women. But I have my own ideas of what sets woman apart when I first meet them. It's a woman with a   friendly smile. Nothing improves a person's looks like a big , sincere smile. There was a woman working out and as she passed me she was humming to the music.  We both exchanged  "Happy New Year" greetings. She was  rather petite,  wearing a crisp , white, long sleeved blouse and what we used to call pedal pushers. The music was rather lively and I felt my body start to feel the beat and want to move to the music.

  She got off one resistance machine and started dancing across the carpet. She was very lithe, and her steps made her look like someone who had a lot of dancing experience. A teacher, perhaps. As the music continued , she moved from machine to machine, doing her dance steps in between  and really enjoying the music.  I wanted so much to get up and follow her around, conga like, trying to emulate her moves. Another woman said something to me about  it and  I allowed as how I'd like to have the nerve to do that. She laughed and said , "Not me! I have two left feet!"

  The dancing woman continued her moves until she spotted a friend and they began an intense conversation that lasted quite a while. As I prepared to leave, I passed them and she stopped her conversation, called out to me, and said, " You and I greeted each other and I think we should meet. I'm Angela and this is my friend, Joanne."

I told her how her dancing had affected me and she revealed that her husband really doesn't like to dance and she misses the opportunity to enjoy it.

We chatted for a while and I thought how pleasant it was to have met someone so bright , so 

joyful and so eager to meet others. Now that's an attractive woman!

What a  positive way to start the new year...meeting a new friend or two.

A Perfect Holiday

Today was the end of a perfect holiday season. I have two married sons and a total of four grandchildren, each one as precious as the next. This weekend, we were all together.

The rush of Christmas, the hectic schedules, the mad wrapping and then tearing off of  paper on packages was past us. Everyone was full of good food and making resolutions to lose weight in the coming months. It was  time to relax and just enjoy being a family.

Yesterday we packed up two suvs with picnic food, towels, shovels and pails, and headed for the famous Siesta Beach off Sarasota, Florida. And  so  did everyone else in town. We searched in vain at several locations for a parking space, and finally went for Plan B. We found an open but deserted ball park with picnic  tables, playground equipment and clean rest rooms. We ate our food there under sunny skies, and watched the children play happily together. 

       We were so pleased with  ourselves, we decided to try again today.  Fully loaded with the same stuff, but new food, we headed for Ken Thompson Park near Mote Marine  on Longboat Key.We were lucky to find a spot to park, shaded picnic tables. and clean restrooms once again.

Our view of Sarasota from across the bay was spectacular.  We watched as children played in the gently lapping shallow water....little ones in diapers wading happily, mothers with pant legs rolled following at a safe distance.  Older boys with fishing poles optimistically hoping to make a big catch in ten inches of crystal clear water.   Sailboats, canoes, kayaks, water scooters and motor boats entertained us. So did   majestic osprey whose distinct cry caused us to look up and see him in full flight...a magnificent sight.

The ambiance in  Sarasota is so beneficent and it is totally free and accessible to all.  Seeing other families enjoying the same blessings as ours showed us that we were not the only ones counting their blessings.

Gifts and presents are fun to get. But the gift of this kind of day comes along all too seldom and we need to be aware of the fact that it is we who can make Christmas come all year, and we who can make these magic days happen.

Happy New Year, all you dear friends and readers.

Christmas Eve Day, 2008

This has been a  wonderful pre-Christmas season.

Having three young grandsons around can make even the most stoic person believe in Santa and 

the real message of Joy found in this season.

My middle grandson decorated my tree for me, using a step stool, and every single trinket was on the three branches in the front! I smile every time I pass it, and marvel that it doesn't tip over.

When you come to think of it, he couldn't even see the ornaments if they were on the top or in the back, now could he?

I'm a fortunate person to have so many loving relatives to come and visit me, and they all come at this time of year. Therefore, this is my first post in six weeks!  Shame on me! I resolve to be more current in 2009.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

SOFT, SANDY BEACHES OF SARASOTA

Going to the beach has been my favorite activity since I was a child. No , there are not many beaches in West Virginia, but my family once spent a week at Virginia Beach. We made all the mistakes tourists make and got hopelessly sunburned. My brother even had heat prostration and we had to call a doctor. I had my hair in braids, and the sun burnt little blisters all along the part line. I couldn't comb my hair for weeks! And , the 300 mile drive home in a car full of burnt people was like being trapped in a 4 x 4 prison cell!

Then , we moved to Florida when I was 16. My dad didn't have work yet, so our days were free.
We would get up at 7 a.m. and head for Pass-a-Grille beach, where once stately Australian pines offered a nice spot for sitting in the shade. It was bright, beautiful, and not too hot at that hour and we loved splashing in the waves . (One photo shows my son romping in the surf with his daughter)
On the way home, we would stop where they were selling watermelons 3 for $1 and get a big , bursting melon. We all learned how to "thump" them to choose just the juiciest, sweetest of all.
For breakfast, we had watermelon after hosing off the sand from our bodies. Spitting watermelon seeds was a great pastime!

While I was in junior college in St. Pete, we loved to sneak away and go to the "Surf Club" on St. Petersburg Beach. It was just as you see in the movies..young , oiled and tanned bodies all lying around on blankets, hoping to "make out". Young, virile men from McDill Air Force Base were everywhere and stirred up the blood of hormonal young women.

Our friends would plan beach parties at night. Back then we were allowed to make a fire.
The most fun was to go into the water and watch the phosphoresence in the water light up our every movement and splash. It was a magical time,never to happen again.

There was never enough surf on the Gulf Coast for surfing, but my sons got into that sport in a big way while they attended University of Florida in Gainesville. Many weekends betters spent studying were gleefully enjoyed at Daytona and neighboring beaches.
I expect those are golden memories to them.

One year, we had a family reunion in St. Petersburg. My three sons and their wives/sweethearts were with me and we all decided to go into the water at sunset. We had heard about the green flash, and we actually saw it. I would try to explain it, but you would be better off googling "green flash" and see photos of it. It is a phenomenal thrill.

These days, (my "golden years"), I don't get into the water much but love to walk along the beach, especially at sunset. It never fails to bring me peace and happiness.

The first photo is my  son and his daughter frolicking in the surf.The second photo is two of my grandsons playing "push me , pull me" at Siesta Beach, Sarasota.