Birding in May

Last week when I went to our monthly bird walk, I realized that I had made a mistake.  They had changed the bird walk to the 2nd Saturday.  Al had to be at work at 6 this morning so I had him wake me up before he left.  The bird walk this month was going to be early - 6:30.  

I was surprised how many "birders" there were so early in the morning.   One was a young boy, perhaps 8 or so?  His daddy had taught him many things about birds.  He knew how to imitate bird calls.  Sometimes when he would be making a bird call, we would listen, thinking we were hearing the real thing!

The bird of the day was the Mississippi Kite.  We saw many!

Many years ago when Al was biking to work, each day a Mississippi kite guarding her nest would swoop down and bonk him on the head!  He took to wearing a hat.  

The kite nest is huge!  

At first glance you'd think it was a squirrel nest, but it is made of twigs, not leaves.

I love the walk through the woods!

Besides the kite, we heard and saw brown thrashers.  They sing in doublets.  I didn't get a good picture, but here is one I saw in my backyard.  

The Indigo bunting also sings in doublets but the sound is higher.   We just stood there and listened to it sing and sing.  I wish I could have seen it!!  Here is a picture I found online.

We heard more birds than we saw.  The leaves hide many of the birds and with the wind this day, many were hunkered down.

The yellow warbler sings "sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet!"    I didn't see it, so couldn't get a picture, obviously.  But here is what it looks like:

We also saw the red-eyed vireo flying by and listened to it sing.  Again, a picture from online.

  We heard the rattle of the red-bellied woodpecker. 

 It is rare that I don't see it on the trail. 

 I didn't this day but here is a picture of one that was on my deck:

We were at a spot by the river in the woods and the wind was not blowing there.  So many birds were singing in chorus and it was beautiful!!   

     "There's the chickadee!"

     "I hear the great crested flycatcher."

     "Do you hear the thrasher?"

Here is a picture of a great crested flycatcher from my backyard.

We may not always see each bird we hear, but we learn their calls and Greg teaches us characteristics of the birds.  And we tell each other some of the tricks of drawing birds to our backyards.

Back home, I had some birds at my yard.

The male oriole

 and female oriole

They better keep an eye on the kitty!

I was watering our yard and a cardinal thought it was a good place to take a bath

and our neighbors' chickens paid a visit!

"Tremendous!"

The bird walk this week was going to be early, like at 6:30 am!  I debated whether to go or not.  But as it was, I woke up at 5:40 am.  So I drove to our meeting place.

Hmm.  No cars or people around.  I looked at the e-mail again and saw that this month it was the 2nd Saturday, not the 1st!  I hadn't read the e-mail close enough!  

Later that morning it was our neighborhood clean-up day.

 There were quite a few people who came out to help and we got lots accomplished!

 After lunch, Al and I went downtown to the car show.

Sweet!  Similar to Grandma Bretz' car, only hers was a salmon color.

 I love this!

 Look at the tail pipe!

 Reminds me of Shrek!

 The peanut truck was there!

Sunday morning we heard our pastor's sermon on the ark.  So very good!!   And we watched Community Church's service and I bawled listening to the young girls' testimonies before their baptism.  And the missionary's talk was so uplifting to me!!

On Sunday afternoon, I went to hear Bethel College Master Works.  They performed Bach's Magnificat and Mozart's Requiem.

May I say it was "tremendous"??  That was a word my mother used frequently!  And speaking of my mother, there was a lady in the audience that looked like my mother!  The lady in purple in front of the empty seat.  She had the same hair and physique as Mom and lilac was her favorite color!  It took my breath away!

 That evening, we went to help at the nursing home with hymn sing.  We wheel the wheelchair folk to the chapel and help them with finding the hymns if they need it.  And we try to give encouraging words too.   What wonderful hymns we sang!  They sang loudly and joyfully!  Michael did a great, or should I say "tremendous" job playing the hymns!  And the song leader too!  His love for Jesus just shined!

 When I asked Willard how he was doing, he said he was in sorrow.  His sister had passed away.  The words to the songs we sang this evening must have brought him much comfort.

Father, please comfort him as he mourns.  He will miss her phone calls!

I have told my husband that although he may miss me if I should die first (at least maybe a little?), I want him to have my funeral be a party.  I've even told them to get out the party hats at the service!

When I die, I will have gone HOME!  In Christ's presence!  I will be more alive than ever!  I know I will be filled with joy and can't wait to see Mom and Dad and Aunt Millie and others.  Daniel (from the lion's den), Ruth, Rahab, Bezalel, Jonah, and hear their stories!  Believing and knowing for sure the Bible's promise about eternity in heaven, reading Randy Alcorn's "Heaven" and John Eldredge's "All Things New" have made me so excited for what happens next!  My last breath on earth will be my first in heaven!

It will be

TREMENDOUS!

Treacherous drive home

With the storm of the century barreling into Wisconsin, we said quick good-byes and headed out.  It would not be prudent to wait until the morning.

The roads were rather slick and it was slow going.

We went about 35-40 miles an hour for 3 hours.

We were detoured off the road as there had been a fatal accident.

There were several cars off the road.

Normally, we head southwest to Dubuque and on to Des Moines, but this time we headed straight south, trying to get out of the path of this storm.  We made it to Bloomington about 2am where we knew the forecast was for rain, not sleet, the next day.  We found a place to sleep for a few hours.  The last room available at the hotel due to a cancellation!

We met a couple from Minnesota who knew they'd be stuck there for a couple of days until roads could be cleared.

 We drove through rain and also a little sleet, but the roads were good.

 Passing the time, I read aloud from the book "Life in the Bluffton and Pandora, Ohio Community, 1877-1910.  Excerpts from The Bluffton News"  LOVE these!

 Meanwhile back in Wisconsin, church had been cancelled.   That rarely, if ever, happens.  In Green Bay, some roofs collapsed from the weight of the snow!


The girls were enjoying their 19" plus snow!

 They were so very happy!

 We drove west to St. Louis and on to Kansas.

 Kansas needs rain so badly!!

 We aren't the only ones who stop at historical markers!

 

 

Such l---o---n---g trains!!

Don't understand this lingo!

And then a double decker train!

It even required 2 engines in the middle!

 And then home - home to Spring!

 

But spring in Kansas also means blustery days where trash cans fall over and trash flies all over!

And spring in Kansas means the possibility of tornadoes and hail.