Bedtime for the birds

One of the things I like most about being retired is that I have time to myself. Well, more time anyway. (Jeanne still makes lists for me)  I always loved my Sundays during my working years because I'd be able to go out to the land in the afternoon and spend some quality time. I'd think about all sorts of things out there as I worked on making or maintaining my trails, my blinds, or some other woods-related project.  

With more time on my hands these days I can sit and watch nature going about its business just about as much as I want. And here in New Zealand, birds are the most prominent part of nature in my opinion, and I find myself learning things about them.  

Today, I want to tell you something I seem to have learned about house sparrows. I say seem, because I have so far observed and documented the bed-time habits of just one bird. Any researcher would tell you that a doing a study based on one subject comes up very, very short. Still, I'm not a real researcher. I'm just an old guy sitting on his balcony, up just below the canopy of some palm trees, who watches. (I once wrote a story called The Watcher, and I'm still at it.)

I guess I should have said that I want to tell you something I seem to have learned about a certain house sparrow, and from that knowledge, I have formed a hypothesis of what house sparrows might generally do before nodding off for the night.  

Before I get into my story though, let me show you a short video that we came across shortly after we arrived in New Zealand. The boys loved watching this at bedtime when they were very small. My story today is about watching a bird go to bed so this is the perfect vehicle to get you into the proper mood.  Take a look...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmbyor0SvdI

Ever since we arrived here in Waitakere Gardens, Jeanne and I have observed house sparrows flitting in and out of the palms that stand in our circle drive. A couple of the trees are no more than 20 or 30 feet away from our balcony so we have a ring-side seats.  We have also seen the sparrows returning to the trees at dusk but didn't notice at first what happened next.  

Well, we started watching more closely, and one night, Jeanne told me that she had seen a bird hop down and disappear into the tree. She said she was sure it hadn't just jumped off the backside of the tree and flown away somewhere.  This was something I had seen as well and my pictures today, will show you what we've watched so far. Unfortunately, our bird friend jumped down on the side of the tree facing away from my camera.  

Here is my subject, just arrived at home. 

He looks tired out and rather frazzled. (Probably thinking TGIF...it is Friday, btw) 

He has hopped around the tree a bit and has been sitting on his present perch for about 5 minutes now. That's a long time for a little fast-living bird to sit still.  I think he's winding down.  

He's look plumper, don't you think?

He has apparently 'put on his pajamas' and is insulated against the cool night temperatures.  

A couple of minutes later, he hopped off his platform and we assume, nestled into some little hollow for the night.  

Ladies and gentlemen; I took the pictures and wrote the text you've just read on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021.  The following was recorded and written on Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. You're going to see that our supposition regarding the house sparrow was correct. Three subjects made up the study group tonight. (Boy are we getting scientific now! Research paper here I come.) 

Here is our first subject arriving home.

A closer look.

It hopped all over  that frond and studied all areas of the tree below it.  

It is making it's way down to a hollow...

Closer to its objective. 

And it's in! But look, while it hopped into its bedchamber, another bird has arrived above it. 

The 2nd bird soon hops over to the left. Look at the angle of its head as it considers whether a spot behind the frond looks inviting. 

I think it likes what it sees. Look at how fluffed-up it is in anticipation. 

A moment later, it has hopped into its bed behind the frond. 

Meanwhile, our first bird has snuggled down into his bed as far as he can possibly go.  

While these two birds have been keeping our attention, a third bird has also found its spot, higher up on the tree and on the very right side.   

Already looks sleepy.....goodnight bird.  

I'm very pleased that our hypothesis has been proven correct.  

I hope you have enjoyed this look into bedtime for the birds...Goodnight to all of you.     -djf

Fifty years

It was a cold Sunday afternoon in February 1971. The dorms where I lived as a sophomore at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan, didn't serve dinner on Sundays.  That was not a problem. There was the Brat House, just off campus, or Burger Chef or Togo's, and they even delivered.  I wasn't concerned.  

My roommate walked into our room just about the time I was starting to mull over my meal plan, returning from wherever he had been spending his Sunday afternoon, and announced to me. "How would you like to get a free meal tonight?"  

He went on to explain that he had just heard that N.M.U.'s International Club was in the midst of a membership drive and was providing a buffet dinner for anyone interested in learning more about the club.  Shoot, for a free meal, I'd have gone to just about any club's gathering.  I grabbed a fairly clean shirt out of my closet and was ready to go.  

When we arrived, we hung our winter coats over a couple of chairs, taking possession of that bit of table and went off to explore what weird foods we were about to sample.  

When we got back to our table, plates piled high, we discovered that a couple of girls had taken the places directly across from us.  Wow, we thought, this was interesting.  

While I got along just fine with the girl directly across from me, I soon realized that the girl I was attracted to was sitting across from my friend Jim. Her name was Jeanne.  And it was clear that he preferred Renee', who sat in front of me.  (Fortunately, the girls seemed to share our views)

At the end of the meal, we paired up accordingly and went our separate ways.  

In those days, rules about having a guest of the opposite sex in one's dorm room (go figure) were very strict. However, Jeanne and I could  sit in the lobby of her residence hall and talk all we wanted. So we did.  For several hours as it turned out. Finally, at midnight, the lobby closed and I had to head home. My life was forever changed.  

As I came into my room, my phone was ringing. Oh, no, I thought. This isn't good.  

I answered it with some trepidation and rightfully so. It was my mom as I feared on the line and she asked, "WHERE have you been? Do you realize it's after midnight and you have classes in the morning? This was delivered at a volume just short of a shout.  

"I met a girl," I said.  That statement, while appearing very simple, was not. I had actually not just met A girl, I had met THE girl, and I could not have been more excited than if I had won a million dollars. The word 'girl' no longer meant what it had before that night, the word now meant Jeanne, and there could be no finer name in all the world.

(And suddenly that name, will never be the same, to me. Say it loud and there's music playing, say it soft and it's almost like praying.)  -from West Side Story

"WHAT KIND of girl keeps you out until midnight on a Sunday night, I'd like to know?" Mom shouted it this time.  

Oh boy, I realized that the gulf that separated my mother and me at that moment was impossibly wide. I realized that she had probably been redialing my number all evening and had stayed up late to reach me.  I didn't try to explain. I told her I would certainly go to my classes in the morning, and not fall behind in my work. When she hung up, I got ready for bed and thought, "Whew, what a Valentine's Day this has been."  

Fifty years later to the day, again on a Sunday evening, Waitakere Gardens in Henderson, New Zealand, is offering a Valentine's Day dinner, and Jeanne and I are going. (Gee, that's certainly international. Interesting, huh?)  Instead of deep winter like our very first Valentine's Day together in the north, we are enjoying a balmy evening during the height of summer in the south seas. Tonight, instead of a buffet of mostly Thai food, we are having a starter of shrimp and smoked salmon, a main of roast lamb and mash, dessert, and a bottle of champagne. 

I took just a few pictures during dinner, but maybe you'd like to see some of them.  

We had our own table. 

    

Obviously, since here we are fifty years later, it all turned out alright, despite the misgivings of my mother that first night. My parents loved her as soon as they met her. She wowed my dad with her knowledge of literature. She had graduated at the top of her class in high school, was working on a double major of English and Spanish at N.M.U. and would go on to  earn a 4.0 at the University as well.  The parents became suitably impressed. (Probably wished that more of her study habits would rub off on me.)    

We've had an interesting life. We made decisions back then that lead us to what some might think of as a non-traditional life, but we were quite successful in it and are now enjoying 'the fruits of our labors.'  

And, since I'm doing this blog, I'll be able to let you all know how we're doing on our 60th, and and 70th Valentine's Days, and well, after that, who knows....    

Thanks for sharing our continuing adventure.    -djf

A sense of wonder

Maybe this is cheating. Instead of showing you new pictures of New Zealand, today I want to show you some that were taken back in 2018. 

I was going through my old photo files recently and labeling some that hadn't been, and these were just so impressive (to me at least) that I wanted to share them again. I hope you don't mind.  

What made these pictures special, was that the timing was just right. The tide was at a very low point and the birds, well you'll see how special the timing with the birds was.  

Taken from above the parking lot.  Notice the cave entrance. 

Our picnic spot, just below the parking lot, and in the pillow grass.  

The view to the south.  

Looking toward our right. (north) 

This is the lowest tide I've seen at Muriwai.  It allowed us get into the cave. 

I wish you could smell the sea, hear the surf, feel the wind blowing, and see the colors on the walls. This picture doesn't do it justice.  

This might look spooky to you but it's not. The water inside the cave is only about a foot deep at the entrance to the cave. Even less where I'm standing.  In another half hour, the tide will have dropped even more and  the cave's floor of smooth sand will be visible all the way out.   

Surfers like it here. 

Next, we're going to climb back up and look at the nesting gannets. 

We are high above the beach now on one of the viewing platforms.

Let's watch the birds.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU_q-WqhBcw

Maybe now that you've seen these photos and the video, you understand why I wanted to revisit this particular day.  

I continue to be amazed that I've (we've) been able to see and be a part of such a place. To have been inside the cliffs.  I wish I could better express the wonder that I feel at times.   -djf

Practicing with the new camera

My old friend, my Canon 710HS, was showing its age. I could hear a very slight, but noticeable, grinding as I opened and closed its lenses while focusing.  I knew that its days were numbered. 

I have enjoyed it tremendously for years. It's small size meant it went everywhere with me and it took very good photos. Point and click, that's all I had to think about.  I'd guess I took at least 10,000 pictures with it. Thank goodness for digital.     

But its days were numbered. I didn't want to get caught somewhere with the picture of a life time in front of me, and not get it because of a camera problem.  It was time to shop for a new one.  

My friend Kim has a Panasonic that she told me she was happy with. I started by looking at that model in the camera store, but finally decided on a Nikon P950.   

These are my very first shots using the new camera. It's several times the size and weight of my Canon, and I now have to sling the camera case over my shoulder, but the pictures are clearly better. I have lots to learn about using it.  

I walked down to Tui Glen yesterday and took all these bird pictures. I think I'm going to like this new camera.      

Lots more to come....   -djf

Mt. Albert really likes BBQ Noodles.

In fact, they like them so much, they have two restaurants with the same name in town. Both are called Mt. Albert BBQ Noodle House, and they're right next to each other. 

Well, to tell the truth, a special love of noodles by the townsfolk is not really quite the explanation for this unusual arrangement...  

I saw a little segment on TV about them some time ago and today, I thought I'd show you that clip. Those professionals do a much better job than I would at telling the story...

(Sorry about the re-direct notice and the rather long advertisement) 

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/story-two-identical-mt-albert-bbq-noodle-houses

I went to Mt. Albert today and saw that these two restaurants do in fact still exist, are right next to each other, and each even has its own little tent advertiser outside its front door. I love that.  

I thought that I'd step into each one, take a picture, and buy a pork bun. Do my own comparison you know.  Here's what I found...

This is the original

This is the cousin's.  

Here is a picture of the two pork buns I was given. The one on the left, smaller container, was from the original place. 

The one one the right, with the larger container, a fork and napkins, came from the cousin's. 

I tried each of them and found the fillings to be indistinguishable. Both were warmed nicely. However, the one on the right, the cousin's, was Much fresher. The dough was light and very nice. I was also impressed that I got a fork and a napkin. I would have preferred to get a knife, but the fork worked to tear them open.  

I've told you before that I like Mt. Albert. The two shots below show you what it looks like in opposite directions from what I think of as the main corner in town. 

You see, it's a pleasant, little, old-fashioned and comfortable sort of place.  Coffee shops and public restrooms are always close by, both of which I've been grateful for on occasion.  

And there's an attitude, reflected in the name of some of the shops here, that says, "It's extra nice here."  

I'll prove it to you.  Take a look.  

Hmmm.  You have to be a blissful customer to park here, huh?  

What if you're just a little down in the dumps when you arrive? Like maybe you have to go to the dentist when you've finished with your shopping?  Will they really tow your car?  

And how do they know if you are blissful enough or not?  I didn't see a greeter out front. Maybe they do it with a camera and measure your retinas. 

Maybe you ought to stop and have some Joy sushi before you come here. It might just be the thing that pushes your mood up enough to qualify, and to save you that towing fee.    

Me, I just had a double-shot flat white before I came and I think my retinas were wide open. I'm not sure if I was blissful at all or just wired. But they let me in regardless.  

(This is the place I found the dried sweet/salty plums that I thought might be similar to those that friend Lee wrote about in his book about growing up in Papua New Guinea.) 

I could have also stopped in at the place you see below and had my questions answered while I drank my tea. Or maybe the rule is one answer per pot of tea, I'm not sure.  

A little ways down the street I passed this great loquat tree and had a little snack.  These were extra juicy. 

My last stop in town was at this Asian market. It's a big one.  No durian though.  

I hope that you've enjoyed taking a look around Mt. Albert today. It always doubles my pleasure in exploring when I know that others will share it with me later.  

Just think. Double the noodles, and Joy, and Bliss, and the Answer.  Mt. Albert has it all.  -djf