stuff I'd never seen

[Surf City Baby]

Before moving to Southern Maryland from Southern California, where I was born and spent the first 36 1/2 years of my life, I had never

• 
  * seen a lightning bug
  * seen the Atlantic Ocean
  * driven on a carpet of tiny frogs after a hard rain (didn't like that one bit)
  * been in a thunderstorm that simultaneously thrilled and scared the beejeebers out of me
  * seen a box turtle
  * seen a fox
  * seen baseball-sized hail
  * heard or seen:
  ** a barred (or any other) owl
  ** a red-shouldered hawk
  ** a whippoorwill
  ** a woodpecker--of any kind
  ** an indigo bunting
  ** a carolina wren (a pair has built a nest near our deck)
  ** a tufted titmouse
  ** a blue jay
  ** a blue heron
  ** a certain sparrow whose name I can't remember

I miss my home town, but I love living out here. It's worth the homesickness.

 

[Sharon]

Originally posted by Surf City Baby

driven on a carpet of tiny frogs after a hard rain

 

[John Z]

Wow, not only have you been drinking up the sensations that are southern MD, but also you appear to be quite a bird aficionado!

 

[vraiblonde]

a certain sparrow whose name I can't remember

Joe.

How was your trip? You missed a lot of rainy days!

 

[Surf City Baby]

Originally posted by John Z
Wow, not only have you been drinking up the sensations that are southern MD, but also you appear to be quite a bird aficionado!

I love birds. We feed them on the deck, and watching them is better than television. By default we also feed the squirrels, but we try to keep them happy with their own corn. (It's a losing battle.) My favorites right now are the goldfinches.

Oh, I forgot a couple: black-capped chickadees and cardinals.

And!! I'd never seen a chipmunk, and there's one that runs up on our deck to stuff sunflower seeds in his cheeks. He is the cutest damned rodent I've ever seen in my life! Dig those racing stripes.

The birds, squirrels, and chipmunks are kitty TV, too. It's a scream to see the cats lined up like sphinxes in front of the sliding glass door, their heads moving as one, following some critter around.

 

[Surf City Baby]

Originally posted by vraiblonde
Joe.

I had to look it up: it's the white-throated sparrow.

How was your trip? You missed a lot of rainy days!

Faab-ulous, thank you for asking. I got a surprise 40th birthday party, trips to Catalina Island and the San Diego Wild Animal Park, and spent enormous amounts (but not enough) of time with my sisters, my niece, 15, and my nephews, 12 and 18. The 12-year-old, Tory, wrapped his arms around my neck the first time he saw me and never let go during the whole week. My sister told me he cried -- this tough kid who's a genius and is growing up the original taco-fed, beefy surfer boy -- cried after we left for the airport.

KJ had a great time too, and having been ill for several months, the trip did her immeasurable good. She said the trip to the Wild Animal Park was about one of the coolest things she's ever done.

I took about 200 pictures, and attempted to post some a couple of days ago, but I need to resize them before I can get them to post. About 2/3rds of the photos are of . . . you guessed it. Birds. What can I say?

 

[RodRugg]

That was a nice message and a good idea. Before moving from Southern Maryland from Kentucky, where I was born, I had never

• seen a fish cooked with its head on it
• seen a kid get drop kicked off his bicycle in a CVS parking
• rented a video at a video store
• ate a pork chop in the back of a truck
• seen a kid run out in front of a car
• fell off a roof and broke an arm
• ate peanut butter
• poked a hole in the bottom of a styrofoam cup to let the water out so I could dump a goldfish in my hand without getting my hand all wet
• seen a Sasquatch
• built a rabbit hutch
• put kerosene on a blister
• ate stew on my birthday
• hung a poster on my wall
• seen a Chinese man smoke a cigarette

 

[Flo]

I placed my Hummingbird feeder out in April. Have heard that around the middle of April is when the Hummingbirds arrive, but I don't know if it was all the rain or what, but haven't seen too many this year. Has anyone else had a problem this year?

 

[Otter]

Originally posted by Flo
I placed my Hummingbird feeder out in April. Have heard that around the middle of April is when the Hummingbirds arrive, but I don't know if it was all the rain or what, but haven't seen too many this year. Has anyone else had a problem this year?

Catt knows more bout this, but hummers arrive for a week or so, then disappear for some reason, then come on in full force..We have 4 or 5 feeders and probably 3 to 4 dozen regulars that hang out on our deck. If the feeders are empty, the hover at the kitchen window to tell us..

 

[Sharon]

I've only seen one hummer at my window feeder - maybe the juice needs changing.

I had a huge patch of red cannas in the front yard for years (oddly they died last winter) and the hummingbirds would flock to those.

 

[Flo]

Originally posted by Barbra
I have about a dozen hummingbirds that come to my feeder right now. Clean and rinse the feeder w/ warm water only and change the sugar solution once a week. The hummingbirds @ my feeder tend to dig the homemade solution better than the store bought stuff. I keep only one feeder up @ a time. I used to have two or three, but it would draw so many and they'd all start fighting and flying into the patio doors. Just one feeder now w/ six ports keeps them all happy.

Duncraft has great tips for attracting hummingbirds. It's also a great place to shop online for birding supplies.

Duncraft - Tips for attracting hummingbirds

Thanks Barbra for the website. I have been using the store bought stuff over the years, and it usually works pretty good. Will probably try the homemade to see if I get better luck.

 

[Flo]

Originally posted by Sharon
I've only seen one hummer at my window feeder - maybe the juice needs changing.

I had a huge patch of red cannas in the front yard for years (oddly they died last winter) and the hummingbirds would flock to those.

I have seen one or two over the last few weeks, but nothing like the years past. Will take up Barbra's message, and I will probably go home tonight and change the water, and try the homemade brew.

 

[Sharon]

Flo

I use the homemade sugar solution but I guess it's old.

Thanks for the link Barbra.

 

[Bertha Venation]

*bump*

A few weeks ago, I saw something I never dreamed I'd see: about twenty feet in front of me--a tree struck by lightning. Here's a photo of the tree.

 

[Bertha Venation]

lightning photo 2

This is the base of the tree. The strike killed a beautiful young vine that had climbed up the tree about eight feet.

 

[Bertha Venation]

lightning photo 3

The tree's trunk. I suppose it's an old wives' tale that lightning always hits the tallest thing around--this pink-white bolt, which hit three times in rapid succession, struck first about eight feet up from the ground.

 

[jazz lady]

Neat pictures, Bertha.

They're also great for illustrating the point to never, ever, EVER stand beneath a tree during a thunderstorm.

 

[ByeBye]

Before moving to southern maryland I had never seen:

* so much traffic
* so many accidents
* so few people walking around
* a 1/2 hour drive to anywhere
* neighbors who wave at you as they drive by but do little else
* so many expensive houses
* so few job prospects (unless you like to kill people...go work for the military)
* so many 2 stroke / four wheelers riding around
* so many uncared for dogs
* so many mosquitos
* such a muddy swimhole (the chesapeake).
* so little worth moving down for

I was all too happy to leave.
SoMD sucks!

 

[John Z]

Ha, ha! Does every thread need to be infiltrated by the negative nellies? :shrug:

 

[Bertha Venation]

Originally posted by ByeBye
Before moving to southern maryland I had never seen:

* so much traffic
* so many accidents
* so few people walking around
* a 1/2 hour drive to anywhere
* neighbors who wave at you as they drive by but do little else
* so many expensive houses
* so few job prospects (unless you like to kill people...go work for the military)
* so many 2 stroke / four wheelers riding around
* so many uncared for dogs
* so many mosquitos
* such a muddy swimhole (the chesapeake).
* so little worth moving down for

I was all too happy to leave.
SoMD sucks!

Life is what you make it, friend. If you want to, you can be happy anywhere. I moved here three years ago from Southern California. Given your list, you've obviously never lived there, either (traffic, accidents, few pedestrians, expensive houses). Living here has its disadvantages but they're taken in stride. I miss being back home, but I love it here.

If you are happy b!tching and moaning about your surroundings, more power to you. I say, don't let the door hit you in the azz on the way out, whiner.

There. I said it and I'm glad I did.