I have some very dear readers (especially those of you who read me daily). Actually, you are a very quiet folk, as I get almost no comments (I've thought about offering a free dinner at a nice restaurant to whoever makes the most comments this summer, but didn't feel bribery would make it genuine and might change the feel of the blog so I didn't... so don't try it now).
I just wanted to let everyone know I will sadly be writing a little less for the next week or two. I have some writing that I need to do privately to sort out some things that have been weighing on my mind. Also, getting up at 3 am every morning to mist net, followed by tree climbing expeditions and swimming or running leaves a girl just plain exhausted.
There isn't much interesting to report. For those who have known me a long time and are stunned by my recent interest in food I actually cooked potatoes and swiss chard tonight (thanks to NY for trying out the recipe the first time and to my dad for his encouragement and reassuring me that cooking greens is ridiculously easy). It's challenging to cook in a house with six people, but I am definitely learning from watching my vegetarian boss and what others do.
Music wise, I've heard Kanye West's "Stronger" twice in the past twenty-four hours: That that don't kill me can only make me stronger. I know it's a cliche, but it is fitting for me right now and the song has a great beat so it's a bit of an anthem for the moment. ('Cause this is Louis Vuitton dime night/So we gon' do everything that Kan like/Heard they'd do anything for a Klondike...) I'm also listening to Wyclef Jean's "Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101" thanks to NY. So far I haven't made it past the first two songs, they are that good. So there.
I am super excited about my trip this weekend to Boston and Cape Cod with my aunt N and her wife T, with an overnight stop in Connecticut to celebrate the birthday of my awesome aunt K, finishing with lunch in New York city with the city girl herself, NY, and one of her friends I've been dying to meet. It's going to be another whirlwind weekend, and only my second visit to New York city in my entire life!
I'll try to post a picture or brief update every few days but please don't worry if I'm quieter than usual. I'll be back soon!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Tiring Weekend
This weekend has left me feeling tired and a bit overwhelmed with everything I still have to do in the next few days. I am really looking forward to a long weekend on July 4th and getting the heck out of Dodge.
I won't summarize the whole weekend but as an idea of it here is how Saturday went in four parts:
Early Morning: Woke up listening to Donald Kroodsma on NPR. I'm still reading his book. They played several American robin songs, very cool. He also did a detailed explanation of one of his favorite birdsongs, the wood thrush, which I hear often at dusk around DC. The buzzy part of its song is made by a duet using its two voice boxes (yes songbirds have two voice boxes, one at the top of each bronchi where it bifurcates at the carina).
Morning: Baltimore aquarium. Sadly I have been very spoiled in the aquarium department and it does not even compare to the Monterey aquarium. I might as well never set foot in another aquarium, I've already seen the best there is. Darn I miss California, I remember spending my 30th birthday in Monterey with my friend and co-worker Slow Feet (thanks Slow Feet you were so wonderful that day!), watching a wild sea otter with its one day old baby. The sea otter was lounging in a sheltered area that was part of the aquarium's outdoor exhibit so I was only about five feet away. Ok, enough reminiscing.
Afternoon: Crab cakes at Faidley's Seafood in Lexington market in Baltimore. They lived up to their reputation as the best.
Evening: Concert with NY (thanks for the tix). Thievery Corporation. World music, two DJs, they are from DC. I enjoyed the energy of the crowd, I was on the floor right near the stage and everyone was dancing, enjoying themselves. I don't think I have been to anything that loud in a long, long time. I had to wear earplugs. I didn't have to listen for the beat. I could feel the beat. The whole building was vibrating.
I won't summarize the whole weekend but as an idea of it here is how Saturday went in four parts:
Early Morning: Woke up listening to Donald Kroodsma on NPR. I'm still reading his book. They played several American robin songs, very cool. He also did a detailed explanation of one of his favorite birdsongs, the wood thrush, which I hear often at dusk around DC. The buzzy part of its song is made by a duet using its two voice boxes (yes songbirds have two voice boxes, one at the top of each bronchi where it bifurcates at the carina).
Morning: Baltimore aquarium. Sadly I have been very spoiled in the aquarium department and it does not even compare to the Monterey aquarium. I might as well never set foot in another aquarium, I've already seen the best there is. Darn I miss California, I remember spending my 30th birthday in Monterey with my friend and co-worker Slow Feet (thanks Slow Feet you were so wonderful that day!), watching a wild sea otter with its one day old baby. The sea otter was lounging in a sheltered area that was part of the aquarium's outdoor exhibit so I was only about five feet away. Ok, enough reminiscing.
Afternoon: Crab cakes at Faidley's Seafood in Lexington market in Baltimore. They lived up to their reputation as the best.
Evening: Concert with NY (thanks for the tix). Thievery Corporation. World music, two DJs, they are from DC. I enjoyed the energy of the crowd, I was on the floor right near the stage and everyone was dancing, enjoying themselves. I don't think I have been to anything that loud in a long, long time. I had to wear earplugs. I didn't have to listen for the beat. I could feel the beat. The whole building was vibrating.
Friday, June 27, 2008
The Last Two Weeks
I've spent the last two weeks nest searching. It's been both frustrating and interesting, and I'd write about what we found except I'm not sure if it's OK with my boss. So more on that later, if I get the OK.
More On Melissa's Concert
I'm not the only one who was awed by the concert Wednesday night.
My friend NY, who accompanied me to the show, wrote a blog entry on the show titled "On Melissa's".
There were several reviews on Melissa's concert site.
And this review of her first concert on the tour contains a post by bstrongspeaktru who tried to write down everything Melissa said during the concert, and will give you a more detailed description than my post of what transpired during the concert even though it was a different concert because it sounds like it was very similar (even the writing style is similar to mine I think).
I am still enjoying the after-concert glow. Today, at noon, driving to our last site for the day, Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart" came on the radio and I yelled at Eagle Eyes, "Turn it up! I've been singing this song for two days." Yeah.
My friend NY, who accompanied me to the show, wrote a blog entry on the show titled "On Melissa's".
There were several reviews on Melissa's concert site.
And this review of her first concert on the tour contains a post by bstrongspeaktru who tried to write down everything Melissa said during the concert, and will give you a more detailed description than my post of what transpired during the concert even though it was a different concert because it sounds like it was very similar (even the writing style is similar to mine I think).
I am still enjoying the after-concert glow. Today, at noon, driving to our last site for the day, Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart" came on the radio and I yelled at Eagle Eyes, "Turn it up! I've been singing this song for two days." Yeah.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
From The Annals Of Strange Nests
1. This week I found a robin that nested right on top of her old failed nest. Literally. I've only seen this once before, at Baltimore, and neither nest was successful. It's certainly an unusual strategy. The double nest at our Foggy Bottom site has two eggs in it so far, and I'm curious to see what its fate will be.
I don't know why the first nest fell apart. Perhaps it was poorly constructed in the first place. Perhaps the blue jay pair around the corner (the one that I posted pictures of their young on fledgeling day) tore the nest to pieces as they didn't seem to appreciate the robins nesting in their territory.
In this photo I've circled and labeled the nests:
2. At our Chevy Chase site one of the residents pointed out a nest in their hanging potted fern:
The residents took the hanging pot off its hook every day in order to water the plant. A moving nest, but the parents didn't seem to mind!
I don't know why the first nest fell apart. Perhaps it was poorly constructed in the first place. Perhaps the blue jay pair around the corner (the one that I posted pictures of their young on fledgeling day) tore the nest to pieces as they didn't seem to appreciate the robins nesting in their territory.
In this photo I've circled and labeled the nests:
2. At our Chevy Chase site one of the residents pointed out a nest in their hanging potted fern:
The residents took the hanging pot off its hook every day in order to water the plant. A moving nest, but the parents didn't seem to mind!
Swimming In DC Oh Yeah!
Eagle Eyes located a pool near our neighborhood. I feel like an addict who hasn't had a hit in a long time and anticipates the pure physical pleasure with just the first hint of chlorine. I've always loved swimming. When I was a kid my nickname was "**** Duck" because I spent so much time in the water. I'm not a fast swimmer, but I've got enough endurance to swim for hours.
I love the quiet underwater that allows me to hear my own thoughts and zone out. Today I sang in my head "Piece of My Heart." As I pulled I thought, "Come on, come on, come on," then on the turns, "take another little piece of my heart." Thinking of the show last night still makes my heart sing.
I love the kick turns. Feeling the power of my body as I shoot off the wall. Feeling my heels hit the wall. Feeling my abdomen tighten as I tuck and curl into a ball.
It has been way too long since I swam. Running is a huge high too, but there is a peacefulness and stillness to swimming that running cannot match.
One interesting thing is that Eagle Eyes and I were the only white folks at the very crowded pool. Again, as when I first arrived in DC, I was aware of a certain divide among neighborhoods, as we were in an all black neighborhood. I was mildly aware of sticking out a little but I kind of enjoy it. It's boring to always fit in. And I don't usually think twice about the color of my skin so I think it is good for me to sometimes be forced to do that. Eagle Eyes says the pool isn't in the greatest the neighborhood, but man, it was a sweet pool-- clean, Olympic size, lifeguards. I will definitely be going again!
I love the quiet underwater that allows me to hear my own thoughts and zone out. Today I sang in my head "Piece of My Heart." As I pulled I thought, "Come on, come on, come on," then on the turns, "take another little piece of my heart." Thinking of the show last night still makes my heart sing.
I love the kick turns. Feeling the power of my body as I shoot off the wall. Feeling my heels hit the wall. Feeling my abdomen tighten as I tuck and curl into a ball.
It has been way too long since I swam. Running is a huge high too, but there is a peacefulness and stillness to swimming that running cannot match.
One interesting thing is that Eagle Eyes and I were the only white folks at the very crowded pool. Again, as when I first arrived in DC, I was aware of a certain divide among neighborhoods, as we were in an all black neighborhood. I was mildly aware of sticking out a little but I kind of enjoy it. It's boring to always fit in. And I don't usually think twice about the color of my skin so I think it is good for me to sometimes be forced to do that. Eagle Eyes says the pool isn't in the greatest the neighborhood, but man, it was a sweet pool-- clean, Olympic size, lifeguards. I will definitely be going again!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Mind Blowing Concert-- Introspective, Retrospective, Thank You Melissa!
Thanks to NY for accompanying me, and to Melissa for pouring out her heart and recapping her life and the lessons learned for all of us in the audience.
Here's a brief synopsis: Growing up in Kansas didn't teach her to express emotions. Interesting since her songs are so raw and intense. Next move, California. The song by this title off her newest album made me cry. I remember playing this song in my car when the album came out, turning the volume all the way up driving down remote stretches of winding road in the redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains. I miss California. I love California.
In California, in her twenties, Melissa learned about relationships. She said, for those of you in your twenties, learn now. NY and I kind of groaned, both being 30 we felt a little old at that point because she wasn't talking to us!
Melissa was so funny, she said there should be a class on relationships for everyone in 7th grade. As in, "How is your relationship class going?" And then she said jokingly, "Get me the Department of Education on the phone!" Which was particularly funny because she was right in downtown DC!
She played "An Unexpected Rain" about unintentionally badly hurting a woman she had a brief relationship with but then left suddenly.
She said that after learning so much in the lesbian bars, she decided to go for a deeper, darker pain: non-monogamy. Bring me some water.
After that painful experience, she wanted to settle down and so picked someone completely unavailable-- straight and married. Come to your back door I just need to see you once more. Melissa told the audience to be careful what you ask for you as you will get it. And as they come into your life so shall they leave you. Or something like that. Referring to Julie.
Then the break-up. I'm the only one who will walk across the fire for you. Uh-huh. Find the power within when you reach that low point, leave the couch and the car, take your guitar and comic book collection and get out.
Once you get out, and you've been going in circles for so long, you might be shocked at how what once seemed monumental and overwhelming now seems easy, how life is so much happier and simpler. You might realize that the power was there within you all along to make choices leading to healthy relationships. I could leave tonight and I would be all right. Stop holding on if I wanted to. If I only wanted to.
Except where do I go now that I'm down to one? Sooner or later we all end up walking alone. Melissa related the not so fun aspect of re-entering the dating and bar scene except this time instead of being 30 she was 39. Thirty-what??????
She decided she didn't want love to be linked to pain and drama. Invest your heart and then you break it. You must be stronger than me. If someone else can light your mystery they must be stronger than me.
She asked the universe for love. She wanted someone with a heart of gold, strong, kind, and in opening herself up to this she did find a more peaceful, stable love (with Tammy). Begin Act 2, in her words.
And then cancer came knocking on her door and took her on a whole new journey. Confronting her worst fears made her Super Powerful. She realized no one understands what causes cancer, what makes cells go bad. But she feels that it has to do with the body being unbalanced, and the mind untrue, so she began to pay more attention to this. And in the process also realized the earth is like a larger body that needs to be taken care of. She started to advocate for the environment. I need to wake up now. Found a passion to change the world, fight for making the planet better. A drive, an idealism, a cause.
Read cosmology, Buddhist texts, etc and realized there was one real truth running through all of it. Love one another. All we can really do is love one another.
For me, hearing her rendition of her life story, as expressed in music and explained in the interludes was a transformative experience. I no longer see her as just an artist, or an environmental activist, or an out lesbian. I see her as a human being who has achieved through four decades on this planet a high level of both self-awareness and awareness of the interconnectedness of all beings. The following interchange occurred between NY and I:
Me (ecstatically, in awe): "She's had therapy."
NY: "Not necessarily."
Me (incredulously): "Oh yeah?"
So of course it is possible to get to that level of understanding on your own. But I feel like what Melissa was doing in this show that was so unusual and inspiring was analyzing her own life for all of us to share, to make others feel not so alone in their pain, to perhaps help the younger ones avoid some of the particularly heart wrenching blunders. Concert therapy. It could be a whole new genre.
Here are the lyrics that for some reason really struck a chord with me, from "Open Your Mind":
The grooves in my life were unforgiving
Over the years I laid them down night after night
Work-eat-sleep
Work-eat-sleep
Work-eat-sleep
Work-eat-sleep
Work-eat-sleep
Work-eat-sleep
Suffocating my delight I was dragged into the light
Into the stillness
Into the white hot flame of my deepest fears
And when I came crashing through
Humbled and true
I was better than I've been in years
The past few years of my life have been a time of personal growth. I got out of stifling, oppressive relationships and discovered so much about myself. Only to get into a groove in California. A good groove at the emergency clinic, but a groove nonetheless. This winter all I did was work, study, eat, sleep and sometimes run. Coming to DC has been the change necessary to shake it all up, open up my horizons and get me out of my comfort zone. It was a much needed change. I realize as much as I love California, this city is wonderful and has so much to offer that isn't available when living off a dirt road in the Santa Cruz mountains. I don't consider myself a city girl in any way, shape or form, but I've come to the conclusion I could live in a city for a few years, I think. Yes, there are many more possibilities out there than I realized prior to this spring. The world seems larger, and more hopeful. I am better than I've been in years.
Melissa closed with the encore of a song that isn't on her albums, "Not Tonight" and then Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart." Come on, come on, come on, take another little piece of my heart now baby. Wow. I never thought I'd get to see her perform that live, what a rush.
The concert was an emotional roller coaster. It made me think a fair amount of my ex, as she was a huge Melissa fan and the reason I got into Melissa's music in the first place. Some of the songs were triggers for me to re-visit my own dark places from last summer, fall and winter. Especially since I don't own any of Melissa's music, there were songs I hadn't heard since that break-up and hearing them brought back memories. Painful, sad memories, but also good to realize how far I have come and how I too am now making a conscious effort to avoid drama and pain. One of the best parts about being in DC initially was the geographic distance from my ex, not driving by places we ate together, not working at a job where everyone knew her. Getting away from those triggers allowed me to heal a lot more quickly, though a lot of the hard work was already done by the time I arrived in DC, being here sped up the process greatly. And I am happy with where I am now.
I can't wait to see Melissa again July 25 in Connecticut with my aunt. Yay for seconds on things you like.
Here's a brief synopsis: Growing up in Kansas didn't teach her to express emotions. Interesting since her songs are so raw and intense. Next move, California. The song by this title off her newest album made me cry. I remember playing this song in my car when the album came out, turning the volume all the way up driving down remote stretches of winding road in the redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains. I miss California. I love California.
In California, in her twenties, Melissa learned about relationships. She said, for those of you in your twenties, learn now. NY and I kind of groaned, both being 30 we felt a little old at that point because she wasn't talking to us!
Melissa was so funny, she said there should be a class on relationships for everyone in 7th grade. As in, "How is your relationship class going?" And then she said jokingly, "Get me the Department of Education on the phone!" Which was particularly funny because she was right in downtown DC!
She played "An Unexpected Rain" about unintentionally badly hurting a woman she had a brief relationship with but then left suddenly.
She said that after learning so much in the lesbian bars, she decided to go for a deeper, darker pain: non-monogamy. Bring me some water.
After that painful experience, she wanted to settle down and so picked someone completely unavailable-- straight and married. Come to your back door I just need to see you once more. Melissa told the audience to be careful what you ask for you as you will get it. And as they come into your life so shall they leave you. Or something like that. Referring to Julie.
Then the break-up. I'm the only one who will walk across the fire for you. Uh-huh. Find the power within when you reach that low point, leave the couch and the car, take your guitar and comic book collection and get out.
Once you get out, and you've been going in circles for so long, you might be shocked at how what once seemed monumental and overwhelming now seems easy, how life is so much happier and simpler. You might realize that the power was there within you all along to make choices leading to healthy relationships. I could leave tonight and I would be all right. Stop holding on if I wanted to. If I only wanted to.
Except where do I go now that I'm down to one? Sooner or later we all end up walking alone. Melissa related the not so fun aspect of re-entering the dating and bar scene except this time instead of being 30 she was 39. Thirty-what??????
She decided she didn't want love to be linked to pain and drama. Invest your heart and then you break it. You must be stronger than me. If someone else can light your mystery they must be stronger than me.
She asked the universe for love. She wanted someone with a heart of gold, strong, kind, and in opening herself up to this she did find a more peaceful, stable love (with Tammy). Begin Act 2, in her words.
And then cancer came knocking on her door and took her on a whole new journey. Confronting her worst fears made her Super Powerful. She realized no one understands what causes cancer, what makes cells go bad. But she feels that it has to do with the body being unbalanced, and the mind untrue, so she began to pay more attention to this. And in the process also realized the earth is like a larger body that needs to be taken care of. She started to advocate for the environment. I need to wake up now. Found a passion to change the world, fight for making the planet better. A drive, an idealism, a cause.
Read cosmology, Buddhist texts, etc and realized there was one real truth running through all of it. Love one another. All we can really do is love one another.
For me, hearing her rendition of her life story, as expressed in music and explained in the interludes was a transformative experience. I no longer see her as just an artist, or an environmental activist, or an out lesbian. I see her as a human being who has achieved through four decades on this planet a high level of both self-awareness and awareness of the interconnectedness of all beings. The following interchange occurred between NY and I:
Me (ecstatically, in awe): "She's had therapy."
NY: "Not necessarily."
Me (incredulously): "Oh yeah?"
So of course it is possible to get to that level of understanding on your own. But I feel like what Melissa was doing in this show that was so unusual and inspiring was analyzing her own life for all of us to share, to make others feel not so alone in their pain, to perhaps help the younger ones avoid some of the particularly heart wrenching blunders. Concert therapy. It could be a whole new genre.
Here are the lyrics that for some reason really struck a chord with me, from "Open Your Mind":
The grooves in my life were unforgiving
Over the years I laid them down night after night
Work-eat-sleep
Work-eat-sleep
Work-eat-sleep
Work-eat-sleep
Work-eat-sleep
Work-eat-sleep
Suffocating my delight I was dragged into the light
Into the stillness
Into the white hot flame of my deepest fears
And when I came crashing through
Humbled and true
I was better than I've been in years
The past few years of my life have been a time of personal growth. I got out of stifling, oppressive relationships and discovered so much about myself. Only to get into a groove in California. A good groove at the emergency clinic, but a groove nonetheless. This winter all I did was work, study, eat, sleep and sometimes run. Coming to DC has been the change necessary to shake it all up, open up my horizons and get me out of my comfort zone. It was a much needed change. I realize as much as I love California, this city is wonderful and has so much to offer that isn't available when living off a dirt road in the Santa Cruz mountains. I don't consider myself a city girl in any way, shape or form, but I've come to the conclusion I could live in a city for a few years, I think. Yes, there are many more possibilities out there than I realized prior to this spring. The world seems larger, and more hopeful. I am better than I've been in years.
Melissa closed with the encore of a song that isn't on her albums, "Not Tonight" and then Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart." Come on, come on, come on, take another little piece of my heart now baby. Wow. I never thought I'd get to see her perform that live, what a rush.
The concert was an emotional roller coaster. It made me think a fair amount of my ex, as she was a huge Melissa fan and the reason I got into Melissa's music in the first place. Some of the songs were triggers for me to re-visit my own dark places from last summer, fall and winter. Especially since I don't own any of Melissa's music, there were songs I hadn't heard since that break-up and hearing them brought back memories. Painful, sad memories, but also good to realize how far I have come and how I too am now making a conscious effort to avoid drama and pain. One of the best parts about being in DC initially was the geographic distance from my ex, not driving by places we ate together, not working at a job where everyone knew her. Getting away from those triggers allowed me to heal a lot more quickly, though a lot of the hard work was already done by the time I arrived in DC, being here sped up the process greatly. And I am happy with where I am now.
I can't wait to see Melissa again July 25 in Connecticut with my aunt. Yay for seconds on things you like.
Monday, June 23, 2008
A Story Of Evading Bureaucracy-- Getting Crazy In Baltimore (In Pictures)
This is how the story goes. There was a nest high in a sycamore tree by Oriole stadium in Baltimore we needed to that we needed to access in order to band and weigh the young, as usual. Here's what the nestlings begging and then parent and nestling begging looked like:
It was a Monday a week and a half ago, and it was the day that was at least 100F. We had worked since the wee hours of the morning mist netting and we were all hot and tired.
We took our ladder, climbing and banding gear and drove over to the nest. When we parked, we were accosted by the stadium security. They asked to see our permits. We couldn't find our permits. We told them we had state and city permits, and they said they wanted something from the governor, but by the way the land on the other side of the fence from the nest, just five feet away, was city property so our city permit would enable us to be on that land.
We went and printed out our permits at the local Staples, then returned and propped our ladder over the fence and my advisor, aka Tarzan, climbed into the tree using the ladder so that he never touched the ground on stadium property! He lowered the nestlings to us in a bag and we jumped over the fence momentarily to get them, processed them, and returned them to him in the bag with the string attached so he could pull them back up and put them back in the nest. Rather a clever way of evading bureaucracy if you ask me.
Here is Tarzan in the tree and Eagle Eyes and myself, Hermit Thrush, on the ground. You can see the ladder leaning against the fence dividing city of Baltimore property from Oriole stadium federal property. You can also see the bag with the nestlings being raised back to the nest. The first photo isn't labeled, in the second almost everything is.
Just in case you can't see the nest clearly I've circled it in this edited version of the above photo:
If you are wondering how close we were to Oriole stadium, it is on the right of the road in the photos above. Here you can see it in the background (with Tarzan climbing the tree):
And if you made it this far, here's a shot of me supporting all of Tarzan's weight with the climbing gear so he can hang out over the nest. The gear always pulls up on me, but I've gotten comfortable with it and if I'm sitting down I no longer feel like I will be pulled up into the air. Note the permit lying on the ground next to me in case we got busted again! Every time I heard sirens I got nervous it was the police but it turned out to be ambulances going to the nearby U or MD medical center instead, luckily for us.
It was a Monday a week and a half ago, and it was the day that was at least 100F. We had worked since the wee hours of the morning mist netting and we were all hot and tired.
We took our ladder, climbing and banding gear and drove over to the nest. When we parked, we were accosted by the stadium security. They asked to see our permits. We couldn't find our permits. We told them we had state and city permits, and they said they wanted something from the governor, but by the way the land on the other side of the fence from the nest, just five feet away, was city property so our city permit would enable us to be on that land.
We went and printed out our permits at the local Staples, then returned and propped our ladder over the fence and my advisor, aka Tarzan, climbed into the tree using the ladder so that he never touched the ground on stadium property! He lowered the nestlings to us in a bag and we jumped over the fence momentarily to get them, processed them, and returned them to him in the bag with the string attached so he could pull them back up and put them back in the nest. Rather a clever way of evading bureaucracy if you ask me.
Here is Tarzan in the tree and Eagle Eyes and myself, Hermit Thrush, on the ground. You can see the ladder leaning against the fence dividing city of Baltimore property from Oriole stadium federal property. You can also see the bag with the nestlings being raised back to the nest. The first photo isn't labeled, in the second almost everything is.
Just in case you can't see the nest clearly I've circled it in this edited version of the above photo:
If you are wondering how close we were to Oriole stadium, it is on the right of the road in the photos above. Here you can see it in the background (with Tarzan climbing the tree):
And if you made it this far, here's a shot of me supporting all of Tarzan's weight with the climbing gear so he can hang out over the nest. The gear always pulls up on me, but I've gotten comfortable with it and if I'm sitting down I no longer feel like I will be pulled up into the air. Note the permit lying on the ground next to me in case we got busted again! Every time I heard sirens I got nervous it was the police but it turned out to be ambulances going to the nearby U or MD medical center instead, luckily for us.
West Nile Virus In The News
CNN published a rather sensational news story about WNV today called "CDC expert gets West Nile bug-literally." I'm not sure what prompted this piece. People stop us all the time and ask us if we have found any WNV so far this year and the answer I always give is no. It's true but not entirely truthful, as the complete answer is that we don't have any data back yet from the blood samples we've collected yet and probably won't until at least the fall, possibly much later in the year. So we don't know what kind of a year this is for WNV in the DC area. The human reports of cases will start coming in long before our data is available, and that will provide an indication of whether it is a hot year for the virus or not. There is considerable year to year variation. This year was unusually cold in the spring, and on the radio this morning I heard we got an inch and a half more rain in June so far than is average for the entire month, but we don't actually know for sure whether this will have an impact on WNV outbreaks or if so, what kind of an impact it would cause, although the colder weather probably would lessen the odds of a major outbreak.
I found the CNN story to be the type of fear mongering health story I particularly despise. While it is true that WNV continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality despite having faded from the limelight, I wouldn't say there is any reason to panic people about the disease. I personally don't even wear mosquito repellent, although my advisor is a fan of the lemon eucalyptus repellent mentioned at the end of the article. I suppose I should wear something as I get a few bites every day, but I'm not terribly worried about it. I think there is a very strong chance I've already been infected through my work with wildlife-- I know my old supervisor and dear friend C tested positive for WNV antibodies several summers ago and she was never sick to my knowledge. Of course it is not surprising she got infected as she works round the clock with wildlife. It is a bit surprising she didn't get sick as I am convinced she is part (or all) corvid in a human body, but that's another story...
I found the CNN story to be the type of fear mongering health story I particularly despise. While it is true that WNV continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality despite having faded from the limelight, I wouldn't say there is any reason to panic people about the disease. I personally don't even wear mosquito repellent, although my advisor is a fan of the lemon eucalyptus repellent mentioned at the end of the article. I suppose I should wear something as I get a few bites every day, but I'm not terribly worried about it. I think there is a very strong chance I've already been infected through my work with wildlife-- I know my old supervisor and dear friend C tested positive for WNV antibodies several summers ago and she was never sick to my knowledge. Of course it is not surprising she got infected as she works round the clock with wildlife. It is a bit surprising she didn't get sick as I am convinced she is part (or all) corvid in a human body, but that's another story...
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Another Wonderful, Fun Packed Weekend
The weekend really started Saturday morning when I ran in a 5k race to raise money for the Amazon Conservation Team, a small local non-profit. I didn't run quite as fast as I had hoped but it was very enjoyable to race and feel the excitement of being out there with a bunch of other runners, including Eagle Eyes and her boo.
For lunch, Eagle Eyes, her boo and I went to the Lebanese Taverna cafe in Silver Spring, which was amazing. I had a special dish, moudardara, which I'd never had before, made of lentils and onions. But even the staples such as hummus and pita were exceptionally tasty.
Then it was off to a scavenger hunt on the mall with my friend New York to celebrate one of her friend's 30th birthday. Here are some funny things that were said:
"'Wait, hold on a minute' just isn't an option when you are doing something illegal." (We were resting our chins on headless sculptures that we weren't supposed to touch for a photo in order fulfill our requirement of being photographed doing something illegal and our photographer was having trouble framing and shooting the photo).
"You two are loose and easy with your normal curves." (This from a statistician on our team in response to our suggestions of objects to photograph on the mall that resembled a bell curve. It's not easy finding a normal curve, the closest we came was the roof of an oddly shaped building).
"We'll be the trash talkers!" (This was our self-chosen group name, and for this photograph some confused tourist agreed to take a picture of the four of us in front of a large pile of trash. We insisted the photographer get as much of the trash as possible in the photo).
It was lots of fun, so was the ensuing party.
Sunday I got to check out the Dupont farmer's market, which was just as good, if not better, than the Takoma Park farmer's market. I was in farmer's market heaven tasting the crab cakes, seafood gazpacho, milk, yogurt and cheeses. I'll have to be sure to make it back there again before the summer is over.
I finished out the weekend with four hours of work with my advisor checking on some nests that wouldn't wait until tomorrow. He did all the tree climbing, living up to his reputation as Tarzan. It was satisfying to get a good chunk of work done that really needed to get done, although there are certainly other fun ways I could have spent the afternoon.
I really didn't want this weekend to end, but the only really good thing about it ending is that yesterday, Saturday June 21, was summer solstice. I might have altogether forgotten this very important fact had New York not reminded me as the sun was finally setting. When she mentioned this I was ecstatic as it now means the days will be getting shorter and I will be getting up later and later every morning instead of earlier and earlier. Amen to that.
For lunch, Eagle Eyes, her boo and I went to the Lebanese Taverna cafe in Silver Spring, which was amazing. I had a special dish, moudardara, which I'd never had before, made of lentils and onions. But even the staples such as hummus and pita were exceptionally tasty.
Then it was off to a scavenger hunt on the mall with my friend New York to celebrate one of her friend's 30th birthday. Here are some funny things that were said:
"'Wait, hold on a minute' just isn't an option when you are doing something illegal." (We were resting our chins on headless sculptures that we weren't supposed to touch for a photo in order fulfill our requirement of being photographed doing something illegal and our photographer was having trouble framing and shooting the photo).
"You two are loose and easy with your normal curves." (This from a statistician on our team in response to our suggestions of objects to photograph on the mall that resembled a bell curve. It's not easy finding a normal curve, the closest we came was the roof of an oddly shaped building).
"We'll be the trash talkers!" (This was our self-chosen group name, and for this photograph some confused tourist agreed to take a picture of the four of us in front of a large pile of trash. We insisted the photographer get as much of the trash as possible in the photo).
It was lots of fun, so was the ensuing party.
Sunday I got to check out the Dupont farmer's market, which was just as good, if not better, than the Takoma Park farmer's market. I was in farmer's market heaven tasting the crab cakes, seafood gazpacho, milk, yogurt and cheeses. I'll have to be sure to make it back there again before the summer is over.
I finished out the weekend with four hours of work with my advisor checking on some nests that wouldn't wait until tomorrow. He did all the tree climbing, living up to his reputation as Tarzan. It was satisfying to get a good chunk of work done that really needed to get done, although there are certainly other fun ways I could have spent the afternoon.
I really didn't want this weekend to end, but the only really good thing about it ending is that yesterday, Saturday June 21, was summer solstice. I might have altogether forgotten this very important fact had New York not reminded me as the sun was finally setting. When she mentioned this I was ecstatic as it now means the days will be getting shorter and I will be getting up later and later every morning instead of earlier and earlier. Amen to that.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Photos From The Night Before My Sister's Wedding Party Last Saturday
I really enjoyed taking photos for my sister at her party the night before her wedding. She kept saying, "Take more. MORE!" so I did. I apologize in advance for anyone I left out or anyone who does not like their photo. If you let me or my sister know I can take it down. Or if you want a better quality copy write me and I can send you one.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Social Butterfly: Who Me?
Eagle Eyes called me a social butterfly today. That is the second time in two weeks I've heard that phrase used to describe me. She was telling her boo that I was going out tonight to a singles event but I'm not really single. I had to laugh overhearing this. Yes, for all of my friends who write to ask why I am not updating my blog more and if I am dating someone, I am seeing someone. And no, that is not the reason I am not updating my blog more. First, I've been trying to do some work after taking off two days for the wedding. Second, I left my power cord in NC so I haven't been able to charge my computer in a few days.
I went shopping for clothes today, something I usually dread. But if you're going to be a social butterfly then you need a wardrobe, right? Sadly, I did not get anything. I think you could have made a comedy skit out of Eagle Eyes and I in H&M and then Macy's. She was incredibly patient and good natured about the debacle. I am not a shopper. I have no fashion sense. These things I freely admit. Even if I'm going to be a social butterfly, I think I will stick to thrift stores and hand-me-downs, shopping is just not my thing.
I went shopping for clothes today, something I usually dread. But if you're going to be a social butterfly then you need a wardrobe, right? Sadly, I did not get anything. I think you could have made a comedy skit out of Eagle Eyes and I in H&M and then Macy's. She was incredibly patient and good natured about the debacle. I am not a shopper. I have no fashion sense. These things I freely admit. Even if I'm going to be a social butterfly, I think I will stick to thrift stores and hand-me-downs, shopping is just not my thing.
The Married Couple
They are quite a striking pair if I do say so myself. I really enjoyed taking pictures of my beautiful sister, her handsome husband and their friends and family this weekend and will try to post some more over the next few days. It was heartwarming to see my sister look so happy all weekend-- she was just beaming.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Weekend Recap: Good Food, Good Art, Skinny Dipping
I don't know when I started enjoying food, certainly for most of my life I could have cared less for most dishes, barring spicy Yemenite, Ethiopian and Indian cuisine. But lately I've been enjoying dining at fine restaurants. Friday, as part of my sister's wedding celebration in NC, I got invited to lunch at 411 West on Franklin St where I had an excellent wood grilled pear salad followed by a wild mushroom polenta. That night I did dinner with my aunt N and her wife T at the Blu Seafood & Bar off Ninth St where I had a melt in your mouth mango and pecan butter trout with mashed sweet potatoes and baby asparagus. I also got to sample my aunts' blueberry martinis (delicious). For dessert I had cappuccino cinnamon ice cream at Francesca's on Ninth St. Francesca's is the only place I know that makes ice cream with cinnamon in it and I make a point to try to get some every time I am in town although normally I am not a big ice cream fan.
Saturday I got to visit the Durham farmer's market in the morning on Foster St. It is quite large. I couldn't buy much because I was going to be out in the heat all day, but I enjoyed sampling the cheeses and walking around. There was a woodworker there who had a beautiful red mulberry bowl that he turned from a burl on a mulberry tree that came down in a storm. Tempting, but it is not practical because as much as I move I cannot afford the luxury of simply decorative possessions-- they just get banged up in my moves and I don't even always have room to display them. Here's what it looked like for those of you who, like me, have never seen anything crafted out of mulberry wood:
In the afternoon, after synagogue, I went to see Barkley L. Hendricks' retrospective at the Duke University Nasher art museum. Here's the piece from it that the museum chose to advertise the exhibit around town-- "Misc. Tyrone (Tyrone Smith)":
The exhibit was recommended to me by my father (thanks Dad!) and was excellent. Hendricks does life size paintings of himself (several, showing his complexity), lovers, friends, students and even occasionally strangers. His work captures not just the person's expression, but almost their personality. My favorite painting was "Vendetta," because of the look of defiance it captures. (I don't know, I have a thing for artwork that captures anger, defiance, pride or some mixture of all three-- the first piece I ever bought by Kathryn DeMarco was titled, "Kiss My Black And White Patootie" or something like that).
Hendricks' work also reflects his social/political consciousness as a black man beginning his artistic career at the height of the black power movement. One piece that made me do a doubletake and then stop and think was his 1969 self portrait titled "Icon For My Man Superman (Superman never saved any black people-- Bobby Seale)." At first glance it shows Hendricks in sunglasses and a Superman t-shirt, but then the viewer realizes that from the waist down Hendricks is naked.
Another piece from the same year that I found intriguing was "Lawdy Mama," whose use of gold metallic leaf conjures up the obvious religious connotations. It harkens back to the first piece in the Nasher exhibit, and one of Hendricks' earliest works, "My Black Nun," depicting a curvy, sexualized young black nun. The intertwining of the religious themes with the afro hair style popularized during the Black is Beautiful movement brings up questions of what we revere and why, which images are emblazened on our consciousness, religious or otherwise.
Another amazing thing about Hendricks' work is that in several of the pieces the background and all of the person's clothes are all black or all white. With the little bit of drawing and painting that I've done in my life, I recognize how challenging it is to convey the folds and shadows of an object just using shades of black or white. The "limited palette" series, as Hendricks calls it, is technically very impressive as well as original.
I went to see Hendricks' show with my sister's friend, C, who, like her, is a PhD candidate in history and, like her, has a much more avid interest in art and is much more educated in that area than me (I never took a single art history class in college, and the only art class I took was a basic photography class). His comment to me about halfway through the exhibit was, "This guy is really good but I'd never even heard of him before!" His surprise struck me as a bit comical, and without thinking, I shot back, "Maybe 'cause he's black?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth I regretted saying them, especially since he was momentarily taken aback. I don't know what made me say that to him. I can only surmise that going back to NC for any length of time gets me in touch with my inner rage at the social injustices in the world that consumed so much of my energy in high school but has since simmered down to a less angry social consciousness.
After visiting the Nasher, C and I decided to ditch sightseeing and hit the back roads en route to my favorite swimming hole at the Eno River. We didn't have time to hike out to the best spot, so we just climbed in the river at the bottom of the parking lot and lay in the slowly flowing stream, enjoying the cool and peace and quiet. After aquiescing to my mother's and sister's requests that I be called to the Torah in synagogue ("have an aliyah"), it felt so liberating to strip off my confining silk dress and go skinny dipping in the Eno as I did so many times as a kid. That was definitely the highlight of my day. As I climbed out into the river, scrambling over the rocks, C made the comment that he could see the similarity to my sister-- that I was just as much a risk taker, just in different ways. She does travel to exotic places and living in a big city (NYC), I do tree climbing and testing the water in the river. This is the spot where I got in:
Saturday I got to visit the Durham farmer's market in the morning on Foster St. It is quite large. I couldn't buy much because I was going to be out in the heat all day, but I enjoyed sampling the cheeses and walking around. There was a woodworker there who had a beautiful red mulberry bowl that he turned from a burl on a mulberry tree that came down in a storm. Tempting, but it is not practical because as much as I move I cannot afford the luxury of simply decorative possessions-- they just get banged up in my moves and I don't even always have room to display them. Here's what it looked like for those of you who, like me, have never seen anything crafted out of mulberry wood:
In the afternoon, after synagogue, I went to see Barkley L. Hendricks' retrospective at the Duke University Nasher art museum. Here's the piece from it that the museum chose to advertise the exhibit around town-- "Misc. Tyrone (Tyrone Smith)":
The exhibit was recommended to me by my father (thanks Dad!) and was excellent. Hendricks does life size paintings of himself (several, showing his complexity), lovers, friends, students and even occasionally strangers. His work captures not just the person's expression, but almost their personality. My favorite painting was "Vendetta," because of the look of defiance it captures. (I don't know, I have a thing for artwork that captures anger, defiance, pride or some mixture of all three-- the first piece I ever bought by Kathryn DeMarco was titled, "Kiss My Black And White Patootie" or something like that).
Hendricks' work also reflects his social/political consciousness as a black man beginning his artistic career at the height of the black power movement. One piece that made me do a doubletake and then stop and think was his 1969 self portrait titled "Icon For My Man Superman (Superman never saved any black people-- Bobby Seale)." At first glance it shows Hendricks in sunglasses and a Superman t-shirt, but then the viewer realizes that from the waist down Hendricks is naked.
Another piece from the same year that I found intriguing was "Lawdy Mama," whose use of gold metallic leaf conjures up the obvious religious connotations. It harkens back to the first piece in the Nasher exhibit, and one of Hendricks' earliest works, "My Black Nun," depicting a curvy, sexualized young black nun. The intertwining of the religious themes with the afro hair style popularized during the Black is Beautiful movement brings up questions of what we revere and why, which images are emblazened on our consciousness, religious or otherwise.
Another amazing thing about Hendricks' work is that in several of the pieces the background and all of the person's clothes are all black or all white. With the little bit of drawing and painting that I've done in my life, I recognize how challenging it is to convey the folds and shadows of an object just using shades of black or white. The "limited palette" series, as Hendricks calls it, is technically very impressive as well as original.
I went to see Hendricks' show with my sister's friend, C, who, like her, is a PhD candidate in history and, like her, has a much more avid interest in art and is much more educated in that area than me (I never took a single art history class in college, and the only art class I took was a basic photography class). His comment to me about halfway through the exhibit was, "This guy is really good but I'd never even heard of him before!" His surprise struck me as a bit comical, and without thinking, I shot back, "Maybe 'cause he's black?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth I regretted saying them, especially since he was momentarily taken aback. I don't know what made me say that to him. I can only surmise that going back to NC for any length of time gets me in touch with my inner rage at the social injustices in the world that consumed so much of my energy in high school but has since simmered down to a less angry social consciousness.
After visiting the Nasher, C and I decided to ditch sightseeing and hit the back roads en route to my favorite swimming hole at the Eno River. We didn't have time to hike out to the best spot, so we just climbed in the river at the bottom of the parking lot and lay in the slowly flowing stream, enjoying the cool and peace and quiet. After aquiescing to my mother's and sister's requests that I be called to the Torah in synagogue ("have an aliyah"), it felt so liberating to strip off my confining silk dress and go skinny dipping in the Eno as I did so many times as a kid. That was definitely the highlight of my day. As I climbed out into the river, scrambling over the rocks, C made the comment that he could see the similarity to my sister-- that I was just as much a risk taker, just in different ways. She does travel to exotic places and living in a big city (NYC), I do tree climbing and testing the water in the river. This is the spot where I got in:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)