Wednesday, December 08, 2010

My poor neglected blog (a.k.a. What I've been doing)

My poor blog.  It used to be like a friend I would visit every day, and I would trip lightly to my computer, switch it on and pour out my rants and share my photos.  I connected with people in far-flung locales, I made friends, I made enemies thanks to the fact that I have opinions....
And now. Seems like I can barely squeeze out three posts a month.  I blame Facebook.
I think Facebook was made for me.  I can sling my diatribes and share my goofier moments, and I get instant gratification.  The blog, well, it's different.  

I'm not going to make a promise that I will post every day, but I think it's safe to say I can try harder.  I can't try any less, can I?

What I've been up to:
I recently went to North Carolina for a family wedding.  I was hoping to see dear Mary, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.  She was out of town that weekend, so I missed her.  A lot.  Though I only spent two days in North Carolina, I fell for the state immediately.  The mountains, the rivers.  I wish I had had more time to really know it, to plumb the depth of its valleys and climb its peaks, to learn its heart.  I hope I can go back soon.  I'm going to try...the Carolina Raptor Center is there!

Big news at the house:  After months of being forced to be Amish, we finally bought a new washer and dryer. I spent a week just catching up to all the towels, blankets, random socks and sweaters that I had been just shoving into the bottom of the laundry baskets all summer.
washerdryer


I got to meet some famous bird people last month....Kenn and Kim Kaufman.  I was invited to bring some raptors to the Ohio Young Birder's Club annual conference.  And I was thrilled to be there.  Even got to hang out a little with Les, which is always a fun time.

(Photo by Tim Daniel)

We had to deal with the eradication of a family of voles who somehow blundered into our house.  Seven of them, all caught and killed by either Hooper, who is an excellent rodent hunter, or one of the five cats.  I hated it, and blocked every conceivable route into the house at ground level.  They need to stay out in the prairie and feed the owls and hawks, not die slowly because one of our cats is "just doing what comes naturally".
meadow vole

Isabelle has a new pet.  A small, adorable little leopard gecko named Griffin (I sure hope he's a boy):
Griffin2

I found very fat chickens and a donkey who needs extreme dental care:
fat chicken

bad donkey dental hygiene

We had a marvelous and fattening Thanksgiving dinner, which was capped off by my four pies:
four pies


I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Lake Isabella's resident Great Horned Owls, and their sweet fuzzy babies:
empty GHOW nest


We watched Isabelle's basketball team lose their first game (Boo!):
we are the losers


A massive flight of Sandhill Cranes invaded Ohio the other day, and a few flocks coursed through the sky over our house:
sandhills



And just yesterday, I got up close and personal with a Bald Eagle.  This bird (we assume it's the same one) comes into town every year around this time and even sits in the same tree every day.  A very cooperative and calm bird, it doesn't mind humans being nearby (and the tree in which it sits is right next to a busy, noisy road).
BE eye contact


So I might not get back to my every-day, every-moment-of-my-life sharing. But I can occasionally give out these long, rambling posts that encapsulate a month and a half.

14 comments:

Murr Brewster said...

Nice all around. Too bad about the voles, but I tend to think they're fair game when they breach the palisades and come indoors. Which, in my house, they do via the dishwasher. I don't like to think about that too much.

I've got a new washer and dryer too and now my better friends are trying to talk me out of using the dryer. At all. I think I'll have to work up to it.

Thanks for the update, sugar cakes.

Susan Gets Native said...

We think that our voles came in under the dishwasher too, Murr. A bit of water damage opened up a time/space vortex under there and the voles must have just dropped right through.

KGMom said...

Voles get into Murr's house via the DISHWASHER? And you too? A whole new place to worry about voles??

OK--you were Amish? Huh? Oh, no electric machines, is that what you mean? I thought maybe you thought Amish didn't wash clothes.

And the bald eagle is definitely saying--are you looking at me?

Susan Gets Native said...

Amish in the way that they hang their clothes out to dry. First the dryer died, so I was washing clothes and hanging them on the line outside. Then the washer got depressed and suicidal about the dryer dying so it offed itself and I was left with the creepy laundromat for months. I love my new appliances. :)
Yeah, voles under the dishwasher and sink. The small leak in the sprayer hose on the sink turned into a hole in the floor. And apparently, the voles knew the way. That stuff in a can that you spray? "Great Stuff"? It's GREAT stuff.

Mary said...

I hear ya, Susan. I'm not sure, but I think I delivered about a dozen blog posts this year. In 2007 I delivered 250. Facebook put a crimp in my style.

You have the strangest photos posted! But then, this is your blog. I'm most happy about your washer/dryer. A good washer/dryer makes doing laundry a treasured chore. And, I flipped over your Bald Eagle. Triple wow.

North Carolina is growing on me, too ;)

Cindie Ulreich said...

Facebook is taking us all away from our blogs. But like you, the instant gratitude is what I like.

Plus, you're on Facebook all the time, just like me. We "talk" all the time on Facebook chat. Much better than just leaving comments on blogs, don'tcha think?

Love,
Your Stalker

Dawn Fine said...

Glad you have a new washer and dryer..I hate going to the laundromat.
I like the Donkey teeth..he needs a dental hygienist.
My mother says everyone is addicted to Facebook..including her. I think she may be right.
Nice reading what you have been up too here..
I always enjoy your sense of humor here and on facebook.

Dave Dorsey said...

Slacker! :)

KGMom said...

Weighing in on FB--while I am amused at the tidbits I read (esp. you--Susan), FB is no substitute for writing as far as I am concerned.
I don't do as many blogs, partly because I am mostly all thought out, but I still prefer blogging.
But then, were we friends in face to face life, I am not one for small talk. I like deep extended one on one conversations--maybe even friendly arguments about the BIG ISSUES of life.
That's just me--we need talk, blogging, FBing and even Twittering--which I have NOT gotten into at all.

dguzman said...

You are totally in FB's thrall, Susan. Me, I don't get much satisfaction from it. I still like blogs!

However, now that I work late every night and don't get computer access until late, I barely have time to go birding, much less blog about it. But I blog every time I bird! I still enjoy writing up my pics and adventures.

Blog more!

Kelly said...

...LOVE that eagle shot. Is that the Camp Dennison gravel pitt eagle (I can't remember the new park's name--since I don't live in Indian Hill and therefore can't get in the park, I guess I just ignore the new name). I want to see that dude!!

Beth said...

I love reading your FB posts - you make me laugh. But I love your blog posts more. Keep blogging, babe! And contrats on the on the appliances- very sexy.

NCmountainwoman said...

I have missed you and I do hope you will blog more often. Of course I could break down and join FaceBook instead of whining about missing my blogger buddies. But I'm just not going to add another addiction that takes me away from so many more productive things I could be doing.

Glad you enjoyed NC. We lived in Cincinnati for three years and while I loved it, I wasn't fond of those endless gray winter days. If your next NC trip involves the mountains, give me a buzz.

Bill S. said...

Looks like you have been busy doing good stuff. Keep up the good stuff. I love the post.