Today was all thunder and rain in the yard, complete with torn petals and ankle-deep mud and drenched birds. Tomorrow threatens to bring more of the same. In protest, I’m reposting one of my favorite summer videos:
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The Blue Jays vs The Cats
The blue jay eggs hatched sometime within the last week. Driven by feeding duties and protective instincts, the blue jay parents spend every daylight moment foraging and feuding.
When we first noticed their increased activity, my husband put a handful of seed on the deck railing. It quickly disappeared. The next day, he put out a little more seed, then waited with his camera. Now he and the blue jays share a daily ritual of feeding and photos.
The losers in this new relationship are the cats, who usually treasure these spring open-window weeks. Unfortunately, their favorite windows look onto the deck…
From the Video Archives
My video skills suffer from lack of discipline. My hands are shaky, I tend to forget my tripod, and I forget to turn on the image stabilization feature. I’m too eager with the zoom, always wanting to get “closer”. The resulting clips feature subjects that drift and leap out of frame. The quality of these two videos is best described as amateur, with hints of motion-sickness.
Like everything else, I’m working on it…
Hawk Again
Yesterday afternoon this hawk killed a robin in my back yard. I don’t know if he is the same hawk as the one that killed our baby rabbit, but I have my suspicions. This time, instead of flying away with his prize, he stayed in the rose bed. He ate for nearly a half-hour, even gulped down the bones before he left.
This is only the second time I’ve seen a hawk in my yard, while robins are a constant presence. I’m torn between awe and sorrow, between the stunning beauty of my visitor and the sad spectacle of orange feathers strewn in the grass.
I don’t know if this is a young Cooper’s Hawk or a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Maybe neither? What do you think?
Rainy Day
I made this video in early March of last year. Today is an almost perfect repeat. It’s a day made for blankets, manuscript revisions, and query letters. It’s the kind of day that makes me grateful for my laptop, because my feet get cold when I have to sit at my desk.
Publication update:
I’m happy to report that one of my poems, “The Devil Is in the Details”, appears in the most recent issue of Willows Wept Review, released this week. Issue Thirteen is available in print and PDF download.
Rae Spencer 