Tag: wildlife

Hi Ravi!

You won’t believe what was going on in the backyard, feathers were flying. Despite having 2 fruit trees out back, until today they have not attracted any birds. The cherry tree bloomed, grew cherries, and was harvested without event. The crabapple tree continued to make fruit. Yesterday, a dozen chickadees descended on the crabapple tree and decided to have a feast. The tree is still small and does not have many sturdy branches. Though there was a plethora of crabapples, the birds became very pugnacious and fights broke out. They were flying in and out of the tree, divebombing one another and making a complete racket. Little birdie battles were breaking out all over the yard. Nikki was sitting on the back of my chair making his “eck, eck, eck” noise, thinking this show was even better than the World Cup. The dogs remained oblivious. About 10 minutes later, as swiftly as they had come, all the birds vanished. About 3/4s of the fruit was gone. Though my favorite bird is the cardinal, I have to give props to the chickadee. They are so little and so fierce. If they are going to fight that hard for a snack, I will let them have it. Despite what the republicans say, everyone deserves to eat. I am thinking as a 25th anniversary present to ourselves, daddy and I should buy a bird feeder and put it out back. That way everyone can have a snack and maybe it will put a damper on the bird battles.

It has been really hot lately and I have not been taking the dogs with me when I walk. On my walk yesterday I saw a beautiful red cardinal. It cocked its head, looked at me and then flew off into the trees. I am convinced that you were checking in on me. A bit later Paul reported that there was a swarm of cardinals at his feeder in Connecticut. I told him that you, Joyce, and Dave were stopping in to say hi and to have a snack. He agreed. I told him about the backyard bird battles and he was amused. You always did have a way of making people laugh. Sometimes, you make me laugh and cry at the same time.

In 10 days, I get my cervical brace off and I cannot wait. I am hoping to do PT after that to strengthen my body. I am still holding onto a pipe dream that maybe I can run again or at least walk/jog. My marathon and ultra days are probably over, but it would be fun just to be able to jog a 5km. There is a turkey trot in Fredericksburg that I would love to do with Etta and Denny. Time will tell.

We are nearly halfway through Sarcoma Awareness month. I am still talking to anyone who will listen about the needs for better research and outcomes for Osteosarcoma. I will keep banging this particular drum throughout the month, and ultimately, until I take my last breath. Once again dear readers, please find the link to help below.

https://osinst.org/herndon-fundraiser

It is still cool enough to walk the dogs, so I think I will log off. Be sweet and fly high. If you see some chickadees, give them some space. All God’s children have a place in the choir, and all God’s children deserve to eat, be it crabapples, bird seed, or Taco Bell. I love you forever. Mom.

We have not seen any cardinals in a week or so, but apparently Ravi has set up shop in a tree in Clarksville, Indiana and is making quite the racket! My dear sister-in-law, Cindy just texted me this morning. For the past few weeks there have been two birds have a bird rap off contest outside her bedroom window, bright and early, every morning. The cardinal, ie: Ravi, has taken over the big maple in her side yard. A California wren lives in a redbud near their bedroom window. For those who do not know, wrens are about 2/3s the size of cardinals but are very noisy and feisty. This duo has been waking up very early every morning to belt out birdie rap songs and debating about who has dominion over the tree. Cindy says that both birds are very wroth, but no fighting, just lots of fluffing of feathers and birdie ballads going back and forth, starting about 5am.

Ravi may have been non speaking, but he did have a voice and could make tons of noise when he felt like it. We used to joke that he was the loudest non speaking person we had ever met. It is no surprise to us that he came back as a very vocal bird. He had so many thoughts in his head, and it was not until he got his AAC, Sam, that he could begin to get them all out. There was a certain energy that he brought into every space. I could feel it as soon as I walked into the house, whether he was was chatting with Sam, stretching his vocal chords, or just chilling. I miss that energy. My house, despite having 3 dogs, 1 cat and a hedgehog, is very quiet.

We are very eager to go to Virginia later this week. The cardinal is the state bird and I look forward to many Ravi sightings. I cherish the thought of him perching in Cindy’s tree, singing the song of his people. Fly free, Boo Bear, and sing to your heart’s content. Love you to the moon and back. Mom.

Hello, #TeamRavi! It is beautiful spring weekend, and our friend has been seen in the form of a cardinal twice in the last two days. He is looking most perky and dapper. The first appearance was when I was driving up Summit Avenue. I looked over at the green space in the middle of the road and saw a cocky young male cardinal. I said, “Hi, Ravi!” and he turned his head and looked straight at me. No joke, I swear that the bird smiled at me. The second encounter was almost in the same place, going the other direction on Summit. I was walking two of our dogs. The bird came flying towards me, did a few acrobatics in the air, just to show off, and landed in a nearby tree, where he commenced to fluff out his feathers and preen. Obviously, he is feeling very good about himself. The red feathers made a stunning display against the backdrop of green leaves.

Things are up and down these days. I relish the sunshine and the warmer weather. I am waging a losing war on the bunnies who keep snacking on my flower beds. Robert has been up soaring lately, and his parachute just arrived. It came from the manufacturer with a bottle of nice wine, saying, “Hope this is the only thing you ever need to open!” With all luck, Robert will never have to open his chute, but it is always a good thing to have while soaring, particularly in competition. Weather permitting, he is hoping to go up again this week.

When I was out running the other day, I saw two beautiful dragon flies. These symbolize Jonathon, Alissa’s older brother, who is now hangout out with Ravi. It is a great week when I can see both tangible signs of both of these incredible young men. Death has not held them back. There is no more epilepsy and pain. Truly, they are flying free. Enjoy your weekend and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice this Memorial Day. You are all good humans, and I am proud to call you my friends. Peace in this crazy world. Harriet, Ravi’s mom.