Yesterday was the first day of our CSA from Grasshopper Distribution, which included the following:
Not sure what we are going to make with that per se, but it should be tasty regardless.
My brother posted that as a question in Facebook today, and I had to answer, which I will share with you below.
I’ll give you some options Trebek. In no order of awesomeness, I give you…
1. I’m reading “car” as “ground vehicle”, so Optimus Prime, but if it needs to be a car, Rodimus Prime.
2. Similar to above, Rhino, or if it needs to be a car, Thunderhawk, both from M.A.S.K.
3. Axel or Minion, because I’ll be damned if I’ll pick a car from TM2. Fine, Outlaw 2.
4. The Justice Jogger (Overland Villain Chaser) from the Super Powers toy set.
5. Battle Cat.
6. The Black Lion.
7. Ecto 1.
8. Anything from Dino-Riders.
9. Anything from Starcom: The U.S. Space Force.
And finally…
10. The exosuit cargo-loader from Aliens.
Until the end of my days, it will be a number that, like my age, will never cease incrementing; June 21st, 2007 was when my father passed away. The dark irony, which I’m sure he would have found amusing, is that this year places that anniversary on Fathers Day. Not a week goes by when I don’t think of him and of everything that was both said and unsaid, and of the things that just never will be.
He was never one to use technology, nor did I ever really get phone calls from him once I went to Bowling Green for college. Once, near the end, he called from the cordless phone placed near his bed, to tell me he would see me the coming weekend, the last Fathers Day he’d be around for, and the call went to voicemail. Every handful of weeks when prompted, I re-save the voicemail after listening to it.
I miss my father.
Location: Wintergarden Park/St. John’s Nature Preserve
Observation date: 5/3/09
Notes: Conditions were mainly sunny throughout the day. The temperature when we began was about 58 degrees (F) and about 68 degrees (F) when we finished. Despite the fact that they should have migrated by now, we did see some American Tree Sparrows. I also had the opportunity to see the red-headed woodpecker because I was speaking with another birder while I was taking the time to watch the dozen 1.5 inch mice come out of hiding and run around the underbrush.
Number of species: 33
One thing that struck me as odd this year was the number of crows that were around this winter/early spring. I do not recall a winter/spring when they were so noticeable in this area. Sure, there were some, but I just don’t recall many.
On a related note, there was a bird call that I’ve never heard before a number of weeks ago while I was getting out of my car one morning; a chirping trill. Once I found the bird making the call, I took note of it’s features and it’s call and went and looked it up. The bird was a (supposedly common) chipping sparrow, which, according to it’s range map, summers in this area. I spoke with my wife about it, and this past week she has also heard the call in some of the areas she has gone for runs or walks. However, she was not familiar with the call much either; I do not recall ever hearing that call on campus, and I lived on that side of campus for 3 years.
I found these two changes in the local population of birds to be odd, and this can be either good or bad. I’m going to have to look to see if an abundance of crows means anything in regards to the local ecology, sort of like the the progression predators take in an area: first foxes, then coyotes (who eat/chase away foxes), then wolves (who eat/chase away coyotes and foxes).
There’s a pond north of the Kroger in BG that is on the property of some company. On Wednesday as we were heading out of town up to pick up my tailored suit from the Men’s Warehouse, we noticed 2 Great Egrets. On the way back into town, I took a glance to see what was there, and there happened to be a Great Blue Heron.
While these are necessarily rare birds, I have never really seen much at this location aside from Canada Geese or Mallards.
After this past weekend’s birding trip to Wintergarden, my wife entered some of the lists she kept from previous outings, including the refugee near her parents’ place in New York (state, not city) and the park behind a friend’s complex in Minnesota. As such, my current life list is at 78 species across 3 states. I’m sure that’ll increase as migration season heats up and our planned trip up to the lake (Erie) this weekend.
Location: Wintergarden Park/St. John’s Nature Preserve
Observation date: 4/5/09
Notes: Started about 50 degrees and sunny. Ended near mid 40s and overcast with some precipitation.
Number of species: 27
…which means it’s getting close to the time to:
1. Find somewhere in the New Albany, IN/Louisville, KY area to rent an apartment.
2. Move.
3. Find, apply to, and with luck, get a job somewhere in the area.
3a. I’d like to stick with higher education tech support.
3b. But if that doesn’t pan out, perhaps I can find a green collar job.
4. Settle in to a new life.
