Under a Red Roof

Bird Watching

February 10, 2010 in Admiring, Celebrating, Inspiring by Colleen | 2 comments

Look at my sweet Birdie. Doesn’t she have a fine profile? I love the curve of her nose, her enormous ears, and all that soft, silky fur. She is a fine specimen indeed. It’s funny, too, even after nearly fifteen years (her birthday is March 4th!), I never grow tired of watching her. Playing, sleeping, running in the yard, it’s always a pleasure to see her happy. Unhappy is quite another matter, but I won’t get into that!

In other bird watching news, I had the FINEST (all caps for serious emphasis) sighting from my back window this past Thursday afternoon. I was walking by and saw something high in a treetop, a slight white glimmer of movement. My heart leapt! Could it be? I turned back and stopped, focusing my eyes. It sure looked like it.

I whooped and hollered down the stairs, “Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!” I grabbed the phone and the binoculars as fast as humanly possible and bolted back up the stairs. Imagine my excitement when I learned my hunch was absolutely correct. There was indeed a Bald Eagle atop a tree, no more than a hundred yards from me. I could see its regal gaze scanning the horizon, the beautiful white feathers, the golden beak, the lovely eyes. I called the hubster, and I spent the next few minutes detailing the eagle’s every move.

“It’s turning his head, yikes almost 360 degrees!”

“It’s moving it’s wings. Wow, it’s so big!”

“I think it’s looking right at me.”

“The crows are coming! They’re cawing, but this guy isn’t paying one iota of attention to them, no matter how close they get!”

“Oh my goodness, Buddy, I’m watching a Bald Eagle from our back window!”

In all, I probably watched it for ten joyful minutes, repeating that last sentence about five times. It then left it’s perch and flew right over our house, so close I could see individual feathers. I’d like to think it was a “Hello Colleen, I saw you, too,” gesture. Whatever it was, I could not have been happier (well, maybe if I could have taken a photo, but our camera cannot zoom like that), and I certainly won’t ever look at that tree in the same way again.

Nineteen

February 9, 2010 in Admiring, Being, Celebrating, Quoting, Remembering by Colleen | 2 comments

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.

Helen Keller

Nineteen years ago today, I went on my very first date with the very handsome fella pictured above. I wore a denim skirt and a cream colored blouse with silver button covers. He wore Levi’s and a rugby shirt and an incredible smile. We ate at Old Chicago and talked well into the night. I told him I believed in ghosts, and he held me tight.

I still believe in ghosts, and he still holds me tight. Thank goodness these things last…

I love you, Buddy!

Are We Ourselves

January 21, 2010 in Being, Celebrating, Quoting by Colleen | 1 comment

Do we dare to be ourselves? That is the question that counts.

Pablo Casals

Sixty-One

January 16, 2010 in Celebrating by Colleen | 2 comments

Happy Birthday Daddy! I love you!

A Slow Start

January 5, 2010 in Being, Celebrating by Colleen | 4 comments

Hello everyone! I hope 2010 is off to a marvelous start in your neck of the woods. We’ve enjoyed a delightful combination of activity, amusement, introspection, and joy. So much so, that I don’t quite know where to begin. Some photos, perhaps then, of our red roof house under a blanket of snow.

We were surprised by it, for there was only rain in the forecast. Sitting in the living room at Bridget’s, it came on rather delicately, a few giant flakes until there were piles of them, and so much laughter and giddiness (Snowsuits! Boots! Hats! Mittens!) on the part of children and adults that my heart filled with joy at their excitement. Snow in the Pacific Northwest is quite different than anywhere I’ve experienced it. The tiniest bit inspires paroxysms of glee!