I am sore today.  For the two previous days, I have been working outside.  I’ve gotten lots of fresh air, sunshine and exercise.  There has been no shortage of exercise. 🙂  I’m ready for a quiet day and a bit less labor.

It was great being outside.  While there is lots to do, there is also lots to see and observe.  The neighbor’s hired hand prepared a field for an organic crop.  Another neighbor cut hay and raked it into windrows so it was ready to be put into bales.  Cattle lazily grazed in the nearby pasture, and on Meghan’s farm the sheep played while the llama, Grace, watched all that was going on.

Birds are the easiest to see.  They fly through the air.  Some perch on trees on utility lines.  Around here there are many species.  Some eat seeds and plant material.  Some dine on insects.  I watched a sparrow trying to catch a fast flying insect yesterday.  The sparrow would almost reach the insect and then it would shift right or left before resuming it’s flight to safety.  Each shift would cause the sparrow to change direction and lose speed.  The last I saw of them the insect was still in the lead.  (I was rooting for the sparrow. ;))

Thanks linariadesigns.com

As I mowed the lawn, movement caught my eye.  It was a red tailed hawk beginning to mount into the sky about a quarter of a mile from me.  A smaller bird kept diving at the hawk, harassing  the larger bird to the best of its ability.  The sun angle was perfect and the red of the hawk’s tail was brilliant.  Slowly the hawk gained altitude and soared away and out of sight.  I like moments like that–even to the point of suspending other activities just to watch in wonder.

When work was done, there was time for a shower and a few moments rest before Sylvia and I drove the half-hour to Lowell.  A friend’s mom died after heart surgery.  Yes, the operation was a “success,” but the patient died.  We went to support him during visitation hours.

Afterward, we stopped there in Lowell to eat.  (It was after 7 PM by then.)  One of the restaurants features outdoor dining beside the river.  It was nice.  Two women sat at the table next to us.  Unfortunately, their table did not have an umbrella over it like ours did.  A female grackle had taken exception to the diners in the vicinity of where she had built her nest.  The bird expressed its displeasure by dive bombing on of the women as they were preparing to leave.  Direct hit on target.  On the side of the head.  The gals cleaned up the mess and even had a chuckle over the incident.  Sylvia and I were glad to have an umbrella overhead.