State of the Garden (Front)
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Probably a Cooper’s Hawk
“Wow!” exclaimed the well-dressed woman who was walking towards the Senate office buildings as I was walking in the opposite direction to the DOL through the park on the North side of the Capitol. We had both paused absolutely still to appreciate the drama of the moment.
A raptor flew in and landed on one of the high tree branches. There were a few warning chirps and calls and then everything froze into stillness and silence. After a few minutes the bird flew off, and gradually the squirrels, sparrows, starlings, etc resumed their usual morning activities.
“Did you notice how every thing became still?” I replied.
“Yes,” said my companion in the moment of appreciation and observation. “It hardly seemed real.”
We then moved on to go about our business, becoming conscious again of the noise of the city as the small animals and birds went back to their usual activities.
I looked it up when I got to work. It was most likely an immature Cooper’s hawk.
I did not even think to photograph the moment lest I disturb it. These are the trees after the fact.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Thanksgiving Cactus
Well over a decade ago, I bought this and another “Christmas” cactus at a yard sale, the two for a dollar.
The woman selling them complained that they had stopped blooming. She still didn’t want to keep them even after I explained that they only bloom once a year.
I brought them home and tended them. They have bloomed faithfully every Thanksgiving or a little closer to the solstice, getting more luxuriant.
