Mockingbird Story

WARNING: SOME OF THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS ARE GRAPHIC.  YOU MAY NOT WANT TO VIEW THEM, IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH.

This weekend, Harper Lee passed away.   You know her- the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, and Go Set a Watchman.  She was a lifetime resident of Monroeville, Alabama.
Oh, Al-a-bam-a! A true southern state.

Mockingbird eggs

I have wondered for a while if it really was wrong to kill a mockingbird, and what the title of her book really means.  The answer I always find is that it’s audacious and a sin to kill this bird that sings so pretty and entertains us so.  I observed the mockingbirds closely on our farm in Tennessee on a yearly basis, so I knew their habits.  It’s not pretty, folks.  I’ve wanted to tell this story for a long time, but put it off til the right time.

There’s mockingbirds here too, at the Mason-Dixon Line.   I observed them closely in the south, and knew their habits.  It’s quite gross.  I guess you wouldn’t believe it.  I hate to put these pictures up- because I know some will just protest and turn away, but these are the facts.   Mockingbirds hang up their dead prey in trees to come back later and eat them.  I have found frogs, and snakes, and even a poor bluebird or indigo bunting.   So I guess, to kill a mockingbird is supposed to be a bad thing (?).  But in truth, they must kill to eat.  It’s just a fact of life in the wild.

~~~

An unexpected turn has been feelings of sadness of leaving the south.  I can not explain it, but only can say it is a closed phase of my life that I grew to love.  I will not miss the tornado weather, or the unbearable summer heat, the dusty roads that made me cough all night, and some other things.  I think I will just miss the slow pace of life, the musical vocal accents, the BBQ, which is plentiful, and the mild winter.  I like the feeling of the south, knowing that you’ll be getting good biscuits for breakfast, and some pretty good lemon pie for desert, and Red Velvet anything.  I guess I’ll just have to create my own southern everything, here in my new/old home!  I will be alright–“You alright?”   “Bless your heart!” and rest in peace Harper.  No matter how mockingbirds really are, you made a difference in the world with your books.  Thank you.

Absolutely Nothin'..... and A Chukar...Chukka, chukka,,, chuk!

Absolutely nothin' got done today, or rather

I did absolutely nothin' but rest.

So thought I'd do a little "wild kingdom" program.

There was a family in Arizona that recently spent two nights in the desert

in low temps, evidently in an area where people hunt for chukars.

I don't know how many people know what  chukar is.

Then I remembered a chukar that came to visit one day, and of course,

grabbed the camera.

This bird seemed very docile and tame, but it is not a pet.  It is wild.  It seemed to be

a little lost, in a way,  as it kept calling,

"Chukka, chukka, chuk....!"

It let me get quite close, while taking photos.

It's a very pretty bird, and is in the partridge family. 

I haven't seen one since that day.

Here's more about them.

Storm Close Call...

Storm Development

Luckily this one didn't amount to anything...

but it was close!

~~~

Better days are comin' everybody...

just slow in gettin' here!

 

 



Merry Christmas and Happy New Year too!  Okay, we know this special day is almost over, but nonetheless,  we wanted to sincerely wish the best for all our readers today and in the year to come!

We got a little surprise this morning, had to go out and capture the day!

Little Pears in the Snow
~
Reflections on the Day
~

Sometimes, despite everything, things get a little sad at Christmas, for many reasons.  You may be missing someone special, someone very dear to you.

My Snow Angel
~

Sometimes, the joy and beauty of life is overwhelming!

The Big Tree by the Road
~
Sometimes you find yourself celebrating with family, and sometimes you're alone.

Doggie and the Snow Tree
~

Whatever kind of time you are having this year,
Keep Looking UP and 

 know that SomeONE is thinking about YOU, and SomeONE loves you, no matter what!

Me and My Little Friend - Poem

Me and My Little Friend

~Poem by bb~

"What God hath joined together,
let not Man put asunder." Mark 10:9, KJV All my days I was looking up,
reaching towards the sun.
I spread my shade,
moon’s milk I supped.
I was alone but
Contented just to Be.

I thought I was done,
then, perchance,
I spied a bug,
then I was looking down.
To my surprise,
I found you sitting next to me,
all grooved and nutty brown.

I have a tender side, you see.
I’m not as wrinkly as I seem to be.

I will shield you from the sun,
I will shield you from the rain.
You are my little friend,
now sitting in my shade.

And here we are, and so we sit,
- Together -
watching the world go by,
among the rocks and moss,
no human hands have tossed,
and none will rend,
Contented just to Be.

~ Poem and photos copyright 2010 by Bebe