BIRDING
Yesterday, baking cookies, I stood at the kitchen bay window with binoculars in hand observing the few birds that chose to flit about the open space of our back yard. The open space is surrounded by woods along "our" creek. At the far end of the open space, a crow-sized bird flew from left to right. Amazingly, I was able to get the binoculars up and on the bird ere it flew out of sight - a mere flash in time. The bird was, however, unmistakable to any moderately experienced birder. It was a pileated woodpecker! Although I have frequently read accounts of other birders who have seen pileateds in the woods along the banks of the Arkansas River - which river "our" creek flows into about 1.5 - 2 miles west of us - this is the first one I've seen since one flew across a parking lot in Scranton PA in 1988 (I worked there for several months.) Yeah! To see photos, you may go to David Seibel Nature Photography.
Echo
This morning, lying abed, I heard a segment on "Weekend Edition" on music. They used a term that I don't recall having heard since high school, at least: fandango. Although the NPR team did not use the modifier, as I recall, it was always "Mexican fandango" WIWAK. As a 4-year-old, I lived in the "trailer house" that my dad had built on his Ford truck, in trailer parks all over Texas. (For photos you may go to Livin' the American Dream - Part 1 and Part 2.) Texas has always been home to many people of Mexican descent. After all, Texas was part of Mexico not so long ago. My remembrance was that Mexican fandango was a type of music - much as salsa is a type, now. The NPR team used the term to mean an event, much like a jam session. At any rate, it was pleasant to be removed to my childhood for a moment. If you wish to know more about today's NPR segment, you may go to A Musical Style That Unites Mexican-Americans.
Recent Comments