For you NASA fans out there (and really, who isn't), tomorrow is the scheduled launch of STS-133, the space shuttle Discovery's final mission. She is scheduled to liftoff at 4:50 PM Eastern Standard Time from Cape Canaveral en route to the International Space Station. I've added a countdown clock to my sidebar. It's supposed to play the sound of a shuttle launching when it gets to zero - or it might just blow up my blog. Either way, spectacular!
If the stars align, I hope to be there with my family to view the launch. Fingers crossed! A lot (millions) of things have to go right to get a shuttle off the ground. The last scheduled shuttle launch will be in April. That will be Mark Kelly's mission on the final flight of the space shuttle Endeavor. NASA is trying desperately to get funding for one more mission in June - one more launch for Atlantis to the ISS, but budgets are tight at the moment, as we all know.
Assuming Discovery takes off before the end of the weekend, I will post launch video and pictures next week. I wish I could share the whole body experience, but sound and images are the best I can do. If you want to watch the launch live, go to the NASA TV website. Your cable company might also carry the NASA TV feed. Maybe CNN, too. They've provided pretty good coverage of space shuttle launches in the past.
Tell your kids this is one of the last two or possibly three times they will see their country's storied space program send astronauts into space (sigh). The future of manned space flight in America is in the hands of the commercial sector once the space shuttle is retired. I'm not sure my heart will swell with quite the amount of pride when Americans start going into space for profit instead of as the national heroes that they have been throughout the history of NASA. It certainly won't be the same without the NASA meatball onboard.
Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone is in a Valentine's Day frame of mind. It can be brutal for those in the lonely hearts club. I've been all over the spectrum of loving or hating Valentine's Day through the years. I've loved it when I've had someone with whom to share the sentiment of the day and hated it when I didn't. I've been occasionally annoyed by the obligation of sending cards or flowers but always delighted to receive them.Growing up, I could always count on a sweet treat from my Mom and maybe something new and red to wear. That's what my kids have come to know - that and a heart-shaped pan of Pilsbury cinnamon rolls with pink icing, a pink chocolate rose for Kathryn, and Swedish Fish or Twizzlers for Henry.
I was going to write about the history of Valentine's Day, but NPR does a perfectly good job of it in this story. No need to reinvent the wheel:
Well OK, I can't resist embellishing with a little additional info. that I came across in my internet sleuthing. The day as we know it probably has it's origins in the medieval tradition of courtly love. Chaucer is the first person known to mention a "Valentine's Day" in his poem, The Parliament of Fowls, written somewhere around 1382 give or take a few years.
The first actual Valentine known to us was written by a French Duke - Charles, Duke of Orleans - from his river-view room in the Tower of London. He was confined there after being captured at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. During his relatively comfortable 25-year long captivity in England, he became something of an accomplished poet, and this note to his wife can still be seen on display in the British Museum:
“Je suis desja d'amour tanné
Ma tres doulce Valentinée…”(Charles d'Orléans, Rondeau VI, lines 1–2:)
The old French roughly translates to
“I am already sick/bored of love
My very gentle Valentine…”
An illumination of Charles, Duke of Orleans
imprisoned in the Tower of London
Wishing everyone a heartfelt Valentine to start the week. I've included an incredibly random playlist below of Valentunes from my iTunes library. I have a truly bizarre mix of songs as a result of my kids and I sharing a library. There is no rhyme, reason or order to the song selection. The songs might be a little slow to load, so be patient. Enjoy!
Good riddance, January! The darkest month is in our rearview mirror, and the countdown to spring is on. Our days are steadily getting longer, and valentines and presidents' birthdays are on the horizon. One day I'm going to find something to love about cold, dark January, but it hasn't occurred to me yet. Any month that starts with a hangover and ends with W-2s can't be good.
February may actually be my favorite month of the year, maybe just by virtue of following January. I know we are still in the throes of winter weather, and some of our biggest snowfalls have historically nailed us in February, but it is always the month when spring shows herself in some way for the first time. Maybe I'm a little overeager, but something about February feels like the dimmer switch is being turned up just a little.
Clearly ancient civilizations sensed this as well, because many of them marked the first days of February with customs and celebrations. In Ireland, the ancient festival of Imbolc, also called St. Brigid's Day, was celebrated at the first of the month, which the ancient Gaels considered the start of spring. The days midway between the solstices and equinoxes are called "cross-quarter" days and were all considered significant to the ancient people. Ireland has its own Stonehenge-esque monuments that mark the position of the rising sun on these dates. Imbolc, in Old Irish, means "in the belly", referring to ewe's which are pregnant with spring lambs. The festival was, and is, associated with hearth and home, and is a celebration of lengthening days, diminishing shadows, and the coming of spring.
Astronomical Cross-Quarter Days
The ancient Christian observance of Candlemas also falls on February 2nd, or 40 days after the Nativity. As with many religiously significant events, the early Christian church attached dates to them that coincided with entrenched Pagan festivals, whether Roman or Gaelic, perhaps to help assimilate into local traditions. Similarly, Saint Brigid, one of the patron saints of Ireland, is often considered a Christianization of the earlier Gaelic goddess Brigid, further intertwining these dates and customs. As the Romans swept through Europe in the early part of the first century, bringing Christianity with them, local traditions were integrated, adapted, and disseminated. These were further spread after the withdrawal of the Romans when the Germanic tribes had a go at the British Isles.
Whatever the belief system or folklore, the underlying seasonal significance of the early days of February has long been recognized in one way or another. And as with other ancient customs tied to cross-quarter days (e.g. Halloween), the observance of this mid-winter point of the astronomical calendar has made its way down through the ages and across the Atlantic to us here in the good old US of A. Can you believe our own Groundhog Day is a derivative of these ancient traditions? Pennsylvania German immigrants brought this charming piece of folklore with them to America, and it has been with us in roughly its current form since the 18th or 19th century. The Germans were partial to the hedgehog. Since there are no hedgehogs in America (other than Sonic the Hedgehog), we went with the groundhog here in the States. Yes, Punxsutawney Phil can trace the origins of his celebrity as far back as the British Iron Age. Who knew?
Groundhog in Nature.
Punxsutawney Phil.
Most of us these days are familiar with Punxsutawney Phil, thanks in part to the movie, Groundhog Day, with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell (LOVE that movie - always makes me wish I had do-overs - see the clip below). Phil is one of the more famous of the many groundhogs that make an appearance across North America on Groundhog Day. As tradition would have it, Phil wobbles out of his burrow every February 2nd, to much fanfare and hype, and everyone waits to see if he casts a shadow. If it is cloudy outside and no shadow is visible, winter is over. If it is sunny and bright, Phil, or the groundhog at hand, sees his shadow, and spring will not arrive for six more weeks.
One of the first mentions of this folk tradition in America can be found in a diary entry dated February 5, 1841, of Berks County, Pennsylvania storekeeper James Morris:
"Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters, and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
This Scottish poem also draws an association between either bright weather or overcast skies at Candlemas signifying a longer or shorter winter, respectively:
As the light grows longer The cold grows stronger If Candlemas day be fair and bright Winter will have another flight; If Candlemas Day be clouds and rain Winter be gone and will not come again. A farmer should, on Candlemas Day Have half his corn and half his hay. On Candlemas Day if the thorns hang adrop You can be sure of a good pea crop. This is the Day of Bride The Queen will come from the Mound This is the day of Bride The serpent will come from the hole
Another poem that comes down to us from 17th century English poet, Robert Herrick encourages people to get their Christmas decorations down by Candlemas or risk being visited by goblins. Hint hint, Capers! Even in the 1600s, people tried to stretch the holidays too far! Nobody wants to see that tacky holly, ivy, and mistletoe hanging around after the first of February!
Down with the rosemary, and so Down with the bays and misletoe ; Down with the holly, ivy, all, Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas Hall : That so the superstitious find No one least branch there left behind : For look, how many leaves there be Neglected, there (maids, trust to me) So many goblins you shall see.
Again, the early February traditions have many sources and variations throughout different countries, cultures and religions. In some folklore, the animal is a bear, snake, or badger rather than a hedgehog or groundhog. I bet nobody is waiting outside the groggy, hungry bear's cave in a top hat and overcoat with an ump-ah band and festival bunting. For more information on the annual Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, PA, or to see Phil's prediction live, check out their website.
In Alaska, since they don't have many groundhogs (Marmota Monax - also known as woodchucks), the Yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) is the weather prognosticating creature of choice. As one of her final "maverick" acts before jumping ship in 2009, then Governor Palin signed into law a bill replacing Groundhog Day with Marmot Day. I guess they didn't trust Phil or any of the groundhogs of the lower 48 to predict their spring. I have to wonder just how close can spring really be in February in Alaska, anyway? Does the sun even rise there in February? Can the marmot see Russia from his house? Just kidding all you awesome Alaskans! (My blog stats actually show a couple of hits from Alaska - go figure).
If you're "Anchored Down in Anchorage", the day is almost a full eight hours long by February 2nd - plenty of time for a marmot to come out and take a look around. Although, while the high temperature in Anchorage today is 31 degrees and not so different from what we've seen this winter in Annapolis, six weeks from now, they will still just be cracking 30 degrees (decidedly NOT spring), while here in Maryland, we will be averaging 55 degrees, the temperature at which forsythia blooms (unquestionably spring). I guarantee you, the marmot will be scared silly by his shadow and retreat to his cozy burrow. Just as well for that furry creature to keep his head down, anyway.
Regardless of what Phil or any other critter sees today, spring will in fact come sooner or later, even in Alaska. I bet if you step outside, you will see signs of spring already in the form of swelling leaf and flower buds. Don't let the cold and ice fool you. And if you see your shadow and it scares you (in my case because it's about five pounds wider than before winter), crawl back into your warm burrow and bide your time until warmer temperatures entice you out into the light. It won't be long, Capers.
I came across this article online that I thought did a much more concise and less rambling job of explaining Groundhog day and its relationship to cross-quarter days:
PS - Of course I don't know all that Groundhog Day information off the top of my head. I do, however, have it at the tips of my fingers thanks to Google. All the facts are courtesy of Wikipedia. Take it for what it's worth.
Anybody know if they have groundhogs in Hawaii? Aw, who really cares. It's summer there all the time.
And how could I blog about woodchucks on Groundhog Day without including my favorite woodchuck clip...
I made it to the gym today for the first time in a while. I hopped on one of the treadmills with a TV screen and plugged my earphones in for what I expected to be a 5-mile run. This is pushing the limits of what my recovering heel will handle, but I had some guilt calories to work off.
Before I hit the gym, I stopped by Magothy River Middle School to lead my son's 6th grade Recreational Reading group. I really enjoy facilitating these book discussions. The kids are always entertaining and engaged. To make sure they are willing participants, I always bribe them with tasty snacks, which we are asked to bring. Normally, I bake cookies or brownies, but time did not permit on this occasion, so I stopped by Graul's to grab some treats. I generally try to take something salty and something sweet, so I picked up some water bottles, a carton of Goldfish, and then went to find something sugary.
I had Valentine's Day on the brain, so the box of pretty pink strawberry Hostess cupcakes caught my eye (surprisingly enough, Hostess cupcakes are on the list of "healthful" snacks provided by the organizers - certainly fine for an occasional treat or bribe, but hardly healthful). Hostess products aren't something I routinely purchase, but I was sucked in by the seasonal color, and like I said, it's all about buying off the kids. Middle schoolers can be scary if you aren't on their good side. Plus, unlike elementary school when cupcakes are in front of the kids practically every day for one celebration or another, I believe they are rarer in middle school. I grabbed the cupcakes and also picked up a box of Valentine Tasty Cakes to be sure I had enough and headed off for my book club.
Pretty Pink Sugar Bombs
I knew most of the kids in my group this time, and they were all delighted with their snacks. Except one little girl, that is. We'll call her Susie. Susie proceeded to politely inform the group that she had NEVER eaten a Hostess or Tasty Cake product and that she NEVER would. "They are loaded with fat and calories!" In the same breath, she rattled off that she had read not only the assigned book but the entire series and, "I read at a college level, you know." I told her she was absolutely right, that I was very impressed with her reading ability, that I didn't doubt either of her claims, but that I didn't believe there was any harm in indulging in the occasional treat (her classmates were already happily doing just that).
We launched into our discussion, which was animated and inclusive as I've known it to be in the past. Everyone seemed to be having a fine time, and Susie lead the field with her contributions. About halfway through our time, I noticed her eyeing the box of Tasty Cakes. She stopped mid-sentence in her description of one of the events in the book and said, "I think I'm going to try one of these just to see how it tastes." I told her she was welcome to but not to feel pressured. She slowly and tentatively bit into the forbidden cake to the delight of all her companions.
Well, she made a big show of HATING it, but managed to choke it down. We all applauded her willingness to try it and appreciated the sacrifice and courage. I suspect the flavor will stay in her subconscious for a very long time and tempt her again one day when she's not expecting it. I also worry that I might get a call from an angry mother later this evening! ("Mrs. Roberts fed us HOSTESS CUPCAKES and TASTY CAKES at rec reading today...")
So what does any of that have to do with the uprising in Egypt? Well, first, as I left the school, the one remaining Hostess cupcake peeked at me from my bag. As I savored all 190 calories of it, I rationalized that I would add a mile and a slight incline to my planned run on the treadmill. Once I reached the gym, I hopped on said treadmill and tuned into CNN to see what was going on in the streets of Cairo. As I ran, I watched with great interest the unfolding events in Tahrir square, which I had the good fortune to visit during my college days. That was early in Hosni Mubarak's "reign". Who would have thought he'd still be in office all these years later? If the Egyptian people have their way, he won't be much longer.
Tahrir Square, Cairo
At any rate, I trudged through my four + one cupcake miles on the treadmill waiting for the promised recorded speech by Mubarak announcing his intention to not run for election in the fall. I was curious to see what the reaction would be from the massive crowd which claimed they would accept nothing less than his immediate departure. As I passed mile five, the address still had not been broadcast. Mile six, no address. Finally, at a very unintended mile seven, CNN was still blowing filler waiting for Egypt's president, and I was starting to feel some real pain in my 44-year old ankles and knees. I called it quits but bought another couple of minutes stretching on the treadmill. Finally, I noticed the after-work crowd arriving and didn't want to overstay my welcome, so I headed on out the door.
Of course, I just missed the speech. Eight miles would have gotten me there, but I would be even more of a casualty than I already am after running much farther than I am in shape to. I will pay the price tomorrow as it is.
Still, monumental changes and accomplishments were afoot today in different worlds. Egypt is taking its first real bite in over 30 years of the sweet but fraught taste of democracy. I took a significant but painful seven-mile bite out of ten miles, which I haven't done in over two years. And Susie took a small bite of her first Tasty Cake... EVER.
Wishing everyone courage, wisdom, strength, and restraint as we all stretch forward in our individual ways...
On Tuesday night, I took advantage of the mid-week days off and a husband away on business travel by taking my kids to see a production of "The Arabian Nights" at Arena Stage in Washington DC's newly completed Mead Center for American Theater. My husband is not a huge theater fan. That is to say, it's not his first choice of ways to spend an evening or weekend outing with his family. He is also not a fan of spending the evening home alone without his family (unlike most of us moms who have no problem enjoying a few hours to ourselves, most men, or at least the ones I know, don't like an empty house).
Anyway, when he is out of town, it's not uncommon for me to take the opportunity to catch a show with the kids so as not to impact quality Dad time when he's home. We're lucky here in Annapolis to have not just our local offerings, but also two major cities in close proximity with a wide variety of performing arts venues. We've taken in theater, dance, and concerts before at the Hippodrome in Baltimore, at the National Theater in DC, at Maryland Hall here in Annapolis, and more recently, at our favorite new venue, the Mead Center, just to name a few.
Arena Stage is located at 6th St. SW, just a couple of blocks off the National Mall in view of the Potomac and the Washington Channel that leads into the Tidal Basin. For 60 years, it has been a hub of American theater in the DC area. It has recently been renovated and expanded as part of the effort to revitalize the Southwest Waterfront area of DC, and it's a stunner of modern design and architecture (says this blogger who hasn't the first educated clue about modern architectural design beyond knowing who Frank Gehry is).
The initial plan in the late 90s was to relocate the venue to a new, more thriving, northwest DC location. Instead, the planners opted (with a nudge from Mayor Anthony Williams) to be a part of the effort to resuscitate their neighborhood. They refitted and integrated existing structures and cleverly shaped Arena Stage into a single, vibrant, stylish, focal point known as the Mead Center for American Theater in an area that was once the remains of unrealized 60s and 70s "urban renewal" efforts. It's a truly remarkable building. In the words of the Artistic and Founding Directors:
“Our center will be a home for American Voices in the nation’s capital – a showcase of the broad range of work from the country’s leading and emerging artists; a birthplace for new American work; and a space to engage audiences in the history, breadth and legacy of the American theater.”
– Molly Smith
Artistic Director
Arena Stage
“The building is absolutely stunning. It is a magnificent and important piece of architecture that contributes greatly to the cultural landscape of Washington. It is one the best designed buildings in D.C. in the last decade.”
– Zelda Fichandler
Founding Director
Arena Stage
The Mead Center for American Theater
I would certainly agree. The Center has three unique stages of varying size and format - all relatively small and intimate - the largest of which, the Fichandler, seats 683 people, and the smallest of which, the Kogod Cradle, seats just 200. Two of the theaters were original stages of historic significance which were brilliantly preserved and incorporated into the new facility. The aforementioned Fichandler was the first permanent "in-the-round" theater in the country built in the early 1960s, and the Kreeger, a more traditional fan-style theater which seats 514, was originally built in the early 1970s. The Kogod Cradle is a new addition seating 200 and is something of a small oval cavern that is aptly named. Click on the Arena Stage link to learn more about the venue and what's on stage, now and in the coming months.
The two shows the kids and I have been to see, a reproduction of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic American musical, "Oklahoma", which kicked off the reopening of Arena Stage last year, and now "The Arabian Nights", were both staged in the Fichandler "in-the-round" style theater. We thoroughly enjoyed both of these terrific shows. In each, the effectiveness of the staging and scenery was striking in its simplicity - really convincing settings accomplished with subtle tricks of lighting and a few simple props. The actors and musicians create the rest of the magic.
I highly recommend the experience. One minor caveat about "The Arabian Nights" is that it has some rather bawdy and suggestive material interspersed through the funny and engaging tales. It's narrated by Scheherazade after all. The website indicates that it is recommended for ages 13 and up. I took my 11-year old and didn't find it to be a problem considering what he encounters routinely on primetime TV and the school bus, but this is clearly subjective. If you would be uncomfortable exposing your kids to slightly raunchy humor with the odd suggestive cucumber or a somewhat passionate (but fully clothed!) encounter between lovers, I would heed the recommendation. Scheherazade was spinning tales literally for her life, so they had to be colorful...
So that explains the 1001 Arabian Nights part of my title, but what about the Presidential motorcade? Well, the Mead Center is about a 45 minute drive from Annapolis, but that includes the unpredictable New York Ave. I've driven up and down New York Ave. more times than I care to recall, on one occasion dragging a muffler shaken off by the ever present potholes. I lived in Georgetown when I first moved to the area after college and commuted to my job at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, making my way out of and into the city via New York Ave. each day.
On Tuesday night as we came into DC on New York Ave., I wasn't surprised at the initial slowdown - nothing out of the ordinary - but as we got deeper into the city, traffic got more and more congested and slowed to an effective stop. It was the worst I'd ever seen. I had allowed a little margin in our arrival time, but not much since I expected to be opposing the commute traffic. The minutes ticked away as we crept at a snail's pace through northeast DC (it's really a lot better looking than it was back in the day - fewer hubcaps littering the sides of the road).
As we got closer to the Capitol, with just minutes to go before the 7:30 start of our show, we began to notice a lot of flashing squad car lights and a huge police presence on the streets, and suddenly it dawned on me; this was the night of the President's State of the Union address. D'oh! I hadn't accounted for that in my travel time. I was secretly beginning to doubt that we would get to the theater in any timely manner.
We finally broke through the bottleneck on New York Ave. and turned onto 7th St. NW, with cops by the dozens lining the streets as we approached the Mall between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Then, we heard sirens and saw a fast moving motorcade pass just in front of us along Pennsylvania Ave. headed toward the Capitol - the President himself en route to his address to Congress and the nation. I told the kids to wave to the President. They replied, "The President is making us late for our show."
Well, all's well that ends well. I presume the President got to his gig on time (I missed the address but hear there was a good joke about salmon, and no ruder-than-expected outbursts from that unruly South Carolina contingent). I dropped the kids at the entrance to the Mead Center to find our seats and went to park the car. They were familiar with the place from our recent trip down to see "Oklahoma", so I was confident they could make their way without me, as is often the case these days (sigh). With the number of cops on the street, I deemed a problem in full light of the theater to be unlikely. I parked for free in a lot a block away near the waterfront (it really is very lovely, and both times I've been down there, I've felt altogether safe), made my way to the chic, bright, wavy, front of the Mead Center, climbed the stairs to the Fichandler, and slipped into my seat next to the kids just in time to hear Scheherazade begin her first tale...
Intermission of Arabian Nights listening to musicians
I awoke this morning to a flurry of activity in my backyard. I looked out the window to see a gathering of crows feeding on something in my grass (I started to say lawn, but despite our best efforts, the grass in our backyard does not constitute a lawn...). I'm not sure what attracted them, but apparently crows will eat anything and everything, so it could have been seeds or bugs (probably the former which might explain our lack of a lawn). There were more when I first woke up, but Laika scattered some of them before I could take a picture.
I've said it before, I'm no naturalist, but I'm fairly certain these were crows. Apparently crows are partially migratory - the ones in colder climates will migrate south for the winter. Here in Maryland, most are probably resident year 'round, but we may get some transients from New York in the cold months. I was just really happy to have an excuse to use the phrase, "murder of crows". Apparently it's been documented since the 15th century although of unknown origin. I find it very poetic and think it really captures the effect of a thick, shadowy, flock. I read somewhere that scientists don't use the term "murder" - that it's more poetic than technical. True perhaps, but how can you resist calling a group of them a "murder"? My poetic side wins out over the scientific in this case.
They are not particularly elegant birds in sound or movement, and many consider them a nuisance to the point that they hunt them en masse (when I was Googling crows, I stumbled onto some unsavory pictures of hundreds of dead crows killed by chest-thumping "hunters"). I've witnessed crows raiding robins' nests during the spring, and spent the better part of a day rescuing a baby robin that a crow dropped on my roof, so I know they are not altogether warm and fuzzy birds, but I always find a "murder" of them in my yard very cool. I also found the video below on YouTube very cool - and lovely.
Another reason I have a particular fondness for crows is because it's the first bird sound that my daughter learned when she was was learning to speak. I have priceless video of her answering the classic questions about the noises animals make. I ask her what the dog says, and she answers, "woof, woof". I ask what the cow says, and she says, "moo, moo". I ask what the bird says, and where I'm expecting, "cheep, cheep" or "tweet, tweet", she cries, "caw, caw"! The crows clearly made an impression on her, too.
Here are a few links that you might find interesting. The first is a site about American crows with lots of great information and some neat videos (including the one above). The second is a link to what The Word Detective has to say about a "Murder of Crows" and other terms for groups of creatures.
It's always fun to review the interesting words that have come to describe groups of animals - a "gaggle of geese", a "cete of badgers", a "knot of toads". The Word Detective explains that we first see the term, "murder of crows" in a 15th century compilation called "The Book of St. Albans," created by Dame Juliana Barnes, prior of a nunnery in England. A more modern discussion of the various collective nouns can be found in James Lipton's (of "Inside the Actor's Studio" fame) 1968 book, "An Exaltation of Larks". It's clear why he chose that one for his title. It truly makes the heart soar. Visit The Word Detective site to find more interesting terms that have been passed down through the ages or invented more recently (for instance, an "attitude of teenagers" - perfect).
While I thoroughly enjoyed the crows this morning, what I'm really waiting to see when I look out the window is a flock of red-breasted robins. Though some winter here in Maryland, the vast majority typically return in late February through March, and their arrival is one of my most vivid harbingers of spring. They appear by the hundreds with their own riotous sounds, though not as raucous as the crows (riotous - unrestrained, tumultuous; raucous - rough in sound, harsh, strident - I looked up the distinction to be sure I had it right!)
As heartwarming as the arrival of the robins always proves, I think they also deserve a better term than "flock" to describe them as a group. Here are a few suggestions that I think would work nicely:
A "cheer of robins"
A "promise of robins"
A "gaiety of robins"
A "revelry of robins"
A "herald of robins"
Any other suggestions? What harbingers of spring are you awaiting? It's really not that much longer. We're only a week away from February, and February is when spring starts to come! Caw, caw!
PS - Maybe I have birds on the brain as a result of venturing into the world of Twitter and tweeting. You can follow Cape Blogger on Twitter now using the link at the top of the blog sidebar (search for CapeBlogger) or "tweet" any given blog post by clicking on the Tweet button below.
Testing out the new Cape Blogger Twitter Feed. If you are a tweeter, look for Cape Blogger on Twitter (search for CapeBlogger). All future posts should result in a tweet, and at the bottom of each blog post, there is a Tweet button if you wish to retweet the post. I'm new to this, so I really have no idea what I'm saying...
Sorry. That was a cheap way to get your attention. I'm not actually going to tell you which is best, and I don't even expect you to really care what I think about the choices, but I heard a story today on NPR that caught MY attention. The segment was of particular interest because a discussion broke out on the CSC Public mailing list/Yahoo Group last week about this subject. Somebody inquired about available resources for homeschoolers, and unsolicited opinions about homeschooling versus public or private schools started flying as everyone retreated to their respective corners and lobbed their best (or worst).
This is one of those subjects where folks immediately get defensive when it comes up. It falls into the same category as stay-at-home versus working Moms or spanking versus not spanking, etc. Anything that challenges our choices as parents will inevitably get us on our soapboxes to justify why we've parented in one way or another. It comes from the right place since the VAST majority of us clearly want to do what's best for our kids, but the guilt and stress associated with that, along with our fragile egos, can bring out the worst in us.
Case in point, you may have heard the recent uproar about the memoir by Yale Law Professor, Amy Chua, entitled, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother", in which she describes the incredibly high expectations that Chinese parents, and Chinese mothers in particular, impose on their children, and how she applied this type of upbringing to her own daughters. She attempted to make it clear that she was not necessarily endorsing her methods over another - that she realized it had its drawbacks and that she had made errors - but that this was her unique experience, warts and all. I relate to some of what she describes, for I too battled with my kids on the piano bench to the point of tears and punishment. Although I don't think I ever threatened to burn their stuffed animals or made them stand outside in the cold over it, they did get sent to their rooms on more than one occasion.
The point is, this woman has been bombarded by attacks from parents and professionals from all directions. She has even received death threats and been accused of abuse, simply for recounting her honest experience with child rearing. She has two lovely, fabulously accomplished daughters who by all appearances love and respect their mother and father, and seem to be in no more need of therapy than the rest of us. While the conversation is a useful one, is it really our place to judge so harshly someone that we don't even know? What are we all doing so right that we are in a position to call her out? I'll admit, some of what she subjected her daughters to was harsh, but so does she, and in the process of writing about it, she has gained perspective as a parent. We should all be so introspective.
Who of us can say for sure what is the right or wrong way? After all, we only have one shot at it, and all we have to go by is what we know from our own upbringing and maybe the latest study, which usually contradicts the ones just before and after it. We can read all the parenting advice manuals that exist, but when push comes to shove, we fall back on our ingrained firsthand experience. Spanking? Reasoning with 2-year olds? Time outs? Chores? Allowances? Hands off? Hands on? Indulgence? High expectations? TV? Video games? Facebook? I've seen success stories and inexplicable underachievement from all fronts. Different kids respond to different stimuli and methods, and there are myriad variables, but in the end, kids fundamentally need to know they are loved and accepted and have some source for developing their senses of confidence and right and wrong. The way to do this varies from kid to kid and parent to parent, household to household, and culture to culture. The only truly wrong thing we can do is not care.
So, back from my Tiger Mother tangent to schools. When I tuned into NPR on my way to the gym (I ended up losing half my workout time sitting in the parking lot at Big Vanilla listening to the radio), I caught an interview with Chicago parent Jacqueline Edelberg, who along with Susan Kurland, principal of her local public school, authored the book, "How to Walk to School". Ms. Edelberg lived in a part of Chicago with a subpar public school - one that most of us would agree did not provide the kind of educational experience we would want for our kids. The city schools suffered what many of our inner-city or rural or name-your-struggling public schools suffer. Middle class families, unhappy with the quality of their local public schools weakened by inadequate funding or policy, send their students to private school or move to the suburbs or elsewhere, and public schools are left even weaker as the tax base and core student population departs.
Ms. Edelberg is a woman after my own heart, a believer in public education and its importance to the strength of our nation as a whole. She decided rather than abandon her public school, she would enlist the energy and talent of the people in her community in cooperation with the principal of the school to create the environment that she desired for her children's school experience. They improved what they could improve - the appearance, the extracurriculars, parent participation - and provided input with respect to curriculum and nutrition. They solicited the skills of local artists, craftsmen, business people,and parents to make their changes at very little cost. Within less than a year, they saw dramatic improvement in both environment and test scores, and in the next few school years, families who had once opted for private school started sending their kids to the neighborhood public school, and as she says in the interview, all boats were lifted by the rising tide. Here is the link to the project website and a YouTube video that highlights her neighborhood school:
This may not be as workable in every situation, but I expect it could be in many - for those with schools just getting by with a base of solid teachers in a community of concerned citizens. Many just need that boost of attention and effort from a few good people (maybe even pain in the tush people - it often takes some of those) to raise the quality of the school to a level that would please just about any of us. Clearly if there are serious safety and security issues in the picture, this becomes less tenable for the typical parent to tackle or accept for their children, and requires a different approach.
I know what an impact an active parent community can have on the quality of a school, because I've witnessed it for myself right here in Cape St. Claire. While Cape Elementary is a very good school with fine teachers, I think most would agree that the quality of our kids' elementary school experience is raised to a whole new plane by the time and effort put in by the PTO and parent volunteers in general. This level of commitment by our community makes it a school that draws great teachers and faculty, and the quality rises even further. Even the very good public schools that I knew growing up in CA did not hold a candle to what my kids have experienced here in the Cape.
For the record, here are just a few of the things parents and volunteers, in cooperation with the faculty, school board, and local business community have contributed to Cape Elementary. The new kindergarten playground equipment? PTO fundraising and planning. Smart board and document camera technology in the classrooms? PTO subsidized. Colorful rugs and bookshelves in kindergarten? PTO. Destination Imagination? Dedicated parents as team managers and PTO sponsorship. Fun Run? PTO. Assemblies, 5th Grade activities, Ice Cream Social, Holiday Shop, Field Day, cafeteria sound system? PTO. The list goes on and on. Parents identify something that could be improved or beneficial and in cooperation with the faculty and staff, make it happen. And the beauty of it is that not only do these parents' children benefit, but the whole student body reaps the reward, and in turn, our community, county, state, and country thrive.
I know it's not all cupcakes and paper roses. Plenty of room remains for improvement, as is always the case. But I consider us tremendously fortunate to have a powerhouse PTO at our disposal with just enough high energy parents to lead the way and enough of us support crew parents to do the legwork. And I don't mean to take away from what our teachers and faculty bring to the success of our schools. They are up to their ears trying to funnel all kinds of knowledge into our kids' ever expanding brains. It isn't that they are coming up short. The needs are just so great and the resources so slim. It takes the backing and support of the community to turn a good public school into one to be envied and that gives most people little reason to look elsewhere.
This is the gist of what Ms. Edelberg conveys in her story. Rather than turn away from struggling schools, perhaps consider putting the energy that would go into homeschooling or the money that would go into private tuition into elevating the quality of your local public school for everyone. We are much quicker to bemoan the failure of our public schools than to take some of that responsibility on ourselves and help create the setting that we all desire for our kids. Some have more time, energy, and resources, available than others, but all of us can contribute in some way - a couple of hours to lead a book discussion, or a weekend day to spread some mulch or paint a bathroom.
I realize there are individual situations that don't lend themselves to this approach. Perhaps your child has health or emotional or developmental issues requiring special accommodation that just can't be adequately met by the public school system. Maybe you feel strongly about your child receiving religious instruction in a daily educational environment, which is not possible in public schools. Or maybe you grew up attending private school and it's just your preference. There are plenty of legitimate reasons for seeking alternatives.
For me personally, I had the good luck to grow up within a strong CA public school system, and my children have the good fortune to attend terrific MD public schools. There were kids in my graduating class that went to Harvard, Duke, Berkeley, and Stanford. I expect my kids to have everything at their disposal at Broadneck High to take them to any one of those schools or another of their choosing if they work hard enough and are smart enough.
It's hard to say if I would have opted to fight the good fight if circumstances had been different. I know for a fact that homeschooling would not have been an option - either my kids or I would not have survived it, and even with both undergraduate and master's degrees under my belt, I don't consider myself anywhere near qualified to teach them, and ultimately, I want them exposed to a wider range of ideas than just my own (just in case I'm wrong...). As for private school, it's just not part of my life experience. I know people who received a wonderful private school education, and I also know those who pay a lot of money for something that does not seem substantively superior. I guess I couldn't resist getting on the soapbox just a little...
For those like me who believe a healthy, robust, fair, top notch, public school system is critical to the wellbeing, strength, and security of our nation, do what you can to support your local schools and make them strong for everyone. And rather than allowing our insecurities to fuel condemnation of those who choose otherwise, focus instead on making your school the envy of the region. Today is the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's inauguration when he famously challenged us to "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country". This includes our public schools. We are all going to need to embrace President Kennedy's timeless call in the years ahead if we hope to better our nation instead of waiting around for her to do all the work. She's a little strapped at the moment, and we all need to take up the slack where we can.
OK, I promise to back off on the heavy material once we get out of January! I didn't mean to take this blog down the path of social issues - at least not in a steady bombardment of consecutive posts. So far this year, I've delivered a stream of consciousness about LBGT tolerance and rights, race relations, and now public education. I swear I will lighten up. I still haven't told you about my Roomba! Cleaning up the world and making it a better place one dog hair at a time...
Here in Anne Arundel County, we're in those funky mid-January days where the kids get a seemingly random series of 2-hour early dismissals and full days off - just when we've started to settle back into something of a routine following the holidays. Of course, it's not random at all for the school system. The Broadneck High students take their final exams for the semester this week, and teachers throughout Anne Arundel County use the time off for a combination of closing out the semester and professional development. The upcoming 4-day weekend is a good one to take advantage of some local sightseeing or maybe a skiing daytrip, particularly Tuesday the 25th since neighboring counties don't have that day off, and crowds will be down.
The day off today, however, is not lumped in with the county's administrative days off. It marks our national tribute to the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to our national consciousness and the civil rights movement. It is now a federal holiday that is recognized by all 50 states. I won't name names, but a couple of states dragged their feet until they were shamed into getting on board. Thankfully, I think our country as a whole is past the days of questioning the significance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s impact on our society. The vast majority of us embrace the day as one to reflect on the progress that has been made with respect to race relations in America and to consider the work that still needs to be done.
Since 1994, the holiday has also become associated with volunteerism. President Clinton signed the bill into law that made MLK Day a National Day of Service. It's something that's on all our minds at the start of a new year, and the Martin Luther King Day of Service gives us an opportunity to act on it. If you're looking for some inspiration or a way to get started, take a look at these websites that provide local volunteer opportunities and organizations that are always looking for able hands:
MLKDay.gov - this site allows you to enter your zip code to get a listing of local organizations in need of volunteers.
Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County - this site is our local Anne Arundel County volunteer information center. It lists MANY terrific ways to volunteer in the county along with age requirements in case you are looking for opportunities for your kids.
Volunteer Match - this one has an option to search for virtual volunteer opportunities - be altruistic in your pajamas!
DoSomething.org - here, you can sign up for monthly text message alerts about volunteer opportunities.
If you don't have luck searching with 21409, try 21401. Not everyone got the memo about our zip code change. There is no end to the need, but it takes a little momentum to get out there and help. Many of you have ready access to charitable work through your churches. For the rest of us, we're not off the hook just because we skip the weekly sermon. It's incumbent upon all of us to look outside ourselves in some way that is helpful to our community. We're not always in places in our lives where that's easy or even possible, but when we are, we should. It's the best way to honor those like Dr. King who did/do the heavy lifting.
This August, on the anniversary of the March on Washington, the long awaited memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. will be unveiled on the National Mall near the Tidal Basin. All 1600 metric tons of the statue are there now under a shroud and scaffolding getting their final touches and awaiting the accompanying landscaping that will go in after the thaw. Here is an artist's rendition of how it will look when it's done:
This picture doesn't come close to doing it justice. For a better look at the plans and construction, go to mlkmemorial.org. It's going to be grand. Dr. King's form emerges from a tremendous block of stone called the "Stone of Hope" which has broken free from the "Mountain of Despair", taken from his famous quote, "With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope." I don't think I'll fight the crowds in August to get a first look, but maybe we will take advantage of our "random" days off in January next year to make a pilgrimage to the new memorial. Or better yet, wait a couple of months for the cherry blossoms to do their thing (this year's blooms are not that far away!!!)
Here are a few of my favorite Martin Luther King Jr. quotes. I posted them a year ago on my earliest attempt at a blog. They are still gems, and get more apropos by the day:
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
"A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan."
"It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important."
"Means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek."
"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men."
"Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary."
"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think."
"Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will."
"The Negro needs the white man to free him from his fears. The white man needs the Negro to free him from his guilt."
Have a great day off everyone! Don't forget the 2-hour early dismissals the rest of this week and the days off next week. Fingers crossed that the winter weather in the forecast tonight doesn't add on a 2-hour late start tomorrow!
So we're two weeks into the New Year, and I am not yet super-model thin or super-Martha-Stewart organized (I don't know who the latest celebrity organization diva is, but I probably hate her. I got past my loathing of Martha after she went to prison - gave her some street cred - that and her BFF Snoop Dogg) , and I haven't even put a chink in solving the woes of the world . I thought by mid-month, I'd be well on my way to having my life and everyone else's in order. I guess it's going to take a more significant part of 2011 (or maybe my lifetime) to accomplish any or all of those.
I actually have been getting to the gym once a day (trying to hit it at lunchtime when I can find a vacancy on a piece of equipment), and the last of the Christmas cookies have finally been eradicated (my kids were sick of them in their lunches). And thanks to Rosie the Roomba, the dust and dog hair have been eradicated from my floors (still planning a separate post about my favorite new toy). So I'm making some progress. My office, however, is still a nightmare of holiday wrapping paper scraps, items that need to be returned, and a handful of gifts that never made it to their recipients. There are still two weeks left in the month, so maybe by Groundhog Day, I'll have knocked off 10 lbs. and Martha Stewartized the office. Or not...
This is the fundamental problem with resolutions. They don't just happen on their own, and they don't happen at all quickly, and before we've even really started, we're back into our old habits and routines. My downfall is typically poor planning. The ideas and intentions flow, but vaporize before I reach the point of action. Instead of blogging about it, I should probably be making a list or something, but blogging is it's own form of thought gathering for me (or so I tell myself). It doesn't do much for the action part, I'm sorry to say.
When I was on the treadmill at the gym yesterday (heel continues to improve!), I turned on the TV and stumbled (not literally) onto Charlie Rose interviewing religious historian, Karen Armstrong. I don't want to know what it says about me that I enjoy the occasional Charlie Rose show, but I was especially caught up by what Ms. Armstrong had to say. The interview throughly occupied my 45 minutes in the hamster ball.
Karen Armstrong (onetime nun) has written extensively on the history of world religions (predominantly the Abrahamic religions, but also Eastern religions, etc.), and I admire and agree with much of what she has to say on this topic. Her most recent book is called Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life, and I think her thoughts in this book resonate at the start of a new year, particularly following the events of this week in Tucson (which I also learned about on the treadmill, hmmm). I have not yet read the book, but here are a couple of things she had to say in her conversation with Mr. Rose:
On the definition of compassion, "to make place for the other in your mind and heart". (I love this).
That we should not judge quickly just because we feel smart and clever. Listen and think before lobbing the smart ass comment (I'm paraphrasing), and then don't lob it at all. Find a more constructive and humble way to contribute.
Reject the temptation of clever unkindness and cruelty and be aware of how little we know.
The Golden Rule is a really good one. Always keep it in the forefront.
Fundamentalism and radicalism in religion is rooted in fear and ignorance, both at home and abroad.
We are addicted to our prejudices and depend too much on our hatred of the things we fear.
We get a buzz from our cleverly wounding remarks. They are poisonous.
Be "mindful" - watch the way you behave and speak. Be aware of it and how it impacts others.
Don't be afraid to enter into civil dialogue, and do it with the expectation of being enlightened or changed. Otherwise there is no point. You are better for it, not compromised.
Commit one kind act a day of any sort. Once you've mastered that, up the ante until your day is filled with kindnesses.
Strive to leave the world marginally better because you have lived in it, and you will have lived a life of value.
Well, that's what I got from it. The last two items, in particular, are measurable goals (dare I say, resolutions) that I think each of us can set for ourselves if we choose. Some of the others are harder, but equally, or even more, important. I think the point is that we need to continually question what we think we know, make ourselves aware of and open to other ways and opinions, let go of our fears and paranoia by listening and learning, and be open to revising our understanding. This interview, in addition to the President's fine speech, has provided me with some inspiration to deal with the hideous event that opened the year in Tucson and any others to come in 2011. Let's hope there are finer moments ahead for our country in the new year and resolve to do our part to heal and not wound further.
I'm not sure any of this will help with my fitness or organization, but it might remind me not to roll my eyes at the little lady ahead of me at Graul's writing a check. And if I might suggest another resolution for all that would make it easier for me to keep mine of being more patient, read what my hero, Einstein, is writing on the chalkboard above (you can click on the picture to enlarge it if you can't read the words - again with the eyes!).
If you want to watch the interview with Karen Armstrong for yourself (and I recommend it highly, even if it is Charlie Rose! I won't tell anybody you watched), here is the link to the video:
* The first half of the interview focuses more on Karen's personal story and then a discussion of the histories, evolution, similarities, and differences of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam which I've always found fascinating, but if you do not, the link below is to the Hulu version of the interview which allows you to skip forward in the video more easily than the one above. If you join the interview at the 29 minute mark, you will hear more of the discussion on compassion and it's place in the modern world.
Welcome to the new year! 2011 is officially off and running. Somehow 2011 sounds much more futuristic than the first decade of the 2000s - legitimately 21st century. Something about fewer zeros in the number make me ready to start seeing some Jetson's action (my new Roomba robot vacuum cleaner is VERY Jetson's - my own Rosie! More about that in a future post).
I'm always in a little bit of a daze when the routine kicks back in after the holidays. I think most of us feel a mixture of relief that the craziness is over and melancholy to see the festivity of the holidays behind us with nothing but cold and taxes on the horizon. The thought that propels us through these short, dark, cheerless, broke, first days of the year is, to borrow a popular phrase from 2010, "It gets better"...
A few months back, I ordered a T-shirt from the "It Gets Better" project. I was so wowed by the endless stream of heartfelt, sincere, messages from people of ALL walks of life - famous, ordinary, tough, meek, powerful, humble, nerdy, cool - who contributed their accounts or perspectives on the trials and isolation of growing up as a LBGT youth. The campaign was one of those simple but profound ideas, empowered by social networking and technology, that I believe did and is doing more to advance the rights, respect, and tolerance for the LBGT community than anything I've seen. Truly remarkable and moving. That and the fall of Don't Ask Don't Tell were overdue gifts for our LBGT brothers and sisters in the past year. Still work to do on full civil union/marriage rights for same sex couples (I don't care what you call it...).
Anyway, back in the fall, I decided to show my support through a donation/purchase of a T-shirt from the It Gets Better project website. The T-shirts were in such demand that I just received mine last week, and it's my new favorite shirt for the new year. I don't quite have the chest to fill out the web address, but the link is above.
The message is relevant to any crisis that people might be experiencing, or just to the month of January. No matter how bad it might seem, it does get better. The seasons are a terrific metaphor for the ups and downs of life. The key is to keep putting one foot in front of the other through the tough times, safe in the knowledge that you are not alone and something better is in store if you just trudge on. We all have to know that often it's that miserable stuff that makes us stronger, better people.
So, to start the new year - here, in no particular order, is my list of things that I hope "get better" in 2011:
The economy
My heel
The CSC covenant document
Laika's hips
Haiti
My cooking
The Gulf
River Bay Roadhouse
Congress/government
My son's soccer team
Pakistan
Afghanistan
Africa
America
The environment
The Redskins
Lindsay Lohan (just because I'm tired of hearing about her)
The Chesapeake
Race/Intercultural relations - general intolerance and close-mindedness
Airport security/safety
School lunches
The housing market
My organizational skills
Kyrie Irving's big toe
My memory
Superfresh
Attention spans/focus
The Graul's shopping center intersection
Perspective
Manners
That's all that comes to mind readily. How about all of you? What do you wish to "get better" in 2011? Anything from Cape pet peeves to world peace? I know I've missed a lot, so help me out. Wishing you all better days and happiness in 2011!
PS - In the interest of making the Cape Blogger better in 2011, I've increased the font size of the blog posts. I don't know about you, but I was having trouble reading the small print. Let me know if there are other things I can improve or that bug you about the blog (other than generally hating the content. It's a blog - I calls them like I sees them).
Wow, Capers! There are some seriously great looking light displays around the neighborhood this year. Nice work! Looks like everyone is ready for the big day. All the great looking decorations inspired me to holiday up the Cape Blogger header photo. I tried to make it snow on the blog, but it kept locking up my site. Maybe next year I'll be more savvy about such things. As it stands, we might be getting some white stuff for real by the end of the weekend, but probably not in time for Santa.
Here's hoping you have it all under control. Time to wrap it up folks - pun intended. For those celebrating Christmas, I wish you all a peaceful and joyful holiday. For any who are not, thank you for your patience. :)
In the hardcopy December Caper, we all received informational bios on the candidates for the 2011 CSC Board of Governors and a ballot. If you've misplaced yours, as I have, there are extra copies down at the Improvement Association office. Please take a moment before January 7th to place your votes to determine who will guide our community through the upcoming year. The election includes the Board of Governors, the Budget Committee, and approval of the FY2011 budget. The Cape is a big neighborhood with a BIG operating budget, and the Board and Budget Committee get to determine in large part how that money is spent. I think they've done a great job in the past, but we should be interested in having a say.
I can tell you in 17 years here in the Cape, I've voted in community elections once, maybe twice. It just hasn't been on my radar. I do intend to vote this year, but it occurred to me that it would be REALLY great if we could do it online. I do find it difficult to remember to fit a trip down to the Clubhouse into my daily craziness (that's a little lame, but true). You can mail in your ballot, but finding a functioning pen, an envelope, addressing it, finding a stamp, taking it to the mailbox... Again, SO incredibly lame, but that's the reality of why it doesn't get done in this household.
I would cast my vote in a heartbeat, though, if the ballot were readily available online. I'm envisioning a reminder e-mail with a link to the bios and an online ballot on the CSCIA website. Maybe even a question and answer page where Capers can post questions for the candidates online. There are ample online voting software packages available - eBallot, Vote Pro, Big Pulse, etc. I'm sure there must be a way to verify residency and one vote/person or household. I have to believe such a capability would dramatically increase the level of participation in our elections.
The fact is, a very few people elected by a VERY small portion of the Cape (I don't know what the typical voter response is, but I'm guessing less than 20%? 10%?) controls the direction of this community. Again, I have been pleased in the past with the work our hardworking Board has done, but I'd like to see more community involvement and input, as would they, I imagine. Making use of available technology to make voting and information more accessible would be a great start. Perhaps this has been batted around at those meetings I'm so bad about attending.
While we're at it, how about a CSCIA Facebook page? Twitter feed from the CSCIA office? Live video feed of the community meetings with an option to play back the video? Strategically placed webcams around the community so we can go online and see if the water is high at Deep Creek, or if it's crowded at the Main Beach, or if our kayaks are safe at Lake Claire or the Little Magothy? OK, I know there are privacy and security issues with the last one, but it would be really cool. I love the Bay Bridge traffic cam and the Naval Academy harbor cam. Why not some Cape cams (vandals might have a go at them, but at least we would have them on video in the act)? Anybody else have other ideas?
Community involvement has been a struggle in the Cape for decades, and now the technology is available to change that. Maybe something for the new Board to consider. Please take a moment and cast your vote the old-fashioned way before January 7th. It's still every bit as important if a little archaic. You can also place your vote in person at the Membership Meeting at the Clubhouse on January 11, 2011 at 7:30PM. I'm off right now to cast mine (if the office is open, that is. Online voting would always be open, 24/7. I'm just saying...)
I awoke to this view after being jarred awake by a phone call from the robot version of Superintendent Maxwell at 6 AM letting me know I could sleep in this AM (can we opt out of the call and just get the e-mail or text?). While sleeping in was no longer doable (early morning phone calls are always disconcerting), I was happy to be up to appreciate the sunrise. Our Eastern view is obscured during the warm months by foliage, but once the trees drop all of their leaves, we are able to enjoy the sunrise through a veil of bare branches. This morning's was especially lovely with the new snow on the ground.
Since I was up, Laika had to join the party, so we went for a morning stroll around the backyard. By the way, she is recovering very well from her second surgery. She will still need to be on a leash outside for another month or so, and she's not bearing full weight on the most recently treated hip, but as far as she's concerned, she's raring to go.
With snow on the ground, I gained a little insight into her sniffing and snorting frenzy when we go outside. Normally it's impossible for me with my human sense of smell to know what interests her so. She will spend hours sniffing around every bush and blade of grass in the yard (she's got a built-in fur coat while I shiver in my pajama bottoms and slippers). The tracks in the snow this AM revealed a little of what she knows that I don't.
There is at least one red fox that lives over the edge of our yard. We've seen it on several occasions, but not recently. I see evidence in the form of berry-laden scat and the odd pile of bird feathers that it frequents our yard but haven't had visual confirmation in a couple of years. The fox family keeps different hours than do we.
This morning, Laika pulled me toward one of her favorite patches of bushes, and I noticed a trail of animal tracks winding in and around it. It's always fun after a snowfall to try and guess what's been cruising your yard based on the tracks left behind. I'm no expert tracker, but I've made amateur identifications of squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, cats, birds, dogs, and foxes just in our yard. I feel pretty sure the tracks we found this morning were left by our friend the fox. They were smaller than any of the neighbor dogs' paws, larger than the black and white cat's that considers our yard its territory, fatter than a raccoon's, and certainly not a squirrel's. Combined with the fact that they disappeared over the edge of our yard into the gully where the foxes have their den, and I am 95% confident of my assessment. Here are the pictures. See what you think.
Fox Tracks?
My hand (disregard sausage fingers) for reference.
Sketch from a red fox website
Online verification - see top picture leftmost track
Laika put her nose to every one of these tracks in utter excitement. The cool thing is that she doesn't need the tracks at all to find the fox's path. Her nose tells her what is normally invisible to my senses. It's really remarkable and why dogs are employed for a wide range of tasks from bomb and drug sniffing to detection of disease and epilepsy (may not be scent related in the latter case, but still cool).
Our extra two hours this morning has expired. Time to get the kids on the delayed bus and get on with my day. Thank you Laika and Superintendent Maxwell for the early morning adventure. Everyone get to work and school safely as you make your own tracks through the day.
