What’s That!

Saturday, March 16, 2024

The other day, I spotted a partially albino Robin standing quietly on the ground near a fat Robin I’d seen the previous day and had paused, wondering why that Robin was so fat. When Fat Robin spotted me on this day, it didn’t fly but started hopping away. To my surprise and curiosity, the albino immediately followed the bigger bird, tenaciously. The two hopped away in ever-larger curves into the distance. Maybe that albino was a fledgling, still somewhat dependent on its mom or pop.

I love birds and enjoy watching Robins, which I consider the “Border Collies of birds,” stalking and rounding up worms. Thousands of Robins thrive here annually, with more in the summertime and fewer in the wintertime. I’ve never seen an albino Robin before.

This year, to my surprise, area bird photographers had mentioned albino Robins in my FB feed and even posted a photo or two. So, fortunately, I was slightly informed, but nonetheless, a bit shocked to see the albino Robin.

Since then, I have waited, hopefully, for a reappearance of the fat bird and/or its companion, but so far, no dice. That instant in time confirmed my recent learning, that it’s true. Albino Robins do exist, and are active in this area, at least for now.

Some research informs me that an albino’s unusual coloration is due to a lack of pigments. Ornithologists call the albino condition “leucistic” and say the key, most lacking pigment is melanin.

Dear Friends: We might think we know it all until we learn (again!) that we don’t. Diana

Peachy Pie

Thursday, March 07, 2024

This morning, while I brewed coffee, an old song entered my mind and got me singing aloud. Now, hours later, I can’t recall that song, but I remember delight upon hearing my cockatoo, Peaches, join in and sing along. I love it when Peaches sings and makes sweet sounds.

It’s very different from Peaches’ typical screams, which sometimes continue for what feels like forever. He’s an excellent watchbird and warns when anything different appears beyond the windows he’s parked beside. He becomes alerted to happenings not in his vision by noticing differences in my dogs’ sounds. If the dogs are barking in alarm (it’s always evident), Peaches joins and barks along with them. Yep, Mr. Peaches is a fine watchbird.

After years of living with this boy, I’m more or less accustomed to his noisiness. I’m used to his noisy gusto greetings to the changing lights in dawnings and evenings. I usually ignore his screamings, but not when trying to concentrate on something totally non-Peaches. If his screams get to me, there’s no use telling him, “Quit.” Peaches is his own being; he does his thing.

His singing is something else—almost lyrical and always smooth; his sounds could accompany some lyrics. I can’t recognize the songs, but clearly, Peaches is copying “his humans” that preceded me. Cockatoos are natural copiers.

This makes me wonder what he’s learned and copied during our years together. Maybe barking like a dog is new, and maybe he has new sounds from our singing duets. I ought to mention that Peaches has great rhythm; he dances to music like a bird on fire. Mr. Firebird!

Dear Friends: Bird intelligence encourages our admiration of the entire species. Diana

Visions

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than giant snowflakes falling and fluffing on the ground. However, there usually is a point of “too much,” and now, enough is Enough. Seeing through a window the many tree branches piled heavily with white is lovely. All’s peachy unless one needs to head outside to work in the snow and cold. That outside work could be as little as removing snow from a vehicle and driving someplace. However, my outside work includes feeding horses and chickens, all hungrily waiting and spotting for me, kicking downhill to the barn.

This rough spring has lasted too long, and happily, it’ll soon be Daylight Savings Time. The lengthening natural light will ease my early morning and late evening animal feedings. I can’t wait to dump my headlamp and walk without kicking through snow or wading in deep mud.

One of my “inside activities” has been looking through old, forgotten photos. I stumbled across today’s header of Kinny, a capture that surprised me. I quickly ordered a print for framing.

I inherited Kinny from my elder sister when she couldn’t continue caring adequately for him. He was seven years old and had always been kenneled inside a run. Kinny had never had a dog buddy; he became aggressive on seeing another dog. It took weeks to introduce and integrate him with my other dogs.

Kinny especially feared my horses, and at first, behaved very aggressively toward them. The horses, in turn, aimed to kick his daylights out. Eventually, Kinny “got it” and joined my other dogs. He learned to run with them on trails and alongside the horses. Kinny turned into a loveable pet, and I still miss him.

The header is a worthy capture of the dog and his shadow. He’s playing and having fun; it’s pure Kinny!

Dear Friends: Sun is shining to melt the snow, ahead of coming bitterly cold days. Diana

Unequal

Saturday, March 02, 2024

This is Women’s History Month, and that’s cool. Last night, a PBS piece reopened my memories by covering early and evolving passenger aircraft technology, and the airline passenger business. Particularly, the then new role of Airline Stewardess. Some of my friends became early stewardesses and were envied. They routinely flew to exotic places, met and dated handsome pilots, and often married and moved into new life phases. Those were ladies who accomplished what little girls were programmed to do.

That PBS piece reveals a nasty back story to the enviable stewardess role, in a time when most airline passengers were men. The ladies’ work was to ensure men’s comfort. A stewardess’s training for her role was demanding, and it was abusive. She had to perform her stewardess work perfectly, and also, had always to appear beautiful. She had to be slender and physically fit, well-coiffed and perfectly dressed, always wearing specific makeup, and also well-mannered. Oh yes, she couldn’t be married; a stewardess had to be single.

There was more stress because upon turning 32 years old, a stewardess was considered too old for the role. Airlines pushed every birthday girl out of her job. Some of the early stewardesses were college graduates and felt abused. And some stewardesses were secretly married. The formally educated ladies, and those married to attorneys, began learning about unions. They openly started to question the airlines’ goals and personnel management. The work of those bold stewardesses initiated critical changes in the industry.

I’d go on, but you get it, and the story is easy to stream on PBS. What makes it more fascinating, is that the Stewardess history parallels more changes, beginning in the sixties, that altered women’s roles. Not enough, however, because America still lacks an Equal Rights Amendment.

Dear Friends: March’s videos will remind us of more history and revive our memories. Diana

Music! Moon!

Monday, February 26, 2023

My friend, Julie, joined me at yesterday’s concert by the High Desert Chamber Orchestra. An excellent event. The Chamber Orchestra is perfectly sized for playing and being heard optimally in Bend High’s large auditorium. The Orchestra’s active community support group provides free tickets to concerts with a first-rate program guide detailing musical choices, composers, and guest performers.

An audience of all ages packed the house; nobody made a peep through the performances. The house exploded, however, at each segment finish, with vigorous applause and appreciative cheering. Well deserved by the ensemble!

Its maestro, an accomplished, animated conductor (on whom Bradley Cooper as Bernstein has nothing), encouraged and supported excellence from musicians and guest artists. All guest performers were young and also very accomplished. The double-bass soloist and the viola soloist adroitly handled complex compositions highlighting their instruments. A ten-year-old piano wunderkind perfectly played Tchaikovsky on a concert grand.

Yes, there was “the dress” that, several weeks ago, its wearer purchased over my counter. Yesterday, she wore it while narrating DeFalla’s “Three-Cornered Hat.” I didn’t know that very familiar music has narration; the words and music worked together well. The very active piece draws the audience’s attention to all onstage sections. Drums work almost constantly, brasses stay busy, and strings, including a harpist and pianist, go nearly non-stop.

Last night, a nightcap, as the completely full Snow Moon visibly rose and moved upward in and out through scattered clouds. My view became today’s header photo. I hoped to explore AI and enhance my capture, but other unrelated “evening needs” sidetracked me.

Dear Friends: I will become a season ticket holder for these fine musicians. Diana

Let’s Tango

Thursday, February 08, 2024

Last evening, a little rain and a little snow, just enough to dim the outdoors and reaffirm winter’s hanging around.

I’m watching again the Netflix series “Last Tango in Halifax.” And my appreciation for this excellent series is even greater. It’s been a couple of years since I saw it, and the writing, acting, and direction are terrific.

The writer, Sally Wainwright, previously created another fine Netflix series, “Happy Valley,” which I found addicting and watched several times. I understand that the many fans of “Happy Valley” are clamoring for Wainwright to bring back the compelling series with an added Season Four.

IMHO, her often lead actor, Sarah Lancashire, is one of the best women actors. Actually, all of Wainwright’s actors are excellent. In “Last Tango,” its male lead, Derek Jacobi (one of England’s most talented actors), has appeared in many streaming series. Years ago, while visiting England, I was in the audience for one of his fine performances onstage.

In the series, Jacobi plays opposite Ann Reid. They’re an elderly couple who knew each other in the past, have remet and are getting married. They’re portraying a couple in their seventies, and actually, Jacobi is 85 and Reid is 88. Seeing the two great actors handling their roles is a treasure.

The entire “Halifax” cast is superb.

If I can find it, I’ll watch “Happy Valley” again and then start looking for Wainwright’s newer series.

Dear Friends: I dumped Netflex but found no better series than some it carried. Diana