Adventures with Dr. Lady Cutie Troublemaker

Just downloaded Safari for Windows. Gotta say, it’s pretty damn fast. Will this end my love affair with Firefox? I can’t imagine such a thing, but I can’t lie about loving the speed.

I heard a phrase this morning and it definitely felt significant. I’d say it’s my greatest fear in any kind of relationship, just because of my personality:

You carry out your own agenda quietly because to challenge her would be too much.

I don’t want to be that woman. I TRY not to be, but I’m not really sure I succeed. I should add this to my quotes page lest I forget about the dangers inherent in being both (1) a demander of truth and (2) unwilling to sit quietly when I don’t like the truth I hear. Instead, I demand truth AND I demand the right to speak my mind about that truth, no matter if my response is positive or negative. I feel like that should be OK, but I’d say that in reality, it has often caused problems. Perhaps I’m not convinced that willingness to bend on these points is something I should do.

All I know is that lies are not OK with me. I always want the news (especially the bad news) sooner rather than later, so I can respond in the way I want. Protecting me from the truth never goes over well.

This morning, I heard momma bird tweeting on the porch, so I peeked out and watched and saw her fly up to the light fixture in the ceiling, then disappear! I couldn’t figure out where she’d gone. Later, when I came back home from the gym, I inspected further and made a discovery:

There is little space above the light with a nest! If I’d known where to put them on Saturday, maybe they would have made it (or maybe not). I just had no idea that space was even there. I climbed up on the side of this piece of furniture I have out there and took a few fast pictures, one with a flash for detail. If you look closely, I think that it’s clear that there are two more baby birds. Maybe I should make some more spaghetti to ensure their healthy growth!

Closer view:

I first looked for the nest. I couldn’t see one anywhere.

I fiinally took a good look. Yes, they are dead. Limp, shriveled, greyish. The paper towels were soaked with waste. The smell of death was there but not overwhelming. I went outside with the hat/nest to dig a hole, but the ground was so dry. With all the dogwalkers, I figured they would be dug up quickly. I went up to the ivy patch and put them there. They were so light. You would have to measure them in grams, not ounces. Poor little guys.

Now I’m inside, and momma bird is on the porch. I see her. She is flying around and calling over and over. I don’t that bird’s brains are small, but I know that she misses them and wonders where they are. This is sad. Nature makes me sad sometimes. Go down a few posts and listen to that Dolly Parton song for me. It’s a fitting dirge for the little guys.

I want to see this soon somewhere:

And I may need to buy a birdfeeder today for the poor momma who is still out there calling.

Life went on during all of the birdy drama. On Saturday night, after the final home bout of the Carolina Rollergirls (go Tai Chi-tahs!), I went out on a night shoot with the Raleigh Flickr Group organized by Daniel. Despite a downpour in the middle of it, some great shots were taken by all. I will share a particularly great one of yours truly taken by Engelfish, who I repeatedly say is that only person who gets to take my picture. I’m, of course, kidding. I have a number of friends who have taken WONDERFUL pictures of me, despite my camera anxiety and tendency to mug anxiety whenever a camera is aimed my way. I’ve learned that I’m best off while on these shoots just trying to relax and continue what I’m doing when I detect a camera trained on me. Chris’s directive style actually gives me something to focus on instead of my anxiety. You’d think this would have gone away after all the time I spend with these people… but I digress.

View all the pictures that have been uploaded so far from the shoot. Over time, the total number of images will grow as more people get around to uploading and tagging. This was created using a neat little site I’ve just found (thanks, Sooz) called Splashr. I recommend it highly!