USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Ernie S.]

Lately we've had some small birds show up, sparrow size, kind of a dull yellow breast some with black on their back and wings. Haven't been able to figure out what the are yet.

I had those too. The bird with the yellow breast was probably an oriol.

We do have some streak back orioles but they are orange, not yellow though the first year males are more yellow than gold.

But we had bunches of grosbeak's on the mountain. Check the bill on those birds and if they are thick that's what they probably are though the gold on the grosbeak is usually pretty impressive gold..
View attachment 145120

The female grosbeak is not so impressive

We also see various kinds of flycatchers

And various kinds of warblers that could be described as a dull yellow.

The Alabama State Bird is the Yellowhammer, Known outside of Alabama as the Northern Flicker. Alabama is the only state to have a woodpecker as its State Bird.

 

[Ernie S.]

I took Mom downtown to the print shop so we could all watch the eclipse as a family. My brother had bought us all glasses through which we could clearly see the crescent sun. My sister-in-law came over too and there on the sidewalk in front of the shop we watched the event.

Of course it was amazing to see the sun reduced to the sliver like the night after a new moon. We did not experience totality at our latitude.

But we also were amazed at how bright it remained even as the sun was covered by moon shadow. And we were amazed at the number of people driving by without so much as a glance at the phenomenon. It seemed a normal day in East Liverpool.

I can't believe that there were actually people worried about birds and their pets being blinded by the sun if they looked at the eclipse. SMH...

 

[Ernie S.]

We have the yellow Orioles here.
We also had swallows, but they haven't showed up in about 3 years now.
Maybe they went back to California.

We also have Sandhill Cranes who come in and eat off the wild bird seed blocks.
I love watching them in my backyard.

The Sandhill Cranes are denizens of our wildlife preserves too, especially Bosque del Apache just south of Albuquerque. Awhile back the preservationists tried an experiment to have the sandhills hatch whooping crane eggs and raise the young. So we had some whooping cranes too, but I don't think any have been seen in awhile though presumably there are still three who visit now and then.

In early November there is a Crane Festival in a 21-acre Open Space Visitor Center here in Albuquerque where the cranes stop on their way from up north to the Bosque del Apache. It is mostly a craft show kind of event though. The Bosque del Apache Festival of the Cranes is usually in mid November at the wildlife preserve and that is a biggie with thousands and thousands of all kinds of birds in full display.

A friend of mine lives west of West Palm Beach, just north of Lake Okeechobee. He has feeders out by a small pond for herons. He also gets 6 or 8 whooping cranes visit and if he lets the feeders get empty, they will actually come up to his lawn chair and peck at his shoulder.

 

[Foxfyre]

We have the yellow Orioles here.
We also had swallows, but they haven't showed up in about 3 years now.
Maybe they went back to California.

We also have Sandhill Cranes who come in and eat off the wild bird seed blocks.
I love watching them in my backyard.

The Sandhill Cranes are denizens of our wildlife preserves too, especially Bosque del Apache just south of Albuquerque. Awhile back the preservationists tried an experiment to have the sandhills hatch whooping crane eggs and raise the young. So we had some whooping cranes too, but I don't think any have been seen in awhile though presumably there are still three who visit now and then.

In early November there is a Crane Festival in a 21-acre Open Space Visitor Center here in Albuquerque where the cranes stop on their way from up north to the Bosque del Apache. It is mostly a craft show kind of event though. The Bosque del Apache Festival of the Cranes is usually in mid November at the wildlife preserve and that is a biggie with thousands and thousands of all kinds of birds in full display.

A friend of mine lives west of West Palm Beach, just north of Lake Okeechobee. He has feeders out by a small pond for herons. He also gets 6 or 8 whooping cranes visit and if he lets the feeders get empty, they will actually come up to his lawn chair and peck at his shoulder.

Awhile back Ringel was describing the pigeons pecking on his back door if they forgot to throw out the left over popcorn.

You can tell me these critters are not sentient beings.

 

[Foxfyre]

Lately we've had some small birds show up, sparrow size, kind of a dull yellow breast some with black on their back and wings. Haven't been able to figure out what the are yet.

I had those too. The bird with the yellow breast was probably an oriol.

We do have some streak back orioles but they are orange, not yellow though the first year males are more yellow than gold.

But we had bunches of grosbeak's on the mountain. Check the bill on those birds and if they are thick that's what they probably are though the gold on the grosbeak is usually pretty impressive gold..
View attachment 145120

The female grosbeak is not so impressive

We also see various kinds of flycatchers

And various kinds of warblers that could be described as a dull yellow.

The Alabama State Bird is the Yellowhammer, Known outside of Alabama as the Northern Flicker. Alabama is the only state to have a woodpecker as its State Bird.

Beautiful bird.

Back when we lived in Kansas, one of the favorite half true yarns going around was that the Kansas legislature got wind that nearby Iowa had declared the Kansas sunflower (state flower) to be a noxious weed. The Kansas legislature retaliated by declaring the Iowa goldfinch (state bird) to be a pernicious pest. They suggested they all meet maybe in Hawaii and work out a compromise.

 

[Foxfyre]

Our state bird is the roadrunner and you see them in the darndest places and they are sometimes fearless. Deadly to small rodents, reptiles, snakes. . .

 

[Montrovant]

I don't know why states designate state birds, or flowers, or any of that type of thing.

Ours is the Brown Thrasher.

 

[saveliberty]

View attachment 145410

Keep your friends close and your lunch closer...

 

[saveliberty]

Our state bird is the roadrunner and you see them in the darndest places and they are sometimes fearless. Deadly to small rodents, reptiles, snakes. . .

Me-beep!

 

[saveliberty]

I took Mom downtown to the print shop so we could all watch the eclipse as a family. My brother had bought us all glasses through which we could clearly see the crescent sun. My sister-in-law came over too and there on the sidewalk in front of the shop we watched the event.

Of course it was amazing to see the sun reduced to the sliver like the night after a new moon. We did not experience totality at our latitude.

But we also were amazed at how bright it remained even as the sun was covered by moon shadow. And we were amazed at the number of people driving by without so much as a glance at the phenomenon. It seemed a normal day in East Liverpool.

I can't believe that there were actually people worried about birds and their pets being blinded by the sun if they looked at the eclipse. SMH...

Domestic turkeys and people are the only ones to really be worried about....

 

[Foxfyre]

I don't know why states designate state birds, or flowers, or any of that type of thing.

Ours is the Brown Thrasher.

We have a state flower - Yucca
We have a state bird - Roadrunner
We have a state aircraft - Hot Air balloon
We have a state amphibian - Spadefoot Toad
We have a state animal - Black Bear
We have a state butterfly - Sandia Hairstreak
We have a state cookie - bischochito
We have a state fish - Cuthroat Trout
We have a state fossil - Coelophysis
We have a state gem - Turquoise
We have two state vegetables - Frijoles (pinto bean) and Chile Pepper.
And a lot of others.

When Gary Johnson was governor he tried to get the legislature to spend more time on important things than nonsense. But after vetoing an official state question twice, he finally game in and signed it so they would quit spending time on it.
Our official state question - Red or Green?

 

[peach174]

Arizona's State bird is the cactus wren.

 

[Nosmo King]

I took Mom downtown to the print shop so we could all watch the eclipse as a family. My brother had bought us all glasses through which we could clearly see the crescent sun. My sister-in-law came over too and there on the sidewalk in front of the shop we watched the event.

Of course it was amazing to see the sun reduced to the sliver like the night after a new moon. We did not experience totality at our latitude.

But we also were amazed at how bright it remained even as the sun was covered by moon shadow. And we were amazed at the number of people driving by without so much as a glance at the phenomenon. It seemed a normal day in East Liverpool.

I can't believe that there were actually people worried about birds and their pets being blinded by the sun if they looked at the eclipse. SMH...

I heard one report about eclipses happening over the open ocean. It is said that whales will surface, stare at the sky and sing.

 

[Gracie]

California Symbols

• Animal: Grizzly Bear
• Bird: Valley Quail
• Flag of California
• Flower: Golden Poppy
• Insect: Dogface Butterfly
• Motto: "Eureka" (I have found it) "
• Nicknames: (most used) Golden State
• Song: "I Love You, California"
• State Seal
• Tree: Redwood

 

[007]

I will try to take a pic of her tomorrow..but...my new visitor that comes every now and then might be coming more often. Starving animals..not on my watch. The kitty next door is so damn skinny. Too skinny. For a week now, she has come to rub against me and meow and purr and a good jaw scratch. Unfortunately, she has not learned manners..nor been fed properly. She gets so excited to be petted, she uses her claws to grab my hand and her teeth if I stop. So, when she does that, I gently push her away and say NO TEEFERS. NO CLAWS. But I have refrained from feeding her cuz...well..once you feed a cat, it winds up yours. And I don't want any more pets. But, I will not allow an animal to be hungry. So..I gave her a can of tuna. She belongs to the meth head neighbors who seem to not care she is so skinny and so desperate for attention. Well, she has a full belly today. She never comes at night, but I will see her again tomorrow. Which means..I have to go to the store and get some cat food since I have no more tuna.

And no..I am not adopting her. She is not mine. I'll just feed her.

Yeah, I did that once. Only, I had to take the cat in and give him a flea bath because no one else would adopt him like he was. I wasn't keeping him, just taking care of him until I could find him a good home.

I had him for 10 years.

Yeah we saw our Coffee Shopper 007 through the loss of his 20-year buddy. Seems like most of us have had to say goodbye or help a beloved fur friend over the rainbow bridge and most are determined not to replace that friend.

But with 007 he described a scraggly little thing crawling out of the weeds, half starved and desperate for somebody. So Bootsie has now been a permanent part of his household for a couple of years or so now.

And the Ringels didn't want Gizmo either but didn't turn him away when he showed up at their place.

Sometimes the best fur friends are those that choose us.

Yup, I had sworn to never have another cat after my 20 year old buddy, Buttons, had to be put to sleep. I washed crushed. I still can't look at the pictures of him I took right before the vet showed up, the lump in the throat comes on quick. But when that tiny little black and white fur ball overcame her fear because she was so hungry, that cute little thing standing over on a little RR tie wall in the weeds peaking out, meowing up a storm... "I'M HUNGRY and I smell FOOD," I just couldn't resist. She looked just like the cat I had to give up when I joined the AF, which also broke my heart, so six years on now Bootsie is a big fluffy happy campfire cat with a good home and someone to love her, and she'll never be hungry again.

 

[Gracie]

I have not seen Kitty yet today. She will be along when she gets hungry, I suspect. And I have cat food now, lol. Went to the market and bought some.

I never go looking for cats. Never have, never will. I had Ben when I was just a small kid...about 5 years old. I barely remember him. Then I had FatCat...who was 8 years old when he found me. Wild. He lived to 23 before the cancer got him. He is the ONLY cat that always sheathed his mighty daggers with me. None ever took his place. Then Pretties arrived on the scene many years later. She lived to 8 years. So in my lifetime, I have had 3 cats over 60 years. This new one, I call Kitty, is just a visitor. That will NOT go hungry.

I am a dog person. And my last one was..well..my last one. She was my remaining fur child and when I had to send her off..I sent my heart with her. Now I wait until I can see her again. Can't come too soon for me. And no, I will not invite myself. But I can't wait for the call, to be honest.

 

[007]

I have not seen Kitty yet today. She will be along when she gets hungry, I suspect. And I have cat food now, lol. Went to the market and bought some.

I never go looking for cats. Never have, never will. I had Ben when I was just a small kid...about 5 years old. I barely remember him. Then I had FatCat...who was 8 years old when he found me. Wild. He lived to 23 before the cancer got him. He is the ONLY cat that always sheathed his mighty daggers with me. None ever took his place. Then Pretties arrived on the scene many years later. She lived to 8 years. So in my lifetime, I have had 3 cats over 60 years. This new one, I call Kitty, is just a visitor. That will NOT go hungry.

I am a dog person. And my last one was..well..my last one. She was my remaining fur child and when I had to send her off..I sent my heart with her. Now I wait until I can see her again. Can't come too soon for me. And no, I will not invite myself. But I can't wait for the call, to be honest.

My big orange cat, Buttons, was a huge old rough and tumble Tom Cat. I'd open the end of a case carton for pop and he'd crawl in it, half hanging out because he was so huge, but then he'd wait for you to scratch on the side of it near the handle hole, and you better be quick to get your fingers gone because he was lightening fast. He'd shoot a paw out that hole and he ALWAYS used his claws. It was just the way he was, he didn't know any better, he was still just playing, but he drew blood on me more times than I can count. The new little cat has never scratched me. She also keeps the claws sheathed. She's play swatted me I don't know how many times already, never a claw. Good little girl.

 

[Gracie]

FatCat loved his claws. They were razor sharp and he kept them that way. But he never once ever clawed me. He had one eye, no teeth and LOTS of sharp claws. At night, he would pat my face with that big paw of his and we would cuddle. It killed me to have to put him down but he let me know he was ready to go..so I sent him.
Pretties was a bitch. Hissed, clawed, and thought she was queen of the hill. She also thought she was a dog. She was not mine anyway. She belonged to Gracie from day one. Then..Gracie passed from a brain tumor. Pretties followed along shortly after from grief.

This new Kitty...she has no manners either. Claws at me for attention, bites if I stop petting her. I don't trust her at all so I keep my face away from her although yesterday she got up on my chest lickety split and I stayed calm but was freaked out. She didn't bite me or claw me. Just wanted to bump heads. So..I let her, then set her back down on the ground. She has to earn my trust and when she sheaths those claws, I will. Too old now for scratches...my skin is not as tough as it used to be. Age tends to do that.

 

[Montrovant]

I don't know why states designate state birds, or flowers, or any of that type of thing.

Ours is the Brown Thrasher.

We have a state flower - Yucca
We have a state bird - Roadrunner
We have a state aircraft - Hot Air balloon
We have a state amphibian - Spadefoot Toad
We have a state animal - Black Bear
We have a state butterfly - Sandia Hairstreak
We have a state cookie - bischochito
We have a state fish - Cuthroat Trout
We have a state fossil - Coelophysis
We have a state gem - Turquoise
We have two state vegetables - Frijoles (pinto bean) and Chile Pepper.
And a lot of others.

When Gary Johnson was governor he tried to get the legislature to spend more time on important things than nonsense. But after vetoing an official state question twice, he finally game in and signed it so they would quit spending time on it.
Our official state question - Red or Green?

State cookie? And WTF is a bischochito?

 

[Montrovant]

I will try to take a pic of her tomorrow..but...my new visitor that comes every now and then might be coming more often. Starving animals..not on my watch. The kitty next door is so damn skinny. Too skinny. For a week now, she has come to rub against me and meow and purr and a good jaw scratch. Unfortunately, she has not learned manners..nor been fed properly. She gets so excited to be petted, she uses her claws to grab my hand and her teeth if I stop. So, when she does that, I gently push her away and say NO TEEFERS. NO CLAWS. But I have refrained from feeding her cuz...well..once you feed a cat, it winds up yours. And I don't want any more pets. But, I will not allow an animal to be hungry. So..I gave her a can of tuna. She belongs to the meth head neighbors who seem to not care she is so skinny and so desperate for attention. Well, she has a full belly today. She never comes at night, but I will see her again tomorrow. Which means..I have to go to the store and get some cat food since I have no more tuna.

And no..I am not adopting her. She is not mine. I'll just feed her.

Yeah, I did that once. Only, I had to take the cat in and give him a flea bath because no one else would adopt him like he was. I wasn't keeping him, just taking care of him until I could find him a good home.

I had him for 10 years.

Yeah we saw our Coffee Shopper 007 through the loss of his 20-year buddy. Seems like most of us have had to say goodbye or help a beloved fur friend over the rainbow bridge and most are determined not to replace that friend.

But with 007 he described a scraggly little thing crawling out of the weeds, half starved and desperate for somebody. So Bootsie has now been a permanent part of his household for a couple of years or so now.

And the Ringels didn't want Gizmo either but didn't turn him away when he showed up at their place.

Sometimes the best fur friends are those that choose us.

Yup, I had sworn to never have another cat after my 20 year old buddy, Buttons, had to be put to sleep. I washed crushed. I still can't look at the pictures of him I took right before the vet showed up, the lump in the throat comes on quick. But when that tiny little black and white fur ball overcame her fear because she was so hungry, that cute little thing standing over on a little RR tie wall in the weeds peaking out, meowing up a storm... "I'M HUNGRY and I smell FOOD," I just couldn't resist. She looked just like the cat I had to give up when I joined the AF, which also broke my heart, so six years on now Bootsie is a big fluffy happy campfire cat with a good home and someone to love her, and she'll never be hungry again.

I recently got done reading an anthology of Stephen King short stories called Everything's Eventual. This reminded me of a bit from one particular story, L.T.'s Theory of Pets. "Say, darling, I'm giving you this wonderful present, it's a machine that eats at one end and shits out the other, it's going to run for 15 years, give or take, Merry fucking Christmas." It's talking about why giving someone a pet is the worst present.

Pets can be wonderful, but most of them do come with a lifespan far shorter than our own.