They're back!

Our little hummingbird friends start departing for parts unknown about the first of November. The first few years we didn't have any hummingbirds around here until February the next year. The last couple of years, a few of the smaller hummers, the Fork-Tailed Emerald, stuck around during the winter months; one year two birds, last year about 6.  

Well, this year they started leaving in November and by the end of November we had maybe a dozen birds.  We cut our feeders down from 5 to 2.  Just this week, however, a whole band of them showed up one rainy afternoon towards dusk and we had to put out another feeder. Most of our feeders have 4 holes but we have two that are 8-hole feeders.  

It use to be rare when you would see 4 birds actually sitting on the 4-hole feeder and never more than 4-5 on the 8-hole feeder.  Well, I looked out the other evening and there, on the 8-hole feeder were 7 birds SITTING and many more hovering around.

This photo I like as it looks like one little bird on the left is looking up at the other one say "Is it my turn yet?"  

The other photo shows them all patiently hovering and waiting their turn while at least 7 are sitting.  

The larger hummers, the Green-Breasted Mangos, are more territorial and aggressive.  They spend more time fighting with one another than feeding while the smaller ones are more inquisitive and friendly, flocking around you when you walk out the door and checking you out. The other day my husband went out with a feeder in hand and actually had a hummer fly up and check out his ear to the point of putting its little beak inside!  It then flew to the other ear and did the same thing!

So, even though we live in a rather remote area of the island with virtually no neighbors, we have these lovely little friends to entertain us.

Tis the Season!

It is that time of year when mankind looks inward to examine his/her life, ponder the mysteries of our very being and reflect on their past.  I am not exempt from this reflection and welcome this time of year as one that brings great happiness in the form of memories  and thankfulness for my life and where I am heading. 

I was raised as a Lutheran and even though my parents did not attend church regularly or display any form of religious ritual in my life other than the celebrations at Easter and Christmas, I was pointed in the direction of learning about my God, my values and the teachings of the Church.  I was baptized, confirmed and married within the structure of my Lutheran teachings and, even though now in my adult life when I question some of the teachings and have doubts about them (I may be considered an agnostic now), I still do not deny the presence of a Supreme Being, even though that presence is only strengthened by faith and difficult to substantiate with facts. 

Be that as it may, I love the celebration of Christmas.  The mere fact that it is a time when families traditionally come together or, if that is not possible, communication with friends and loved ones is made and wishes for good health, goodness, love and happiness brings a sense of “oneness” with those we love. 

I decorate our home with items that I have had with me for years, each one reminding me of the individual that gave it to me or made it in love for me.  Things I have purchased over the years remind me of special times in my life and those I was spending my time with.  I have gifts from my children, sister-in-law, friends and, even business acquaintances, all of which, when I see them, remind me that at that moment in time I was being thought of and remembered.  

I have an ornament, a wooden soldier, painted by my son when he was a young boy which for anyone else would not be special but to me I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I have a crocheted Angel made for me by a wonderful friend I met on the island.  There is a stained-glass hibiscus set on a mahony stand whose purpose is to accept a lit candel behind it to make it glow from another dear friend of mine.  My sister-in-law crocheted me an afghan, made me an angel out of clothesline and sewed/quilted a Christmas tree skirt, all of which is a constant reminder of the hours she spent toiling over these items just to make my Christmas a little brighter.  I have a music box and a Christmas blanket which was given to me by a friend and fellow employee with whom I worked for many years which, when I look at them I am reminded of the deep friendship we have.  My oldest friend sent me an Angel which she purchased out of love to celebrate our 47+ years of friendship.  I had an USF ornament given to me by my daughter when she attended the University and can recall it every year in my mind as, unfortunately, it broke a few years ago.  Another good friend painted me a ribbon with cherubs on it which when I unwrap it every year, I remember her artistic talents and unfailing friendship.  No, I don't need "gifts" to remind me of my friends and family but they do serve to stir fond memories. 

I have a collection of dated tree ornaments which, when I take them out of their wrapping to decorate our tree, I am reminded of specific times in my life and what was occurring when I bought them.  I crocheted snowflakes one year for our tree and the tree is not complete without them.  I have a Nativity Scene by Precious Moments which took me several years to obtain and always has a special place in my home during Christmas. 

Yes, these are all “things”, but they bring a peace to me by reminding me of good times in the past and of the love of friends and family and they are also a reflection of my past.  They tie me to my family and friends even more so during this time of year when good will towards men is on the mind.  Could I celebrate Christmas without these items?  To be honest, no, I could not.  For they unlock memories which are in the back of my mind all year and only come forth when I bring them out and then they bring a smile to my face and flood my being with the feeling of happiness and goodness. 

So, while Christmas is the celebration of a Savior born, to me it is a special time to reflect on my life, my family and friends and extend to them my love and wishes for all that is good in life.  A time to hope for good will among men, peace for all and a hope that we can all respect each others beliefs, strengths and weaknesses. 

To my friends and family I say “Thank You” for the part you have played in my life, for the love you have shared with me and for the continuing support you continue to give me.  So, with humbleness and gratitude, I send wishes for a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful, Happy New Year.  May you be blessed with good health, the love of friends and family and a deep appreciation for what you have in your life.  There is nothing original in these thoughts, but they come from my heart and are the best way of letting you know that I love you all.

The Quiet is Broken

Last Saturday on the island was a beautiful day.  We have had considerable rain in October and November along with what we refer to as “Northers” - storms which come down from Canada and the U.S. and dump a lot of rain on the island along with making sea conditions on the North and West side very dangerous.  Finally, in December, the sun started poking its head out again and the seas calmed down.  So it was with smiles that we met a beautiful day on Saturday.

However, just because you have good weather does not mean that things can’t go wrong.

Around 6:00 p.m., my friend and her husband were in their  house getting ready for supper when they suddenly heard what sounded like a bomb going off at the back of their house!  

Panic ensued and my girlfriend’s husband ran outside to see what was going on.  It was dark and difficult to get a  bead on the mystery of the noise but he finally discovered that a huge boulder had come tumbling down the mountain in back of their house and blasted a hole in their bathroom wall.

They have a wooden home built on a cliff overlooking the ocean and, for the most part, their property is made up of rocks and clay soil.  My friend has done a beautiful job landscaping around their home and I’ve always admired her for her hard work as everywhere you dig you are digging in a rock foundation.  Anyway, with all the rain we have had in the past two months, the ground further up the mountain must have given way and sent the boulder crashing down.  I checked the Earthquake Center to see if we happened to have had tremors that day but there were none reported. 

The rock took out a huge hole in the back wall of the bathroom rendering her drawers in the cabinet unusable.  It knocked the formica off the wall behind the sink and the molding at the base of the cabinet.  In its “rock and roll” adventure, it managed to smash and destroy her beautiful bougainvillea plant.

According to my friend, the next day their workers checked the site above and behind the house to find there are more boulders up there with the potential to come crashing down.  Plans are in the making to build  a type of retaining wall further up the mountain to, hopefully, halt the flow of any further stray rocks/boulders.  Whether this will work remains to be seen, but it is better to take some measures than none at all.

Meanwhile, after they had calmed down and got their heart rate and breathing back to normal, they were  just happy that the rock had not come crashing into their bedroom wall while they slept in their bed as the head of the bed is against the back wall.

Hopefully they can now go back to the tranquil quiet of the island!  I'm just happy that the worse I have to worry about at my house is water and soil washing down the hill when we get the torrential rains and my walk ways turn into raging streams of water flowing downhill to the sea.