Long Goodbyes

Standing in the airport this morning at 4:45am, I lingered with my daughter Amy and her family as they prepared to board. They had visited with us for a few days and I did not want them to part. As I was hugging and talking with Alex and "G" about the fun they had in the snow, she leaned over to Garrett and softly said , "Daddy believes in long goodbyes".

I think she's right.

This is dedicated to all those I love and whom I try to hang onto for as long as I can.



Through the glass after passing through check point

Long Goodbyes

I believe in long goodbyes

Of that there is no doubt,

No speedy hugs or kisses here

Just grips and clutches stout.

When loved ones have to leave at last

It's good to let them know,

That warmest thoughts and silent prayers

Attend where 'ere they go.

So love me if you wish, or not

But understand this well,

The tears that well within my eyes

Did once my heart indwell. 

Filled with joy and sadness too,

While thoughts of both are shared,

Fond memories rise of good sweet times

And moments that are cared.

I linger long and grasp each thought

I try to stay devout,

For I believe in long goodbyes

Of that there is no doubt.

Written by David Warbritton for the Warbritton family and friends, no reprints without permission

The only thing that keeps me from following

A tale of two tails

   The drama played out for over a half hour. The crows brought our attention to the saga as it was just beginning to develop. Their incessant cawing and boisterous flapping about drew our focus to the back yard. We are accustomed to going out on the deck and making noise to shoo off the pesky black birds, a few loud claps or banging something on the deck rail usually works. I was upstairs on this warm December afternoon and Cheryl was in the den just off the deck. I heard Cheryl talking loudly and I thought at first that she was calling me. Then I realized that she was on the deck outside my window and she was trying to run off the crows. I walked over and looked down on the deck from my upstairs window and I saw that she had her phone camera in hand as she walked toward the deck railing. In the back corner of the yard was a large raptor sitting quietly on one of the now leafless branches of our red maple tree.
   Unperturbed by the crows, he perched magnificently on a limb about thirty feet in the air and calmly surveyed the scene. I raised the upstairs window to get a clearer view and then grabbed my phone camera so that I could take some pics also. For ten minutes I took a series of videos that were mostly of the predator keeping things under observation. He made occasional slight movements of the head and eventually a slight scooting down the limb in one inch increments. We both took a bunch of photos anticipating the moment when he would fly away.
   Instead of flying away, he inched down the limb to a spot where he could launch himself straight toward me. His wing span must have been five or six feet as he glided toward me. I then realized that he was stalking a squirrel in the birch tree next to the deck. He landed with ease on the back side of the trunk  and then attached himself to a limb not more than fifteen feet from me. The squirrel was completely quiet and hidden from his eyesight. I could then identify him as a red tailed hawk of considerable size. His hooked beak appeared a bluish color and there was a small patch of yellow just above his beak. His speckled breast and red tail feathers were easily visible as he set in the tree. He was turned sideways with his head partially blocked by the tree trunk. I ran downstairs and grabbed my Nikon to get some quality shots before he flew away. When I returned he was still there and he occasionally turned his head back to check me out.
   There was a soft scurrying  noise and he jerked his body to check it out. The rustling stopped and he continued his perch on the birch. Then suddenly he leaped to the front side of the trunk and dropped straight down to the ground next to the tree trunk, like a fireman sliding down a fire pole. After a couple of minutes he flew back to the top rail of the deck and perched by the birdbath that we keep full for our songbirds. Again he was about twenty feet from me and he looked up to check me out. His talons are massive and look capable of inflicting major damage to his prey. He set patiently for another five minutes and then leaped back onto the same limb on the birch tree. After another five minutes he repeated the fireman trick as he slid to the ground next to the tree. Again after a couple of minutes he returned to the limb on the birch.
   Cheryl came back onto the deck and tried to shoo him away to protect the squirrel. I was silently rooting for the hawk but joined in the attempt to scare him away. He was stoically intrepid and undisturbed by our efforts. I called down to Cheryl and told her to spray him with the water hose we keep on the deck. She dialed in the jet stream setting and began to hose him down. He turned his head but allowed her to thoroughly soak him for a couple of minutes. Finally he flew back to the top rail of the chain link fence by our neighbor's driveway. I took the opportunity to run downstairs to see if I could assist Cheryl in running him away.
   By the time I got to the den door, she was coming in and said, "He got him, the squirrel came off the tree and tried to escape through the flower garden behind the garage". His patience and persistence had paid off. I truly was sad for the young squirrel, but then I thought, 'the hawks have to eat too'. An hour later there were two young squirrels playing under the bird feeders with no fear and no knowledge of the drama that had just played out. Perhaps another day they will have their own dance with the devil for there lives.  It occurs to me, we should be thankful that there are not any predators lurking in the trees waiting for an opportunity to devour us. There's always something to be grateful for.

First sighting



Watching for movement of his prey.
 

Changing trees



Very large wingspan



He knows the squirrel is near, and he sees me (Pardon the pun but he is "unruffled")

Heard a noise and moved to another branch

Moving to the deck rail to get a better view

Spots me again and puts the "stink eye" on me

Leaping back onto the birch tree

The unfortunate victim should have stayed in the shade

But he thought he could get away

The hawk was patiently waiting back in the maple tree and silently swooped down to snatch his victim



Those talons are fierce looking

The intrepid red tailed hawk.
 

The Last to Turn

 

The Last to Turn

 

 

The golden maple is last to turn

As oft I've seen it happen,

'Tis a marv'lous treasure for all to view,

When roused from it's autumn nappin'

The tall red maple turns first of all

And the hick'ry not far behind,

Then the glorious maple in the midst of the yard

Awakens as no other kind
 

For the scene is turned to a gilded blaze

With quivering leaves in the breeze,

Like twinkling stars or Christmas lights

Shaking and fluttering with ease

 

Tis' the end of the show it signals all,

The performance has come to an end,

But it lights up your heart with it's radiant glow

And warms you like an old friend.

 

Written by David L Warbritton for friends and family. No reprints without permission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

   



 

 

 

 

 

 

More Fall Color

   Just when you think that nothing is going to change, everything starts to change. The weather started it all and that may be what the trees were waiting on. Temperatures will be in the low fifties today and we have had misty, spritzy rain since early morning. I think the trees have awakened and decided that it really is fall and it's time to show some color.
   Yesterday I took my big camera on my daily walk and discovered that there is color right here in river city. Parks and trails are great but sometimes there are little jewels awaiting on the next block. Greensboro is a beautiful city and trees have always been given priority in city planning. Many neighborhoods have preserved the old, mature trees to enhance the value of their properties. My neighborhood was developed in the mid-eighties and every home has tall, mature hardwoods in their yards.
   I hope you enjoy the shots I took on a mile and a half trek through my neighborhood. And also a quick trip to the blog garden with a couple of window shots from the car. Fall is my favorite time of year and Greensboro is my favorite city in the Fall.

From my front yard

 

My red maple

From my deck

 

My neighborhood

Window shot in a nearby neighborh

Window shot

Late evening with full moon rising

View from my deck



Window shot

My neighborhood

 



My neighborhood

My Neighborhood



One street over

Trees behind my house

My neighborhood

My neighborhood

 



My neighborhood

Mt Yalta, a small street with a high grade in my neighborhood



My neighborhood

My neighborhood

My neighborhood



One street over



Love this pic - in my neighborhood

In my neighborhood



Back of my house

My neighborhood

Maple leaves in my yard

At the bog garden

Bog garden

Bog garden

Bog garden

Bog garden

Bench in the bog garden

In the bog garden