It's not nice to fool mother nature...

A few weeks ago we had a single female duck come to the pond for a day.  We've had a pair of mallards here before for a day or two at a time and we named them "Betty and Joe."  But they haven't been here for a while -- either an extended stay in Florida or they got a better offer somewhere else.

Anyway, we thought that the little duck was pretty cool out there, but she flew away when the farmer came by with his combine taking down the corn on the field out back.  In fact, I thought it was so cool that I went out and bought some decoys and put them out there.  They float around down at one end of the pond and it looks pretty natural.  Check this out.  There are four of them in all.

Every once in a while, the winds will blow real strong, like they did the other day, and one of the ducks will go rogue and end up down at some other end of the pond.

 

But generally they are down at the end by the reeds.

 

They must look pretty good because the neighbor boys were running down the road the other day and stopped and pointed to them and were talking to each other.  I just hope that one of the local coyotes  or the red fox that's hanging around the area doesn't mistake them for the real thing.  What a surprise that would be for them.

Wild ducks and tomorrow both come without calling.(Russian proverb)

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Pretty scenic ride in the country...

Part of our Sunday ritual on our way home from church is a trip across the old Eldean wooden bridge in Troy.  Going slowly across the old wooden roadbed, you hear the "clackity clack" of the tires shaking the huge wooden planks.  We do this almost without fail, sunshine, rain or snow.  Not many people have the opportunity to experience this, and we feel it is our duty to take advantage of it for them.  If you want to see the bridge, I posted an article about it in 2010 ("A Norman Rockwell kinda scene" in the "General Musings" section.)

Well, Pam and I were coming home from church last week and saw something we had seen just about as many times as we had crossed that bridge.  And every time we passed this scene, we were either in a hurry to get somewhere, or just didn't take the time to stop and get a picture to share with you. So here it is.

I think this is one of those country scenes that the camera can't capture.  Maybe if I had taken these with the real camera and not my phone camera (which I an still learning how to use) they would have been better. But -- if I had planned out far enough to bring the real camera, I would have taken lots more pictures and might have done justice to these beautiful creatures and this gentleman's outstanding horse farm.

 There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.  (Winston Churchill)

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The last round this year ?????

Just about a week ago, the weather man promised us a good day (at least for this time of the year) with sunshine, no wind and temps in the low 50s.  Absolutely nothing wrong with that in November, so four of us decided to give it one last shot.  Although -- I plan to play at least one or two more times as long as there isn't any snow on the ground.  Kinda makes it hard to find the ball, let alone play well.

So we got the round in, and it was pretty nice.  We started the year in North Carolina in the lower 50s and upper 40s, and ended it in Ohio in the same kind of conditions.

Dave (l) just hit a good drive on this hole which is why he is all puffed out. Chuck (r) is just about to remember why he doesn't bend over that far very often -- he has to straighten back up.

At least the grass was green and the fairways and greens were in good shape.  I don't like playing when I have to bundle up, but I hate even more the thought of having to put the clubs away for the winter.  Not that my game is that good, but I know I will miss walking around the courses and being out in nature. I will miss the banter of my golfing buddies when one of us misses a shot or a putt, the story telling and the get-togethers at the 19th hole.  Most golf courses are really scenic and success or failure of a day is almost always up to the skill (or lack thereof) of my swing and my ability to putt. So I enjoying challenging myself to play well and then, sometimes, doing it.

Got a shot this week to get in maybe one or two more rounds.  These would be bonuses.  No expectations, but it would be fun because when one finally has to give up the sticks for the winter, it's a sad time ... especially as you get older.  When nature goes to drab and gray, when her colors fade, and her cold winds chill your bones, you wonder if there will be another spring ... another round.  A golf season is something special, and the game itself is the measure of your mettle. Things are thrown at you, and sometimes it isn't fair, but it's how you come back, and how often you come back that counts.  And you hate to see the season end because it's like someone took something from you before you were ready to hang it up.

They say golf is like life, but don't believe them.  Golf is more complicated than that.  (Gardner Dickinson)

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Kinda reminds me of my days with our Civil War color guard...

When I joined the Sidney Ohio Post 4239 of the VFW (www.sidneyohiovfw.com,) I wanted to get involved and not just be another old guy who stopped by every once in a while to buy a drink, and listen to war stories.  So I volunteered to be a member of the color guard.  I had heard that most of these units had a lot of older guys in the color guards and that they were losing a lot of them, and not being able to meet the demands of ceremonies, funerals, and such.  So anyway, I joined up.

Since I am one of the newest ones on our team, I carry a flag.  I guess I could brush up on my manual of arms commands and procedures and move up to a rifle, but for now, the flag is pretty good.  The other day during come ceremonies at the Sidney court house for Veteran's Day, I had the flag and there was a pretty good breeze going.  I had always believed it looked pretty good seeing the flags blowing in the breezes, but I later found out that the color guard commander wasn't too thrilled about being hit in the face with my flag. He gave me the rookie comments and a good razzing, but he'll get over it.

Following the ceremonies at the courthouse, we were involved with a ceremony at Wal-Mart.  They were honoring the veterans who work there and had us, the mayor, some other dignitaries and cake! 

Once, when we were doing our Civil War color guard, back in the old 342d days, we flew up to Toronto to participate in a really big event put on by the Canadians.  They had color guards from every part of the British empire and we were special guests.  We marched in the Toronto Blue Jays stadium, and it was a really big deal.  At Wal-Mart, we marched from the overhead TV to the pie display (about 20 feet), but it was still a pretty big deal for the honored employees and a chance for Wal-Mart to show its support for our Veterans.

Anyway, it is a good deal, being part of this color guard.  I got to get out my boots again, use some of my  old army stuff and actually do some soldier stuff again.  But one thing I did learn -- or remembered -- or was reminded of -- I cannot leave my boots out in the bedroom.  Pam says it reminds her of my real army days when I would leave stuff out all the time, when I would come back from somewhere and leave a bag and or boots out for days at a time and then repack to go off again.  Can't say either of us miss those days. But it was a different army back then.

So ...... I put my "stuff" away until the next time, just like all the old guys do.  I have to admit that at stores and when I am out, I still look for old guys wearing their mementos and signs of their service, and I am happy for what they did, happy that they feel good enough about their service to wear their service ball caps, pins, or vests.  The only bad part of all of this is that I'm now getting to be one of those "old guys."  Oh well...

When an American says that he loves his country, he means not only that he loves the New England hills, the prairies glistening in the sun, the wide and rising plains, the great mountains, and the sea.  He means that he loves an inner air, an inner light in which freedom lives and in which a man can draw the breath of self-respect.  (Adlai Stevenson)

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Even late in the fall it's pretty nice...

Pam and I have fallen behind in attending to the items on our "day trip" list this year and we decided that if we didn't get on the stick, the year would be gone before we knew it.  So, after looking at both the list and the weather, we decided to go to the Columbus Zoo.

It has been several years since I have been there, but she has been there with the nieces and nephews this summer.  Now I don't mind being there, but I'm not real keen on wall-to-wall people (big or little), so going this late in the year seemed like a unique  opportunity to address the list and still have a good visit at the zoo.

I must say -- the Zoo has changed since my last visit...or at least I think it has.  It was brisk out, but there were still lots of things to see and, it wasn't crowded at all.  Surprisingly, I could wait for good shots with the camera which is something that is normally hard to come by as there are so many other people wanting that same shot of a particular animal.  Happily, that wasn't the case this time and I think I got some really nice shots (see the slide show at the right, down the column a ways). 

Anyway, here are some I really liked.

But I think the best animal picture I took was this one:

Notice it's stare -- rather intense isn't it.  He was probably wondering what was for dinner.  Well, this animal was in the area just on the other side of the sidewalk.

I noticed that it didn't take its eye off me  the whole time I was taking its picture (of course, maybe it was just keeping an eye out for the big cat).

The Zoo is getting ready for its winter light show.  The staff was really getting the place ready for a festival of lights which, I'm sure will be worth going to see (even if it is a bit more crowded).

 I think the older we get, the more we need what the zoo has to offer and so I think we will have to make sure this "day trip" adventure is on the list again next year.  Yes...we'll have to go back.

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.  (e.e. cummings)


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