Pat Bean's blog

“Save a boyfriend for a rainy day – and another in case it doesn’t rain.” – Mae West Today’s quote has nothing to do with my blog, but it made me laugh, and I love laughter.

Willetts were one of the more plentiful birds we saw on our bird-watching rainy day adventure. — Photo by Pat Bean

How About Lunch instead?

On my recent road trip, I got to spend a couple of days with three children and their families. One of them was my middle son, Lewis, who loves bird watching as much as I do. Some years back, since he lives on the Texas Gulf Coast where one can easily find an abundance of bird species, he and I saw 100 species in a dawn-to-dusk adventure. I was hoping to repeat the record.

I snapped this photo of Bubba Gump;s on Galveston’s Pleasure Pier on our way back along the Sea Wall after lunch. As you can see, it was still raining. — Photo by Pat Bean

We started our morning of bird watching at the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, not far from Lewis’ home, then we took the Bluewater Highway that runs along the Gulf of Mexico from Sufside to Galveston. Our destination was Lafitte Cove, a small nature sanctuary in a residential area on the outskirts of the island city, where we were hoping to see some warblers.

By the time we reached the San Luis Pass Causeway, we had identified about 50 birds, mostly shorebird species like willets, sanderlings, gulls, egrets, terns, dowitchers, pelicans, stilts and ibises. By the time we crossed the causeway and were heading into Galveston, the dark storm clouds that we had been keeping an eye on began generously dumping their watering cans on us, with no end in sight.

A double-crested cormorant that we saw along the Bluewwater Highway. — Photo by Pat Bean

So we drove along the city’s sea wall to the far side and had a nice leisurely lunch at Mario’s. On the way home we picked up about 10 more bird species that were also braving the storm. It brought our total for the day to 60. Not bad for a rainy day.

Bean Pat: A Floating Speck http://tinyurl.com/jhtw2yp Don’t go gently. Awesome photograph, a favorite poem, and inspiring words, especially if you link to the post that inspired this blogger.

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            “Things never go the way you expect them to. That’s both the joy and frustration in life. I’m finding as I get older that I don’t mind, though. It’s the surprises that tickle me the most, the things you don’t see coming.” – Michael Stuhlbarg

While I didn’t get a photograph of the two javelina visitors this morning. I did get photos of some when I visited Bentsen State Park in Texas a few years ago. — Photo by Pat Bean

I Love Surprises

This morning, shortly before 6 a.m., as Pepper and I were taking a turn around our fenced apartment’s courtyard with its gurgling, three tiered fountain, we came upon a surprising sight. Casually grazing on the manicured lawn were two javelinas. Pepper gave a low growl, and I quickly switched direction.

While I wasn’t really surprised to see the javelinas, coming around the corner and seeing this cormorant and its reflection in a pond was a bit surprising. — Photo by Pat Bean

The javelinas were still calmly grazing when Pepper’s business was finished, and I returned her to our third-floor apartment, where I grabbed my camera and rushed back down the stairs to take a photo of the wild pair. The javelinas, however, had vanished, back into the slender patches of undisturbed desert that dot the surrounding landscape.

I was sorry not to have been able to photograph the two bits of wildness that had come to visit, but I was still elated at their appearance so close to my usually civilized habitat. I’ve come to treasure surprises in life, be it in the art I view, in the books I read, on the journeys I take, in the revelations of friends, or even in the taste of varied ingredients I mix together in my kitchen in hopes of overcoming sameness and blandness.

Surprises, in whatever form they take, keep life from being boring.

Of course, I prefer the surprise of waking up and seeing javelinas better than waking up to discover my car has a flat tire.

Blog pick of the day. Check it out.

Bean Pat: Pete Scully  http://tinyurl.com/pov26k2 I love following Pete’s blog. He makes sketching look easy and inspires me to do more of it. Perhaps he’ll inspire you, too.

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  “Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.” – Saint Augustine

Yesterday’s art. Painting, without fear of being perfect, is one of the things that gives life its zest.

Of the World and of My Life

The original seven wonders of the world were: The Colossus of Rhodes, The Great Pyramid of Giza, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, The Lighthouse at Alexandria, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

This was the view below my bedroom balcony this morning. I love the way the plant’s red leaves look like flowers and the shadows cast on the wall and am so glad that I still have zest for such beauty that can only be seen if one looks.

None of these, however, made the modern Seven Wonders list, which was compiled in 2007 by over a million voters.  Chosen from 200 sites, the winners were The Taj Mahal in India, Perta in Jordan, The Colosseum in Italy, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Machu Picchu in Peru, The Great Wall of China, and Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil.

After learning about the latest list, my brain took a detour. What, I wondered, were the seven wonders of my life? This is the list I came up with.

1.  My childhood: While, as most children do, I thought mine was horrible, I now think it was wonderful. I had freedom that kids today don’t have, and having no television or video games, I was forced to use my imagination, which today I treasure. As for the rough spots, they gave me strength to survive in the unfair world we live in.
2.  My children: I used to have to touch my babies to make sure they were still breathing when they slept too quietly. They were wonders then, and they and their children and their children are wonders today. I feel blessed to have five children, 15 grandchildren and three (soon-to-be four) great-grandchildren in my life.
3. Being a writer: I was 25 when I knew I wanted to write as much as I wanted to breathe. Two years later, I entered a newsroom and discovered where I belonged for the next 37 years. Even after retiring, I find I still need to write the same as I need to breathe. And it’s wonderful.
4. Finally having the time and the freedom to discover myself, and the discovery that even after being disappointed in love, I still had lots of love in my life and the ability to love. The latter was the surprise gift I received when love for a man failed me. Knowing I could still love made the pain worthwhile.
5. The Snake River and the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon: The rapids in these two rivers gave me over 20 years of adrenalin rushes after I had turned 40. Taking up white-water rafting was the perfect hobby for me after my children had all flown the coop. I never suffered a day of empty-nest syndrome.
   

   Of course you don’t always have to look hard to find beauty. This butterfly shouts its magnificence. — Photo by Pat Bean

6. Making My Wanderlust Dreams Come True: As a child, I daydreamed about traveling this country from coast to coast and border to border. And I did just that in a small RV for nine years after retiring. I also made my dream of going on an African Safari come true. I feel truly blessed I had the opportunities, but I also accept that I made it happen. Now I just need to make that Australia trip I’ve been dreaming about come true as well.
7. My Zest for Life: I still wake up eager for what the day will bring. I love nature in all her many forms, I love writing, I love birds, I love art, I love people and I still love riding roller coasters and jumping out of airplanes.

These are the wonders of my life. What are yours?

Bean Pat: Digital Native http://tinyurl.com/kdwa5t9 You’re only as old as you let yourself be – at least in spirit.

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“Weekends don’t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.”  — Bill Watterson

Not What I Had Planned

This is Bobo. He misses his family most of all the animals. He usually finds a place near me and just mopes. He’s old, too. Zip is my daughter’s youngest dog, and he keeps Pepper exercised. He and she usually run around the horse arena while I’m feeding and watering Hondo. My daughter’s husband is Bobo’s favorite pet.

My Tucson daughter and her family headed up to Rose Lake high up on Mount Lemmon for the Labor Day weekend. They took both their SUV and truck, with both crammed as full as a VW Beetle holding a mob of college students.

This is Tara. She’s long past the average age of a great Dane, but still, despite her growing infirmities, is full of joy. Age, however, has shortened her bladder control. So it was that three or four times a night I would feel her cold nose on my sleeping face, requesting that I get up and let her outside. Of course I did. She often would also stand in front of me to lt me know that she wanted the blanket on her bed straightened. And iif I didn’t immediately comply, she would lay her head on my lap and drool all over me. It’s a good think I love her.

What they didn’t take were their horse, Hondo; their dogs, Tara the great Dane, Bobo the yellow lab and Zip of origins unknown; their cats, Rocky and Miss Kitty; and a fighting Siamese fish, whose name, if it has one, I don’t know. As I have done many times previously, I stayed behind to take care of the animals.

So it was that last Thursday, my own canine companion, Pepper, and I drove across town to spend five days in a huge home, with TVs in almost every room, which is far different from my own small, but beloved, apartment, which does not have a TV.

. The three dogs mobbed us at the door, greeting Pepper and I as long-lost friends whom they hadn’t seen for a zillion years. They love both of us.

With me, I had brought my computer and plans to get a lot of writing done, my art supplies  to use as a break from the writing, and of course several books to read. I should have traveled more lightly, because all these items, except for an audio book, “The Deeds of Paksenarrion,” saw little use.

First I discovered that there was a “Lord of the Rings” marathon on TV. I had been meaning to re-watch this trilogy for some time now. Then there was the two-day NCIS marathon. I love NCIS. So there went another two days.

Then there was the fact that I wanted my own desk, which looks out on trees and a red-tiled roof , from which to do my writing. I also wanted  my own,  tall, granite-like table top on which to do my art work. It was as if I couldn’t write or draw, or at least wasn’t comfortable doing so. in a different setting.

Or was this just an excuse to do nothing for four days?

I suspect that was the case. But now I’m back at home and have no excuse – and thankfully no TV. So how went your Labor Day weekend?

Blog pick of the day.

Bean Pat: Matador Magazine http://tinyurl.com/lkkw6pe Although I prefer to give a pat on the back to non-commercial bloggers, I couldn’t resist this article about America’s 25 most picturesque mountains. I noted that I’ve personally seen 18 of those on this list. I always knew I was blessed. Enjoy.

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