The language of the birds

When we lived in Kenya,

a million years ago,

my father had to go and work somewhere

for a few months.
He was an engineer.

I know he went someplace near Lake Tanganyika,I think,

but not sure of exactly where,

I was very young!!!

Anyway, he would come home at the weekends and we would go and pick him up

at the airport,

which was actually a strip of land that had been cleared

to allow the planes to come in.

I remember him telling us about hearing the Africans talking outside his room, or maybe it was a tent,

at night, in their local dialect,

which I presume was not one he understood.

They greeted eachother.....

one man said,

"No-ovo"

and the other replied,

Ne-ess-a.

We all spoke Swahili,

fluently, we don't anymore!

well, my father was known to get some words a little mixed up,

and once in a while he would ask

if his potatoes had been polished.

The word for potato and shoes

are very similar,

so I guess he could be forgiven the mistake!!!

Like when we were in Paris on holiday one year,

we got lost and my mother insisted

that he ask for directions from one of the policemen.

My father stuck his head out of the window and yelled,

"Cochon, cochon".....

instead of

"argent".....officer,

the former means...

pig!!!

So, I was sitting outside and two crows showed up in the trees across the street.

One said

UH OH

and the other said

UH UH

and I was reminded of my

father.

My father had the most amazing name

of anyone I have ever known.

His parents couldn't make up their minds so they named him

Jack Albany Clarence Kipling Barnes...

but we just called him

Dad.

(edited
ok so it was Lake Victoria
he was away for a year
and
his name was the fashion
of the day.)
:)

 

Daybreak

Is there anything better than early morning?

The air is still cool

the light is fresh and clean

and the birds are just beginning

to stir

and make their first sounds

I have been woken up the past few mornings

by The Cardinal,

who seems to be the

one who announces daybreak

these days.

He has a way of calling

that sounds like

tom-ayy-toe

or

burr-it-toe

and lately it has sounded like

larr-ayy-doe

so I imagine him telling us

that he had a

tomaytoe burritoe in larradoe

His mate,

who is much quieter

as she goes about her daily business,

once in awhile

can be heard

suushhing him!!!!

I swear she does!!

He sits atop the trees and just sings his little heart out.

He takes over the feeder when he's done

and only surrenders it

to her

when she lands on it,

checks the area,

and

proceeds to choose,

very carefully,

which seed she will

consume.

Her bright red beak

is my favourite

thing

about her...

and her sense

of decorum.

Happy Easter

 

 

 

to you all.

tumbling blocks

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Making the bag with the inspiration on screen!!

Not too much chaos

this time

just trying to stay

FOCUSED

!!!!!

Have a good day

and I hope you accomplish

all that you set out to do!!!

Just in time...

Look who I found hiding in the bushes....

He was not happy to have his photo taken

and took off like a.....

umm

rabbit!!??

Not a good photo

but then he was hiding

rather well...

So, I guess there will be more nibbling on the new plants

but I don't really mind,

there is so little for them to eat anymore,

he can munch away along with the

squirrels.

I have dicovered that the squirrels like the buds on my

Viburnam Bush,

and that is why there aren't any flowers on it anymore!!