April, 2012

No babies yet

April 30, 2012

I’m checking every day but no babies yet. This time, mom let me get really close so she either trusts me now or she’s had enough of me and refuses to leave. She sits on the eggs most of the day until the gardener shows up with the blower (it’s okay, he knows about the nest and he’s waiting to see the babies too).

So yesterday, Denis and I drove by a park and I saw something that made me say, “Stop the car! Stop the car!” He thought we hit an animal or something but I said, “There’s a carnival in the park! Maybe there’s a tilt-a-whirl! Let me out – I’m going!”

It was just a weekend carnival but they had all kinds of rides… even the ones that drop you from up high, but no tilt-a-whirl. 🙁

I got my hopes up for nothing. I love tilt-a-whirls. Maybe it’s because when we were little, my sister and I used to join hands and spin around in circle until we got so dizzy we fell over. Good times.

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Teensy weensy eggs

April 24, 2012

We found our first hummingbird nest! The birds have been coming around for years but I’ve never seen a nest until now. It’s not even 2 inches across and the eggs? Well, they are about 1/2-inch long. It’s on a trumpet vine stem but it’s well built and secure.

I’ve been checking every day to see if they’ve hatched by setting up a step ladder so I can see inside. Momma bird doesn’t like me.

Every time I get close she flies away and makes a bunch of noise but I try to send a message telepathically that I’m just looking and mean no harm…

But yesterday, she stood her ground and didn’t leave the nest so maybe the babies are coming soon.

I’m checking every day.

It’s my first opportunity to see baby hummingbirds…

… or to make a teensy weensy omelette… 😉

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Dick Clark R.I.P.

April 19, 2012

As far back as I can remember even having a TV, I remember Dick Clark.

From American Bandstand to The American Music Awards to New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, Dick was a force in television, music , and pop culture.

His passing yesterday leaves a void I doubt will ever be filled.

Of the thirty shows created by Mr. Clark, I was lucky to have been invited to appear on two.

If you’d like to see them, they are titled “The Other Half” and “Dick Clark Show” on my Vintage Videos page. Great memories.

http://demo.jennyjones.com/videos_vintage.shtml

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Zombie eyes

April 17, 2012

What has scary eyes, waits to come out at night, and whose only goal is to cause destruction? A zombie. And that’s what lives in my back yard. Look at those zombie eyes. Now take a closer look at the picture. See that little yellow thing right in front of him? That’s what’s left of one of the apples on my tree! It’s only April! My apples are still so tiny, even the mangy rat-faced, no-good, low-life, beady-eyed, scum-sucking, apple-stealing squirrel won’t touch them. But they seem to make a nice evening snack for the zombie rabbit.

I ran out and chased him away three times but he came right back. Then I sprayed the tiny apples with an organic but horrible tasting concoction and he still came back. This was war, but I wasn’t going to let him win. I went upstairs to the closet and got my plastic hawk.

Put it right under the tree.

Haven’t seen hide nor hare….

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Multiple births

April 15, 2012

“Aren’t you gonna take your camera?” Denis said as we headed out for a Sunday afternoon walk by the lake. “I guess so, but the last few times there wasn’t much to see. But okay, I’ll take it just in case.” Just in case…. we see a mother duck with NINE newborn babies in the water!

I’m so glad I took my camera. This picture only shows five babies because the other four kept wanting to play on land. They were the cutest little things and once, when another duck got too close, mom chased him away like a mad woman!

Then minutes later, along came a momma goose with her four little ones. Their dad was there too but this was the clearest photo of the babies. There were a lot of us taking pictures – some guys showed up with tripods, fancy cameras and humungous lenses – made mine look like an old Instamatic.

I’m going back next week to see if all the babies are still there. Thanks goodness we don’t have alligators here, only hawks, coyotes, and bobcats, so…

No worries.

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Living in fear

April 12, 2012

This is no way to live! Isn’t it everybody’s dream to live in Southern California? I just realized that I live here in constant fear. These are real things that I think about every day. Let’s review:

1) Earthquakes: Every time I drive and have to stop at a light under a freeway overpass, I get nervous. “What if today’s the day for the big one? What if the overpass comes down on my car? Should I get down on the floor of the car? What if they find me and I’m not wearing my good underwear?”

2) High speed police chases: We just had another high speed chase last night – it seems to be a weekly occurence. Whenever I drive through a large intersection on a green light, I’m nervous. “What if there’s a high speed chase and he’s going so fast I won’t even see him coming? What if there’s a shootout and he uses my car as a shield? What if he T-bones me at 90 mph? Maybe I shouldn’t drive.”

3) Rattlesnakes: There are signs everywhere… at the nursery, on the walking trails, in the canyons – It’s rattlesnake season! My gardener just reminded me to be careful, it’s rattlesnake season. “What if I’m in my back yard and I step on one? What if I’m gardening and I pick one up by accident? What if I scare one and it bites me and I don’t make it to the hospital in time? What if I die on the way, or I’m in the ambulance and a high speed chase hits us, or we have to stop under a freeway overpass and there’s an earthquake?!”

4) Spiders: Spider season is also coming and for some reason, my house gets some HUGE spiders, mostly at night. “What if a spider crawls on my face when I’m sleeping? What if that red mark on my leg is a spider bite? What if it’s a black widow or a brown recluse? What if I die in my sleep from a spider bite? What if I wake up and it’s on my eye?”

This is no way to live!

UPDATE @ MIDNIGHT:

Here is the picture of Sue’s Easter Cookies using my Christmas cookie recipe. Sue says, “They were sooooo good and everyone devoured them!” The bunnies look great.

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Happy Easter

April 6, 2012

One of my favorite Polish traditions is the decorating of beautiful Easter eggs (pisanki). Some are real eggs and some, like this photo, are made of wood. I remember coloring eggs when I was a kid but they never looked like this. We just boiled eggs with onion skins and they turned red. I think we were poor and I didn’t know it.