A Haven for Vee

Thursday, August 7, 2014

And Then a Hawk Blew In

Every day for quite a few now, the beautiful summer afternoon erupts into thunderstorms. The warnings of tornadoes and micro-bursts scrolls across the bottom of the tv screen or our radio programming is interrupted with the news. 

The day before yesterday was particularly wild. As I sat looking out at the swaying trees, I saw a flash of something white and large land on a branch. It so happened that the camera was handy for a change and so I took a few 146 photos. I really can't see anymore what I am taking photos of because the viewfinder is so small. How I get a photo is more a matter of serendipity than talent.


~any port in a storm~


You'll be able to see how much I cranked the photo below if you watch that little video above and listen to me prattle on about whatever it was up there. You'll hear me hesitate with the word "vulture" because I was struggling to remember the word "vulture" and I can't do two things at once so well anymore. Remember, I couldn't see it very well in the storm and hardly at all on the viewfinder. But do watch the wild ride that poor hawk was on (and not only from that wild camera shake midway). He stayed for about 15 minutes, until the worst was over.

 ~A Body and Two Feet~


Don't you just know that if any of this had worked out, I'd have been using it for Donna's Photo Challenge tomorrow. ☺

*** 

There have been days when I have not even gone outside at all this summer. The gardens are not doing well and my enthusiasm is on the wane. I came to gardening quite late in life and now my body is not happy with tugging and toting, bending and hoeing.  

For that reason, I was very surprised to see that there was a ripe tomato on the vine. 


A cherry tomato. I should have known. I've been complaining how tiny they were thinking they were Early Girls...somebody mislabeled somewhere... and I am such a rube that I had not even entertained the thought that there was an error. Now all is forgiven and I shall wait for the other nine to ripen just as this one did — on the vine. 



Gotta love marigolds. No bugs. No blight. They keep blooming and stinking all season. Cheerful little buggers they are.

Well do have a great Thursday! I'll catch you later...


39 comments:

  1. Good morning! Just got some coffee and thought I would start my day off in a positive way. Therefore, I came here. I loved the last part about marigold stinking things up while they do their bug duty. So true! Also laughed about the 146 photos. I think (and now, don't let this scare you) that we might have been separated at birth.

    Clicking to hear the video now.

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  2. This makes me think of two of our three eggplants G. brought in, and then wished he could put them back to grow a little more. Your disguised hawk is quite a story.

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  3. That is one sturdy birdie, to hang on during the storm like that! Aren't they impressive! Enjoyed your video and hearing your voice!

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  4. That hawk was really holding on. We sure need rain here in GA.
    Hope you two have a nice day. Enjoy that tomato.

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  5. I have plenty of tomatoes on the vine but none are ripening! Crazy! They'll likely ripen all at the same time!

    That is a neat photo even if you couldn't get his head and the video is fun - I like seeing how stormy it was and hear you and John talking. I sometimes can't remember the word I want either! Yikes!

    Oh well, it is what it is!

    Deanna

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  6. He may have been a bit camera shy, but we enjoyed his body and two feet anyway. I think your video is quite impressive given the stormy conditions you were working with.
    It's always a joy to hear you and John having a conversation. I hope you split that tomato and enjoyed that little taste of summer.

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  7. I am smiling at your temporary brain freeze as you search for the word "vulture"! I am smiling because that happens to me all. the. time. I truly can't do two things at once, so the words "thingamajig" and "hoodjidoo" are frequent substitutes for whatever the elusive word is. My girls are getting very good at interpreting.

    What an interesting visitor! (More interesting than those thingamajigs.) Too bad he insisted on hiding his head behind those leaves. I guess he was too busy holding on for dear life!

    Enjoy those cherry tomatoes! Yum!

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  8. Good morning! Enjoyed your video! What an impressive bird standing there like that during that downpour. And hey, that one cherry tomato beats what I've grown this summer! Enjoy! lol

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  9. Cherry tomatoes are welcomed by me as the first tomatoes to ripen around here. Plus I can slice a few for a sandwich or salad without having left over tomato to mess with. Tomatoes are not supposed to be refrigerated so what exactly should one do with a left over tomato half? (I Saran Wrap and put in the fridge anyway...if that ruins the texture oh well.)

    Have you figured out what sort of a hawk that was?

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  10. PS we've been having summer deluges that have caused mud slides and the loss of a house or two. Building high on a hill or next to a river is risky eventually.

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  11. You did a marvelous job of capturing the Hawk Vee! I can so identify with you of not being quite sure what I am taking a picture of outside. Those windy storm days can be almost magical can't they? Hmm...a beautiful homegrown tomato and lovely marigolds....gifts of summer! I so enjoyed your post today!!!

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  12. Good Morning, loved your post, as usual!! Blessings

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  13. Your posts are always so amusing, Vee. If you only knew how many pics I take to get a few goods one...lol! You are right about the marigolds...beautifully stinkin'!

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  14. Happy Thursday, Vee! Loved your video this morning (so did my son). He certainly is a big bird. And 146 photos. . .I do the same thing, Vee :) It seems like I have to take 100 just to get 3 good ones.

    I hope you see some sunshine soon. Take care and enjoy your day!

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  15. Yep I think that was indeed a hawk = been spying one around here too. It killed my chubby little bluebird and I am so mad at it now. My birdhouse on a pole now stands empty reminding me of it every day. Grrrr. I know it's nature, but I don't want THAT kind of nature around me. You know I adore my little birdies.

    I ♥ hearing your voice on the vid, and John's little laugh at the end. It was super neat your sharing that storm with us.

    I just had my friend Sharyn (the one who did that amazing Money tea party, who is a pro landscaper over - she just left - is going to help me fix my garden, it's got issues, I am a new gardener too. Don't beat yourself up. Keep at it - or do half the work and hire a high schooler to help with some of the more gruntish work. Seriously. Don't lose hope or enthusiasm. Flowery hugs to you, sweet friend.

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  16. Good Morning Vee,
    Loved the video I felt so sorry for the hawk.
    looks like lots of rain .. we are DRY ...at this point we
    need a small tropical depression. at our church after mass everyone holds hands and prays for rain.
    we need it.
    Xo Marissa

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  17. How wonderful to see a hawk. The typical larger bird I see on our property is a noisy crow. I get real excited to see woodpeckers or anything really that isn't a crow...
    I've got to get out and water. I and my yard are very dry right now...

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  18. Mr. Hawk is hanging in there very well, hardly swaying, but I wonder what expression he was wore on his face. I imagine him to be quite stoic!
    I have those temporary losses of words more often than I care to admit.
    Marigolds are little stinkers. Literally. The yellow ones would be my favorite, though, if I were pressed to choose a favorite.

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  19. You are having the weather we had the last week or so. We are in for a sunny and warm stretch so they tell us so I hope that's coming your way too! I always wonder where the poor birds hide out during these storms - you captured it well. Glad it wasn't the dreaded V bird! I giggled at your "146" pictures - you are too funny!

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  20. Oh my gosh I love Hawks. We have two now in our back yard - you really have to respect them don't you?

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  21. The hawk looks like it's playing hide and go seek in the tree. But he's hanging on for dear life! 146 pictures - that sounds like me. Delete. Delete. Your summer is most unusual this year, is it not? Who gets to eat the first bitty tomato?

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  22. How very interesting to be so close and to get the video. He must have been not happy with that storm to stay so long. I’m having tomato trouble too, beautiful blooms only to dry and fall off the plant. I hope we have better luck next year!

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  23. Hi Vee!

    That is a big hawk! Your weather resembles our weather for the past week, but, oh how we needed the rain! That big old hawk was just trying to stay dry under your beautiful Maple tree, poor thing. We have had two big hawks in our pasture all summer. They sit on the fence and watch for mice, then swoop down and grab them, and back the fence to eat them . . . I don't watch that part.

    We have a real problem with Magpies! They eat all of the produce from the garden, if you don't scare them away. Last week, I saw 5 of them gathered in my garden around a big cabbage plant. By the time I got outside, it was half gone! And my tomatoes, goodness, they all have chunks taken out of them by the darn Magpies! It's been a crazy summer! Hopefully, I will get a few tomatoes without beak marks!

    I love Marigolds, they remind me of September, and going back to school. We used to take a big vase full of them to school for our teacher on the first day. They are so smelly, but I love them still!

    Hugs,
    Barb

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  24. I have a over abundance of tomatoes and zucchini. But I will roast some of the tomatoes and freeze them. Then this winter I can add them to soups and sauces.

    I always plant marigold by my veggie garden. They keep the bugs away.

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  25. Hubby and I are avid bird watchers (you talk about bad memory, I forget the fancy title - ha ha). It's either a Cooper's hawk or a Sharp Shinned hawk. Depends on the size. If it was small, it was a Sharp Shinned. We had a Cooper's Hawk in the back yard this morning while I was mowing. They tend to hang around bird feeders. The song birds always scatter when he/she shows up. .

    Please send rain to Georgia! We need it badly, again. Hey, it was nice to hear your voice. And y'all have some lovely trees on the property. ~:)

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    1. Cooper's Hawk I think...used Merlin Bird ID.

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  26. That was quite a rain storm Vee. We seem to be in that mode here the past week too. Today is much cooler and dryer air from the northwest and feels quite delightful. Guess you'll have to prune back that tree a bit so you can get a photo of the next bird that lands there. I enjoyed hearing your voice in the video. :) I have a grape tomato that is putting out a lot of fruit for me this year. The larger Early Girl one has fruit but it has the blight on them again! May be the last time I do tomatoes. They keep blowing over in the wind (in pots on the deck). I planted marigolds this year and am enjoying their bright colour in the veggie garden. I hope you have a lovely weekend. Pam

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  27. Oh Vee, you are funny. I always smile when I'm here. that little tomato made me laugh out loud. I got one and we cut it in four for the four of us! I seem to only get one at a time. I think I've had four. I've had two big ones, but the raccoon likes to eat the top and leave the rest. Had to laugh at the brain freeze too -- that happens to me all the time!

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  28. That hawk had quite a ride.
    I like marigolds too. Ken's Dad always had a lot of them in his yard and they always remind me of him. : ) I have quite a few in my yard. For some reason sometimes the birds pick off the flowers and then leave them next to the plant.
    No red tomatoes for us yet but quite a few are still green.

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  29. Can we post birds for Donna's meme on Saturday? I thought it had to be 4 legged critters, I'll reread the instructions. I get excited when a hawk visits our yard too, they're handsome birds. The video didn't show on my iPad so I'll check my computer later.
    There are so many tomatoes on our 4 plants at the community garden and I'll bet they all ripen at once. Speaking of raccoons, somebody ate one of the frogs last night leaving a gruesome mess. The snails OK, but not my little froggies. LOL

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  30. That's a good photo! I took about that many of an airplane that was flying by and circling around the other day! lol Guess what I got at the library today? Enchanted April....the DVD! I can't wait to watch it! Sweet hugs, Diane

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  31. Great video of the hawk, Vee. We have a pair that live in our neighborhood so we see them quite often here. They help keep the small rodents in check :)

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  32. Good job. We had a big hawk when we lived up north ~ he looked at our Molly (little shih Tzu) like she would be a good lunch. Fly away Mr. Hawk...no free lunch here today.

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  33. I had a hawk visit my fence on Christmas Eve, Vee, and four times after that. I like to think that it was a sign. I haven't seen him for quite awhile,though.
    Hope you get some more tomatoes! xo

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  34. I enjoyed watching the hawk ride out the storm, Vee! We had a torrential thunderstorm this afternoon--in fact I had an emergency weather call from a "code red" service I signed up for that warned us to go to our basements--which i did with my crying grandbaby that the storm woke up The winds were over 60 miles an hour and there was hail. It was over relatively quickly, though, as most Colorado storms usually last. I don't think I'll ever gst used to the crazy weather here!

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  35. I am now backtracking to see what I've missed this week. I see that you did use the hawk's picture in the photo challenge. He showed up at the right time! If marigolds weren't so dependable and last through the first light frosts, I probably wouldn't buy them, either. They are, though, and so I love having the bright little blossoms to fill in. I wish some of your rain would come our way.

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  36. I'm sorry that I can't share our beautiful summer weather with you. We apparently had one major downpour while we were on vacation, but other than that...it is beautiful sunshine day after day. We are enjoying all of our meals outside...and picking buckets of tomatoes off the vine.

    I'm laughing about the 146 pictures! I know whereof you speak. And several months down the road when I finally decide to organize my photos, I have a major job!

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  37. Haha, love the video! The hawk is holding on and enduring the rainstorm like it is all no big deal. It was fun to hear your voices and New England accent. I have the same kind of tongue-tied struggle with words, particularly when I know that I'm being recorded.

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  38. Poor hawk! It looks absolutely drenched! My garden feels like it's going into fall mode already. Too soon! Enjoy your tomatoes! xo

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