Now Everybody's Heard About the Bird - 8/23/15

Or: How Ya Gonna Keep'em Down on the Farm...

We spent the day at the Farmers Market at the Lincoln City Cultural Center. It was an attempt to spread the good news about the Audubon Society of Lincoln City (ASLC) to a wider audience.

And, honestly, we were successful. I don't think we'll get more than two new members, if that, but we did put the ASLC into a lot of minds. And we let them know about the bird walks, etc. So, yeah, we had a very successful day.

But I'm starting at the end of the story. Let's back up to the beginning. Several weeks ago Jack, the President of our Chapter, mentioned that he'd like to grow the membership of the ASLC and so Carol and I thought we might be able to help, just a bit, by getting a stall at the Farmers Market and letting the folks know about the Audubon Society here in LCO.

So I did a little digging and then submitted the paperwork necessary for a stall at the Market. It's a good deal for non-profits because the Farmers Market will let you have a stall, when they're available, for no charge. And that means access to a large audience, for LCO.

And, so, there we were at 0755 this morning, toting our boxes and tent on over to Stall #35. And watching the Farmers Market come to life.

I know this isn't a real "Aha!!" moment, but I had not given much thought to the huge effort that goes into setting up this Farmers Market. First, the make-up for each week is fluid. Everyone that will be selling for that weekend must sign up by Friday evening at 1900. As they register the vendors, they assign them stalls. Finally, after the deadline, they can let out the empty stalls, if any, to the non-profits. 

So we're not guaranteed a stall every week, but we are given a turn at the ones available and, for us, that turn came today.

And as we began setting up our stall, we were privy to the goings-on that happen as the Market begins to take shape. 

When you reflect on it, it's amazing the amount of organization, cooperation and good will that happens in the short hour preceding the opening of the Market. First the managers come and stake out the area designating the space for each stall. You can see their small, yellow stakes in the ground there delineating the limits of each stall. We were #35.

Then there is the necessary hauling of goods and tents to each site. The managers provide some heavy-duty wagons but the regulars here, and there are a goodly number of them, have devised their own efficient, inventive and effective ways of getting their goods out and on display. And, by golly, they are good at setting up their goods.

This was taken at 0832. You can still get the warm effect of the morning sun coming through the fog. Look at all the work that has gone into setting up this one fruit stall. Thats a lot of work right there folks. 

Seeing all the work they put into putting up their Fruit Stall, it makes me feel sort of silly for all the moaning and groaning I did getting our little operation set up. But set up we were and ready to go well before the 0900 kick-off time. 

Tom and Caren came over to help us set up. That was greatly appreciated. It's always gratifying to see someone go out of their way to assist. And then the girls were off on a run to get a poster board for the stall and a heavier jacket for Carol. 

It was a cool morning. It turned into an even cooler day.

Once we got the display set up, it was time for the inevitable, if I'm around anyway, commemorative pictures. 

Hahahah, how am I to write my blog if I can't fill it up with numerous defining pictures? If I didn't have these then I'd have to do a lot more writing and neither you nor I want that! Oh, no, we don't!!

It was then I came to realize that being there representing the Audubon had certain unexpected and unusual responsibilities and obligations. You see, someone had noticed this small guy, this tiny bird, on the ground. The bird raised concern because he would stay on the ground and when someone approached, he'd just run this way or that.... he wasn't flying away.

And so they came to our stall for help. It was around 0842 and folks from down the way in the Market had seen the little guy and were concerned and, unbeknownst to me, they had marked that the Audubon Society had a booth there today and so....they came to us to see what we could do about it.

Hahaha, and I laugh in a good, positive way and not in my usual snarky, what a silly situation way, that they noted we were there and didn't hesitate to bring this possible injured animal to our attention.

All I can say is, thank heavens Tom was there. I quickly deferred to his greater expertise (I punted the ball in his direction and quickly got out of the way) and let him go down and investigate. 

Somehow they worked the bird back up near to where I was in the Audubon stall. Someone was trying to catch the bird by tossing a cloth over him on the ground. The little guy was stubbornly staying on the ground, too. He was a quick little devil and had some great moves...Hmmmmm, maybe the Seattle Seahawks should watch how he sheds the tacklers.

Anyway, when they started tossing huge pieces of cloth in his direction, he decided he'd had enough nonsense and took to the air...flying about 30-40 feet away. He never gained any altitude, but he did grab some distance between him and his tormenters. Tom sagely declared that, by golly, he could fly and let's leave him alone to forage and that was that. 

On a side note, I was over in the Food Court a couple hours later, just perusing the offerings. (And lamenting the unpleasant fact that the bakery decided not to show today. Although, on reflection, that might have been a good thing saving me a lot of money. I am weak when it comes to tasty and warm gluten products!!) I swear it was the same bird, still on the ground, and busily eating up the this and that the diners had dropped on the ground. 

You find the niche where you can be successful at life and then you exploit it. Well done, tiny bird.

After the Bird Excitement, things settled down and the finishing touches were placed on the stalls in anticipation of the arrival of the first shoppers and the opening of the Market. Speaking of, the Market is officially open from 0900 to 1500. Doesn't seem like a long time but, let me tell you in no uncertain terms, when you're sitting there in a light sweatshirt wishing you'd dressed a little more warmly, it is a long, long time. Yessiree, Bob!!

It also amazes me as to how quickly this small tent village can assemble. It simply appears within the space of an hour out of nothing and then, POW!! you have a smoothly functioning Market offering a wide range of goods. 

Amazing!!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Tom was tightening up the operation with some well-placed and well-tied final additions. 

Next to our stall was a very pleasant young lady, Paris, and her mother, Indigo, who were selling their jewelry and glass. She's quite an artist and creates glass art and floats as well as making unique pieces of jewelry. She was really nice and even came over and helped Carol and I put up the shelter. Hahaha, it's a simple thing but first time out I was hesitant to push or pull too hard for fear of breaking it. She, obviously, is an old pro at those kinds of things and had it popped open and put up in a flash. 

Whew, after all that excitement Tom and I thought a bit of coffee would hit the spot. Neither of us were sure that the girls would bring back some hot liquids to take the chill off this cool morning air and so I lit out across the street to the new Dutch Brothers Coffee Shack to grab two Morning Joes.

Hahaha, shows how small and shallow my mind is, they have a girl there who comes out and takes the order from the cars in line. She has a small electronic device to tap in the order on and then she takes the money. She came up to the folks standing in line to order and got what we wanted and then we gave her the money. 

My first thought, after I'd given her the money was, "How do we know that she wasn't just pretending to take our order and make-believe tapping the screen of her iPhone and after she got enough money she was gonna take off!!" I know, I know...small, petty and stupid. But, unfortunately, that's the way my mind works.

Hahahaha, I am a not overly-bright person.

While I was waiting and pondering this weighty question, I looked back over to the market. It was now 0852 (don'tcha just love this new technology!?! I mean, anytime I want to check the time something happened, I just pull up iPhoto and click the info button and, viola!! there's all the information about that particular picture. Ain't modern life grand!?!) and the Market was ready to open for business.

And there's our little tent, the second blue one from the right. You can just make out Tom in his blue and white striped shirt putting the final touches on the displays as he waits for his coffee.

And by the time I got back these two had shown up again. Carol decidedly warmer. You can see the poster just to the left of the table there. Oh, and the tables, the tablecloth and the shelter all belong to the Willoughby's, Tom and Caren.

Then the nice lady, Paris, from the next booth offered to get a picture of all four of us. Who could resist? 

As you can see from her card, she is quite busy.

It's the early morning light, folks, and not a case of mass sunburn that accounts for our rosy glows. I gotta tell you, I remind myself of some malevolent Santa the way I'm leering in these pictures. 

Note to self: Lighten up with the grins, Jackie-Boy!!

And now it's time for some random shots of the Famous Farmers Market of Lincoln City. Every Sunday from 0900 to 1500. Outdoors until the end of October and then it goes indoors until the next March.

Plenty of goods to entice you with in addition to the fresh fruit and frozen pork and beef products.

I have a much greater appreciation for the effort that goes into setting up these booths. A much greater appreciation.

And there is always time to meet new friends. You can just make out Carol admiring a woman's two dogs there in front of our booth.

OK, we're ready!!

A while after it opened, El Presidente, Jack, stopped by around 1045 to see how it was going. And he even got this picture as we manned the booth. Once again, a little too much on the creepy side with that grin, Smilin' Jack.

And I got this picture at 1115. I'd taken a picture of the same area earlier because of the warm morning sun. You can see what a difference a couple hours and a huge change in the direction of the sun makes. The first picture was much warmer and friendlier than this one. And that's why, boys and girls, when you're shooting you always want to shoot, if you can, during the Golden Hours. Those hours just after the sun rises and just before it sets for the day.

You're welcome.

And we had a successful day. I don't know how many, if any, new members we'll get. But we got our name out there and we learned several new things today... 

1) Most folks that visit this Market are from out of town. Lots of Canadians, several Brits and even one couple from Australia. 

2) A lot of the folks I talked with are already members!! At least 10+ souls claimed membership already.

3) A sizable number of the folks that talked with us today had an interesting bird-related story to tell us. We were treated to a large number of interesting experiences.

4) Everyone we spoke with had heard of the Audubon Society. They all knew something of it. And all had a positive opinion of the Society.

5) If you smile and make a witty comment while offering someone a brochure or pamphlet, then nine times out of ten they will take it with good grace and equally good intentions. What they do with it ten minutes later is a matter for another blog, however. 

But, the important thing is that we handed out over 50+ pamphlets and that means over 50+ possibilities...folks that will think about the Audubon Society and, at the very least, be more open to it in the future. Oh, and we even sold two totes!! Woo, woo!!

I did a lot of standing around today which is good for me. I am way too sedentary in my daily life. I got to meet a lot of people and even learned a few new things. 

This one had a good time, too. She even got to try a new Mexican Burrito that was made with fresh beans and not that kind out of a can. And she got to meet a lot of new people today, too.

Just a while ago, Carol took a Bird Drawing class with this woman, Nora Sherwood. She ran into her in the Cultural Center and....

...ended up getting a print, Une impression emmeles pret a monter, of one of her favorite birds, a female Belted Kingfisher.

So it was a good day. I think the whole thing worked and we accomplished our mission. We may not get a new member today, but we did get the Audubon Brand out there and got some folks to think about us and that is always a good thing.

Next time, I will have some of the Oregon Coast Today papers with us to point out where they can get info about the bird walks. I also think a calendar of up-coming events to hand out would be very useful. Plus, we need to find a better way to feature those totes. I saw a lot of folks struggling to keep their fruit from breaking out of the plastic bags. Oh, and more brochures, of course.

It was fun and it was productive; we got to meet lots of new people. And it was tiring. Hahaha, I am getting soooooo old!!

We had a good time today and we reaffirmed something we already knew....

Life is good.

     Hooah!!     

Post Script: Because of the title to today's essay, I thought I'd post the first part of the classic "Surfin' Bird", a song performed by the Surf Rock Band, The Trashmen. Released in 1963, it reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a combination of two R&B hits by The Rivingtons: "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and "The Bird's the Word",  which was, in turn influenced by Red Prysock's "What's the word? Thunderbird!"

It's not only inspirational, but it is a great example of the high quality of song writing that went on during the early 60s. 

Sit back and enjoy the creative and languorous lyrics of this timeless classic:

A-well-a, everybody's heard about the bird

Bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word

A-well-a, bird, bird, bird, the bird is the word

A-well-a, bird, bird, bird, well, the bird is the word

A-well-a, bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word

A-well-a, bird, bird, bird, well, the bird is the word

A-well-a, bird, bird, b-bird's the word

A-well-a, bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word

A-well-a, bird, bird, bird, well, the bird is the word

A-well-a, bird, bird, b-bird's the word

A-well-a, don't you know about the bird

Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word

A-well-a, bird, bird, b-bird's the word

A-well-a

The Rivingtons had followed up their '62 hit, 'Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow' with the similar 'The Bird's the Word' in '63. The Trashmen had not heard this version but saw a band called The Sorensen Brothers playing it. They decided to play the song that night at their own gig. During this first performance, drummer and vocalist Steve Wahner stopped playing and ad-libbed the "Surfin' Bird" middle section. 

A local disc jockey, Bill Diehl, was at the gig and convinced the band to record the track. It was recorded at Kay Bank Studios in Minneapolis. Diehl entered it into a local battle of the bands competition and it won. It was then sent to a battle of the bands competition in Chicago where it also won. This led to the group being signed to Garrett Records with the single quickly released. It reportedly sold 30,000 copies in its first weekend before going on to national success.

Those were some crazy times back then.

Down to D-River - 8/20/15

Or: How Green Is My Heron...

If this is Thursday, then this must be a Bird Walk!! And, by golly, it is Thursday and there is another Bird Walk. Hoozah!! And we were off!! Early!! Too doggone early for an empty belly and so, as a sop to my stomach, Bruno, we stopped first at the local BK for some quick nourishment.

And it was quick and it was, not surprisingly, tasty. Hahaha, I am a sucker for a warm biscuit with a spicy sausage patty stuck in the middle. Mmmmmmmmm....

And then it was time to go and as we went outside, I couldn't help but note the flowers growing around the BK. What a riot of color!! What an opportunity!! And so I went to the Faithful Mini and got out my camera and....shot away.

It's funny how for most of my life, I was completely unaware of the flowers all around...at the Mickey Ds, the BKs, the Jack-In-The-Boxes. You know, all the really important places.  Yet, I was completely and totally in a fog vis-a-vis the flower thingie. And, now, that I'm retired, I can see!!

What the...!?!?! Now I can see!!

Well, maybe I had to wait to start seeing until they got these digital cameras to a point where I can shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot and shoot and then shoot again. 

Hahaha, maybe I had to wait to see until I was in a position to really see with my camera. Because, honestly, there is no way I would of or could of have taken so many pictures of the flowers that I've shot in the past two years.

No. Way.

But, now, right now, I can shoot all I want. It may not be very good but, y'know, it satisfies me. Hahaha, I can see the beauty and, in my life, that's all that really matters. Makes sense, doesn't it? Sometimes you do the things that fill you up and don't worry about the others. 

And, of course, sometimes you're able to hit your particular "Wow!" buttons and, maybe, just maybe, push a couple of other people's buttons, too. 

But, for now, for me, it is just enough to be able to 'see' the things I am now experiencing. It took a long time to get here and I know this won't last too much longer so I am aiming to enjoy it as much as I can. I'm gonna take my pictures and have my fun as long as I can.

And, my friends, that is that.

Life is good, right!?!

And, soon enough, time moved on and so did we. Right on over to the D-River Open Space for the meet-up with the Audubon Bird Walkers. I do appreciate these Open Spaces that the city maintains. I know it's just a park under another name, but regardless of what you call it, it's a doggone good thing.

A very good thing.

And we were surprised when we pulled into the lot and saw all the people there. Wowsers!!  There were 29 folks in all for today's walk. A huge number!! We had license plates from Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Plus, we had folks from Colorado and California as well as a lot of folks from all around the local area like Waldport and Newport.

Look!! There's Ol' Good Time Tommy.

It's cool now that we're getting to know the folks here. It's good having friends. I was floating in the back getting some pictures of the crowd for the Newsletter while they were making their introductions and Mark caught me just when I thought I'd missed that particular drill. Hahaha, Mark noticed and reeled me in. 

It was a funky morning. Can you still use that word, funky, without people laughing at how old you are?

Fun Facts: Funky is, plain and simple, an adjective. The first definition is that it describes something having a moldy or musty smell. Something with a strong, unpleasant odor. Then it goes on to its second iteration which is having a style reminiscent of simple blues or funk music.

Finally it gets to the slang usage popular when Ol' Smilin' Jack was a young man where it means something unconventional or eccentric; offbeat or odd. Also a thing having an unsophisticated or old-fashioned charm, quaint or unpretentious.

Hahaha, Play that Funky Music, White Boy....

As you might expect, lexicographers have had a tough time nailing down the origins of this word. Linguist Geneva Smitherman tried to capture the meaning of this word in Talkin' and Testifyin':  The Language of Black America, where she explains that funky means "(related to) the blue notes or blue mood created in jazz, blues, and soul music generally, down-to-earth soulfully expressed sounds; by extension (related to) the real nitty-gritty or fundamental essence of life, soul to the max."

Funky, derived from the noun funk, "strong smell, stink," originally meant simply "smelling strong or musty," and could be used to describe body odor, something of which I am well familiar with as is anyone who has gotten within 20 feet of me when I took off my combat boots.

The use of funky to describe jazz and other genres of music was nicely explained by historian and critic Eric Hobsbawm in 1959 in The Jazz Scene: "Critics are on the search for something a little more like the old, original, passion-laden blues: The trade-name which has been suggested for it is funky (literally: 'smelly,' i.e. symbolizing the return from the upper atmosphere to the physical, down-to-earth reality)."

And, somehow, some white Hippie Kids appropriated the term to describe anything that was far out, rad, with it, hip, and one of my favorites, Bitchin'. 

Hahahaha, silly white kids. And, as you might expect from someone with an infantile and puerile sense of humor like mine I will totally misuse and abuse that word for the rest of this funky blog.

Low down and foggy. But it does let you take some funktastically moody shots of the lake.

But, quick as Bob's your uncle, we were on our way. The whole bunch. There was the same general, genial sense of camaraderie in the group but there wasn't, at least for me, the same easy flow and ebb of people drifting in and out of conversations. Maybe it was me today but the group was large and didn't hum like the others did. 

Maybe it was the size. That's the only different variable other than the 20 or so different people that came for today's walk.

And the excitement started early!! With this guy!!

A Green Heron!!

Fun Facts: These shy fellows have an elaborate set of calls and postures they use to communicate with other herons. They use different signals for mating dances, warning calls and, as they are discovering for migration, too.

This funkadelic bad boy can easily live in either salt or fresh water habitats. A key point to their future as the loss of adequate habitats for all birds is a growing concern.

And they are crafty, too. They are one of only a few bird species observed using tools/bait for hunting. One researcher reported watching a Green Heron drop the same bait into the water more than 28 times before a fish finally bit!!

More Fun Facts: These guys, while the smallest of the North American herons, are really good at climbing. Even chicks as young as 1-2 weeks old can climb on branches using their wings and beaks.

Here's the really cool part of these cool facts is that these guys are able to aim their excrement at the eyes of their predators as a defense mechanism. Totally cool!! 

Hahaha, Take that, you jerk!! SPLAT!!

While these guys are considered to be widespread and common, their shy nature combined with their well camouflaged exterior and odd feeding times make them hard to spot...but not today!!

Hahaha, I'm sorry. I keep trying. I do like taking these artsy-fartsy shots. And I keep trying to get a shot with some driftwood in it. 

And (and this is why I'm laughing), I keep missing the mark.

Totally missing the mark!! But having fun!!

Then, while we were still there right at the start of the walk, we saw this guy. Well, to be honest, we saw a bunch of these guys but this is the only one I was able to capture on film....er, uh, on digital?

Haha, regardless, I caught him!! A Common Yellow Throat!! 

And there he is!!

Oh, you're so beautiful!! Yes you are!!

And, from the same area, we spotted these Cedar Waxwings. And, you know, if you see one CW, then you'll more than likely see another pretty close by. And we saw six of them at one time on the wires.

It was promising to become a very funkiliciously fruitful day. Mind you, we haven't even left the parking lot yet. I mean, we were still at the starting point.

And we finally took off!! Off to adventure!! 

And I immediately fell back into my old habits...hanging in the rear and looking down more that I was looking up. And looking down was profitable.

Just not for long. We hadn't gotten too far along when they spotted this guy!!

I take great pride in the fact that I am among the few people living that can, first time, correctly spell the name of this bird. It's a Steller's Jay.

Fun Facts: These Blue Bombers have the dubious honor of being one of the most frequently misspelled names in all of bird watching. Their plumage is certainly stellar, but that's not how you spell their name. Stellar's Jays were discovered on an Alaskan island in 1741 by Georg Steller, a naturalist on a Russian explorer's ship. When a scientist officially described the species, in 1788, they named it after him - along with other discoveries including the Steller's sea lion and Steller's Sea-Eagle.

We were on the boardwalk connecting the Open Space to the Devils Lake State Recreation Area...where we would go on through the campsites and out towards the lake.

And, there, stuck in-between the boards, was this testament to the tenacity of life. Reaching out high enough to get what it needs to survive and thrive.

My gosh!! I am getting way too philosophical here.

Hahaha, I need a beer to get my head right and my feet back on the ground. Excuse me.

Ah, much better now. If possible, I'm feeling less intelligent with every sip.

I mentioned that today was promising to be very fruitful vis-a-vis birds and I wasn't wrong. This American Robin makes #5. Normally I count myself very lucky to get 2 or 3 pictures of birds but today, well, today I was smokin'!!

Hahahaha, I know, you're asking yourself, What's so hard about taking some pictures of birds that other people have spotted!?! And you'd be right. Nothing hard about it at all...when everything works out. When the birds sit still long enough for me to focus on them and the leaves and branches cooperate by getting out of my way. Oh, and I have everything set and ready to go with the camera. Then and only then do I have the ability to take a picture.

And, today, everything was working Jackie's way!!

Whoa!! There's #6. A Eurasian Collared Dove.

Fun Facts: Illegal Aliens, these guys were introduced to the Bahamas around 1974 and made their way to Florida about 1980. After making landfall, they quickly spread across the North American continent. The first record of them appearing in Oregon was around 1998.

These guys are very pale cream. In fact, some birders, and you know how rowdy and rough that crowd is, have begun to call them 'Sky-Rat Lattes.' Actually, that's pretty funny. Hahah, those birders, they're wild and whacky folks!! The 'Sky-Rat Lattes' insult is in reference to another invasive species, the European Starlings, the original 'Sky-Rats', and this dove's pale coffee-and-cream coloration. 

They seem to be pretty benign invaders as they've shown no indication that they are displacing the native Mourning Doves. So far.

Just like all over LCO, this park had more than its share of these funktastic Orange-In-the-Wind flowers.

It is so doggone easy to get a good picture of these guys. They sorta scream, "Shoot me!"

And then I had to hustle up to stay with the Pack. This is the third time we've been to this place for a bird walk but it hasn't gotten old yet. Hahaha, by now, I know where they're going before they go and I am still enjoying it.

And the State Park was full. Lots of tent sites were occupado and all the Yurts were taken. So it was no surprise that our herd sorta moved in on some folks enjoying their vacation at the lake.

And, Boy, Howdy!! Did we ever invade. Our presence was hard to ignore. And the lake was smooth and calm and looking good, too. 

Hahaha, don't cross a buncha birders!! They named the game Angry Birds for a solid reason, Man.

And while we were at the lake we saw this Great White Egret. Sitting up in a tree sorta preening and enjoying what little sun there was out there....and posing.

Looking good, El Señor Egret.

And, by the way, this is #7. I am setting world records here!!

Then, while I was standing there, while we were standing there, someone spotted this guy coming back home after a shopping trip. There's some fresh lunch there in his claws. 

And, if you're keeping track, this is #8, an osprey.

So whenever I'm on the lake my inner artsy-fartsy kicks in. It's a uncontrolled reflex action, kinda like automatically gagging at a Pauley Shore movie.

Oh, c'mon, it ain't that bad!! You can tell that along with driftwood and gulls, I like taking reflection pictures, too. Lots of them.

And lakeside scenics. I'm a sucker for those, too.

Oh, c'mon, it ain't that bad. Actually, in the photo world, there is some virtue to an overcast and dreary day if you're able to shoot down at some interesting scenery. And the muted light enriches the colors there to give them a deeper quality. 

Hahaha, time for another beer. Thank you, I will.

And. before we started back to the river, I got one more shot of the GWE. He was still there and still looking regal and, really, just a bit detached, aloof.

Also before we left the lake, I asked everyone to line up for the obligatory group shot. 

Thank heavens for the ol' wide-angle lens here as this group was spread out. And not everyone was here for the pic. Several of the folks had already started meandering back.

And we made it back to the starting point. And to this gal, posing for everyone on the lake near the bridge. Seriously, she was sitting up there on the log and watching the parade go by, probably hoping for some tasty hand-outs.

OK, I happen to think this is one of the better shots of a mallard that I've ever gotten. And, for the record, she is #9 for the day. I'm just sayin'.

Oh, uh!! More driftwood. I'm trying. OK, OK, in the future I promise I'll work a bit more at ignoring the driftwood. Maybe. Possibly. 

Hahaha, even I'm getting a bit tired of them.

It didn't take long for the crowd to disperse. Seriously, this was a big group today. Seriously.

And, pretty soon, it was just the usual suspects. That's Tom on the left, then Mark, Caren and Carol. Jody is making his escape there on the right. I bet you that Caren has a bird book open and they're talking about what kind of bird they just saw. I bet. 

I'm not gonna even guess at what Tom is looking at across the river.

Haha, we'd been good all day so we headed on over to 101 Inspirations for a Chocolate Chip Treat.

I deliberately said treat because we went in looking for a CCC (Chocolate Chip Cookie) and ended up...

...getting a Chocolate Chip Scone. My question is why would you screw up a perfectly good scone with chocolate chips. I mean, c'mon, chips fit in with most anything but why mess around with scones. But there they were and so one of them went home with us.

This shop doesn't really know what vibe it's trying to hit. 

They have this odd combination of decor on the inside with an access to the next door antique shop. Oh, by the way, LCO is big on antique shops. Anyway, you can sorta see what the inside is like here.

But it's got this Germanic exterior. Reminiscent of Der Deutchland and the Alps. Well, regardless, the place is a good bakery.

But it fits in with the place across the street...The Punk-'N-Berry. Oh, I didn't get many pictures of ol' Winnie the Pooh the other day, but I noted that I got one of Winnie today. There he is on the wall. Along with the other balloons.

A full on view of PNB. Gotta admire the mind that came up with that exterior. Tres original.

And, on the other side of the streets was Maxwell's....and the street scene for the tourists.

And, that was that. I was able to photograph NINE birds today. That was certainly enough excitement for the day, right? Well, not entirely.

To get to the next milestone in the day, I have to go back in time for a couple of years. Back to my Scout days where I remember, when I sat on the Eagle Board of Reviews, that I always tried to ask what the Scout had gotten out of Scouting. And I always got a good answer...fun, experience, confidence and so much more from every Scout I asked. 

Then I'd follow it up by asking them to consider, when they became adults, that they might have an obligation to give back some of what they had received by, maybe, becoming an Adult Scouter and being one of the keys that made it possible for another boy to have a great scouting experience. Kind of paying it back, so-to-speak.

A month or so ago, we had bumped into one of the Assistant Scoutmasters for the local Troop here and we volunteered to help by becoming a Merit Badge Counselor. I've got three sons who reached Eagle and I want to, in my own fashion, repay some of their experiences back. And mine, too.

All that is to lead up to our going to the Troop Committee Meeting for Troop 47 tonight. I submitted my paperwork to become a Merit Badge Counselor for Troop 47 a couple weeks ago and before they submitted it they wanted to meet us and make sure we'd be a good fit. And we are.

So, that was another part of our day. Getting involved in the community. Carol has one Eagle and so, together, we're paying back a bit. Scouts, Audubon, life. We're involved now and, y'know, feelin' funky, Man. Cool.

And, as I am sure you know, getting involved is good. 

Life is good.

     Hooah!!