Category Archives: Aging

Favorite Photos of the week — so far!

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Red has been hanging out on a consistent basis with Mrs. That’s a relief after he left our yard for the better part of a week. I’m still looking for little Reds, but so far we haven’t spotted any. I sit outside in the early morning cool weather and I think he likes to see me outside. I spent two full weeks without being able to venture outside. That’s when Red disappeared. My husband jumps in the pool in the evenings and said Red flys into a tree overhead and watches and sings.

I’m waiting for the day I get cleared to get in the pool!

Red is my favorite model to photograph, so I’m glad he’s back hanging out in our yard!

This photo of Red and a sparrow make me think of Bonnie Raitt’s song “Something to Talk About.”

Then there’s Mrs. full of spunk.

Here’s Red across the yard on the yellow planter.

This photo surprised me because I noticed the quail but not the lizard when I took it.

Here’s Bonnie Raitt’s song “Something to Talk About.” I’m laughing to myself remembering when she won her 2023 Grammy for “Just Like That” and a headline read: “Shock as Unknown Blues Singer Wins Song of the Year!”

No words!

What photos do you like best and why?

The Quiet Hour

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The best hour of my day — 6 to 7 a.m. I’m out by the pool with coffee, journaling, listening to birds. The temperature is still cool in the 70s. Yesterday, I watched a coyote hustle by the fence, trying not to attract attention during my quiet hour.

Then the day moved away from quiet time to my first Physical Therapy session. I thought they were just going to talk to me and figure out a plan. They took off my boot and ace bandages. Then they measured my flexibility in both ankles. They worked on my right ankle with stretches, massage and manipulation. Then I had to do a series of exercises including tracing the alphabet with my right foot. They had me use bands and had me work through more exercises they want me to do there and at home.

When PT called a few days ago to schedule appointments, I was taken aback. I thought surely this was way too soon. I was not ready for this. I’m perfectly content cocooning in my casita. I’m not ready to leave the nest!

But my husband drove me there and I’ve got a month of appointments scheduled — to start. The therapist said within a few weeks, I’ll be out of my boot and walking without it.

The best thing about PT? There’s a taco shop next door called Oscar’s Tacos. We brought take out home after my appointment. It was a small shop where the employees and customers were all Latino except for us. That was a good sign. I have been on a quest to find decent Mexican food since we moved to Arizona. Now, after each appointment, I can take food home! And yes, it was good!

What is the best time of your day?

Things that made me smile

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Two baby quail with poppa. They are the tiniest I’ve seen. I think they just broke out of their eggs!

I missed Red hanging out in our yard for three full days. I was so worried he’d abandoned us. Or, perhaps he thought I’d abandoned him. I honestly believe we had a bond, because when I’d go outside, he’d show up. I’d drive up our driveway and he’d sing to me from a nearby tree. I was inside for two full weeks, post surgery and Red disappeared. Fortunately, I had a Red sighting on Monday and heard him singing while I sat outside — now that I’m able.

Red taking off for who knows where! Below, I spotted Red near our feeder across the yard.

I caught a Gilded Flicker in flight. That made me smile.

Here’s a Gila Woodpecker and below is a Flicker.

Getting my Nikon out with my telephoto lens after more than two weeks of not using it — also made me smile. I used it for all the photos above, looking out my casita window. The photo below, I love for the morning light.

I’ll finish this post about what made me smile with a selfie I took with my iphone. It’s a goofy photo of my new look taken in the reflection of our sliding glass doors.

What makes you smile?

Now for a little bit of Red

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I have been taking photos out my casita window with my iphone. I don’t feel up to using my Nikon with my heavy telephoto lens. So, the photos may not be as crisp and clear as they could be. But I’m happy to spot Red and take his photo any way I can.

Today, I have my first post op appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. There was a hint that at two weeks post surgery she would take off the cast and I’d be in a boot. I sure am hoping for that. I’m feeling confined and restricted in my cast. It itches under there! Plus, I am bound to a knee scooter and getting around is not that easy. I discovered something that I never noticed before. Every single doorway or sliding glass door we have, has a step or a barrier to entry to the outside world. With two good feet, I completely missed that. Now it’s quite a challenge, for example, to get to the car for a ride from hubby to a doctor’s appointment.

Red on a barrel cactus next to my pink flamingo.

I learned from new friends who live two doors away that our casita was an add on. They’ve lived here since our development was built close to 20 years ago. Our husbands were chatting at a neighborhood social night in our neighborhood park. They discovered they had a friend in common. The neighbor went to the Naval Academy and my husband’s best friend went there, too. The neighbor was friends with my husband’s best friend’s older brother — who also went to the Naval Academy. Isn’t that a small world?

I veered off track for a moment. Back to the casita — it was built for the prior owner’s mother, who must have been old and needed her space, but also something suitable for someone needing a secure and safe space. I’ve found it to be ideal for me while I’m recovering. For example, the shower is made for handicapped — which I am right now. It has a bench and bars strategically placed for me to hang onto for dear life.

I’m hoping for the best in my healing adventure. I’ll give an update next week after visiting the doctor this morning.

What are your plans for the weekend?

The babies are here!

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Gambel Quail babies that is. Monday afternoon, I had my first sighting of baby quail for 2025. There were four babies with one mother and two dads. I wonder where the other mother is? Maybe she’s at the nest with more eggs or fledglings? Four babies is a small brood. I have read that adult quail sometimes co-parent babies with others.

I found a nest last year in a planter with 20 eggs, which made me believe there was more than one mother. Unfortunately, that nest was abandoned because it was next to our garage. The adult quail flew away whenever we drove in or out of the garage. They built the nest while we were out of town.

Fun Quail Facts:

Mating Habits

Gambel’s quails are monogamous birds, meaning that they form pair bonds with a single mate for the duration of the breeding season.

The breeding season typically lasts from March to June, with mating occurring in the early spring. During this time, males engage in courtship displays to attract females.

These displays include a variety of behaviors, such as puffing up their feathers, bobbing their heads, and emitting a distinctive call.

The males may also engage in “tidbitting,” where the male offers foraged food to the female.

Once a female has chosen a mate, the pair will remain together for the duration of the breeding season.

They will engage in preening behavior to reinforce their bond and may engage in duets, where they call back and forth to each other.

The female will then begin to prepare a nest for the eggs, while the male will defend their territory and provide food for both himself and his mate.

Nesting Habits

Gambel’s quails build their nests on the ground, typically in dense brush or vegetation.

The nest is a shallow depression lined with grasses and other plant material and is often hidden from view to protect it from predators.

Gambel’s Quail Nesting Stats
Eggs10 – 14
Incubation21 days
Nestling PhaseFollow Adults after Hatching
Broods1 most common / sometimes 2

Females typically lay between 10 and 14 eggs, which are incubated for approximately 21 days.

During this time, both the male and female will take turns incubating the eggs and protecting the nest from predators.

After the eggs hatch, the chicks begin following the adults, who will continue to brood the chicks.

https://www.wild-bird-watching.com/gambel’s-quail-habits.html

Here’s a video of the babies with a parent:

What signs of Spring are you enjoying in your neighborhood?

Life in Limbo

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Red is staring at me through the window. I took this sitting down at the casita table with my iphone, because my Nikon with the telephoto is too much for me to handle a few days after surgery.

Life is taking on a new rhythm post surgery last Friday. I feel like I’m in a time of waiting. Now that my pain is less and I have a knee scooter, I am pretty much self-sufficient. Except for going to the grocery store, cooking, doing laundry — all the things that fall under my jobs. Now my husband is taking on those tasks, along with work. To be fair, hubby often does those, but now it’s all on him.

Once I got the knee scooter, which came four days late from Amazon, I was able to do most little things myself. Before that, I had a walker the surgery center sent home with me. I had to hop on my left leg with right leg in the air. Talk about a work out! Also, that left no hands free to pick up or carry anything. I had to rely on my husband for everything, which after a few days, wasn’t easy for either one of us. My handy dandy knee scooter has a basket and I can zip around the house like a free bird.

I’m passing time watching my birds out the window, reading “Writing Down the Bones,” reading blogs and beginning a new manuscript. There are a few TV shows and movies I’m enjoying, too. I’m waiting for the momentous day of my first pre op appointment a week from Friday. Sometime after that, I’ll start PT. It’s a quiet time of waiting, but to be honest — “hey it’s not that bad!”

P.S. “Hey, it’s not that bad,” I’d tell my coach after my Masters swim practices in Palm Springs. My coach joked about what an endorsement that was for his program. He said that we should make t-shirts, which a friend and I did!

How would use spend a stretch of quiet time ahead of you? Keep in mind you couldn’t leave the house or be weight bearing?

A Memorial Day Poem

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This is the entrance to our neighborhood. I love that we have the flag flying.

In honor of Memorial Day I’m sharing an iconic poem written by a Canadian doctor who served in WWI. A little history of the poem is linked at the end.

In Flanders Fields

John McCrae

1872 –1918

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

    That mark our place; and in the sky

    The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

    Loved and were loved, and now we lie

        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 

To you from failing hands we throw

    The torch; be yours to hold it high. 

    If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

        In Flanders fields.

This poem is in the public domain.

John McCrae was born on November 30, 1872. A Canadian doctor and teacher who served in World War I, he is best known for his memorial poem “In Flanders Fields.” He died on January 28, 1918.

“In Flanders Fields” is one of the most iconic and important poems to emerge from World War I. Written by Canadian physician Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in 1915, the poem has come to symbolize the sacrifices made by soldiers during the war and has played a significant role in shaping the way the conflict is remembered. Its influence extends beyond literature, becoming a central part of remembrance ceremonies and serving as a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and the enduring hope for peace. This article explores the significance of “In Flanders Fields,” examining its historical context, literary qualities, cultural impact, and ongoing relevance.
https://www.poemshubs.com/archives/5554

Have a wonderful Memorial Day with your families and friends, and take a moment to remember those who sacrificed for us and freedom.