Years ago, I once saw the beautiful Chilean Flamingos flying over the shores of Lake Titicaca near Puno. Today I am relegated to seeing them in the zoo near home. It has been over a year since I last explored this great big world. In a sense I feel like this time in my life is a reboot.
Semipalmated Plover
If there's a rare bird close to home and I have some free time, I'll go chase it just to get out of the house. They are abbreviated stops due to the high heat and humidity of a monsoon day. Recently a random longer staying Semipalmated Plover came to a local park for some nice looks. This bird indicates that fall migration has begun for the shorebirds.
The heat of the summer had me stay home this summer to get some very important house renovation projects out of the way. There is nothing worse than an ancient disgusting carpet that needs major cleaning. I just knew there were bugs hiding in that hideous eye stain. With much relief, the ugly ass carpeting was taken away. It was 20 years old! Never again. Especially with pets. Mopping a floor is infinitely better than rubbing in cat throw up into fabric. So gross.
Any major house renovation project requires a lot of prep. It took me most of June and part of July to prep the living areas of my home. To most, it's like a snap of the fingers. For me, it was a major summer home project. But boy does it look so good.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Next week I start up guiding for a couple days for Tucson Bird Alliance. Some birds, after having seen them a lot, I won't chase anymore because they are so far out of my way. But one bird that always excites me is the western Yellow-billed Cuckoo. It's a client favorite and show stopper. These brief visitors to Southeastern Arizona are strictly monsoon residents. They come to breed, warn us about the rains coming and then afterwards, head back south. In total, they will spend about maybe 3 months here.
I make sure I get some time with them every year because they are such great birds. And when I get home sick for neotropical birds, this bird always transports me back to Mexico, Central and South America. Plus their habitat offers plenty of shade from the sun. However, chiggers are the enemy on these hikes. So wear long pants and tuck your pants into your socks. You're already a nerd so why pretend you're not? :)
I reluctantly am forced by the heat and dehydration to retreat back to my car and head home to the disaster awaiting me. Dust is everywhere. The heaviest furniture makes me have doubts whether or not the guys will be able to put the new flooring into the rooms. I do my best to take apart everything. I can't sleep at night as I prepare, worried that the largest piece of furniture, the entertainment center, will block any progress. It's made of mahogany before I knew where it came from. Back in Peru, I saw a village harvest these important trees from the Amazon and it broke my heart. This was before I knew where various woods came from! I keep it now as a reminder that I contributed to the Amazon's destruction. The piece is heavy emotionally and physically. I will eventually convert it into an artistic forest of living plants protecting the wood. Never again. I will research well.
Oh the dust!!!!! But after weeks of planning, the project begins on day one. At night, I carefully walk in the danger zone and take pics.
Day 2 is busy!! I'm running for supplies as the 3 guys are getting it all finished. I have my doubts but they do it! I shed a few tears and let my inner designer take over. My couch and loveseat are placed with sliders underneath making the furniture easier to move now. And it won't scratch the floor! I am proud that my furniture is gently used furniture that I saved from getting tossed. What I've discovered about Americans is that we like new things even if our older items still work. Thankfully I had a wonderful friend and colleague who needed to get rid of the furniture for the newer pieces. I gladly accepted the pieces. At the time, my ex and I rented a Uhaul and carried the pieces home in the summer heat where we almost had a heart attack bringing the couch inside! When my ex was leaving, I asked him if he wanted the furniture and he laughed and said, "No that's okay." After all was said and done, I think it looks perfect.
Life takes so many turns when change inevitably happens. We all have to move on. Our life plans change and that's okay. New dreams are created, but the previous chapters are always kept close to the heart. Never forgotten. My health has returned back to excellent status. I enjoy the Arizona heat more. When I was obese, the heat nearly killed me. My breathing has returned to normal and I feel young again. I begin my dual citizenship process soon. A dream that I never thought possible has given me that hope that I can become a Mexican citizen within the next year or so. I have always lived between the 2 worlds, but now officially this former cheesehead is thrilled to live a life of pozole and Mexican get-togethers after retirement. And the birding!!! I cannot wait!!! There is so much data that needs to be collected in the state of Sonora!
Black-crowned Night Heron
I escape to the South American exhibit inside the Reid Park Zoo. There I am surrounded by exotic sounds and hide inside the huge bamboo forests for awhile to awaken my birding powers. Sunbitterns flirt near me. One offers the other some wet plant material. The partner accepts the peace offering.
I have yet to see Sunbitterns in the wild. So I study them at the zoo to understand their movements and sounds. I tried once for them in Costa Rica. But I dipped.
While the heat and humidity levels are awful by human standards, the birds and reptiles are loving it. Bird activity has been excellent around Tucson and southeastern Arizona.
Red-winged Blackbird
The mammals feel otherwise. A western Bobcat hangs in the shade like a smart kitty. Her cubs are hunting in the shade. One captures a ground squirrel. As I drive out of the Sweetwater parking lot, I smile. Life never ceases to amaze me. Each day is a gift.
Until next time......
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