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I am a retired English teacher and department head, the mother of three grand mother of four, and have been married to the same man for 52 years. I subscribe to Dr. PM Forni's concept of Civility. I was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in the 'burbs. I love soft pretzels and cheesesteaks, the Phillies, the Eagles, and San Diego. I love being Mom, Aunt Kathy, Nona Kathy, and Teacher. I spend a lot of time in my gardens in the spring and summer, and in the winter I plan what I'm going to plant. I also am an avid reader and photographer.

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Sunday, July 25, 2010

Just Like Frogs

Many vertebrate and invertebrate animals estivate to escape their environments.  And just like frogs,  we have burrowed down:  have drawn our blinds, closed the shutters, and turned off most lights.  We have a variety of beach umbrellas (purchased on our many trips to CVSs while on beach vacations -- I told him they'd come in handy some day!!) positioned around the patio near all the potted plants.  Even with frequent watering and shading, there's a whole lot of wilting going on.  (Did you know that when nighttime temperatures stay above 80, fruit (like tomatoes) won't flower?  I didn't know that -- heard it on WTOP the other day.)  I also noticed that while our roses are blooming,  the flowers are substantially smaller and lighter in color than they're supposed to be.  (E.g., the pink hybrid teas are almost white.)

Our plans to go to Brookside Gardens  and then to The Comet (as seen on Drive-ins, Diners, and Dives) have been shelved for next week as the temps with heat indeces should be around 107° or higher.  We did go out this morning, wearing white, smeared in sunscreen, and sporting hats, to a local farmer's market and got some Japanese eggplant, white and yellow peaches, a few peppers, and short ribs.  While we were at the market, someone spotted a balde eagle circling overhead.  I had goose bumps (and in this weather that ain't no easy feat!).  What a diverse and healthy ecosystem we're blessed with in this community!  Four large, man-made lakes, Runningbrook Creek,  the Little Patuxent River, and acres and acres of protected open space have attracted a variety of wildlife, wading birds (like blue herons and egrets), and raptors --  now including eagles!  The small crowd of us stood looking skyward  for about five minutes -- too amazed to take a photo.  I'll be checking out the skies for days to come!

14 comments:

George said...

You're not alone in hunkering down during this weather. I've also noticed how small and light the rose blossoms are. Hopefully they will recover when cooler weather gets here. We haven't seen any eagles, however.

happyone said...

It certainly is another hot one. I even cut my walk down to 5 miles this morning.

Purple Flowers said...

This heat is bad for old and young alike. I was in the southern part of the state this weekend, and my g/f and I couldn't even sit on her lovely deck. We are practically hibernating.

How exciting it must have been to see a beautiful bald Eagle. Just fantastic. Did that sighting make up for the incredibly hight heat?
:)

Anonymous said...

Way too hot right now for man or beast.

Di

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

I'm so sorry you're having such a heat wave. What a blessing to see that bald eagle.

Sweet Virginia Breeze said...

That's a great idea to put up beach umbrellas to shade the plants. If mine weren't already cooked, I'd try it.

We're not planning any excursions until the days get below 100. I've noticed that traffic has been light. I guess everyone is staying inside.

I would love to see an eagle. I occasionally watched a web cam of a nest on Hornby Island. I was watching when the egg hatched, then checked back every so often as the eaglet grew. Unfortunately baby Phoenix died not long ago.

Lena said...

So cool to see a bald eagle.

It is still hot in CT, but not hitting 100. I stayed in all weekend with the a/c. Still rather have summer than winter any day.

Enjoy!

"Professor" M. said...

My roses didn't even blossom yet this year...the branches grew ridiculously, but not a bud to be seen! You write beautifully!

Kimberly said...

Oh wow! One of my older daughters moved on Saturday in all that heat. Those poor kids (because you know there wasn't a professional mover in sight!). We've been lucky here and actually chilly yesterday in the morning. Counting our blessings. Weatherwise, it sounds like we picked a good summer to miss on the Eastern Coast.

Gilly said...

The Eagle sounds wonderful! Are you sure he wasn't waiting to pounce on some unfortunate human who had died from the heat???

Good idea, shading your plants!

Cheryl said...

Oh, I'd love to see an eagle. I do get to see a hummingbird nest. It was great seeing you today. Too bad we couldn't finish our conversation. We'll have to make plans.

Rick Rockhill said...

Well I for one would like some photos!

cri said...

So sorry for your cat! I know how a person can soffer the a cat's death!
May I send you Pippo by mail?????
It's so sweet! You MUST come to Ancona !
Kisses, Cristina

Seth M. Ward said...

I remember once when I was in Northern VA. near Dulles we saw a Eagle and we stopped immediately. My Big Brother had binoculars in the glove compartment box and we took turns watching it fly. I know with out a doubt that if could come back as an animal it would be as an Eagle. :D Thanks for your most recent comment on my Last American Cowboy post. You made me smile.