Visitations

Lately, seemingly everywhere I go, I am seeing hawks. Small swift ones, large soaring ones, some up close, most far away.... in back of the house over the greenbelt, while driving. I'm beginning to think they must be my totem animal as they draw my eye more and more these last few years.

Yesterday morning I was standing in my boss's office talking with him and through the window behind him I saw one swoop between the branches and land in a tree outside. I said, ' Look John, we have a visitor.' He rose from his desk and raised the blinds to check out this Red-Tailed hawk sitting 30 feet beyond the window. The bird seemed to sense we were there, hopped about on the branch a few times to show his various sides and after about a minute made a jump and with a massive swoop of his wings was aloft and gone from sight. A big rugged looking character with tawny coloured feathers on his breast, darker brown on his back and deep umber tail feathers. John sat back at his desk and said,' I'm all covered in gooseflesh! That was amazing to see him so close! Did you invite him here to visit? He had a sense of familiarity about him.' I had to declaim any sort of responsibility but acknowledged I had enjoyed the visitation as well.

A few minutes later into the conversation John was speaking of a good friend who had passed away last week and he caught me looking back in the direction of where the hawk had been. John smiled and laughed, 'Do you suppose....??' 'I can't say John but perhaps he just dropped by to say goodbye, so long and see you later.' Who's to say? Not me.

Chillin'

Once I had all 'that' stuff out of the way yesterday I enjoyed a dinner I had thrown together, then some other tasty rib-sticking goodies and somehow managed to stay up until Lynda made it in from work. (There is a vegetable drink I've been enjoying lately - a blend of 10 veggies - made by 'Allen's'. One glass is never enough; have to have 2 or 3. I've been thinking it's be interesting to cook with too.) Then I was done, totally done after we'd had a quick check-in on our days. 10+ hours of blissful uninterrupted sleep - aahhh!! Hadn't had one like that in weeks and months.

When I eventually did get up it was a bit of a rush getting cleaned up in time to head off to a dentist appointment. I had planned to swing by the house I grew up in, the house Mom and Dad built there in the eastern suburbs of Toronto, but it had started snowing pretty heavily. Drat; and headed back to the highway and home. One of the hangover affects of doing all those hours is that along with being incredibly tired I'm awfully sore. Really sore; deep down achy to the point it is uncomfortable to even sit upright for any length of time. As a result I haven't accomplished as much on the home front as I would like but.... there is always tomorrow.

A few days ago I saw a hawk sailing about out in back of the house over the greenbelt area sporting his winter plumage. It was a terrifically gusty day and he was wheeling and swooping along looking like he was thoroughly enjoying himself. Looked like an out-of-control kite up there but in a regal, superior sort of way.

Last night about 9 p.m. I heard a coyote's wavering call out back. We have heard it before on occasion but that sound never fails but to give me the 'willys'. The theory is that they're driven down this far south by persistent cold but I have no proof of that. All I know is that when I hear them I don't walk outdoors at night and I keep a close eye on the pets.

Lynda has been agitating to get things arranged and sorted out around here and I don't blame her. My stuff is still boxed (mainly) taking up room in the spare bedroom on the main floor and a good portion of a basement room. Problem is that I left the furniture items that held my stuff back at the townhouse where it is all being used. So, that's one project for tomorrow besides all the running around I have planned. Get a start on unpacking and arranging. Get the Bose system out and set up - I don't think I'll do the full surround set-up; just the centre channel and left & right speakers. I've lived music-less for long enough. Completely miss my tunes.

That should account for more than a few of my '50 Goals'. Stop dithering; get on with it.

Work Week Wrap-up

Every couple of months we have one of these weeks where I do my regular shift - 7 nights in a row; average 10.5 hours a night - and Lynda rotates into an afternoon shift that crops up every 5 or 6 weeks. We shared a precious half hour tonight when she arrived home just as I was about to leave for work. It was the first time we'd seen each other since I left to come to work last Sunday night.

What an elixir a simple conversation can be!! Much of it was details; the kitchen goings-on, what the boys are up to, how her day had been. Then Lynda launched into an account of a hawk sighting one day on her way to work. Not just one, but 50-60 of them migrating to the south-east. (I'd pulled her out of the house a couple of weeks ago to see a group of 25 or so lazily making their way.) As she spoke she became more animated in gesture, more expressive of face, eyes sparkling, laughing as she told me how she'd almost ditched the car watching them through the sunroof.

And I'm thinking, God I love this woman. We need more of these moments.........standing in the driveway, just talking.
What can I say? She completes me - yin to my yang. I'd like to pick her up, put her in my pocket and take her wherever I go.



Hmmm.....had a moment there. 'Work week'? Yes, I'm off for a week, although I'm on call for relief shifts. I imagine I'll likely attempt the painting and I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to go about it. A) Do all the cutting in with the brush, then roller everything or B) Do the portions where the pantry and appliances sit and work from there. Hmmm... important to have a plan; and plan to improvise.

It's going to be a busy week. My home group, Grace Group meets Monday night and I've agreed to go to another meeting Wednesday with a new sponsee. Friday we're going to a party honoring the birthday of a late friend of ours. Saturday evening I'm doing a shift on the phones at the local AA offices with another of my sponsees.

I had a nice email update from my daughter Sarah tonight(she lives in Vancouver). She's one busy young lady but mainly she's in looooove!! With Daniel!! Talking marriage & babies (eventually) Oh my!! Grampa Norm!! Please don't hurry on my account, honey!!

Must do a tour of the residence and check on my charges. . . . Later.