Tag: Old Ones

Opanella Stays Warm Under Our Shed

She’s cute and she’s quite the homemaker.

Opanella is small by Opossum standards for this time of year (this video is from the first day of Winter 2019). Last days of Fall, first days of Winter, opossum need to be beefy and bulky, better able to withstand the cold, coming months.

You’ll notice Opanella is neither. Petite, one might say. We first noticed her trundling under our porch. A few years back an elderly opossum decided to pass over there. Had a devil of a time getting his remains out.

So seeing Opanella’s interest there, we blocked her access.

Undaunted, she cast her tiny-eyed gaze on our shed.

Yep, that’s where she’d homesteading now.

Less of a concern, this. She’s well protected and it’s much easier to lift a shed than a porch.

As with all who bless us with their company, we make sure she has something good to eat.

‘Night, all.

 

Turkeys, NPR, and Morning Coffee

Who would have thought Turkeys would enjoy listening to NPR in the morning, or sharing a wake-up cup of coffee with an old friend?

This video is from almost two months back. We have more recent Turkeyings. Probably get to them about two months hence.

Often a few turkey will come to our windows, peer in, look back and forth as Susan and I sharing a morning croissant.

“Is that a ham and cheese?” one gobbles. Another gobbles, “Is that a blueberry?” and another “Is that a cherry?”

Well, first thing, if it were any of those we wouldn’t share.

Okay, we would, but only because the Turkey guard our backwoods furiously and we appreciate their diligence.

You haven’t lived until you’ve ducked from a wild turkey flying overhead.

Enjoy.

 

Asis Likes Opera (and he owns the yard)

It’s wonderful when you share joys with your neighbors.

One of my joys is music. Can’t get enough and there’s not much I don’t like. Or at least recognize cultural value in.

I noticed Asis the Hawk a’bobbin and a’weavin’ to some classic tunes.

Opera.

I enjoy a good opera. A good Gilbert and Sullivan.

Evidently Asis does, too.

Enjoy.

 

Discussions with Asis the Hawk

Picking up from last week’s Abis the Hawk, we continue our daily hawking.

This time with a male, Asis.

Asis spends much time in our trees, observing.

I wonder if he remembers being a tyrannosaur? Of feeling the blood to lesser behemoths flow down his sides, of hearing their death cries as his mighty raptorous teeth ripped from them hunks of flesh the size of buffalo.

You’ll note that Asis is not camera shy.

Even preens.

Says, “Go ahead, take your shot. I’ll put on a show for you.”

What a glorious lad.

 

Abis the Hawk

We are seeing more hawks this season than usual.

Meaning, we are aware of more hawks. It could be the same number as always, we’re simply recognizing them.

Doubtful, that.

If we’re blithely ignorant, other Old Ones are not. Most birds and small mammals scatter, hide. Except for turkeys who won’t scatter, instead cloistering to protect their young.

Abis is new to us. I didn’t know her name at first. Took a few encounters before she’d share.

Hawks tend to be guarded creatures. Not wary so much as watchful, waiting, wanting to make sure things are safe. For them.

Most predators are that way, wanting to make sure things are safe for them before they act.

I can’t imagine it’s a happy existence, being a predator. The Laws of Equilibrium dictate that if you are a predator then you must be something else’s prey. Even apex predators are prey, although their nemeses are often the tiniest of things (think HG Wells’ The War of the Worlds), those and old age, death, who comes to us all at some point in time.

But then, as Borges said, “To be immortal is commonplace; except for man, all creatures are immortal, for they are ignorant of death.”