Black bear eating from my apple tree, August night, 2012

Monday, May 23, 2011

Monday: The Pleasant Valley Report

What a great weekend!  After days of rain, clouds, and wind, the sun came out in earnest just in time for lunch on Saturday. Some friends joined us for backyard birdwatching and general tomfoolery. It was so nice to take layers of clothing off instead of putting them on. Sunday was absolutely delightful and almost hot. Our church was packed (people wanting to get out of the house?) so it was nice to talk to many people I haven't seen in weeks. And on Sunday afternoon I had book club, where I was treated to fabulous food and discussion, and I was able to find homes for a dozen heirloom tomato plants.

Just an interesting anecdote. On Saturday AM as I was driving to the gym, I saw a bunch of cars and gawkers on the side of the road. Knowing we'd had mountain lion sightings recently, I pulled over to see what people were looking at. Out in a horse pasture, a handful of turkey vultures were each perched on a post along the horse fence. Their wings were outstretched and they were facing directly into a strong sunbeam to dry them. Turkey vultures do this after a rainy couple of days, and I've seen them on this stretch of road before, but this incident was especially striking. The sunlight was breaking through dramatic clouds, a mist was rising in the warming grass, and the birds' wings seemed surrounded by a golden aura. One of the men who had pulled over to look spoke broken English, but was referring to the fact that the birds looked like crucifixes. This of course, on "Rapture Day." I wish I'd had my camera.

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