Downy Woodpecker

downy woodpecker :: gkp :: july fourth two thousand seven

We went back to the land in Maine today to clear a path to the water.  We’d like to bring the kayak up there sometime - never mind actually use the land we pay a gazillion dollars in property tax for.

So anyhoo, have camera, will travel.  No sooner did we get out of the car, than I saw this little fellow.  We have (at least) one in Seabrook, too.  When he made his first appearance in our backyard, he created quite a ruckus. Just with his name alone— J and I reverted to Beavis and Butthead mode:  “Heh-heh.  You said wood.”

I’m tired but I still have to finish a take home exam and start some other homework.  That’s my exciting fourth.  Maybe if we’re lucky one of the neighbors will keep us awake all night (again) with their fireworks.  Have a happy and safe remainder of yours!

Road Trip!

We own a half acre of waterfront property in Shapleigh, ME.  The brush is not cleared out (yet), so J and I battled our way to the view. 

I think it was worth it.

Happy Father’s Day

Dad, I miss you more everyday.  There’s so much of my life you’re missing out on… and then I remember I wouldn’t have so much for you to miss out on if you were still alive.  Your life, and more importantly at this point in time, your death completely changed me.

You thought I was amazing in 2001… I wonder what you would think of me now.  I think you’d be proud - you guide my every move lately even if I don’t realize it at the time.

I love you D.O.D. I think you used the term jokingly, but you always were dear to me, you certainly were old and you were my dad…

That’s alright—I’m always going to be your son Tom and your Tammy Nickle.  I wouldn’t want to be anyone else.

I can’t say it enough—thank you so much for being such a force in my life.   

Love,
me

Ya gotta make this moment last…

gifted flowers :: backyard

In an odd kind of place lately. 

There’s much from my past that has been coming up in random spurts.  They’re like little memory landmines.  I’ll be thinking of something else entirely and then WHAM!  My subconscious will pop up and say “remember that time with the kangaroo, the platypus and the pink tutu?” 

At the same time, my future is looming large in front of me.  I’ve got all these great choices ahead of me… including the job of my dreams at the company of my dreams… and I’m so focused on getting to that point that I can’t embrace today.

I don’t know how to not be so focused on tomorrow and I don’t know why all these random things from my past are popping into my head lately.  Its not like today is terrible.  (Well, OK… this week at work has been incredibly insane. Where’s Nurse Ratched when you need her?  As we’ve been saying all week - the inmates are running the asylum.)

It’s really time to sit back and focus on taking the time to stop and smell the roses… or whatever that flower up there is.

Stop! Thief!

Our birdseed has been disappearing from the feeder at an alarming rate, and I’d been blaming the grackles for it.  They’re ALWAYS on the feeder and scaring the other birds away.  But Friday night, I spotted this little fella.  He climbed that pole so easily I know he’d done it before. 

Guess this means I’ll have to buy a squirrel feeder so he’ll stop using this one.  That’s a wicked cheap pole and it’s not in the ground particulary well (we’re on sand, so nothing really ‘sticks’ ).  He must be the reason its at a 45 degree angle now.  There’s no way the grackles are that heavy. 

I tried to be mad at him, but it wasn’t possible.  How could you be angry at a face like this?