What Does This Mean?

Take a look at some behavior that I've had lately, how I've started to view the world, then myself and tell me what you think this all might mean?

Example 1) A few months ago, I saw hundreds of crows sitting atop the trees right next to the Home Depot parking lot.  I find myself drawn to their crow caws, lured in by their acrobatic loop flying.  I pull into the parking lot, park in a prime location to view the ruckus created by these black winged birds.  I grab my handy binoculars (yes, this too has some type of meaning) from their storage compartment in my car, that I keep in my car, and watch these social creatures, making mental notes of their behavior, location, beak length, body size, and tail, spending nearly an hour mentally logging this along with their social roosting behavior.


Example 2) I have my daily 'date' with a Northern Harrier.  At about 1:00 each day I find myself long fully looking out the window of my office, searching for her side to side swoop as she hunts for field mice. On the days that she fails to show, I'm seriously bummed.

Starling on a wire 
http://www.flickr.com/photos
/mauricewoodworth/2835395156/

Example 3)  During the early fall of last year, I saw hundreds of little birds (I think they were starlings) sitting in a row on a telephone wire.  I'm driving by myself when I exclaim out loud, "look at how cool that looks. They are all spaced exactly the same distance from each other, I wonder what kind of internal mechanism makes these birds sync so well with each other."  Now mind you, I'm alone in the car.  Who do I think is going to answer me?  The birds??

Example 4)  While on my trail runs, I will quite often search the tree tops, top of poles, or cliffs rather then looking at the twisting, turning, root and rock bound ground (yes, this is how my recent foot stress fracture happened - stepping on a rock wrong).  When I find a bird, I quickly try to identify it before it flies away.  At times when I am graced by a hawk soaring overhead, I will stop dead in my tracks, and watch the magnificent winged beauty soar until it's out of sight.  In the mean time, my dog is yards ahead of me looking back in wonder as to when I'm going to start moving - I look at my dog and say, 'Only when this magnificent creature above is out of view'.

Siskin
http://curiousanimals.net/
birds/siskins-singing-birds-profile-and-facts/

Example 5) The other morning I awoke to the chorus of hundreds of tiny song birds out my windows. I know they were singing to me, thanking me for the food I place out for them.  I layed in bed enjoying their tweets, and thinking that I couldn't think of a better way to wake up then to the sound of happy little birdies.  I wrapped my self in my comforter and allowed my self to be lulled back to sleep by the calming vocals of these locals.

Example 6) During this past winter, I was getting ready to turn down my road, when I notice this winged creature, start to stoop after it's prey from the top of a power line.  It's wings sleeked back, talons down and out, ready to grab the unknown prey.  I suddenly come to a stop on the side of the road and exclaim out loud, "I think I've just spotted my first Rough Legged Hawk on my home territory!"  I grab my binoculars (yeah, they are still in my car) and watch this hawk pull up from the ground, talons empty, and land on a farmer's sprinkler system.  I watch this hawk for several minutes, before continuing the quarter of a mile home.  As soon as reasonably possible I grab my bird books (yes, I own 4) and sit down to make sure I really saw a Roughie.

Rough Legged Hawk
http://birdsofessex.
blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html

I sit there with my bird books spread open before me, comparing the Red Tail to the Rough Legged Hawk.  Awe-struck at the sight of this breath-taking creature, wishing I would have taken a closer look at it's legs.  For if  I would have I would've noticed feathers that ran all the way down it's leg's creating downy like leg warmers. Instead I concentrated on it's wings, looking at the darker upper 'elbow' region (please forgive me my ornithologists for not remembering the scientific name of that location on a bird). After much looking, I've confirmed that I really did identify a Roughie.

After confirming my identification, I got so excited, wanting to shout out loud, in a wave of unrecognizable noises that would have gone something like; wahooo, whoop , whoopee.  I however, refrained since the inhabitants that also reside in this house (also known as my hubby and daughter), would have no freakin' idea what was going on and would consider having me locked up!

Here's where I start putting 2 and 2 together - admitting to myself that: If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it must be a duck.

So after reading the examples above from this past year, I agree and fully accept that I'm turning into a self proclaimed BIRD NERD and I love it!  Birds are everywhere, they grace those who look for beauty in the everyday, for those who appreciate their awe, and to those who take a moment to look around, to them they are numerous and yet not enough.

Masters of Wind and Air - Winged Birds - I love 'em.

Jane? Who? Me? Runner?

So today's form of athletic 'inspiration' came from Active.com's facebook page: "You must begin to think of yourself as ... the person you want to be." - David Viscott.

I read this as on a December day that feels more like March.  Yet, unlike March, there's no wind to bring down the temp.  The sun is hidden behind a cooling veil of clouds, which helps keep the temperature a perfect running 49 degrees.  Mother Nature has lined up everything for the perfect running day. 

I walked outside to get the mail, mentally tallying everything that will make today the best day back to running (after some healing time for a tendon flair).  While I walk out to the mailbox, my zealous mind has already created the perfect run: I've already ran 6 miles along a tree lined single track trail.  My dogs following.  I could feel their fur rub against my calf, their tongues lopping to the side, their eyes focused ahead anticipating the next turn of the trail.  It was perfect!  As I walk back from the mailbox, I had convinced myself that this mental trail run surely did happen.  I was so close, close to the elusive "Runner's High". 

Oh, that Runner's High is magnificent! I turn into Super Woman.  I become everything my mind says I am.  I'm invincible, I can leap over buildings (or logs) in a single bound, I run faster then Paula Radcliffe, (a 2:15 marathoner).  No mountain can make me huff as I run up it.   The runner's high is like the musician Muse; elusive, coming and going, just out of reach, sometimes allowing me to catch it - just for a moment - never staying long enough. 

I leap up the front steps, still grasping for the coat tails of Jane (that's what I'll call her - Jane, my Runner's High).  When suddenly I feel the churning reminder of an ankle not yet ready for running.  I stop at the top of the stairs (which is only 3 steps), and watch Jane - as she keeps running, taunting me, haunting me until the day I can catch her.

So here I sit, waiting for Pilate's to start, mourning the loss of my perfect December run and my elusive Jane.  Wondering if this still makes me a runner?    

My ankle had been feeling great, or so I thought...

Having Some Kick-Ass Focus

My light bulb of life ideas

So I've been spending my 2 week siesta from work answering some life questions from Life Coach Andrea Owen of Your Kick-Ass Life.  Andrea sends me daily emails to help me discover the answers to my life passion, why I'm not aren't pursuing them, and what I can do to get over my fear and truly have a Kick-Ass Life. 

Part of what I needed to do was to really narrow and focus my life into smaller bite size meaningful bits.  As a general rule,  I'm full of grandiose save-the-world ideas.  How realistic and meaningful are they when they are so grand?  With such grand ideas, the carrying out of them  becomes such a chore, which is not so great at all. 

I've taken some time, narrowed down and focused my passions a bit.  Andrea teaches that if you want it, you also have to write it, picture it, be open to the forces of the universe, and be willing to make choices presented to you that will make people think you're crazy. 

To kick my Kick-Ass life into gear, I have listed my list of Big Ideas (also know as a bucket list - or items that I'd like to do before I die) here. 

If you want to kick start Your Kick-Ass life, you too can sign up for her free "21 Tips and Tools for a Kick-Ass Life: No bullshi*t Included" just like I did.  To sign up click here, and then register on the middle right side of her website.

Here's to having a Kick-Ass Life
Christel