Christmas in May

I've been having fun with my new iPod. I got it a few weeks ago but it was only last Friday that I was able to outfit it for its primary purpose, in-the-field bird identification. On Friday night I installed bird calls onto it for pretty much every North American species that sings, squawks, chirps or tweets. Now, whenever I go birding, if I hear something I don't recognize, I can take a wild shot chirp in the dark at identifying the bird by its song by listening to likely 'suspect' birds on my iPod.

The bird songs I installed are from the Eastern & Western Stokes Field Guide to Bird Song. I used BirdPod Maker software to tweek and arranged the Stokes guide. The BirdPod Maker helps the iPod list the various bird songs by habitat, eastern or western half of the continent, etc.
The Stokes bird song guides were reasonably priced but the BirdPod program was UBER expensive!

Know what I keep my iPod stuff in? A small beaded tan deerskin pouch with a fringe of tin jingles that I made a long time ago - the two together are a perfect mix of my love of the old and new stuff.

Speaking of stuff, about a week ago I received a check and some settlement papers and a chart from State Farm Insurance concerning the theft of my 'stuff' in March, two months ago to the day March. The Statefarm chart listed my stolen items. Each item had its own row with fourteen additional columns of numbers - none of which made any sense whatsoever to me. I am not stupid, but honestly, Clarence Darrel wasn't good enough of a lawyer to figure out the meaning of the chart.

So last night I called the State Farm offices and asked WTF? The explanation from the agent made perfect logical sense and there is NO way I could have discerned as much from reading the damned charts or its accompanying letter. I told the insurance agent they ought to hire people who speak English and can convey information so people can read and understand the chart. Honestly, if that letter & chart were an assignment in an English class the writer would have earned an F for reader comprehension.

The upshot of the letter is let's say my stolen spotting scope had a value of $1,000 dollars in the first column. The policy paid directly to me $500 for the scope. I could, if I wanted, take the $500 and that is that. But as I want a replacement spotting scope I am short $500 for replacement. So what I will do is purchase my $1,000 spotting scope and turn over its receipt for to State Farm who then will dish out a check to me for the outstanding $500.

Now why the heck didn't the letter just say that?

So, now if I like I can go on a shopping spree to replace the remainder of my stolen stuff. The shopping to replace all the stolen stuff is rather like some bizarre sort of Christmas.

Beautiful Horses, Just for Me

Today I received a new gift from a former co-worker who with his wife went to China and they brought me back an entire herd of horses! Aren't these spectacular terra cotta steeds spectacular? I am in love with them! A spirited lot, these steeds look ready to gallop across the Mongolian plains.

Terra Cotta Horses of Xi'an

Whenever friends of mine go on vacation, my one request is 'bring me back a horse'. That's not too much to ask is it? I asked Don, who is on his way to Arkansas/Tennessee to bring me back a horse and he wanted to know if I wanted a figurine. I reminded him that he already brought me back a horse once before - a lovely photo of a horse with a cart from Ireland.

I always request friends bring back a photo of a horse they take themselves. It all started when a co-worker was on her way to her first trip to London and she asked what I would like for her to bring back as a present for me; she knew I adore London though have not ever been there. I did not want to hamper her trip looking for something or me or dragging the extra weight around so I asked her to bring me back something totally British that cost a dollar or less (I was not thinking pounds). She returned from her trip with a Sunday London Times for me! The following Sunday morning I had a delightful morning drinking tea and reading the Times. *heaven*

I thought that was brilliant & decided that was the way to go when friends travel. I decided to ask anyone traveling to bring me back a horse photo - easy to accomplish and easy on luggage weight.

I now own a lovely digital herd of beauties from around the globe which includes a chestnut thoroughbred on a Jamaican beach, fragil white ponies in Tibet, horses on a green sloping hill in Peru, a Maui quarter horse, a cute white donkey in Nevada, and last but not least; the Queen of England in her open carriage drawn by Cleveland Browns (a breed of horse, not a baseball team). I love my herd of international equine beauties.

Icelandic Ponies

I Was Ready For My Shot Mr DeMille!

I was at a docent meeting and I ran into Diane R. who I haven't seen in ages. I told her I haven't seen her in donkey's years; she said she saw me on television. GAK! Did EVERYONE on the planet see me on that news clip other than me? I WANNA see the news clip dang it! I even got an Easter card from Sheep Nancy (whom I haven't seen in two donkey's ages) and she said she saw me on the news too.

last February a news crew was in Yolo searching for the Snowy Owl that was no-more. They were bored enough to film me - the MOOSE in the Northern Exposure style parka stalking up and down some shrubbery photographing a rogue ovenbird. I had no idea I was being filmed until I got to work the next day and I was told by the everyoneandhisdog they saw me on tv. Now here it is more than three months later and I'm still being spotted. I can't imagine the shots showed my face because I had the camera glued to my eyeball most of the time. So I imagine it was my oh-so-delicate frame everyone recognized.

Only bugs me because I DIDN'T GET TO SEE MYSELF ON TV AND EVERYONE ELSE DID!

Where do I file a complaint?

The Ovenbird who apparently was ready for its shot too