Are We Ready?

At the Household of No, we are less than two weeks away from The Departure. The Teenager, who is now The College Student, is starting to get her things together for Residence Hall move-in day.  I'm waiting for August 1, when I will be sending a large payment to an institution of higher education.  The Son of Never Stops Eating is no doubt in late-stage development with his evil plans for the takeover of The College Student's real estate. I've explained to him that although I know he covets that space, it's spoken for; however, he is an optimistic thinker with a strong desire for a personal Lego Studio.

I thought maybe I was ready for all this to happen, but a few weeks ago The College Student announced that she and two of her besties were planning a road trip, and she wanted to know if it was okay with us. They had even drawn out a detailed itinerary and a list of expenses; any one of them would probably make a fine project manager in a few years.

Ummm, sure, I said.  It sounds like fun.  What my Mom Brain was saying (ok, screaming) was "No! I don't want you to go! Stay here where I can see you! There are crazy people out there!". My imagination started to work overtime on all the "What could possibly go wrong" scenarios at which it excels, particularly when the offspring are involved. It occurred to me that in less than a month she was going to be several hundred miles away from home doing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted to do it, and I wouldn't even know, unless funding was requested at some point from the Bank of Mom.  I was prepared for people to say "What? Are you crazy?" or tell me that I was being an irresponsible parent, but no one did.  Mostly people said "Wow, that sounds like fun!" or "I went on a road trip after my senior year of high school and we had a great time!".  One of my friends did ask me, "Are you nervous about this?".

Yes. Yes, I was. I was very nervous.  I couldn't even write about it because I was afraid that I'd say "I know everything will be fine!" and then two hours later I'd find out that everything was not fine.  However, all three returned home safe, if a bit tired.  As far as I know, there were no unmanageable disasters, encounters with law enforcement agencies, visits to the emergency room, or calls to insurance companies.

While the three besties were on their road trip, the Son of Never Stops Eating and the Dad of No were on a weekend trip because the Son of Never Stops Eating had a swim meet.  This meant that I was home by myself.  This almost never happens; someone besides me is always here.  When I got home from work on Friday night, the house was quiet.  The family mutt was laying on the daybed in the sunroom, sulking.  She looked up at me with a disdainful expression that said "Oh, it's just you, the not-treat-giving human", put her head back down, and sighed.

It was really quiet in the house.  It occurred to me that this kind of thing might start happening more often.  I enjoyed the quiet but it was also a little lonely, especially since the dog was giving me the cold shoulder even when I opened the cheese drawer just to see if that would lure her over to my side. I kept expecting a "Mom!" or a "MOM!" or a "MOOOMMMMMMM!" but it was just me, one sulky dog, and one anti-social hamster.

I'm honestly not sure if the College Student thinks she's ready or not; if anything, I'd guess that she's excited and nervous at the same time, which is how I would probably feel about moving to a new state to go to college, knowing that you don't really know anyone there (yet).  I want to think I'm ready for all this to happen, but I'm not.  I keep thinking of all these things that we still need to do, or that I need to tell her.  As the towels and the sheets for the dorm room bed and the other college paraphernalia start piling up in the sunroom in preparation to be packed in the car, and I watch the tuition and the meal plan and the student fees and the residence hall fees and the textbook charges being posted to her university bill, my Mom Brain keeps saying 'Not yet! I wasn't planning on this happening so fast! I need some do-overs on some things!".

Is she ready? Probably.  Am I ready? No. Is it going to happen anyway? Yes, it is. It will be an adventure into the great unknown.  Thirteen days and counting.  Ready or not, here we go.

The Marsh Project Week #29

My project was complicated this week by extreme heat.  Evidently something called a "heat dome" settled upon my area, and the temperature went up well past the "boiling water" stage.  People were trying to bake things in their cars to see what would happen.  It was hot.  It was really, really hot. I avoided the trail for a few days because it was so hot, and then I just had to get out there- not for a long time, just a brief foray into the woods to see what the critters were up to.  The dragonflies were flying around just fine; I could hear birds but for the most part they seemed to be laying low. 

Here are some hot tips for you: if you are thinking about going out into nature, and it's not just hot but HOT HOT HOT- (1) think twice and then think again before venturing on the trails; (2) bring plenty of water (3) wet down some bandannas, put them in little plastic bags, store them in the refrigerator overnight, and before going outside, put them in a little cooler along with more water. When you put one of those chilled bandannas around your neck or your head, it feels so good. I took one out of the cooler and put it in my backpack; when I took it out 30 minutes later, it was still wet but not cold.  It still felt good. 

Despite the heat, I did have several great sightings, including a common five-lined skink climbing up a tree. I had heard something rustling around in the dead leaves on the ground, and just as I was thinking it must not have been anything, I saw the skink start climbing.  If I had looked away, I would have missed it:

I thought that I would see no snakes, but as I was observing a dragonfly flying around a branch and waiting to see if it would settle, I looked down and found this cottonmouth cooling off in the stream. 

 

Finally, my walking paid off, because I got to see a dragonfly I don't see very often: a swift river cruiser.  It was almost time to go back to the parking lot, and as often happens, the good finds start right before the park closing time.  

The "heat dome" seems to have backed off a bit; tomorrow, the weather forecast is for somewhat lower temperatures- meaning just hot, not bake your skin off when you step outside hot. 

Seen on the trails: Yellow-crowned night heron, painted bunting, Carolina chickadee, great blue heron, green heron, little blue heron, great egret, scissor-tailed flycatcher, Western kingbird, Carolina wren, great blue skimmer, Eastern pondhawk, regal darner, swamp darner, slaty skimmer, neon skimmer, widow skimmer, Eastern ringtail, swift river cruiser, cobra clubtail, black saddlebags, queen butterfly, several raccoons. 

Fun With Learning About Money

Recently, I got the Son of Never Stops Eating a debit card.  I figured it was time for him to start learning how to manage his money on a debit card, since no one carries cash anymore, and it would be a useful life skill.  Before we actually acquired the plastic rectangle, I sat down with him and explained that just because you have a debit card, that doesn't necessarily mean you have enough money to buy your heart's desires, like a large banana snow cone or a Simpsons Lego Set.

Mom, I know what to do, he told me, rolling his eyes. I know the rules. If I don't have any money in my account, I can't buy anything. And I won't lose it. And I won't give it to my sister or anyone else except you because you're my mom.

OK. It appeared that we had the basics down.

So we went and set up the account. Then we had to wait for the debit card to arrive, and the waiting was excruciating.  I hadn't thought he'd be that excited about having a debit card, but apparently I'd misjudged the situation because he was really looking forward to it, which made me start to wonder if he'd really understood the whole "just because you have a debit card, that doesn't mean you actually have money" thing.

After it arrived, I quickly realized that I hadn't completely thought this process through. For one thing, he now wanted to know the balance on his debit card every time we left the house. Since he doesn't have a smartphone, he couldn't check it on his mobile device. Mental note: maybe it's time to get him a phone that does more than call and text.

Then we went to church and heard a sermon about God and love and how we need to love other people. I wasn't really sure if The Son of Never Stops Eating was listening or not; at one point he had leaned over and told me that Marge Simpson gets cranky because the other people in the Simpsons family don't like to go to church, especially Homer, and Homer sleeps a lot in church just like the Grandpa of No, and that he wanted to be sure that I noticed that he was not being like Bart; he was actually being good and not playing tricks on the other churchgoers or plotting evil deeds.

We needed to buy hamster bedding, so after church we went over to the pet store.  I had put some money on the debit card, so I told the Son of Never Stops Eating that he could practice using his debit card by buying the hamster bedding. All of a sudden he was worried about how much it would cost; apparently once the money left my account and went into his it became a much more valuable commodity.

Don't worry, I told him.  You have enough to buy the bedding.

So we picked out the bedding, and proceeded to the checkout line, and the sweet cashier rang it up and then asked him if he'd like to donate money to homeless pets.  He hadn't anticipated that question so he looked a bit confused as to what to do next.

You don't have to donate, I told him. It's okay if you don't. They ask everyone that question.

But Mom, he said, God wants us to help other people and love other people and animals too.

So then I felt like a horrible person, because I always say no when cashiers ask me if I want to donate to charity, and also because I'd spent the last hour assuming that he was thinking about the Simpsons and what Lego kit he was going to buy next when apparently he'd actually been paying attention to the sermon.  Then the Son of Never Stops Eating found out the minimum donation was $2, and that was going to seriously cut into his remaining funds.  He looked stricken.  The cashier then offered a compromise: he could round up to the next whole dollar amount, so he was still helping homeless pets, but he didn't have to spend all his money.

When we got back in the car, I emphasized that he didn't have to donate every time someone asked him if he wanted to, although he could if he wanted- but he needed to be sure that he had enough money to buy what he needed to buy.  I know, I know, he said; you aren't made of money. Maybe your boss should pay you more and then you'd have more money. I laughed at that.  If only it were that easy.

But Mom, don't you want me to help homeless pets? he asked. They're so cute! and then a few minutes later, Do I have enough money on my debit card to go buy a snow cone?

So we are going to keep working on this debit card skill.  I know he'll get it eventually; he's motivated.  I'm just wondering how much money I'll be indirectly donating to homeless pets.

The Marsh Project Week #28

We are halfway through July, and the heat continues.  In four weeks, I'll be headed out of state with the Teenager as she officially becomes The College Student (I'm undecided as to if I'll continue to call her The Teenager, or change it to The College Student or The Young Adult. Hmmm. Decisions). Since we'll be headed north, it will be slightly cooler at our destination- a break from the heat will be nice, but I'll probably still cry after I leave my baby girl all alone in a strange place to fend for herself.  Anyway, I'm still hiking in the heat because I am obsessed with nature, and even though it's hot there's still plenty to see out there. Yes, I am bringing plenty of water. Yes, I have a hat.  

Yesterday evening, I had one of the cutest experiences I've had out on the trail.  My kids love raccoons (they call them "trash pandas") and the rest of the Household of No seems to feel that a pet trash panda would be an outstanding addition to our family. I don't think this is a good idea for many reasons.  Anyway, I digress.  As I was turning off the boardwalk to head back to my car, I first heard a strange "cooing" sound, and then I saw two small raccoons chasing each other through the vegetation.  If they ever noticed I was there, they didn't seem fazed by it.  I tried to get some good photos but alas, they never stopped moving and I am just not that good at taking photos of moving critters.  I need them to stand still. I did get one photo in which you can actually tell that there are two raccoons. 

I could also tell that I wasn't the only one on the trail feeling the heat; as I got closer to my car, I saw a great blue heron trying to cool off by gular fluttering (opening its beak and fluttering its neck muscles) and opening its wings.  I was astonished as to how close I was able to get to this heron; apparently it was really involved in cooling off and didn't sense that the crazy bird lady with the camera was any kind of threat.  Blue herons are common here; I see at least one almost every time I hike this trail (which means that I see one almost every day) but they really are beautiful, elegant birds.  

On the marsh itself, I haven't seen a whole lot other than the usual green tree frogs, red-winged blackbirds, slaty skimmers, jade clubtails, and great blue skimmers.  With all the lily pads, it's hard to see anything lurking underneath, although the occasional green heron will jump out, startled, and fly off.  The lily pads look more brown and frayed every time I walk down the boardwalk to the high blind.  I did see a raccoon pop out its head a few days ago; as soon as it observed me coming its way, it took off.  I hear birds, but I don't see the birds.

Seen on the trails: lots and lots of dragonflies: great blue skimmers, jade clubtails, slaty skimmers, neon skimmers, eastern pondhawks, roseate skimmers, swamp darners, regal darner, swift river cruiser, widow skimmer, cobra clubtail, band-winged dragonet, Comanche skimmer.  This has not been a good year for butterflies; a red-spotted purple, a viceroy, a common buckeye. The anhinga continues to hang out, plus the great blue herons, snowy egrets, great egrets, Western kingbird, Eastern phoebe, indigo bunting, Northern cardinal, a solitary sandpiper.  Green tree frogs at the high blind, and armadillos and raccoons. 

 

The Marsh Project Week #27

It's been awhile since we've had any serious rain, and the trail vegetation is starting to look a little wilted and stressed. One of the ponds is starting to dry up, and it's become a haven for wading birds and raccoons looking for an easy meal; one night this past week, I saw four raccoons in one area, all busy wading through the muck and remaining water.  The lily pads by my blind are also looking a bit brown. The dragonflies, which were swarming and plentiful last week, seemed to have diminished in number- although there are still plenty of Eastern pondhawks, slaty skimmers, and common whitetails, I'm not seeing as much of a variety. 

I have a running joke with a hiking friend about how the birds need to come and sit on branches near us so that we can easily take great photos of them.  The birds almost never comply with this wish; if anything, they seem to move even further away in an effort to thwart our attempts at great bird photography. On rare occasions, though, a bird will land right in front of me.  It happened recently with this gorgeous green heron.  As I was walking down the boardwalk to the blind, it startled and then flew up- onto the branch of a tree right in front of me.  Even better, at least for my efforts, the branch had no foliage.  Thank you, green heron.  

I also have a mystery find.  For the last month or so, when I start walking on the trail, I've noticed these very large butterfly/moths flying down the trail.  The wings are much larger than those of a Eastern tiger swallowtail, and it is black.  Early this morning, one finally settled on the ground and I got a somewhat not-blurry photo of it.  I think it's a moth, but I can't find anything similar to it on the iNaturalist projects I belong to.  The photo isn't that good, so it may have to go ID-less until I can get a better one, if I ever manage it. 

The sad underwing moths have returned.  These moths always make their first appearance around the beginning of July, and to me they signify a transition- while we still have several weeks of summer ahead, the first six months of the year are over.  School supplies will start to appear in stores (if they haven't already), the high school marching band will soon begin practicing its Fall 2018 show (without The Teenager, this year) and at the Household of No, logistical planning for dorm room needs is underway.  The Son of Never Stops Eating asked me once why they're called "sad"; the answer is that I don't know.  They are exceptionally good at camouflage; you have to look at a tree for several moments to pick them out against the patterns of the tree bark. 

Seen on the trails: Sad underwing moth, slaty skimmer, Eastern pondhawk, Eastern ringtail, Comanche skimmer, spot-winged glider, widow skimmer, sulfur-tipped clubtail, cobra clubtail, four-striped leaftail, red-spotted purple, hackberry emperor, viceroy, cottonmouth snake, diamondback watersnake, pond slider turtle, Indigo bunting, painted bunting, Carolina chickadee, Carolina wren, Northern cardinal, White ibis, blue heron, green heron, great blue heron, snowy egret, great egret, red-shouldered hawk, Eastern phoebe, raccoon, armadillo. 

The Marsh Project Week #26

With week #26, I'm halfway through my year long experiment.  When I started about six months ago, it certainly wasn't over 100 degrees outside, and I was seeing mostly birds with an occasional turtle or snake on a warm day.  Now it's all about the dragonflies, with a sprinkling of birds (they're harder to see with all the foliage), mammals, butterflies, snakes and frogs.  The lily pads in the pond are ever expanding; it seems like it's been weeks since there's been a good rain, and it's hot. Did I mention it was hot? I have a hat, bug spray, a bandana (for the sweat), sunscreen and plenty of water.  It's not just hot, it's brutally hot.  It's been a rough, hard week; the heat isn't going to stop me- at least, not yet.  Talk to me again in August about that. 

However, today was the first sighting of a common visitor last summer: the anhinga.  Last summer, there were three of them, which I sighted on a regular basis for several weeks and then they disappeared.  Today, an anhinga made its first appearance of 2018 on one of the ponds, and I was happy to see it.  While I was sitting at the blind, several green herons flew up out of the vegetation, but none seemed interested in coming to see me even though there was a great tree with branches right near me. 

I also found a dragonfly I've only seen out here once before, a four-striped leaftail.  Dragonflies are swarming all along the portion of the trail that goes along the river and at the trailhead; I have no idea how to capture it in a photo, if that could even be done.  Like lightning bugs, which I hardly ever see anymore, dragonflies swarming equals summer.  When one or two finally decide to settle on a branch or a leaf, the gold on the bodies of the spot-winged gliders and the wandering gliders glistens like gold in the sunlight.  For a brief moment I feel like a kid again, running barefoot in the grass around my grandmother's house.  

I had another exciting find- a few days ago, a summer tanager popped out of the trees just as I was headed back up to the parking lot.  He was willing to hang out with me for a few minutes, perched on a branch, as I took several photos.  Eventually we both realized we had other things to do (like go home, rehydrate, and eat dinner, in my case) and he flew off.  

Spotted on the trail: Wandering gliders, spot-winged glider, jade clubtail, widow skimmer, comanche skimmers, great blue skimmer, slaty skimmer, Eastern pondhawk, cobra clubtail, neon skimmer, swamp darner, raccoon, armadillo, painted bunting, indigo bunting, anhinga, summer tanager, northern cardinal, Carolina chickadee, little blue heron, green heron, great blue heron, great egret, cattle egret, snowy egret, sad underwing moth, green tree frog, broad-banded water snakes, queen butterfly, viceroy butterfly, question mark butterfly, funereal duskywing.