CONTEMPLATING MY BELLYBUTTON

“Contemplating My Bellybutton,” is a phrase my boss used to use while just sitting and staring ahead as I walked into his office ready to take dictation with steno book and pencil in hand.  These were the days when I used to work in aerospace.  He was the Manager of about 13 engineers in the Marketing Department.  We had so much fun.  He was funny, and strangely enough, the Engineers were funny too.  Engineers are notably boring, geeky type of guys.

As the rain continues to pour down here for the past week and for several more weeks to come, anticipated by all of the local forecasters, I am “contemplating my bellybutton” and planning my first wildflower expedition.  Already the daffodils are blooming and the trees are budding, with bees trying their best to get any nectar from their buds.  Depending on where the flowers are at their best, will be the place the experts will go.  There will, no doubt, be many birds along the way.  On my last trip down to my ranch, I made sure I brought back my tripod, so no doubt I’ll be taking that along with me.

A few days ago, between the rain storms, a realtor and I went to view some homes.  Along the way, in a small community by the name of Grizzly Flats, we saw wild turkeys, deer and a Hairy Woodpecker.  The Hairy Woodpecker was quite a new sight since I’ve moved up here.  There haven’t been any Woodpeckers around my patio restaurant where I feed my birds and watch them while my very slow dial up computer churns away trying to get from one site to another.  The unusual happening this winter on my patio restaurant is that I’ve had two American Goldfinch laying dead as I check out the patio each morning to see if there is enough food.  The cold, rain and snow has gotten a hold on the old or sick birds I’ve figured.  I’ve been quite diligent as to continue the food, so I can’t feel guilty about not carrying out the food for them throughout the winter.  Today is the first day of Spring with the wind blowing and rain coming down.  There is supposed to be a lull in the storms on Tuesday…again, “just contemplating my bellybutton.”