animals, Family, Kids, Nature, pets, Travel, Uncategorized

Keeping An Eye out

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I drive home  for lunch most days. It takes me about seven minutes to get home. I take the same route, and on the way I keep watch for two gorgeous Standard Schnauzers who are sometimes in their well fenced-in yard enjoying the sun. They are perfectly matched and are very well trimmed. I love watching them run around their yard in the few seconds I glimpse them as I drive past.

Son tells about two Great Horned owls he watches for as he walks his West Highland Terrier.  He once observed an owl try to nab a duck in mid flight.  It wasn’t successful.  The owls hoot as he strolls past.

What do you like to keep a watch for?

31 thoughts on “Keeping An Eye out”

  1. I try to keep my mind, ears, and eyes open to all that’s going on around me that lifts my spirits. Heaven only knows there’s plenty going on to get me down, and since I want to be aware of that, too, my mental health demands that I give equal time, at least equal time, to what brings me joy. Fortunately that can come from anywhere, and in many forms. This morning it was in the form of music. This a cappella rendition of “How Great Thou Art” by a group called Eclipse 6 really got my day off to a good start. Hope it lifts your spirits, too:

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  4. Trying to tell a story but am struggling for name of a dog breed. Long dog, but large, rich brown color, huge floppy ears,sad but endearing face. Not a wiener dog (What do you call that breed.) not a schnauzer. 53-54 years ago we lived on the east side of Prospect Park. St. Paul was across the street. I loved my walks to and from campus, a couple miles each way. I could take many routes. On ne route, the straightest, I passed a well restored house with a wonderful pillared high porch, maybe about 8 steps up. On it most days were two of those dogs, Prince Something and Sir Something, always called by their full title and name. They were regal. But not above mixing with the masses. Once when I stopped to admire them they came all the way down all those high, high steps, making sure I knew what a labor they had done to be petted. They were neither leashed nor fenced. The next day they repeated the hard trek. But that was it. On the third day they stayed up on the porch and looked their saddest and cutesy. I did not want to go into the yard. So the whined as I left. So I took other routes for a week. When I came again, they repeated their siren behavior up on the porch. I took a couple steps up the sidewalk. Their tales wagged harder, but they stood on their throne. So I risked it and went up to pet them. Over the next couple weeks I passed about three times and went to pet them. Then one day the owner was on the porch. The dogs got all e cited to see me but stayed up on the porch. She told me to come pet them. That’s when I learned their names. She told me that they missed me when I did not co e that way. I asked if she was afraid they when run off. She told me they were too lazy. She told me I could take them for a walk and laughed.
    This went on through two years. Even sometimes in the winter. I did take other routes about half the time. On my last week I told the owner, who often came out to greet me, that this was my last day. She told me they would miss me but they were too regal to miss me for long.
    I typed this close to blind. Have to go put drops in.

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  5. I’m always up for eagles or other raptors to soar aloft on a windy day. Can’t get enough of watching loons when I’m Up North. ALways fun to have a staredown with a deer when I encounter one in the woods or wherever (seems like I’m seeing more in my neighborhood these days than I did 20 years ago when we were on the edge of town (farmland across the street).

    Hoping to see cardinals and other colorful birds out my office window this winter (seems to be the busiest time for them in our yard). Which reminds me I need to be more diligent about keeping the bird feeder stocked. Let it sit empty for too long last winter. I’ll train those little buggers to know where their next meal is coming from, by golly. 😉

    I wish I would make the time to watch for pretty sunsets too, especially this time of year. But we have huge trees to our west and south which blocks easy views from our house. Gotta work at finding some clear space to see the western sky. (Inertia again)

    Chris in Owatonna

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  6. I watch for flying things – eagles, herons, etc. especially when we’re out on a walk. But I’ve probably already posted the cartoon of the man looking out the window with his dog for… anything that moves. I watch for squirrels out the back kitchen window, because last week I noticed movement in that tree, and found there were three up there.

    And I watch for the moon, which was full Sunday, and is now waning.

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    1. That’s pretty good. My ducks will come when I call. Geese are — can be— evil. Some chewed the wires off my car. And some were OK, you just never know. But these are pretty talented. Covid lasts much longer maybe I’ll have time to start marching them around.

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  9. Rise and Shine Baboons,

    Like several of you have already mentioned, I love to watch for raptors, especially bald eagles. Those give me a thrill each time I see one. I marvel when I think how near to extinction they were when I was young. I have mentioned before that an eagle aerie in a dead tree along the Minnesota River fell 2 years ago. They tried to rebuild, but the new one fell, too so they have relocated. I miss seeing that nest.

    In the second half of the summer I spent hours watching the butterflies in my garden. The sunflowers, Joe Pye Weed, Tithonia and zinnias all attract them a wide variety of butterflies. Watching for those is such a joy.

    In the spring I will be on the watch for bulbs emerging. It had been about 5 years since I planted the last batch, so it was time to dig them up and replant. I hope I get a nice variety again.

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  10. OT update for those who read my evening posts last night. Son and exwife put the package back outside his apartment last night and it is now gone. Clearly had a monolith in it, is all I can say.

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  11. I remember the joy of introducing my bride to the outdoor sports that meant so much to me. Like most folks, Kathe had never paid attention to different mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies. Being a trout angler taught her to see and enjoy them. Hunting elevated her awareness of everything around her.

    Being a hunter alters the way you experience the natural world. You are more alert and focused. You hear, see, feel and smell things that don’t catch the attention of most people. The word many would now use for that is “woke.” I resist that, as I people often use that concept in condescending ways, but it is true that someone who has been a hunter will experience the natural world more intensely and comprehensively.

    Kathe now walks for exercise in some woods in Belgium with two friends. Although Belgium is poor in wildlife, three times Kathe has been thrilled to see a red deer stag that her friends, walking beside her, never saw. I’m not surprised.

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  12. In my watch for fun editing errors I have two: 1) Free Press online in its list of departments has said Bituaries for as long as we have subscribed. A delightful word to play with. Ha ha. 2) Channel listed a Larry the Cable Guy movie as “Larry defends Christmas from Scrupulous Mayor.” So Larry is the villain?

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  13. Among other things, I’ve been watching the space at the corner of 50th and Vincent for a few years now. It was the home of Michelangelo’s Pizza. I loved their pizza. They closed down to remodel and never re-opened. The storefront is filled with equipment that never moves; nobody seems to be reclaiming anything and there certainly isn’t any work going on. I’ve googled it and gotten nothing useful. So it’s still a mystery (I think it’s been at least 5 years) and I still take a good look every time I drive by.

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    1. The storefront in my neighborhood that was vacant for years is the former Jerabek’s coffee shop. Recently it became a Mexican restaurant. I went in to order some takeout a few weeks ago, and it looks pretty nice. When it’s safe to dine in again I’ll check it out further.

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  14. I like to look at the moon too.

    Much of the time when I’m out for a walk, though, I tend to look down. I find quite a bit of spare change that way, also small bits of hardware. Nuts and bolts and washers, that sort of thing. And this past year I’ve found no fewer than nineteen cloth masks that people have lost. The disposable masks are everywhere, too, but those have been deliberately discarded. I think the cloth masks have been lost by mistake. Some of them are quite nice. One in particular I wore a lot over the summer – it had a pattern of watermelon slices. Also there is a polka dot one that’s been a favorite.

    Found a dollar bill last week. It was my lucky day!

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