Remnants

The last time I was in Deltaville, 

I took some time to walk through the plowed field just to see what, if anything, was there.

Among the tall grass I found:

Someone's crab steamer

and someone's basketball.

Both remnants of the tornado that touched down in our little town 2 years ago.
The rebuilding process is still ongoing.
The Baptist church as a new steeple
and most of the homes have been rebuilt
(some much larger than they were originally- and thus removing the quaint feel of Jackson Acres).
The trees, of course, will never be replaced in my lifetime, and that hurts the most.
But my feelings of hurt and devastation can not compare with
what those in Oklahoma must be feeling.

My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by Mother Nature.

 

Progress

 I'm happy to announce that (with the exception of some trim work)
the house is finally done being repaired after the tornado damage
(feast your eyes on the new flooring).

 

And the neighbor's house is underway as well.

And our new deck chairs in bright colors

(Dad not so thrilled about the colors).

Simple Pleasures- Birds

One thing I noticed this past weekend in Deltaville was all the birds singing. I've heard birds singing there before but not to the extent they were that weekend.  I don't know if it was because they were happy to be alive or if all the downed trees and brush have provided more potential homes for them. 

Either way, there are tons of birds in Jackson Acres.

There was "Big Bird" the local Great Blue Heron.

A cardinal singing non stop in the bushes and trees that were left.

His woman was seen too, but I couldn't get a photo of her.

LeRoy and Helen the new neighbors.



photo borrowed from http://www.middlemarva.com/



An Indigo Bunting was spotted.

I saw one of these at home about a week before seeing this one. 

In all my 30-some years I've only seen one of these birds.  Now I've seen 2 within a week of each other.

Remember that old coffeepot birdhouse that weathered the tornado?  I can't remember the last time I saw a bird actually nesting in it.  In fact, it was more of a nostalgic piece because it was made many moons ago by my grandparents.  This past weekend I noticed some "debris" in it.  Upon further inspection I realized there was a bird sitting on a nest in the coffeepot. 

When it flew out I saw a Bluebird.

Photo borrowed from http://www.cs.birdwatchingdaily.com/

Can you imagine?

A Bluebird of Happiness in my coffeepot birdhouse!

I'd like to think it was a sign from my late Grandmother saying "Hey, thanks for fixing my birdhouses and everything is going to end up just fine."

Phoenix...er..Osprey Rising

While there aren't any ashes from which the legendary Phoenix can rise, there is a lot of rubble.  And from that rubble a pair of osprey appeared. 

Perched on our neighbor's dead tree is the beginning of a nest.

Looking up at the nest you can see various building materials

(I'm talking actual human building materials like tar paper, a piece of tin roof, insulation...).

They've been dubbed Leroy and Helen.

Might seem like odd names for a pair of osprey, but those were the names of my great aunt and great uncle Memom and the legendary Pepop.

Since the osprey nested in a tree located on what used to be Pepop's and Memom's property, and since Pepop was such a huge nature lover (he was once the Superintendent of Patapsco state Park in Maryland) I felt the new monikers were fitting.

And if old language lessons hold true, Le Roy means "The King" and I'd say Leroy certainly looks like he is viewing his kingdom from atop his tree.

And of course there's the whole Helen of Troy "the face that launched a thousand ships" analogy.

So despite the loss of so many old trees, there was one good thing that came from it. 

I spent most of my time looking over at the nest and wandering over to take photos of the new neighbors.

Hearing the telltale cry of the osprey made me smile.

And I enjoyed watching the pair continue to bring various pieces of sticks, branches and building material to add to their modest abode. 

So, yes, bad things happen like devastating tornadoes, but there are good things that happen as a result. 

To read about the Legendary Pepop go here.

Monday Meditation

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.

~ Brian Tracy

I will be heading south to Deltaville this coming weekend for the first time since the tornado hit.  While I've seen photos, I've been told that the photos do not do it justice. So today's quote definitely offers a spin on things that have happened.  While I'm not thankful the tornado happened, I am most definitely thankful no one was killed on injured in our area. 

There are possibilities in the rebuilding.

The same holds true for the struggles of life.  There are times in life that get you down and make you want to give up.  Times when the thought of being thankful is simply ludicrous.  Times when the only thing that is appealing is staying in bed with the covers pulled up over your head.

 

But there are possibilities in the rebuilding.