Catharsis
The Sounds of Spring - Boingggg!
Did you know that a woodpecker opens and closes its eyes in between
each peck? In between each rapid-fire peck the little bird opens its
eyes, focuses, aims its beak, closes its eyes and then hits the tree
with its pointed beak. Not only does the woodpecker close its eyes to
keep the wood chips out, but also for another very important reason.
Scientists have measured the force of the impact of the bird’s head
against the hardwood tree. The force is so powerful that if the bird
did not close its eyes it would pop its eyeballs out! Have you ever
seen a blind woodpecker? They never forget to close their eyes. Only
God could design this! [more]
I
took the picture of the Cardinal last Thursday through the kitchen
window, and the (rollover) Woodpecker on Saturday. I am struck by
how
fast Spring sprang in two days.
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Am I a woodpecker? I do almost the same when I read the Drudge Report headlines. I open my eyes, close my eyes and hit a something with my head multiple times. But honestly, G-d bless those little guys.
ReplyDeleteoy vey ole'
I've heard that's why we close our eyes when we sneeze...
ReplyDeleteThe Woodpecker and the Sapling
ReplyDeleteTwo venerable trees, a birch and a beech, have been standing beside each other for decades when one day they notice a small tree growing between them. One inquires of the other, "Is that a son of a beech or a son of a birch?"
After a great deal of discussion, they were unable to decide whose offspring the sapling was. Just then, a woodpecker landed on the small tree. One of the tall trees asked, "Woodpecker, you are a tree expert. Can you tell if that is a son of a beech or a son of a birch?"
The woodpecker took a taste of the small tree and answered, "It’s neither the son of a beech, nor the son of a birch. But, I can tell you without equivocation that it is the best piece of ash I have ever sunk my pecker in."
Ha - that's just awful.
ReplyDelete" I am struck by how fast Spring sprang in two days. "
ReplyDeleteSigh.... tonight, here in MN we are expecting a foot of snow.
OC
That's actually a flicker - related to woodpecker, but not an actual woodpecker, they mostly poke around anthills. They do drum on trees and chimney spark-guards during mating season. They get really crazy at that time of year - which starts early next month.
ReplyDeleteWe have peckers that look just like. They get busy on the trees while the nuthatches get busy on our house. Tiny but mighty. Oh boy!
ReplyDeleteThat's not a flicker, this is a flicker:
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/cnqrakp
Flickers are members of the woodpecker family:
http://tinyurl.com/ypsn48
Flickers ARE characters. We have a bunch at work.
Screw cardinals--go Cubs!
ReplyDelete32 degrees in OK today with ice coating the redbuds and pear blossoms. Happy Spring, y'all!
ReplyDeleteIt hit 92 here today and at 7PN is 87 (record)
ReplyDeleteThat's a pink-bellied woodpecker.
ReplyDeleteLots of them and the downy woodpeckers around here. Damn downies pecked the drip caps off two of my windows this winter, and a few years ago made two inch holes through my corner boards - I'd patch a hole, they'd make another, patch a hole, they'd make another. Had a bug inspector check it out, no bugs. Finally I gave up and replaced that corner board with a Hardie plank (concrete) corner, and the woodpecker gave up. I think he's still sitting somewhere saying fucking brrraaapppp and nursing a headache.
Lt. Col. Gen. Tailgunner dick
Spring? What Spring? Although the crappy weather we have been getting hereabouts is not at all unusual for this time of year, the strange thing is that we have yet to hit 60 degrees even once. I still think it is because Spring refuses to come while Obama is in office. Like the rest of us, it was expecting him to be gone by now.
ReplyDeleteGrinfilledCelt
"Always Winter, and never Spring..." ~C.S. Lewis
ReplyDelete