2019 - Blog Bankruptcy? Love and Life: The Bad and the Good

The year has almost gone by completely and I've posted nothing. There are many reasons...busy, trying to get photos from Dave's camera...losses and the sadness it brings. You know...life.

So this will be a big post that covers 3/4 of the year. I'll try to do better in the future.

The year started with a trip to Barcelo in Mismaloya MX. So gorgeous there. We did our usual thing - relax, hike, bird, relax, relax. I do like it here.

 

A really fun element of our new home is that there are frequently elk just out the door. Most mornings and evenings, three are eating next to the road. Very cool to get to see them.

And in a giant kick in the face and heart, Dayle passed away unexpectedly on March 13th. He was 23 years old which is amazing for a bird who was paralyzed for 22.5 of his years. I was holding him when he passed away and I'm thankful for that. But his loss kneecapped me and I was down for the count for a long time. I must have a giant heart given the size of the hole his leaving left me since my heart is still beating.  RIP Warrior Dayle 5/26/1995-3/13/2019.

As is our standard, we headed to High Island to see the Spring Migrants. This year was a complete bust. The decline in the bird population is evident. The donut population is doing well however as Donut Man demonstrates here.

We were so starved for seeing migrants we spent time at the beach looking at shore birds. While we like all birds, spending the day looking at shore birds is a really desperate act on our part!

Lori and I made several trips this year for bag retreats. Two were in Scottsdale, and one outside of Fort Worth. This one was in Scottsdale. Happily , we got to see our friend Peggy for two of the three. Here is Lori and Peggy in a Scottsdale "taxi". :)  It is always a ton of fun. And we brings home new skills and great bags.

They dynamic duo traveling!

We managed to get back to Panama this year again and it was terrific. This is a juvenile Aplomado Falcon. We saw incredible birds as is usual.

Not only is the bird life in Panama beautiful, but so is everything else. Here is Dave standing under a tree that has lost it's blooms. Scrumptious.

We spent time at both Canopy Tower and the Lodge (pictured here). I could go here every year though we hope to go to Ecuador next big trip.

We slipped off to southern Colorado (Alamosa  and the Great Sand Dune area) for our anniversary. It was fun, though the weather wasn't very cooperative. It was hideous weather at the sand dunes on one day, but nice the next. We ended up coming home early given how uncooperative it was.

With my collaborator, I published what should be my last book. It is my fifth. It's different than the rest in that it focuses on women in academia. We are happy how it turned out and the reception it is getting.

And because life does it's own thing. Almost six months to the day after losing Dayle, Henri Bird Rennison passed away. He was 40 years old. We'd seen him aging over time, but he was 100% himself, just a bit slower and weaker. In two days, he declined a lot preferring to sleep mostly and eat little. Happily I was holding him when he passed away too more peacefully than I really knew possible. The house is so quiet and empty without his presence. There is no one left to preen my eyelashes or court me with mating dances endlessly. He was such a good bird and an amazing daddy bird. He left a big hole, but I have a lot of comfort knowing he, Lilac, Ferne and Dayle are together. Those who remain here - Clover, Grace, Gabbie and Dewey - are aware that their flock is markedly smaller. One day, there will be none here and I will really not know what to do with myself.

I'm trying to lure a rabbit over to either make a friend or experience first hand a series of rabies shots. The rabbit chose to ignore me.

It was a great burrowing owl year this year and Dave got many excellent photos. Here is an outstanding one of seven baby burrowing owls. Spectacular.

Big news this year as I've decided to run for office in the state of Colorado. I'm running for CU Regent in CD-2.  It's a big race and will be a lot of work, but I'm up for it. I have a lot of support from amazing people so I think we'll be successful. The election that determines the winner will be June 30, 2020 so we will see. 

I will close out the blog with a photo of us enjoying happy hour and a sunset on the ridge behind our home. The next few years will have great times, but not such great times too. We are in that period of our lives and we know the losses will accumulate. We know they are coming, so we will try to make the best of each day.