Recuperation journey: Fourth of July sunrise

... taken through the window.

Since I woke up at 5:30 a.m. I thought I'd take a photo. 

Recuperation journey: Fireworks dazzle in Derby

I'm grateful I feel good enough now - eight weeks after my transplant - to get out and about, and Monday night that meant joining a huge crowd at the annual Derby/Shelton fireworks.

Here are a few scenes from the display as seen from Elizabeth Street in Derby.

A street light adds an extra "glow" to the annual urban fireworks event.

Derby Public Library program to feature bubble fun

To register, call 203-736-1482.

Kellogg Environmental Center in Derby to present program on hawks

DERBY - Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection invites families to a presentation on hawks at 11 a.m. July 15 at Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Ave. 

A Place Called Hope will present this special program focused on Connecticut’s daytime raptor, the hawk.  

Learn about their special adaptations and compare various species of hawks up close and personal.  

All ages will enjoy meeting two live hawks from the raptor center and examining the collection of mounts found at the Kellogg Environmental Center.  

Plan to bring a picnic to enjoy following the program and use the trails and field to spot some raptors in the area.

Rehabilitation facility

A Place Called Hope is a Rehabilitation and Education Center for Birds of Prey. Its goal is to heal injured, orphaned, or ill birds and return them to the wild where they belong. 

Federal permits allow them to house and work with the birds that cannot be returned to their natural world.  Their mission includes sharing the stories of these non-releasable birds with others so that we can better understand their needs and learn to co-exist with them.  

This program is offered free of charge but donations are welcome. 

For further information, directions, or to register, call 203-734-2513 or email donna.kingston@ct.gov.

This is a press release from Connecticut DEEP. 

Recuperation journey: Squirrelly

I was watering this geranium plant Sunday that I had managed to keep alive indoors since last summer - not a small feat for moi.

And what do I spy but this lone peanut! I guess my squirrel friend stashed it here for a future snack.
It made me smile so I had to take a picture.

Summer fun in Ansonia: Al fresco dining

Working on having some fun!

Recuperation journey: Watching the birds

When I was really little my mother started watching the birds in our yard. She would enthusiastically tell me about her newfound interest, and of course I had no interest.

"I saw a tufted titmouse!" she'd exclaim, or something similar. She'd keep a written record of the dates she saw various feathered friends. I didn't understand the enjoyment of it all. 

My father bought her a good pair of binoculars and Roger Tory Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America to help her identify what she was watching.

Fast forward decades later. I find myself watching the birds outside my window.
The difference is I also enjoy trying to capture their photos, such as these I took in the spring:

Another observation: I've discovered there are other ladies "of a certain age" like me who also like to watch the birds.

Hmmm....