Today is Rich, our Grounds and Maintenance Supervisor's Birthday. Rich is one fantastic guy. Over a pizza lunch we told him how much we truly appreciate him. He works with a bunch of women and he's very tolerant. He takes good care of Tanglewood's building and grounds and he does much more than he probably ever imagined he would have to. If we need something built, say, an indoor cage for a screech owl, Rich doesn't complain (out loud anyways), he just gets to work. If something is leaking or if there is a mouse in the birdseed container, Rich is there. He is the first one at Tanglewood when it has been snowing and the parking lot is a mess (here we go again....) and the last one cleaning up at fundraisers. I think Rich works so well here because he is easy-going, flexible and hard of hearing :-). To the hardest working guy I know- Happy Birthday!
I have been having more trouble than usual this year dealing with the weather. Maybe it is because we are actually having winter? Maybe because I am turning 40 this year? Maybe because we moved to a new house and have yet to spend more than a minute on one of our decks? A combination of things. That and we went to Florida for some family stuff and the weather was...not like here. I won't say how nice it really was because it is too depressing. Suffice it to say, Robins do still exist somewhere, just not here right now.
I have been trying to put together a list of things that will help me (and maybe others) to get through the rest of this winter. March is coming and March is long and cold and snowy and I am not looking forward to it. SO, what can we do?
1. Go on a hike, preferably with a friend. I know, not too original, especially coming from me. But last Friday when I was definitely feeling SAD, a friend and I went on a really long hike/walk during the lunch hour and it literally made my day. It was cold and gray out, but just walking and talking with a kindred spirit erased the yucky day feeling.
2. Get some bird feeders and fill them. If you haven't done it yet- do it. The reds of Cardinals, the blues of Blue Jays, happy little Chickadees flitting about...are all something beautiful and hopeful to focus on.
3. Sit next to a window on a sunny day. I know, we don't have a lot of those, but when we do- take advantage. Vitamin D, and feel-good hormones being made, how can you go wrong?
4. Go to the gym. Take it out on the weights, run on the track, blast your headphones with Fuel. Then get in the sauna and close your eyes and pretend it's summer. It works, especially if no one is in there talking.
5. Get out of town. If even only for an evening. Just a change of scenery, even if you are exchanging one dreary setting for another, helps to break up the monotony of winter at this time of year.
6. Get a hot tub. Expensive plug for Tom Hesselson, a dedicated Tanglewood supporter, but a great idea. They get you outside, warm and toasty. If you can afford it, invite me over!
7. Count it down. Only 21 days till the first day of Spring. That's what the calendar says. I say, only 63 days till May, the month we have some hope of seeing a Spring day.
Hope everyone else is in less of a weather-related funk than I am. Any other ideas to beat the winter blues?
The other day I got a call from a gentleman telling me that he had a flock (well I think he called it something like a gigantic gang) of Redpolls coming to his feeders. He said this gang was scaring his other birds away and he wanted to know if anyone else was reporting this. Seeing Redpolls in this area is somewhat unusual because these guys are usually seen further North, but if the conditions are right (food, weather, moon in Jupiter...) then they travel and they travel in gangs (ok, really, flocks). My caller let me know he has abundant cover and several well-stocked thistle feeders- that is why the gang is staying around.
Flocking for birds makes sense. If you have more eyes with you, you have a better chance of finding food and you have a better chance of finding out about nearby predators. I told the gentleman I felt for him because I know how expensive thistle is and how much of a pain it can be to have to fill your feeders everyday when you are getting eaten out of house and home. But it is kind of a rare event, so he is lucky and should try and enjoy them.
I am the Director of Tanglewood Nature Center in Elmira, NY, I love my job the fabulous view out my office window and the people I work with. I have a great family- my firefighter husband, 3 kids, 2 stepkids, a pound puppy and 2 lizards. I am not a huge fan of cell phones and IMing. I think both are ruining our relationships with other people and our social skills. Kids don't need cell phones- not debatable with me so don't try.
