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Senior Scene
Hummingbirds prove to have true 'bird's-eye-view'
At the same time, my grandmother was the daughter of a well-known doctor in Germany, and that medical knowledge was supposed to have rubbed off on her. As for me, I loved it there. My grandparents had so many visitors! Nearly every meal was graced with interesting people from somewhere else. The men wore long white beards, somber black clothing, and their wives were clothed in drab dresses and net caps called prayer coverings over their hair. At one Sunday evening supper, served before the evening service at the church, we sat at the table and waited as my grandfather rose to give the usual blessing. The big dining room table had been positioned to accommodate a larger number of people than usual, so grandfather was not in his usual spot. As he rose, he said, "May the Lord make us truly grateful for that which we are about to receive..."
Despite the problem the grace continued, winding its way to a long ending. I just loved spending time up there. Always something going Have you ever received a wedding invitation addressed with such beautiful calligraphy that it turned you green with envy? Well, you can learn how to do it yourself, at the Gulf Coast Calligraphy Guild. The group meets at 9:30 AM on the fourth Saturday of each month at the Bayview Senior Center, 17th and Lloyd Streets in Pensacola. It's free and the public is welcome. A few weeks ago, I told you about my e n c o u n t e r with Fred Basset, the hummingbird man. Now here are the pictures confirming it. One shows a juvenile male Calliope hummingbird, patterned in black and white the other, a Ruby-throated female.
Another little-known fact about this tiny bird is that they are thought to have binocular vision. They can see your backyard feeding station from threequarters of a mile away. When we hear the words "bird's-eye view," here is a prime example. You can become a member of the Hummingbird Study Group, and receive their informative newsletter four times a year. To learn more about the smallest of birds, contact Basset at 1818 Astrid Place, Montgomery AL 36117 or email him at fhound@aol.com. Someone just sent me a new book entitled "Mythinformed," by Paul Dickson and J. Goulden. It is full of 'facts' we have all heard and believed to be true. Here are a few everyone over fifty believes without a doubt, but which are actually false: No matter what year it happens to be, it is the general consensus that 15 years ago, great antiques were cheap and plentiful, food tasted better, there were more fish, things were not as complicated, and people were generally happier. I'm glad to hear these things are just myths. I thought it was just the onset of old age. Here are a few pearls of wisdom collected from the amazing world of the Internet: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Of course, so does falling down a flight of stairs. It takes a village to raise a child to hate all of the people in the next village. Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability. Laughter is the best medicine, but in certain situations the Heimlich maneuver may be more appropriate. See you next week. |
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