A Mānoa Girl's Bloggie

Last night, my courageous friend got married in a lovely ceremony in a pioneer chapel. This is the friend who’s going through chemo right now, the one who lost her husband to cancer two years ago, the one who this evening married the man she used to date over thirty years ago. It was a privilege to be part of this happy occasion.

Out in daboonies of Clackamas County is a herd of Longhorn cattle. Every time I see them, I think of movies like Lonesome Dove, which is one of my all-time favorites. This boy could well have been the star of any western!

The sun was in back of him, but I kinda like the effect it gives.

AFK, this one’s for you!

When I got up this morning, I couldn’t see much of anything outside the window. This was about it, but I was pleased with the way the new leaves on the tree in the middle showed up against the gray.

I was having a wonderful lunch with Leilani today when a familiar sight wandered the street in front of us. This man walks his Irish Wolfhounds a lot in the downtown area and I love seeing them all when he does. The dogs are huge!

I also love that I got a yarn-bombed bike rack in the photo!

I just finished this lace cowl and thought it deserved to my the photo of the day. I knit it with yarn that I spun myself, and it’s my very first completed lace project. Needless to say, I feel really good about it! It was really exciting to knit something with my own handspun!

I really look forward to Saturdays when I can get together with friends and knit. Nancy and I are now meeting at Littlelamb and Ewe in Gresham, and because it’s a yarn shop, other knitters have joined us. Our group is pretty small right now, usually just three or four of us, but it’s fun sitting there upstairs, talking, knitting, and watching the world go by below us.

Today’s photo is of the street in the downtown area of Gresham. It was lovely today; the sun was shining and the trees were beautiful.

Every year we take a photo of our driveway in Springtime; we started the first year we planted the Sakura trees, about twenty years ago. Now they are in need of pruning, but still make a nani scene going up our very steep driveway. I love the daffodils for contrast.

I was working in my office today when I heard a thump against the side window to my right. Knowing that a bird had undoubtedly hit it, I leaped up and quietly went outside. Sure enough, a tiny Golden-Crowned Kinglet was sitting stunned on the deck, not moving at all.

Grateful for my training as a wildlife rehab volunteer, I gently scooped up the little guy and brought him into the house, asking Nolemana to prepare a small box for the bird. (He too, knows just what to do in cases like this, because it’s happened countless times throughout the years.)

Before I put the bird in the box for an hour or so of quiet in a dark room, I had Nolemana take a quick photo of him, while the beautiful manu rested in my hand. I was holding him so gently that he could have escaped if he’d wanted to, but he was still pretty stunned.

After an hour, I quietly went into the hall bathroom where the Kinglet had been resting. I opened the lid just a crack to let some light in; the bird wanted out! I checked his wings and feet; they weren’t injured. So I took the box outside and opened the lid, turning the box on its side so the warbler could see he was free.

In less than twenty seconds, the little guy had flown off into the trees with a little thank you peep. And as always, my eyes filled with tears of gratitude that I could help a lovely wild thing regain his freedom. I always feel as though I’m participating in a miracle.