Woodpeckers

In the early Spring, a pair of Downy Woodpeckers homesteaded a hole in the pecan tree. I watched them fight off Starlings and hoped they'd win. Eventually, the tree budded, and then filled with leaves, which left the woodpeckers unseen. Trying to see if they were there was fruitless.

On Sunday, while in the yard, I heard a bird sound that was familiar, but I couldn't remember what type it was. After a few minutes, I realized it was the fussing of the Downy Woodpeckers' and they were intent on making an intruder leave.

Eventually, a few doves flew away, and I caught a glimpse of one of the small woodpeckers. They were still homesteading, and I was content they'd stayed.

The mated pair of Red Belly Woodpeckers are a different story. They have no fear of any other bird, and will chase them away from the feed I place, when they call from the trees. They chase off any intruder, and will spend long minutes eating the oranges placed in a cage on a tree.

My father loved to watch birds. I never realized why, until the last few years. Birds are remarkably intelligent, take care of their family, and woodpeckers have become my favorite. I hope a few Red Headed Woodpeckers will eventually come, like those I watched when I was young. They'll add to the families of woodpeckers I love to watch.

Relative Heat

According to the NWS wizards, the heat index is 106 degrees today. I believe them, and am not looking forward to the rest of the Summer.

Twenty Gone

According to a news report, twenty people lost their life to a gunman in Florida. They were enjoying the last few minutes of a night out, and did nothing, except be at the place chosen by the gunman.

I wonder if we'll get an accurate assessment, and honest reporting on the incident. We haven't in the past; and the current administration is willing to do just about anything to protect their real interests - which are not the best interests for the United States.


Edit: Reports now say fifty are dead.

Political Obfuscation

Years ago, my cousin ran for a local office. Although I didn't support their party affiliation, I knew they were more than capable of the job. Then, the process started.

The ads were horrific against their opponent. It was muckraking, conjecture, and outright attacks that left me wondering how my cousin could allow such dirty actions to continue.

They lost, but the process is seen in all elections today. Somewhere the true candidate is to be found, but the effort to find the candidate is a waste of time. To make things worse, too much of the information presented to voters is a Hollywood version of reality, and voters end up voting for hype, instead of substance.

Maybe the future will bring a demand for less glitter, honest reporting, and avoiding the candidates that are so willing to let their campaign obfuscate for a win, instead of what's right.

Rain and Physics

It rained all morning; adding more water to areas that can't take any more.

A pernicious cut-off low pressure area in the upper atmosphere adds lift to warm, moist air, with a constant supply from the Gulf of Mexico. The meandering of this low led it through a slow passage across Texas, where it now sits near Corpus Christi.

The accumulation of rain is over a dozen inches in some areas, and the outfalls are full. Saturated ground, like a sponge in the bottom of a bucket, offers nothing for helping with the accumulation, and even a half inch of rain adds thousands of gallons of water to a few thousand square feet.

I'm not terribly affected by the rain, although construction work is halted; but many are facing a flood they never envisioned. Houses are under water; rain swollen creeks are claiming lives; and the rain will continue for at least the next twelve hours.

The low is forecast to move into the Gulf, and on to the East. At this time of the year, that can mean a tropical system that thrives on the warm waters of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico.

The coast will have much rain, and Florida may experience some torrential rains; if not more.