Steve and Judy's Travels!

  We’re always on the lookout, but most years we don’t see them at all; they just don’t come this far south in The Valley.   But while we were in San Antonio a couple weeks ago.       We got lucky.    

    I was thinking brown-crested, because great-crested flycatchers have more rufous on the tail.   Then it flew.   Great-crested flycatcher!  

  We’re all role models whether we mean to be or not.  We don’t get to choose who we influence; it’s unavoidable.   As kids, younger kids are watching and maybe modeling.  As young adults it’s our kids watching what we say and do, even as we’re finding our own way about what we think and feel.  Not only our children were watching, but their friends that were around the house were watching as well.  Maybe we even influence our contemporaries and co-workers.  We may help those in our orbit decide what and how they want to be, or even sometimes what they want not to be.  Even in our elder years we must be demonstrating approaches to ageing.   The point though, is that nobody gets to choose who they influence and who they don’t.  You can’t declare that you’re not a role model and make it so.  It doesn’t work that way.  We all own how we behave and the influence we leave.    

  Want to see something cool?  Check out the animated bird migration maps from Cornell Labs!   https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/03/bird-migration-interactive-maps/?platform=hootsuite&utm_source=Cornell+Lab+eNews&utm_campaign=0567c16a9f-Cornell-Lab-eNews-2018-03-08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_47588b5758-0567c16a9f-278124621   As you scroll down you can see the densities of several different kinds of birds flowing north and south on their annual migrations.    

  He got to go to a new vet yesterday.  They took him to the back to take some blood and give him some shots.  When he came back he reeked.  Judy asked what happened and they explained his anal glands had been “expressed”.  Sometimes that happens; the anal glands get full and the vet has to squeeze out the fragrant fluid.  (That’s one of the reasons a dog might drag its butt across the room.  The anal glands are full and uncomfortable.)  Judy was surprised; she hadn’t asked for that to be done, but when she questioned them they said “Oh no.  We didn’t do it.  Henry did it all by himself!”   Go Henry.  They stuck him with a needle; he skunked them!  That’ll teach them a lesson.