2006-05-10, 08:26 AM — mommy, why is that lady dancing?
And we're off to Pelee! I'm so excited I keep doing dumb little jigs at the most embarrassing times.
Anyways. I'll be gone for a while. This year my goal is a prothonotary warbler; apparently they do nest at Rondeau, so my hopes are high.
I'm hoping the dearth of warblers here means they haven't come through yet. With my luck, they will be flying north today as I am driving south.
2006-05-04, 08:37 PM — a good spring day
A couple of firsts for me today. First adult newts ever, thanks to Sean at work who spotted them in our little pond. They're... pretty surreal to watch, really. They're pretty graceful, in an awkward way. The tail looks rather tacked-on. What I didn't realize is that red efts, which I have seen before and adore, are the terrestrial juvenile stage of newts, which return to the water when they're adults. Strange little life-cycle, that one.
Second first was a really good look at a flowering plant called yellow bellwort (Ulvularia grandiflora). I knew of it, but I can't say as I've ever seen it and known it before. It's not terribly common, so I was quite pleased to have it pointed out to me. Also a lovely patch of may-apple (Podophyllum peltatum), which I seem to have a soft spot for.
All in all, a pretty nice day. One of my favourite moments in recent memory occured when a little autistic boy in my afternoon class said he thought that Houdini, our albino corn snake, was a "white ghost dragon." And I thought, yes, that's exactly it.
2006-05-03, 08:09 PM — bah humbug
I'm in an absolutely furious, terrible mood. I can't say exactly what did it, but it's tremendously uncomfortable. I just feel like yelling or breaking things, or just being generally snide and nasty. I'm hiding in the office because fishy hasn't done anything to deserve that.
What's worse is that I'm not sure what's going to get me out of this mood, but I'm hoping good food and some television might. Or something. Anything, really. I've had a super-productive day, but I've been in a fairly terrible mood for most of it. No freaking reason. Maybe what's worst is that I'm now cross at myself for allowing this mood to carry on for so long. But if I can't find the cause, I can't make it go away.
In good news, Leslie and I saw a lovely patch of white trout lily today on our walk. I thought it was rare, but apparently it isn't, particularly. It's just that it's not found in too many habitats.
I'd call my grandmother and tell her about it, but I'm afraid that I'm too cross for even that.