All’s Well that Ends Well

I wasn’t happy Thursday night when I had a crown pop off while cleaning my teeth. Luckily I was able to see the dentist Friday, though it meant driving all the way to Vancouver and back on short notice, meaning that I didn’t have time to schedule my normal lunch date with old friends.

Still, I wasn’t about to drive that far JUST to visit the dentist. So I ended up leaving several hours early and visiting the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. At first I was a little disappointed when I didn’t get a single bird picture during the 1 1/2 mile walk through the heart of the refuge, though I was quite fond of the Wild Teasel, a plant I’ve only vaguely noted before.

Once I got back in the car and proceeded to drive the rest of the loop, my luck seemed to change, though. First, I got this picture of a female Blue-Winged Teal, a duck I can’t remember photographing before.

A little further along, I observed a family of Pied-Billed Grebes closer than I’ve ever managed to get before. I was particularly charmed by this small chick that at first glance seemed to be a small stick because he sat so still for so long

The climax of the day, though, was getting this close-up of a male American Kestrel, who seemed to take pleasure in pointing out that I couldn’t follow him when he flew deep into the refuge:

To cap the day off, the dentist was able to simply re-cement the crown on without too much work. I was on my way home in less than an hour with a crown intact. I felt blessed that a day that started off so badly should end so well.

7 thoughts on “All’s Well that Ends Well”

  1. Great photos, Loren. Kestrel alone makes the misfortune of your crown woes our good fortune.

  2. Not ones I’ve seen for nearly twenty years.

    Besides it’s normally the best way to guarantee I get together with old friends at least once or twice a year.

  3. Cool factoid re the Teasel plant: these were used for combing and carding wool for spinning, prior the availability of metal tools. Saw ’em in a museum in Lavenham, an old wool town in Suffolk, England.

    By the way I stumbled into your excellent blog via your poetry section, an old entry on Margaret Atwood. Terrific selection of poets covered. Wish you were still featuring that stuff from the front page!

  4. The rainy season will soon be upon us here in the Pacific Northwest, Lollyloo, and I’ll be back to reading poetry in front of a warm fire.

    But I’d never want to substitute nature poetry for experiencing the real thing.

  5. hi, i dont appreciate you taking my name, im going to sue you for copyright. piracy, its a crime, lets bring it down. yours always, loren webster

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