I Take Jim to Belfair

I had some tentative plans for most days of Jim’s visit, but I didn’t have any plans for Thursday, his first full day here, and he decided to do most of the things he wanted to do Friday and Sunday. So, I took him for a walk at Belfair and treated him to lunch at one of my regular stops when I go there.

Jim has said several times he’s been surprised by the birds I post on my site because, like me, he didn’t remember seeing most of them when he was younger. I don’t think I would have presumed to take him “birding,” but I thought he might enjoy seeing some of the places I consistently feature on my site more than just sitting at home and talking all day. As it turned out, he was quite good at spotting birds, like this Cedar Waxwing, my first of the year:

Cedar Waxwing

I pointed out this Barn Swallow, but I had the advantage of knowing they are usually to be found at the bridge:

Barn Swallow

It’s been awhile since I’ve been to Belfair, so I was a little surprised to see all the Columbine

Columbine

and roses in bloom, especially since it’s been so cool and wet lately.

native rose

It’s nice to see that the beauty of Theler Wetlands reaches out to others exactly as it does to me.

5 thoughts on “I Take Jim to Belfair”

  1. Thoughtful entry with almost wistful tone about how (your) character was shaped by high school circumstance (being skinny/not playing football/being viewed as intellectual–always a suspicious trait) Someone who has a hunger for ideas always alarms those who approach them like rattlesnakes.
    I remember having a tiny circle of friends who thought Jules Feiffer cartoons were cool. We were not willing to be arrogant, but tossing ideas around felt fun, like a game of hot potato.

    That barn swallow shot is terrific. He looks like he just read the front page.

  2. Wow, you were an intellectual nerd, mike.

    I probably wouldn’t have qualified for your circle of friends in high school. I don’t think I appreciated Feiffer cartoons until I was well into my college years. I probably didn’t even see them until then.

  3. Loren, your barn swallow has an attitude! I love it. The funny thing is that looking at some swallows along the bicycle trail the other day we were recalling the scenes from the 60’s movie Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation where Jimmy Stewart went birding with a salty old New Englander. Every time he spotted a bird he was disappointed to be told it was merely a barn swallow. Turns out they are very pretty birds and well worth spotting.

  4. Swallows are one of my favorite birds, Janice, though I prefer tree swallows.

    I generally don’t take pictures of robins anymore, but I still find them quite beautiful. It’s sad when we forget how beautiful the “common” can be.

  5. That barn swallow has the most indignant expression I have ever seen on a bird Loren!

    Love the columbine – it has been a particularly good year for them here too – my garden is full of self-sown ones.

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