Sunday May 27th, 2012

The exercise:

The word of the day is: finally.

Because:


Full explanation in a moment. First though, I just wanted to say we managed to get slightly more than half of the decking done today. Which was enough for Kat and I to eat dinner out there this evening. Progress increased significantly once Kat's dad and I silently agreed that it wasn't going to be perfect and that good enough is exactly that.

If all goes well it should be done Tuesday night, at which point I shall share some pictures.

Mine:

I saw my first hummingbird in Osoyoos shortly after we moved here, which is coming up on two years ago now. We were living with Kat's parents at the time and a couple of those speedy little birds enjoyed frequenting the flower garden at the front of the house.

After a while I realized they came by around the same time every day, so I started trying to get a picture of them. Thing is, they only ever stayed for maybe five or ten seconds each visit, so if I wasn't there waiting for them with my camera ready I didn't stand a chance.

So I camped out a few times, hoping my timing would work out. I think it did once, but by the time I raised my camera it was gone. Needless to say, that first summer here passed without a single picture capturing their beauty.

Last summer I saw them around the property several times, but we'd moved in to our place by then so I never tuned into their schedule. Plus it was a cooler year and the hummingbirds didn't seem to care for it, as they didn't stick around for long.

So, again, no pictures.

But today, at long last today, I finally got one. We suspect they have a nest in the horse chestnut tree, which is not far from our new greenhouse. I probably would have succeeded in my efforts sooner, but whenever I was heading up to water our plants my mind was strictly on the task at hand. Today was the first time I remembered to bring my camera with me.

I practically ran back home afterward, I was so excited to load the picture on to my laptop.

Anyway, it took almost two years to get a picture of one of those guys, but I'd say it was worth the wait.

6 comments:

Greg said...

The hummingbird is gorgeous, definitely worth capturing on film! I shall hope we get another picture of hummingbirds before we get another chapter of How the Best was Won :-P
Perfect's possible, when you have all the time in the world. Good enough works for me, especially since it's obvious that you're trying for perfect all the while.

Finally
After a while the grass is annoying,
It's lush and green... and slippery.
It is hard to guide things upward on,
One little slip and it's back to step one.

Well, push one, at any rate.

He pushes again, rolling the stone,
Which is somehow gathering moss.
His muscles flex, huge now from decades of effort,
And the stone edges closer to the top.

And this time it's almost there.

Finally the stone crests the hill,
Finally his task is complete.
Sisyphus raises his hands in triumph,
And the stone rolls away. Defeat.

Anonymous said...

@ marc... fabulous!
@ greg... i could see it coming this time, but fun all the same!

finally,
there were twp bars on the test strip,
it had taken not months, but years
and help from sources, physical and divine,
eight more months passed
and she bore a cherubic being
who lightened the lives of all he touched

finally,
so THIS is what love is!

Watermark said...

@Marc - it's great to be back! Love the photo :)

Finally

Finally I find
the will to carry on
with vision of a kind
that helps after you'd gone.

Iron Bess said...

I have a hummingbird feeder just outside my front door. This is the second jugfull and they have been fighting over it for more than two weeks now. I bet if I put my hand out and kept really still they would land on it. My bunch seem to be immune to us humans.


If Esme was thirty four years old instead of four years old she would have used the word, anticlimactic, for Christmas day. In fact she would have used anticlimactic for Halloween, birthdays, Easter, and the first day of play school.

You see Esme had a mind which pictured every special day so much more special than it ever turned out to be. She knew deep down that Santa didn’t exist, and that mommy and daddy were actually the present providers. She knew that Halloween was a night where adults enticed you with all kinds of goodies in your bag but when you got home they took it all away. She knew that birthdays meant fighting, throwing up, and getting stupid plastic, pink ponies from your Auntie Marsha.

She didn’t know how to tell time yet, or read a calendar, or know which special day came when. Through some kind of special magic understanding all adults just knew that a certain day was drawing closer. “So have you been a good little girl? Santa is going to be here in thirty days so you’d better be extra good.”

When she heard that Esme’s brain would fire up with excitement. Christmas! How wonderful. Wonderful things would happen, Santa, the elves, the reindeer, presents, and the chocolate calendar. It was going to be magical, special, peace on earth, good will towards all men, and little girls too. She would spend hours pondering the facts, watching Christmas specials, discussing the whole thing with her brother countless times. Then finally, finally, finally, the day would arrive…

Unknown said...

@ Marc - I think you just found your next postcard. You'd be crazy not to share that with other people.

<>

@ WB - That is beautiful my friend.
What a wonderful emotion filled work.

<>

Finally readying my fiction manuscript for the mail

Permanently adding the proper number of stamps

I wondered what the editor would think of my tale

Now that the story had undergone so may revamps

Marc said...

Greg - hey, it's Gabe's turn to go next, not mine!

That's one workout plan I would not sign up for.

Writebite - lovely :)

Watermark - wonderful sentiment to your poem.

Iron Bess - I'd love to see a picture of a hummingbird perched on your hand!

That's a great opening paragraph, I really liked the way it set up what followed.

Morrigan - thanks! Yeah, I'm thinking it'll make it into the next round of pictures to be printed up.

With all the work that goes into editing and revising, that definitely fits into the 'finally' category :)