It’s Owl-Right Now
Simon the barred owl, perched over my fish pond
Yes, “It’s Owl-right now…
A twist on how Mick sings the line, and instead of the next line being “I’m Jumping Jack flash, it’s a gas, gas, gas,” it’s more like a “ flap of massive wings and a hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoooorrrrrrr!”
Not only are things calming down a tiny bit, the canopy surrounding our yard has been packed with songbirds and hunters, feeding their new offspring. It’s not quite as loud a Rolling Stones concert, but it is a constant performance of song. It’s also quite the stress-reducing soundtrack for what has turned out to be a helluva stressful year so far!
Things I have learned after a bunch of tests and wearing a heart monitor for 2 weeks.
(Yes, my husband was the one with the cardiac issues, but I was the one sporting a sticky lead patch and sensor stuck under my collar bones for two weeks.)
- I’m mostly ok.
- Stress could kill me.
- Menopause can nearly break me.
- Having metal leads stuck to my chest can seriously interfere with wearing my complex necklaces.
- Don’t micro TIG weld with metal leads stuck to your chest.
- In a worst case scenario, Micro TIG welders don’t put out enough amps to do anything bad to one’s heart. They are quite safe!
- The tech support people at Sunstone Welders are incredibly nice, patient, and knowledgeable.
- Ditto the heart monitoring customer support people.
- It’s unlikely that the tiny, but heck of a surprise bit of electricity that ran up my arms and across my chest had any effect at all except prompting me to hit the pause button on my normal workaholic behavior. Still, I don’t recommend the Random Tachycardia DIY Home Fix It Kit that coincidentally seems to have somewhat leveled out my resting heart rate range.
- Some things are just so…only me…
I’m glad to say micro TIG welding remains one of my favorite techniques to employ in my work…even if I didn’t resume the practice until after I stopped wearing the heart monitor.
Back to the owls…
Barred owls to be exact, so named for the patterning on their faces, and at least part of the reason my fish pond, aka the neighborhood sushi bar, is temporarily devoid of fish.
My neighbor in whose yard lives the nesting tree, had named the parents Daphne and Simon (Am I the only person who missed Bridgerton in 2020? I was wrapped up The Queen’s Gambit.) The babies? Scooby and Shaggy. If I’d been consulted first, they’d have been Snoopy and Woodstock, but the antics of the now fledglings do rather live up to their monikers.
Simon and Daphne replaced Ex and Henrietta (I did watch lots of Mr. Rogers!) who were believed missing in action, fall of 2016, though I have spotted Ex much more recently. Simon and Daphne moved in on Inauguration Day 2021, substantially adding to the lore of associating owls with wisdom!
If I sound like I live in a picturesque countryside, well, that’s only the backyard where the owls often loom.
(”When is that weird creature with the camera and no wings going to restock our sushi bar?!? We’ve got hungry teenagers to manage!!!” they inquire.)
Much like a 21st Century Howl’s Moving Castle, my front door opens onto a death defying blaze of speeding traffic, illegal quad bikes, and weekend drag races, despite the 25 mph signs, but my back door opens onto (and my studio faces) a lush urban forest that inspires much of what I create. It is refuge, solace, and sanity amidst the sometime erratic heartbeat of life…
Scooby & Shaggy hanging on to ‘Old Friend Tree’ in my backyard
…And speaking of creating…
I have now produced over 50 hours of detailed demonstrations for my online jewelry and metalsmithing courses!!! Every hour of edited content represents about 10 times that amount in rough video footage and 3 times that amount to edit that 10x amount. Yes, the math there represents a massive chunk of my life, so I refuse to total it!!!
The good news is it’s finished, the courses are going swimmingly, and my students are producing stellar work with what they’ve learned from me.
The other good news is that I can now (mostly) resume making and (drumroll, please) actually finishing more jewelry and metalwork that doesn’t involve contorted working postures to accommodate a camera in the way.
Stay tuned to this space for more artwork appearing soon.
…and more owl pics, of course
