Poppy - the "birdman"

I love to see my parents relaxed and happy, and they truly are never happier or more relaxed than when they get to escape to their mountain retreat. It is a lovely little spot, away from the hurries and hassles of the city, away from the demands and worries of everyday life, and away from the summer heat. You can open the windows at night to let in the cool mountain air and listen to the river that flows through the back of the property. The cabin (or should I say, very nice mountain home) is equipped with every possible amenity from home and more. It's big enough to sleep 6 families - complete with a bunkroom for 12 girls! My parents can go there to be alone, or they can welcome every single grandchild to come and stay under one roof. This retreat is for them, and it is for their family.

Lacey, Ben & I got to go to the cabin with my parents (& Dawnae & her 2 little girls) for a few days last week while Brad & Madi & Katie were at our other favorite mountain retreat (Woodland) where Brad's parents live.

My kids, and all their cousins, too, love to go to the cabin, and they hate to leave. Childhood memories are made while grandkids eat "poppy cakes" (aka pancakes made by poppy) for breakfast, skip rocks on the river, walk the dog, play with their cousins, and watch chipmunks & birds munch on the feed poppy puts out for them every morning.

It is the practice of putting out feed for the birds that has intrigued me. When my dad is at the cabin, he puts out 2 pans of bird seed (on either corner of the deck) every morning then waits to see what creatures emerge from the woods for their specially prepared morning feast. On a typical day, this is not what I would expect my dad to do. I see so much of the "Mr. Business" side of my dad, that sometimes I forget that there is more to him than this. This is the man who spent every single morning of our vacation at the beach last summer up in my family's condo on his laptop (because he couldn't get a signal in his condo), long before we were even awake. I have pictures of him sitting on the beach (not just from one trip, but from many different trips over the years), talking business on his cell phone. I can't tell you how many times I've been out to eat with him and some "urgent" business call comes through on his cell phone. Yes, this is my dad.

So, you can see why I forget about the playful, silly side of my dad because he doesn't let that part of him come out and play very often. (I do get a glimpse of the playful side of "poppy" on Sundays as he somewhat slyly passes cinnamon bears and other sugary treats to my children during the church service) But, for the most part, he is 'mr. serious', 'mr. get down to business', 'mr. in a hurry and always on the go'. So when I went to the cabin a few weeks ago & watched my dad put out bird feed and then talk to the birds and yell at the chipmunks & squirrels for stealing the bird's food, I was totally entertained! He actually had a conversation with a squirrel. He would yell at the squirrel & tell him that he was in big trouble for taking the bird's food, and the squirrel would yell back. The scary thing is, I think they understood each other. In my mind, it is this behavior that earned my dad the nickname 'crazy birdman'.

Though most of the fun of this little scene is watching my dad, I have to admit it is really interesting to watch the different types of birds that venture to the cabin deck for a sunflower seed or a peanut. We never get to see such sights at home. There are robins & hummingbirds, and lost of birds that I don't know the names of who come to visit. We really love seeing the blue jays, who are rather elusive, and don't linger on the deck fencing for very long. (My dad says, "hello, Mr. Blue Jay. how are you today?" (crazy birdman, I know!) Take a look at a couple of the birds we got to see this past week - the photos have been edited and cropped so you can have an up-close view.

Hello, Mr. Blue Jay"

Dawnae knows the name of this bird - I don't!

I included this picture for a little perspective - you can see the corner of the deck where the pan of feed is & the view of river just beyond.

Here's one of the infamous chipmunks. They chipmunks & squirrels are rather greedy, which is one of the reasons my dad gets mad at them. They are the most daring & brazen. The chipmunks are not shy about running along the deck fencing & getting fairly close to the "human" sort. They will hang out by the feed for extended periods of time and are not too afraid of an approaching human, as evidenced by this photo. This photo is not edited, and I really was THAT close when I took the picture.