Having a week off makes me want to retire NOW. I have been getting up at 5:30 or once 6 a.m.! And can stay up as long as I want, but I get sleepy around 8:30. I think it might be the time change thing.
Our weather has cooperated for once. Can you believe it? Yesterday it hit 80! We've seen 77, 78, and 79 all week long. These are records for Northern Illinois for March. We shouldn't see anything over 54 degrees.
So, since the weather was so wonderful, and we can wear shorts, I spent a couple of hours outside enjoying it. I took my bird book and binoculars and was able to get into a wooded area to find a golden crowned kinglett. Might not be of interest to most people, but I've been a bird watcher all my adult life and I do believe this was a first sighting. I was thinking I had a warbler, as these are very small, very quick birds that flit and jump from tree-limb to brush and back to tree limbs. You can't identify one of these little guys w/o something that brings them in close. I can't imagine trying to take a photograph of one! I caught the identifying markings--and lack of certain other markings--and was able to find him in my book.
Why was this important to me? This is a relaxing mode for me. I have not been able to do this in a long while, merely because I've been working so damned hard on writing and getting a WIP done, that taking a couple of hours off in the day to NOT write seemed like an impossible idea. I would love to have a lap top, it would free me from the dark room which is my office. Up until the bugs begin to bug me, that is, and it becomes too hot outside. But still, it would be nice to have that freedom.
It's important to give yourself permission to relax. You need to go and do something else, not thinking about writing. You can suffer from burn-out if you don't do something like this once in a while.
On Wednesday, my husband and I drove to a state park to have a picnic and do some hiking. That was a wonderful time of R&R. We enjoyed the warm weather and my potato salad and fried chicken. It will buoy us through the next few weeks of work. The memories will give me something to think about, and smile at.
So, give yourself permission to relax. You deserve it. More importantly, if you don't, you'll find yourself burned-out and won't know how to get back the momentum again.
Our weather has cooperated for once. Can you believe it? Yesterday it hit 80! We've seen 77, 78, and 79 all week long. These are records for Northern Illinois for March. We shouldn't see anything over 54 degrees.
So, since the weather was so wonderful, and we can wear shorts, I spent a couple of hours outside enjoying it. I took my bird book and binoculars and was able to get into a wooded area to find a golden crowned kinglett. Might not be of interest to most people, but I've been a bird watcher all my adult life and I do believe this was a first sighting. I was thinking I had a warbler, as these are very small, very quick birds that flit and jump from tree-limb to brush and back to tree limbs. You can't identify one of these little guys w/o something that brings them in close. I can't imagine trying to take a photograph of one! I caught the identifying markings--and lack of certain other markings--and was able to find him in my book.
Why was this important to me? This is a relaxing mode for me. I have not been able to do this in a long while, merely because I've been working so damned hard on writing and getting a WIP done, that taking a couple of hours off in the day to NOT write seemed like an impossible idea. I would love to have a lap top, it would free me from the dark room which is my office. Up until the bugs begin to bug me, that is, and it becomes too hot outside. But still, it would be nice to have that freedom.
It's important to give yourself permission to relax. You need to go and do something else, not thinking about writing. You can suffer from burn-out if you don't do something like this once in a while.
On Wednesday, my husband and I drove to a state park to have a picnic and do some hiking. That was a wonderful time of R&R. We enjoyed the warm weather and my potato salad and fried chicken. It will buoy us through the next few weeks of work. The memories will give me something to think about, and smile at.
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| Me relaxing in the backyard |
*whistles at legs*
ReplyDelete;)
Thanks for sharing this. You're right, of course. Sometimes I'll just say I don't care and delete the posts I've saved in my inbox to visit. Like you say, burn out is a real thing and we should be on our guard for it.
We have two feeders and a bird bath in our back yard, so we get a kick out of watching the Finches and Doves hang around. My cat likes it to, but for other reasons. During good weather, we'll sit on the patio and watch them up close. "Jones", the cat, and his salivating whiskers, do not get to do this... ;)
Enjoy your Sunday. *waves*
-Jimmy
*waves* back at you Jimmy!
ReplyDeleteBirdwatching is a relaxing sideline and should be enjoyed no matter if you have birdfeeders, or like to go out into the wilds like I do and subject yourself to possible ticks or biting insects (I don't mind roughing it sometimes) (^;
Have a good one!
Very wise words! That's something I definitely need to do soon. So glad to hear the weather gave you that opportunity. :) I'm not a bird watcher exactly but I do have a bird book and I like to keep track of the ones that frequent my area.
ReplyDeleteYes, Heather, definitely go and relax, dear! You sure deserve it!
ReplyDeleteI've never really been able to identify birds quite well by sight; probably not a good thing for a bird watcher.
ReplyDeleteOne of the newspapers I read has a weekly column written by a bird watcher.
Takes time, William. I've been doing it so long I know what to look for. And still sometimes the little ones are too fast for me, even with binoculars.
ReplyDeleteBut the whole idea is to relax, and watching birds or even your own pet helps a person to forget about stressing out for a while.
I have a "friends" of the park my husband and I manage, and I have lots of birdwatchers who capture some great snaps and post them. I can't wait until a lot of the flashier birds get in. That will be great!
Have a great afternoon/evening, William and thanks for stopping by!
I had to check a converter to work out what 80 Fahrenheit was, and it's 26 in Celsius, which coincidentally is our forecast today in Melbourne, in Autumn. Your backyard looks lovely - green and serene. It makes me want to toss away the "to do" list for the day... Of course, that's not going to happen. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteAh, the old "to do" list. Well, perhaps you will get a little time off soon, Emma. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your 26 celsius in your neck of the woods (^;
ReplyDeleteYup. You're right again.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to see you had some wonderful relaxation time. I do love those days of lazing around. We went to a local state park this morning and played by the lake. I can't believe it's only mid-March!
ReplyDeleteShelly - Yup-yup (^;
ReplyDeleteChristine - good to hear you went out and enjoyed the day!