Most of us think of the human species when we imagine fairies. I envision dragonflies with their gossamer wings. Not many of us know that all species have a fairy version. In this tale we visit a fairy mouse family who live in the Piney Woods of East Texas. Mimi and Moss Mouse-Fairy are the proud parents of Marigold and Medlar.
They live in a sweet little thatched cottage between the pine trees. Mimi is house proud and most days you can find her with a tiny sweep or duster in her hand. “Marigold and Medlar!” Her twins look up in consternation “ Clean up this mess right now!” said Mimi firmly or as firmly as you can with a squeaky voice. Mimi’s childhood friend was visiting the cottage and it had to be sparkling.
Father mouse, Moss, had wisely left the cottage earlier looking for pine nuts and acorns for the family’s supper. Marigold and Medlar quickly tidied up their toys and ran out to play amongst the stalks of grass. Mimi was delicately washing her best China for afternoon tea with her friend, Myrtle. The lemon balm and tarragon tea had been carefully dried. Earlier, Mimi made some tiny pine nut scones to serve with redcurrants.
There was a little knock at the door of the cottage and Mimi jumped up, taking off her apron. She opened the door to greet Myrtle who had brought her daughter Mimosa. They warmly embraced as it had been many months since they had met. Marigold and Medlar ran to greet their guests and invited Mimosa to play in the woods with them.
Myrtle presented Mimi with a tiny hamper full of seeds and fruits. It was autumn and the mouse fairy pantries were full of delicacies after a bumper summer season. More importantly, Myrtle came with the latest mouse fairy news that she shared with Mimi over a delicious cup of tea. All too quickly, the sky began to darken and it was time for Myrtle to leave. Moss had arrived home and refilled Myrtle’s hamper with fresh acorns to take home.
Mimosa shyly hugged Marigold and Medlar and held her mother’s little paw as they headed home to her own little cottage. Mimi’s family nibbled on all the delicacies that were left over from the visit. Happy and replete, they all headed to bed.
Good Night, Mouse Fairies!
Postscript
After my long absence from WordPress, I noticed there was now an option to create an AI image. I have previously dabbled with other image generators, without much success. This time my neuro divergent brain devised this command – “Fairy Mice enjoying a cup of tea”. I gasped with pleasure when I saw the first image – exactly what I had envisioned! Then I had to write a fairy tale around the image…
To my delight, I often see this little herd of white tailed deer from my bedroom window. There are 7 or 8 in the group. They have a last snack and drink before heading into the woods for bed, around 7 am.
It’s a different view from the window now. In October we put our house up for sale. Eleven days later we had an offer. It was a scramble to pack and find a house to lease for a year. By November we had moved into the ‘deer’ house, about 3 miles from our old one. There are few squirrels but 4 bluebirds who like to bathe in the gully, above, and preen on our fence.
We bought our old house in October 2004 and sold it in November 2024. There were so many reasons why we chose to sell. We haven’t decided if we want to stay in the same area or move to another place. To our surprise, we are enjoying the new house. It is very quiet with nice neighbors; feathered, furry and human.
There is a new containment pond
We have bought and sold many houses over the years. I couldn’t have predicted how stressful I found everything. Life is calming down now and I hope to rejoin the writing world again.
New friendly turtles
Wishing everyone a peaceful festive season and a healthy, happy New Year.
I was busy cooking when I glanced out the window. “What the heck is that?” It was 10 am and there was a little opossum, the only marsupial in the USA, in the garden. At first I panicked, “Why is a nocturnal animal up in the daytime?” Often that is a sign of sickness but it looked really healthy.
Then I noticed what had woken this little fur baby up – apples! I was using apples to cook with and threw the peels out for the birdies to enjoy. I watched as our little possum devoured all the apple and then went through the fence to his burrow. The smell must have been irresistible! They are such primeval little animals and very gentle. Possums only live for 1-2 years which is strange for a large animal.
Later we took a wander around the pond where the ducks were curiously segregated. Black, then white Muscovy Ducks with brown Whistling ducks behind. Usually they congregate in a delightful commune.
The only solitary critter was this Great White Heron who was fishing in the shallows.
I loved the iridescence on this little girl Muscovy. The girls have less of the red cowl on their heads as you can see from the gentleman below.
A few days later, I noticed that a black and white duck had been killed on the road. The ducks had been trying to follow me home to our street but stopped them. I suspect someone has been feeding them because they are tamer than usual. The gardeners cleared the grass but left the dead body, as I was hoping they would do.
The pungent smell of their deceased relative might persuade them to stay in the safe confines of their pond. So far, so good. Teddy’s grandad was a farmer and used to shoot one crow then nail the body to the fence. Crows are smart birds and it kept them from eating the crops. This used to be common all over Scotland. It’s a gruesome sight but more humane than poison.
I attempted a walk around the pond yesterday but as I approached the ducks, I saw that Sigrun the Swan was in charge. It looked like a Union meeting as he was surrounded by all the ducks and the Great White Heron who is his BFF. In my imagination he was saying –
“One of our fellow ducks is dead because you left the confines of the pond. From now on we will all agree to stay off the roads. I promise to watch over y’alls and keep the pesky humans in line.”
As I got closer, the Great White Heron took fright and flew off, croaking as he went. Their voices bely their graceful appearance. Sigrun the Swan turned his beady eye on me and raised his wings in warning. He was on the middle of the path, pond on one side and ducks the other. Discretion was the better part of valor and I turned tail… I am glad he has taken control of the commune again.
Fall is definitely in the air despite our rising temperatures. I spotted these lovely lime green fungi in our garden and many berries in the trees.
I always liked the heat. Longing for the day when we could move from a northern latitude closer to the equator. My dreams have come true. I have lived in what was once a sub-tropical zone for many decades. Like most of us, I wondered what a hotter world would feel like. My imagination could not take me to this searing future.
It’s not safe to go outside for half of the year. The air quality is dangerous with smoke or pollution drifting from other states and countries. Then there is the pollen and ozone count to consider. In our brief winter we can open windows and walk freely outside. All through the summer period, I pine for those days.
Most contractors work during the night when it is cooler but still humid. Occasionally on a sleepless night, I can hear the garage door opening at 2 am. The supermarket service is delivering my weekly groceries and putting the cold food in the garage refrigerator. I don’t disturb the delivery driver despite longing for social contact. After the door closes, I pad in bare feet to get a fresh popsicle.
At 4 am, the gardeners have started to arrive. It is still dark, this far south, so they use portable lights to work by. We have become nocturnal or at the very least crepuscular. The animals have followed suit. I put my mask on and fill up the water bowls and feeders for the wildlife. My garden is completely shaded. After my task, I sip on a cold coffee and watch the sun start to rise.
In many ways we are fortunate to live in a forest. Wildfires threaten from time to time but water is our savior and fear. The rain can be interminable but it reduces the outside temperature and clears the air somewhat. Most houses are powered by individual solar systems. This gives us the vital cooling. There are misting systems on every street should you feel energetic enough for a short walk.
This morning, I felt that I could walk around our circle of houses. I put on my solar suit that covers me from head to foot, sunscreen on my face, sunglasses and a mask. Some of the neighbors are out and we briefly chat. All too quickly the heat becomes intolerable and I scurry back inside. Younger people have the stamina to cope in the heat and they have adapted to the changing weather.
My tiny solar powered car is available to go to the mall. My throaty Mustang is just a distant memory. Mall parking is enclosed now so that you do not have to brave the heat. I chuckle inwardly when I remember searching Texas car parks for a shady tree. Those days have gone. Shopping malls have become essential as cooling centers. They are multifunctional, too. There are doctors’ centers, houses and apartments, supermarkets and shops.
Shopping is different. Most clothes are recycled in some way. Buying non-functional goods are bad for the planet. When it is oppressively hot, people just want to be comfortable. Floaty garments made of cooling fabrics. I loved fashion when I was younger and shopped to my heart’s content.
Children only go to school in coolest months of the year. Some of the defunct malls were turned into summer camps. There you can practice anything from abseiling to botany. Most vegetables are grown hydroponically and meat, if you want it, comes from a laboratory. There are still organic farms in the very north. Wealthy people travel there just to eat real meat.
Writing helps me manage this strange new existence. Imagination and memory can take you anywhere. I often drift back to our time in Cairo. The Arabic people showed us how to dress for the intense heat. Now everyone is dressed modestly outside. Scotland with its snowy winters seems like a faraway dream. There is very little snow anywhere in the world.
I have acclimated to this world, though. When winter comes, I feel so cold. Out come the warmer garments. Goodbye to gossamer gowns. Never did I think that winter would be my favorite season. As soon as we get a clear and pollution free day, I open all the windows and luxuriate in the fresh air. Laughing, I remember my Scottish washing being frozen on the line and having to be defrosted in the house.
In 2024 we were all doom scrolling on our devices. What would climate change be like? Necessity is the mother of invention. Innovative ideas have allowed many but not all of us to continue living on this Earth. Viruses, fungi and bacteria are more prevalent but so is our medical ingenuity. Pragmatism is the only way forward.
A strange new world…
I wrote this essay in the midsummer 2024. As I was writing it, I realized that elements of this tale were in the very near future, if not already happening all over the Earth. My climate anxiety is new but real.
The climate, in the Northern Hemisphere, suddenly cooled in the Dark Ages – The Little Ice Age. I imagine that medieval society felt just as anxious as we do. The cause of the cooling is not entirely clear but it is believed that increased volcanic activity and ocean currents played a part.
As each day reached 100 F, my anxiety became palpable and overwhelming. During one particularly distressing week, I made comprehensive plans in my head to sell our house and move, to somewhere cooler. I changed my mind as soon as the temperature dropped…
Journaling and writing sometimes allow a glimpse of perspective. Objectively, I know my tale may be well off the mark. To settle my angst, I made the future manageable, albeit peculiar and alien. Necessity is the mother of invention. I have belief that we could make tangible changes to protect the world.
Do we have the will, grit and determination? Time will tell but my clock is ticking fast. I feel guilt for all that I have contributed to climate change and try to make amends in daily life. Does climate change cause you to worry? If you live in Scotland you might be looking forward to a wee bit of warming…😉
Isn’t that the cutest wee face?? It was so nice to see a live raccoon kit on the night camera after discovering the dead one in our garden earlier in the summer. There have been indications of their visits – the water bowls are thick with mud on occasion. They like to root in the soil for grubs and such, then rinse them in the water. A raccoon’s eyesight is poor but their little paws identify their lunch.
This inquisitive little raccoon kit was paddling in the water on a very hot night. Then it heard the noise of the camera and came to investigate. If you watch right to end (52 seconds) you will see a closeup of ears and whiskers. The weather has been horribly hot with no succor from a thunderstorm. August is always like this but it feels as though summer will never end. It’s too hot to go out for a walk so I gaze outside the window.
All our usual visitors come daily – squirrels, white tailed doves, chickadees, cardinals, cat birds, sparrows, titmice and the odd possum or skunk at night. I spotted a red bellied woodpecker last week but I am sure I miss many more critters. There have been large yellow and brown swallowtail butterflies and many orange ones. There was a little blue tailed skink on the patio the other night and some damselflies are in residence. The cicadas and frogs sing to us at night and you can hear their lullaby on the video.
The Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City was built on both the site and with the stones of the pre-existing Aztec ‘Templo Mayor’. The conquerors did not preserve the existing ‘holy place’ but stamped their own religion on unwilling native people. This happened all over Mexico and Central America. The Spanish were horrified by the idea of Aztec human sacrifice despite their own inhumane Inquisition. They were not the only civilization to impose their religion on others, nor will they be the last.
The remains of Templo Mayor, the original Aztec site, have been excavated directly behind the current cathedral. It is so strange to see the juxtaposition of beliefs, right in the middle of a modern city. Both buildings are magnificent in their own way.
Below are images of the excavated remains of Templo Mayor.
Mexico City or Tenochtitlan, as it was named by the Aztec, was built on a lake – an astonishing feat of building and architecture. Most of the Lake Texcoco has since dried up and serves as a rather shaky foundation for the modern city. Templo Mayor was rebuilt 7 times – flooding being an early problem. It is believed that it was first built in 1325 and was the largest city in the Americas. Mexico City (and It’s surrounds) is still the largest city in the Americas with a population of around 20 million people.
Before the Spanish arrived, Tenochtitlan was a thriving city with 45 public buildings including temples and palaces. Each of the rooms in Montezuma’s Palace had its own bath for the many dignitaries who visited. It is a sad irony that the current city is running out of water. Drought was the downfall of previous civilizations all over the Americas. Tialoc is the Rain God of Aztec culture. Huitzilopochtli is the solar and war god. He carries a fire serpent. Templo Mayor has many wonderful representations of serpents.
Metropolitan Cathedral at dusk – there are 25 bells that sounded heavenly
Cristo Negro
The Metropolitan Cathedral is a marvelously impressive edifice. It was built between 1573 and 1813. The Spanish architect drew inspiration from Gothic style cathedrals in Spain. Building it was a complicated procedure because it was sitting over a shallow lake. There are 16 chapels within the cathedral and a crypt which contains the remains of previous archbishops. There are conflicting theories of why Jesus was portrayed as black (see the altar of Cristo Negro above). One theory is that it was carved of wood that has darkened. Another was that poison was rubbed on the carving to kill an archbishop. Given that there are Cristo Negros all over central America, I suspect that they were darkened to appeal to the indigenous people. Similarly, images of Jesus were lightened to appeal to European Christians.
Guests having breakfast at our hotel – the Cathedral is to the right and mountains straight ahead
Thank you to Teddy for the Cathedral photographs, please do not reproduce. Click on the red links for more information, courtesy of Wikipedia.
This week’s political talking point in the USA is a quote by JD Vance, Donald Trump’s potential Vice President. He referenced childless women with cats as part of America’s societal problems. I bet he wishes that he had kept his mouth shut. He was aiming his original comment at Kamala Harris who has no children but is married with step-children. Politics doesn’t need to be this nasty or ridiculous.
I have no children. My eggs were substandard, Teddy’s sperm was MIA and I have endometriosis, which runs in my family. All our nurturing love went into rescuing cats. We had two separate and beloved batches of three gremlins cats. Teddy and I are only children – on paper at least. My Dad had alliances after my mum but no siblings have turned up. Teddy was adopted so he has some half siblings who are yet to be found. Our parents are dead, not unexpected when you are retired, as we are. We decided not to have any more cats after the last batch because who would look after them in the event of our death?
Now I am still female (barely as I have no hormones left…), childless with squirrels. God help America! I am indeed the cause of all our country’s problems. As the last of the baby boomers, I have one year to go before I can claim Medicare. Then I will be leeching from my country without having the good grace to die young, yet. Back in the day, my mum used to telephone me and say, “Mrs. O’Shea and Mr. McGuire both died last week. Just waiting for a third.” It always made me exasperated, whilst chuckling, as I thought my mum was being morbid. Now I know better. We have had four deaths in our street of 20 houses since April.
I was looking out my window, the morning after the last death, reflecting on how short life is. I saw what I thought was a little cat, sleeping by the water bowl. Finally, I realized it was a little raccoon. Why was it sleeping during the day? Of course it was dead. I think it might have been hit by a car and had internal injuries. Part of me is delighted that wild animals feel that our garden is an oasis in life and death BUT there is nothing like the smell of decomposition in the wheelie trash bin. I tripled bagged it but the smell still makes my eyes water. I asked Teddy what it smelled like outside and he said, “Foresty”. Covid really messed up his sense of smell.
Then there was Hurricane Beryl. Jeez, it really did a number on our township. Every street had a tree down or more. One of the houses in our street lost their roof to a giant pine tree. Our power and internet were out for two days. Many people had no power for a week or more. My hairdresser told me a funny story about one of her clients. Her husband is an insurance assessor, so a busy time for him. His company pay for accommodation (power and WIFI) even if the storm is in our area. The client sent the husband and two boys to stay in the cool hotel room. She boiled at home alone just for a bit of peace. I felt much the same and urged Teddy to drive to anywhere in Texas that had power.
So many of us have changed since the Pandemic. We NEED our home comforts like Netflix and WIFI. I tried to remind Teddy that my family didn’t even have a telephone at home when I was young but it was to no avail. Like everyone else, we lost all the food in the freezer. Mine didn’t cost that much but I had spent so long cooking all those low sodium meals. Now I am keeping the freezer half empty until the hurricane season is over (November) or we get a proper generator. The driving was a bit crazy after the hurricane as every traffic light was out. I stayed in my hot and humid bunker… We have been blessed with a week of rainy cooler weather from tropical rain storms.
Someone in our township was water rescued from their car. No. 1 rule in Texas, don’t drive into a flooded road. As you leave our international airport, you might be terrified by the 7 ft flood gauges on the roads but they come in very useful in the rainy season. At least the drought is over and we have no wildfires. My favorite place to vacation is the Yucatan in Mexico and they received much needed rain with busy Beryl. Don’t you love my positive thinking?
The actress, Jennifer Aniston, has already commented on the audacity of JD Vance’s opinion. She said, “All I can say, Mr. Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day”. She said that from her perspective of a woman who battled with infertility. She is childless with dogs. Has JD Vance thought about one of our most influential young women, Taylor Swift? She is childless, has many cats and is a Democrat. What is the world coming to? 😉
Rest in Peace wee baby raccoon. Someone loved you right at the end…
The first and second photographs are of the same location. The second image is wider to show that there is water where there was none. The trees in the middle of the second image are the same as those on the left of the first image. This is what a flash flood looks like.
I had planned our little vacation to Salado, Texas, with military precision. The weather forecast said it ‘might’ rain. I was inclined to postpone it but Teddy looked disappointed… He had visited Salado in central Texas some time ago and thoroughly recommended it. It was a very pleasant drive for me, with very little pain in my neck or hands. We stopped at a little place named Caldwell for a refreshing cup of coffee. It was a hidden gem; a Czech settlement with no tourists.
Above is the delightful coffee shop with local art, Lissa’s Restyled Sip and Shop. It was beautifully renovated and had once been a bordello. Oh la la! The folks were very friendly serving the most delicious cherry kolaches. The rest of the drive to Salado was uneventful with bucolic scenery. I am always happy to see long horned cattle.
After arriving in Salado, we set off for a quick look at the town, and onward to dinner. We had a charming supper in a historic building perched on the edge of Salado Creek – Alexander’s Craft Cocktails at the Inn on the Creek. I was a little envious of the people who were paddling in the creek. It was only a few inches deep, crystal clear and so enticing on an oppressively hot evening. I could feel a headache starting with the barometric pressure plunging. We went back to our hotel and then started getting warnings about flash flooding in our area. Well, it rained all night and most of the morning. Some of the roads around us were blocked.
We left our hotel and headed to the center of Salado with some trepidation. I could not believe my eyes when I saw that this tiny creek had transformed into a raging torrent. There were whole trees floating downstream.
This is the view upstream across the narrow bridge. The previous evening you could see a shallow weir with heron relaxing. After the flash flooding the humidity was tangible; it felt as though a damp, heavy, wool blanket was suffocating me.
The Salado Museum offered some respite from the heat. It was folksy and informative. Native people had settled in the area thousands of years ago. When European settlers arrived in the area, the Tonkawa people camped along the banks of the spring fed Salado Creek. On a good day it is crystal clear. Game was abundant – bison, antelope and prairie chickens. Just south of Salado is an important archeological site – The Gault Site. Some of the artifacts uncovered are from around 13,000 years ago. America isn’t really a new land.
Salado holds annual Scottish games in November – who knew?? I did not expect to see tartan and bagpipes in the museum. These darn Scots get everywhere…
Across the road from the museum was a pretty little log cabin; it was one of two in the village. I am always astonished that a log building could survive our elements and termites.
Further north was a beautiful old lenticular truss bridge, below, with yet another raging torrent of water underneath it. Dodd’s Creek had burst its banks and flooded one of the downtown streets.
Salado is an enchanting art town and very popular with tourists. We traveled there midweek and avoided the turistas (who may have paid more attention to the weather forecast than us).
Most of the old buildings are gussied up. When I saw the sign for Salado Oil, I thought it was referring to the black stuff on which Texas floats, not the olive variety.
Despite being stuck in the hotel for many hours, I was fading fast. The heat and humidity just wiped me out, not helped by the long drive the day before. I retreated to the hotel while Teddy visited the next habitation. Later we went out for our much anticipated meal at The Barton House.
The Barton House was both a beautiful location and a delightful dining experience.
Postscript – This post is the reason why you don’t buy property in Texas with any reference to water. Avoid Creekside, River View, Bayside, Lake Vista, Pond Palace or the like… 😉
On our last full day of our trip to Mexico City, we decided to get up early and walk around the Zócalo Central Historical area before it became too hot. The city has a marvelous mountain climate; cool in the morning and warm during the day. It is also at high altitude with air pollution so you may tire easily. At breakfast we enjoyed the breeze on the open-air restaurant of our hotel, gazing over the magnificent Plaza. Once it was Aztec; now Spanish Colonial. The Plaza had organized protests on every day. It was very quiet and civil. On this morning there was some loud noises but we couldn’t figure out where or what caused this.
I set off at a brisk pace, with Teddy struggling to keep up. He is much more fit than me but I didn’t realize that he was struggling with a reaction to seafood (THAT HE SHOULD NOT HAVE EATEN!) We started at a very old Synagogue but they would not allow us entry without a driving license or passport. These items were safely ensconced in our hotel safe and we could not be bothered walking back. This area of the city is built on a grid so we decided to walk on the other side of the Plaza from our hotel. We noticed that a few of the streets were blocked off but could see no reason why. It was a tad annoying for old people with sore feet…
Doors, Wires and Fabric
The shopkeepers and street vendors were very busy washing the streets with bleach or disinfectant. The blocks were organized per product. You could only buy fabric in one section or tools in another. It was fascinating and took us straight back to the souks in Cairo. On the other side of the Plaza, it was completely different with department stores and fancy shops. I had fun browsing in H & M and Zara. It was as though 1st world luxuries and 3rd world necessities met at the Plaza.
Busy Alley
The streets were crowded and narrow but it was it was just people going about their business. We had no sense of danger. Then we spotted some riot police and my antennae twitched – just like a cockroach. Was something happening? The first group of riot police were taking a selfie so perhaps it was just a routine drill. Teddy noticed that half of them were the prettiest riot police he had ever seen…
Vendors preparing
We were getting hot and bothered. Teddy’s face was turning a strange color so we headed for a large department store that had a rooftop restaurant. When we entered the ‘Liverpool’ department store we were asked what we wanted. Que? I told them that we wanted to go to the rooftop restaurant. We were accompanied by a uniformed member of staff to the top floor. Then I realized that the regular store was not open yet (it was still early morning) but the restaurant was open for breakfast/brunch. The staff were making sure we didn’t steal any of the designer togs! Very sensible given we wear thrift clothes on vacation. Brief segue – isn’t it strange that Liverpool is the name of the group of department stores? It doesn’t seem glamorous to me…
The restaurant was full of locals having relaxed breakfasts. We just needed juice, water and coffee. Teddy still didn’t look well so he decided to head back to the hotel and I stayed to browse the designer togs (that I wouldn’t be buying.) By the time we finished our drinks, the store was fully open and I happily meandered all over the store. We have always enjoyed eating at department stores around the world. Usually the food is good, there are few tourists and the price is lower.
Stained glass ceiling in El Palacio de Herrio department store
By the time I returned to the hotel, Teddy was sitting in the lobby looking miserable. We went back to our room and he went back to bed where he stayed. He had a fever and I was concerned we would end up at a local hospital. While he was sleeping, I browsed the internet and discovered the cause of the commotion in the morning. A group of young men in a pickup truck had stormed the door of the Presidential Palace where the then President Obrador was giving a speech. They were protesting the disappearance of 43 young men in 2014. Here is a link to the news article. https://nypost.com/2024/03/07/world-news/mexico-protesters-knock-down-door-of-presidential-palace/
We live in a very safe and unexciting township. The only violence I have suffered is at the wings of a swan and my three Egyptian cats. Mexico City was an interesting change of pace. The next day Teddy seemed much better and we headed back to home. We were relieved to get home but thoroughly enjoyed our exciting trip to Mexico City. Friends have asked how safe it felt but even with the political incident, I had no sense of danger during daytime in the small area of the central historical area. There were many police officers in the tourist areas and locals were friendly.
Bookshop
Statue and Alien Plants
We took an Uber back to the airport and this driver should have starred in ‘Fast and Furious‘. It had taken us about an hour to get to our hotel, after our arrival. This return journey took a hair-raising 15 minutos. He took us through a very interesting part of the city. As he was maneuvering through the crazy traffic, I noticed a little baggie of a white substance on the pavement. Was it cocaine or baking soda? We will never know.
Hum the tune ‘Ride of the Valkyries’, as you gaze at this image of Sigrún the Swan. She is racing towards us because Teddy dared to frighten an egret with his deadly camera. Her wings are thumping on the water like the noise of 20 Vikings smashing their oars. Sigrún is a relatively new addition to the many critters on our local pond, arriving about 2 years ago. I have been so curious about her (or him). One of the local birdwatchers told us that she was likely bought privately and escaped, or was released, to the large reservoir a couple of miles west.
Every year we welcome flocks of white pelicans who are stopping briefly on route to the north for the summer. These are arboreal pelicans who live on lakes in forests. The birdwatcher told us that Sigrún had terrorized the pelicans so much that they disappeared from our area. I don’t know if she mistook them for other swans or was just being territorial. She regards all the other critters on our pond as her flock (herons, egrets, ducks, geese, nutria, turtles, bluebirds, blackbirds, coots) and doesn’t take kindly to humans intruding…
As she approached, her wings remained up and her neck curled back to fully threaten us. I must admit that I was anxious and stood back from the water’s edge. A swan can easily break a person’s arm. Eventually she calmed down and her wings lowered. We were duly chastised and sloped off trying not to frighten anything else. It was a while before I went around the pond again but I kept thinking of Sigrún. What kind of person buys a wild animal that can’t be domesticated? Mute swans are not indigenous to our area and can be a pest with their territorial natures. I have seen Sigrún sleeping with the other water birds so she is happy with the original inhabitants (apart from humans).
Is she lonely? I haven’t seen another swan in our area. The containment pond isn’t a perfect habitation as it is really a flood defense. The water naturally rises and lowers throughout the year. I pride myself on my rapport with wild and domesticated animals but pride comes before a fall. On my last few visits to the ponds, I talked quietly to Sigrún and gently got closer to her. It seemed as though I was making progress; she was tolerating my presence. Most recently I encountered her on the path that leads around the pond. Talking all the time, I got within about 2 feet of her and she was showing no signs of aggression. Then I got too close, she raised herself to her full height and walloped me with her wing!
Immediately I backed away – she could have hit me harder but it was scary. I was shaking as I walked away from her. Halfway around the pond I realized I would have to turn around and walk past her again for my own confidence. This time she retreated into the water but her neck was still very tense. Usually I am respectful of wildlife; I was so annoyed at myself for frightening Sigrún and myself. I anthropomorphized about Sigrún and thought that my friendship would be welcome. Dejected, I went home with my head bowed and my tail between my legs. (My tail is striped, in case you are interested) Later I sought solace with my much friendlier garden critters.
Until I started researching mute swans, I had no idea that they played a key part in Valkyrie mythology. Valkyries were mythical creatures who led the chosen slain Norse Warriors to Valhalla (Heaven). I thought the swan looked like a Sigrún but for all I know it might be a Thor. Maybe it has a more prosaic name such as ‘Swan in Charge’ or ‘Fluffy’? All my squirrels are named too. At the moment we have a group named the McHughs, which was my mother’s maiden name. These squirrels all have funny wee turned-up noses – just like my family and me. This year we have a wonky sparrow living in the garden but that’s a tale for another time…
Postcards from Kerry 