Earth Day and stuff

Sunday, 2:52 pm

By Kate

Apr

22

2007

This morning I had the pleasure of watching a Northern Flicker poking around in the next door neighbor’s back yard. This one was a yellow-shafted variety and a female. She was poking around in the sand, looking for ants, I presume. This is the first time I’ve seen one here and the first time I’ve ever seen one searching for food on the ground. When I lived in the country, in New York State, we had a lot of flickers, but they were always scrambling up and down the fir trees looking for food—or stopping by the feeders and suet. So I learned something new this morning. Flickers really, really love ants. And living on big hill of sand, we have lots and lots of ants. Not so sure that they’re out and about yet, but maybe. The flicker seemed to be feeding on something. She was very pretty.

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The last two days have been on the warm side. We cracked 60° yesterday and we’re getting close today. That means people have been out and about. I’ve watched several strangers walking past the house with their dogs. Now, I like dogs and I know that they really enjoy a leisurely walk in the sunshine. But, people, please bring your dog-poo bags with you. It’s just not very neighborly to let your dog poop on my yard and then walk away as if you never saw it happen. Okay?

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Today is Earth Day and the president had this to say about it. I’ll give him credit for saying the right things, at least. But I do think he’s living in an alternate reality. Here is a bit of Earth Day history written by the founder, Senator Gaylord Nelson.

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Want to know your ecological footprint on the earth? Here’s a little quiz. It tells me that if everyone lived as I do, we’d need 2.4 earths to support us. Clearly, I have a way to go yet before I live within the earth’s means. On the other hand, I think the quiz has some overly broad answer choices and ignores other energy choices or even alternative energy choices. But, it’s an illuminating rule-of-thumb type of thing.