A good birding friend of mine passed a few years back. My son and I attended the memorial, and as we walked out of the church one last time with Pete, a flock of Pine Siskins erupted from one of the trees.
These are a species of finch, and finches are a hit or miss species from year to year. They've been hard to come by this year, but I had a chance to catch them calling in this video:
It was always a joy to head out with Pete, and he had a few nuggets of wisdom he'd share now and then:
"People ask me, Pete, how do you find all of those birds? And I'd tell 'em… I go out... and look. for. them." Simple wisdom that I can put to use as I'm out looking for 425 things. If I'm sitting around inside, there's really not much to be seen (I mean. . . except for those moths).
"Funny thing about birds - they can fly." This was usually in reference to some isolated bird sighting - a bird that Pete missed, or a bird he found and nobody else had a chance to see. I like it as a reminder to enjoy the birds as they come. It's not a bad reminder to enjoy the people in your current orbit. Pete is a fine example of someone who was here, and then was not. Whether it's family or friends, it's good to remember how awesome it is that your paths have crossed - every time that they do.
"Never show up without flowers." - totally unrelated, but not a bad thought. And that one encapsulates what a classy man he was.
He's missed, but every time I hear siskins, I think of him and smile.
Do you have a connection like that. . . ?
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