a mother like no other – Mama Cirrelda

Twenty year ago today, me mama left this world.

Honoring her here with my penned words from around that time for both her and Daddy. And with a photo of the Lilac she gave us 25  year ago.

Our Lilac 4.28.10

To our dear parents:

Can you hear?

You are missed so much.

Your daughters are reminded of you every day.

We are part of you.

We remember you as we throw away bills

as we organize a file drawer

as we read a recipe

read a book

hang laundry with clothes pins

see a book title

look through photo albums

look at the wind moving clouds high in the sky

see a gentle spider’s dead body in a box

notice a tendency to cry

as we look at our bodies

as we talk about plans

for the future.

Thank you oh thank you.

We know how long it takes us.

It takes us a long time.

We want to take that time with you

through these memories.

© 1991 Cirrelda Snider-Bryan

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closeby observations

This post started last August, kept unfinished til today, 20th April, when I found the searched-for December 08 journal entry.

“Early August morning, 2009,  Grackles return to the trees they used to perch on – though now instead of being 50 feet tall, they are 15, and just stumps. I had not noticed this before.

Here’s what I wrote 10 months ago when the trees were sawed off:

December 2008:

whole flock no more.

eve of the day

when the tallest

trees in the neighborhood

were cut down.

Half dead — their

owners     decided to

clean emup.

Most evenings it’s the roost spot for close to a hundred birds — several kinds. And today 3 birds were perched high while the sawing was happening. They stayed on even while the balanced 40′ highest vertical limb was swaying but as it fell, the 3 flew off.

I was there, knowing that was the dead part, but how snags are important. In our own tallest Elm I’ve found a haven of beetles who love the bark – Squash Bugs in fact, all dusty grey, happy up there in their bark-munching life. And food for birds.

This evening the one lone branch that’s left I notice has no birds at all at roosting time. Not enough room for the whole flock no more.”

Cooper’s Hawk visits my yard!

Cooper's Hawk out of tile that I made for High Country panel after seeing it at the Sandia Mountain Natural History Center carrying Abert's Squirrel.

But today it’s not in clay – it’s for real – in branches of our back elm perched looking out at neighbor’s dry field. Hope you get some dinner!!