The Buzzards of Hinckley Ohio

Today is a very special day in Hinckley Ohio. It is the day the "Buzzards," or Turkey Vultures return to Ohio. This is a real sign that Spring is right around the corner. Since March 15, 1957, "Buzzard spotters" have been watching for this great birds return. They start watching at 6:30am. at Hinckley Reserve in Clevelands Metropark. Armed with binoculars, warm clothing and hot coffee, these dedicated souls watch out for the first dark spot high in the sky. If you have ever seen a Buzzard fly it's a beautiful site. They are a large bird with a dark brown/black body and a red head. From a distance you can see them fly gracefully over head, looking for their next meal. They are not hunters, they are scavengers. They are unable to kill anything, so they look for road kill. Because of their size, they easily scare off other animals. This allows them to come in and take over, and have their meal. Although they are beautiful in the sky, they are ugly on the ground. They look big, awkward and just plain ugly. The Sunday after March 15th, is Buzzard Sunday in Hinckley. The festivities are celebrated with coffee and treats. Along with the budding flowers, trees and warm, sunny days, they are another sign of Spring. Here in Cincinnati we usually see the last Buzzard in December. A few weeks ago I saw the first one here. Now I see them everywhere, flying over head. I always wonder when I see five or six of them circling what they have found. They are a vulture after all. I hope you spot a sign of Spring soon. Even if it is an ugly bird. Take Care!

Grandma Attacks Nature

My mother is not usually a mean person. She has respect for most living things. However, sometimes she doesn't think about her actions. There was this incident that happened when my niece Gwen was about five years old. Gwen and Mom were on the deck during a fine summers day. They were talking and Gwen was playing with a worm that was minding its own business, crawling across the floor. Mom looked down, saw the worm and decided that it would be better off in the hereafter. So she stepped on it! Gwen let out a scream and started to cry. Grandma had just crushed her new little friend. Now Mom was having a problem. Gwen is crying "He was going home to his Mommy!", and Mom can't figure out how to get worm guts off her shoe. It was quite the scene. Mom sent Gwen in the house to get a tissue, this gave her time to scrape what was left of the worm on the edge of the deck. She then promised Gwen that she would not take the lives of anymore worms, ever! It's times like these that we need to think before we act. I'm sure that Gwen is scarred for life, and Mom can't help laughing when she retells this story. I guess it just depends on where the shoe falls. Take Care!