Loose Leaf Notes

1. I think I’ll call him Squiggy.

2. Pretty as flowers / in a bouquet of colors / A floral choral / of plumes in blooms. See my Favorite Finches HERE.

3. A new species of ancient humans was recently discovered in the Philippines. Dubbed Homo luzonensis, the small-bodied hominin, named Homo luzonensis, lived on the island of Luzon at least 50,000 to 67,000 years ago and was only about 3 feet tall.  The discovery challenges the outdated idea that the human line neatly progressed from less advanced to more advanced species. –  Read more HERE.

4. Are We the Aliens? THIS Is How Dolphins ‘See’ Humans With Echolocation.

5. Is swing the mutant plural of wing?

6. I think I’ll call Spring “Cha-ching!” Or maybe just “Bling.”

7. “Our word “thing” came to English from the German where it was the word for the assembly of citizens who met to deliberate laws and policies; in other words, “thing” was the word for Congress, and the Icelandic parliament , the oldest such organization in the world, is called the Althing.  So, from the beginning, things haven’t been discreet separate entities, but compound affairs, matters that are less than fully settled. We long for the stability of nouns as if life preservers in a ceaselessly restless verbal ocean. I think this helps explain things.” – My Dharmacratic poet friend Will

8.  When the squirrels raid the bird feeder, I chase them with a broom like Mr. McGregor chased Peter Rabbit with a rake. The towhee is back and the robins are aloof.  I’ve taken to calling the mourning doves “cry babies.”  It’s funny how purple finches are really red and redbud trees are more purple or pink than red. – Read the rest of And So Your Bird Can Sing HERE.

9. After a Texas lawmaker wrote a bill that would allow the death penalty for women who had abortions, I saw a sign on Facebook that said “They are now so pro-life they want to kill you.”

10. Delusion or Illusion?

11. If you’ve never seen a keg toss competition, look HERE.

12. I use birdsong as an antidote to following the news.  Maryjane Claydon, who gave a Ted Talk on how birdsong can rewire your brain says, “I haven’t found that listening to the news helps me much, or that I am much help to the world by listening. There are plenty of us doing that job, but how many of us are listening to the birds! I really do feel it is my sacred duty to do this job and find my Heart is so lifted in Joy as I do so, that I am surely more help to the world like that?”

13. And Your Bird Can Sing HERE.

___________Thirteen Thursday