Simply Norma

On the east side of our house sits a hydrangea. Its growth is huge but we rarely get blossoms ~ except for this year.

The purple blossom burst into color late in the season.  Quite a difference from the pale color it started as.

As I pondered this, it made me think of my own life and how I have always thought “differently” ~ yet changing with time.

I remember over 35 years ago, I took a correspondence class to learn Fortran (computer programming). I diligently studied and sent my lessons in only to have them marked “incorrect, try again.”  The frustrating thing was that the answers were right but the steps I took to get to the answer were a little longer than their steps.

As much as I tried, I could not figure out how we both came to the same answer following different steps.  Yet they were saying my way was wrong.  Inside though, I knew I wasn’t wrong.  Different, yes.  Wrong, no.  Unfortunately I had to drop the class.

Has this ever happened to you?

I find many instances where my “thinking” is different from others and I’m looked at as odd. Of course, many times we don’t come up with the same conclusion ~ as with math which is a challenge for me.

Another example:  Not too long ago, my husband purchased an electric weed whacker. He put the battery in the charger and the next day it was ready to use. And so it was ~ another challenge that my “differently thinking” brain was going to have a hard time figuring out.

One day, a friend came to help me work in the yard and one of the things I asked him to do was use the weed whacker. We headed over to where it was charged and I unplugged the charger.  Then my brain went blank.

It looked easy enough but honestly, I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it.  I turned it around and around but normal logic did not kick in.

The picture below shows the battery in the charger.

This next picture shows where the battery is supposed to go.  My brain knew “something gets plugged in here.” But as much as I wracked my brain, I could not figure out how to get the battery out of the charger.

Such a simple thing ~ well, for most people.  I simply had to slide the battery off but as much as I tried, I could not figure out how to do it.

My friend saw my frustration, picked up the charger and slid the battery off. Just like that!  Now I know how to do it ~ the visual and hands-on training helped immensely.

I have learned throughout the years that my logic and other people’s logic is not the same.  I used to get frustrated that I didn’t “get it” but I’ve since learned that being different doesn’t mean stupid or slow. I’m just wired in a special way.

This has actually made me more empathetic to others who are also “different minded.”

Any more specially wired people out there?

Bears, bears and lots of bears.

We visited the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary on a trip we took to the Voyageurs National Park which is nearby.

The non profit sanctuary, located in Orr, Minnesota, was started by a man named Vince Shute who decided to stop shooting the bears that were coming on his property in search of food and instead make them a safe sanctuary where they could eat.  Trying to peacefully co-exist.

When we arrived, we were directed where to park and then we headed to the admission ticket booth where we paid $8 per adult. From there we stood in a line and waited for a shuttle bus to take us “up” to the sanctuary which is on a 1 mile gravel road.  Our driver warned us that bears roam freely here so we could see them at any time.

Once we arrived, we disembarked the shuttle bus and went through a caged type entrance to get to the viewing deck.  The viewing deck is long and heads in different directions so you can see bears on all sides.

Looking down from the deck, I noticed there were employees walking among the bears and putting food down for them.  They seemed unafraid and later I was told that there is a compound that they wear that the bears do not like to smell.

Although we were told that the food they give the bears is to supplement their diet, some of the bears looked overweight.  (Is that possible?)  I didn’t understand why bears would have to have a supplemental diet myself but … it is what is it.

Here are a few bear pictures.

The bear below was just lounging around.  You can see some of the food they give them underneath him.  Looks like he might be protecting it.

This fella looks like he was enjoying the smell of something in the air.

Although this bear was able to climb to the top of this tree stump, it appeared as if he was afraid to come down once the other bears came nearby.

This little guy was fast asleep.  Occasionally he would change positions.  How is it they don’t fall off?

Playing peek-a-boo with the cameras …

Doing the cha-cha-cha …

Mama bear with cubs … (one is hidden).

It’s hard to know how many bears come here but there were quite a few ~ as in more than 40.

Well, have a beary nice day.  hahahaha

A recent trip that took us through northern Illinois and then up through Wisconsin along the Mississippi River brought us to a small town called Alma, Wisconsin.

As we were driving through, I noticed a small gift store sign that my husband drove past and I asked him if we could go back and browse.  He immediately turned around.  Yay husband!

The “small” store, called Water Lily Gifts, wasn’t so small after all as both the main floor and the basement were filled with unique items that immediately captured my attention.  After paying for our purchase, we chatted with the store’s owner and it was then that he asked us if we had visited Buena Vista Park.  When we said no, he immediately said “You can’t leave town without going to Buena Vista.”

So we decided to take his advice. He walked us outside and gave us directions to the park. This was a friendly town indeed!

The store’s owner was right ~ this was one park we didn’t want to miss.

The drive up to the bluff was a winding one and reminded me of a mountain road in Puerto Rico that I had been on.  I was surprised to find farms way “up here.”

When we got out of the car, we noticed a road that went down to where the view is. It wasn’t too long of a road.

The park is just a portion of the 240,000 acre of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

Arriving at the end of the trail, the views took my breath away.

Part of the view is of Lock and Dam #4.

Here’s another view of the Lock & Dam.

Pretty, no?

Lastly, here’s a picture of the plant next to the Mississippi River.

And to think ~ we almost passed up this jewel of a view.  It is definitely worth the time to visit.

A recent trip through northwest Illinois then into Wisconsin gave us ample opportunity to see much beauty in the Midwest.  Driving along the backroads there is very little traffic but lots of corn and soy farms along with houses that have attached large barns ~ most of them painted red.

I’ve always wanted to knock on these doors and ask the people who live there why they choose to live there.  To live remotely, away from what one might consideration civilization with its cell phones, cable, Starbucks around the corner …  Sometimes I think they have a better quality of life than most of us.

One day I hope round up enough guts and nerve to knock on a door.

One scene that majestically appeared over and over again is of puffy clouds hanging beautifully in the sky with odd shapes that made me wrack my brain to determine what they might resemble.  A dog? An angel? A person?

Further north towards Wisconsin, we stopped at the Mississippi Palisades State Park in Savannah, Illinois and snapped some photos.  There were two other couples taking pictures who were also camping here ~ otherwise all seemed quiet.  I wondered why more people weren’t out enjoying this area.

A quick jaunt down the path led us to views of the Mississippi.  So peaceful here ~

It was indeed, the start of a beautiful day.

As we pulled up to my brother’s driveway, I saw a crow sitting on the lawn. It was odd in that it was standing so still in all it’s glorious blackness.

I’m not a crow fan ~ never have been and never will be.  The sound of them cawing in the mornings makes me say “ugh” as I turn over to the other side and cover my ears.

I’ve heard that crows are intelligent birds and people have told me many crow stories that attest to their intelligence.  Can you believe it?

Getting out of the car, I walked up to this crow only to realize that it was made of plastic.  I laughed out loud at the “mistaken identity” ~ thinking the crow was real when it was fake.  It does look real though, doesn’t it?

Before leaving my brother’s house, I asked him if I could have the crow and he said yes.  I had a brilliant idea that I couldn’t shake.

And so it was when I arrived home that I put the crow in my front yard.  The bright idea I had?  I assumed that the other crows would not come near our house because a new “family” of crows had arrived.  Such a brilliant idea, no?

I hadn’t noticed anything different for a few days until one day, after heading out for a bit with the hubby, we pulled into the driveway and there were four crows “hanging around” with the plastic one.  As soon as we pulled in closer, they flew away.  No!  I told myself.  Crows are supposed to be intelligent and not come around other crow families …

A few days passed by and I again left the house and upon arrival, there they were again.  It appeared that these crows were trying to figure out who the new crow in town was.

My plan had backfired ~ instead of scaring the crows away with a new “crow,” I had managed to call them in to make friends with a fake one.

Who knew?

Whenever I visit my mother (who is of Puerto Rican descent), I’m always glad when I arrive healthy. The alternative, being sick, brings out all kinds of Puerto Rican remedies that I’d rather not deal with.

But, she’s my mother, so I indulge her.

The last time I visited when I was sick, she brought out “something that will help your pain.”

“What is it?” I asked.

She, matter-of-factly said, “It’s something your uncle brought me from Indiana.  Don’t worry, it will help any aches and pains you have.”

“Uh, yeah, but what is it?” I asked more determinedly.

“Don’t worry about it.  Your aunts use it and it helps them.”

Okaaayyyyy.  And so she found an empty jar and put some of the blue lotion in the jar and handed it to me.

Interesting looking thing, isn’t it?

Here’s what it looks like with the lid off ~

While I was at her place, I went to the bathroom and curiosity got the better of me.  I found the container that this blue pain lotion came in and read the ingredients (sorry, I didn’t have my phone to take a picture for you).

Reading through the ingredients slowly, I saw “it.” This lotion is to help horses with their arthritic knees.  Yikes!

As I was leaving, she said “did you remember to take your lotion?”

Uh, yes Mama, I have the lotion.

Such is one of the quirky things I learned to grow up with.