Category: hobbies

Civil or Uncivil Bird Society

We caught sight of several birds engaged in the usual interactions with each other and their prey (in the case of the hawk). Call it civil or uncivil society, it’s natural no matter how you see it.

I’m going to call it a Red-tailed Hawk that caught a gray squirrel and had a tough time managing to eat it or even carry it up a tree.

We saw a male Cardinal nip a sparrow who was dining a little too close to him on a tree. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess it was a White-throated Sparrow.

We a Black-capped Chickadee flitting around and a couple of wild turkeys trudging through the snow. The turkeys seemed to be almost encouraging each other at times.

Music Credit for video:

Call to Adventure – Comedy by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300022

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Woodpeckers Coming Out of the Woodwork After the Snowstorms!

We have not seen any birds in our backyard since the arctic blast began this past week or so—until a couple of days ago.

We saw a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, a Downy woodpecker, and a White-Breasted Nuthatch. Hardly a flock, but interesting anyway.

We had a little trouble deciding whether we saw a White-Breasted Nuthatch or a Black-Capped Chickadee. But there were a few clues. The bird was climbing down the side of a tree. Chickadees don’t do that. It didn’t have a black throat patch, either. And it had a chestnut undertail.

The downy Woodpecker had a stubby little bill and it was smaller than a Hairy Woodpecker.

That reminded Sena of the time about twelve years ago when she went to a lot of trouble looking for our camera. She caught a shot of a Pileated Woodpecker in our backyard while I was at work. She thought I wouldn’t believe her unless she had a snapshot to prove it. I’m glad I didn’t bet on it.

Partners in Juggling Crime Breaking the Internet Again!

We are breaking the internet again as partners in juggling crime. It turns out the 2-person 6 ball juggling pattern has 3 variations:

The 1, 2 Pass: Both partners make two right hand throws, then pass to the partner on the third throw. Always throw from the right side to your partner’s left.

The 1 Pass: You pass after every other throw.

Pass: You pass on every right-hand throw. You could call it pass, pass, fast!

The Pass variation is really difficult, although some jugglers make it look easy. We mainly look funny, but we’re just getting started!

We include a slow-motion clip for each variation.

Still Practicing the Shower Juggle!

I’m still practicing the shower juggle pattern. I’m comparing how I did in April with how I’m doing now. No doubt, my form is wonky and I still can do only 3-5 throws.

But I think juggling with the big plastic balls is easier when it comes to the shower. I can’t figure why, unless it’s the more uniform spherical shape and evenly distributed weight.

It’s definitely not my form.

The Santa Hat Juggling Duo Breaks the Internet!

Are we having any fun? You bet! We donned our Santa hats and did the 2-person 6 ball juggling until we fell over.

This is a fun pattern because, even when you mess up, it’s hilarious. When we count out loud, it sort of helps keep us in sync—but not always.

The last part of the video, we did the count sort of sotto voce as we moved from the toss and pass phase to finish with a cascade. This is in stark contrast to what we usually do, which is to keep tossing and passing until the inevitable drops happen.

As always, after the second right hand toss in the cascade, we pass from our right hand to the left hand of the partner. The count is “One, Two, Pass!”

As least that’s the plan. Often, we get line drives to the head, chest or the wrong hand. This is why safety goggles are handy. Ball collisions are frequent, which crack us up.

You know, juggling is often a one-person hobby or show. When you get two persons in the act, it’s ordinary juggling for two, which is a blast.

Then you’re having fun!

Watch for Jim and Sena Juggling in Santa Hats!

Announcing the upcoming not-to-be-missed, one of a kind, holiday extravaganza never before witnessed holiday extravaganza—Jim and Sena juggling in Santa Hats!

We’ve been rehearsing for this (or at least trying to) and one of the greatest challenges was laughing so hard we could barely stand up, let alone juggle.

There’s something hilarious about juggling balls colliding with each other.

Juggling Update!

Well, we’re using our new safety glasses retainers and they work out fine. We’re a little off the beam on the 2-person 6 ball pass juggle for some reason. Some days are diamonds, some days are stones, I guess.

Our mistakes are funny. We just make too many.

I’m still working on the shower juggle pattern. I might be making slow progress. It feels easier to do if I use the large plastic balls or the new smaller balls with a tough leather shell. They’re decorated with stars to give you confidence.

I think if they’re round and hold their shape better if they’re made of harder material, they might fly better.

I think it would also help if I threw them more accurately.

New Safety Goggle Retainers!

We’re big on safety goggles whenever we juggle nowadays. The only problem is that they fit loosely around our ears. We’re always pushing them back up on our noses.

So, Sena got a couple of eyewear retainers for our safety goggles. They were only a dollar a piece. I was a doubtful at first that they’d work, mainly because they don’t fit snug on the back of the head. It turns out they work best by snugging up around your ears.

You have to push pretty hard to get them on the goggle frame. The stitching holds up well, though.

They’re called “floating” eyewear retainers, I think because they’re made of neoprene foam and will float on water—great for boaters and water sports.

They’ll probably mostly eliminate the chance of the goggles falling off our heads when we drop the balls—which is often.

Another 2 Person Glow Ball Juggling Adventure!

Sena and I are still practicing the 2-person 6 ball pass juggling trick. We adjusted the colors on the glow balls so they all change color.

We count so we can stay in synch on the pass (1, 2, pass). We have to count the first two throws from the right hand only—which is sometimes still confusing since we’re used to counting both the left- and right-hand throws.

We have to pass a ball straight across from the right hand to the left hand of the partner. We’re slowly increasing the number of passes we’re able to make accurately while juggling the 3-ball cascade in between passes.

The balls are plastic, heavier than the smaller bean bags, and could hurt you if they fall on the wrong place—like your toe or your head. That’s why we both wear safety goggles.

We probably need steel toe boots, too.

New Step Platform for Climbing Stairs Exercise!

Yesterday we got the new aerobic step platform for cardiovascular health enhancement exercise. As I reported in October, climbing stairs can be very helpful in promoting cardiovascular health. This article summarizes the findings. At least 5 flights (around 50 steps of 10 stair steps) is said to be beneficial.

I climbed a lot of stairs in my career as a consulting psychiatrist in an 800-bed hospital. I don’t do anything close to that now, but I exercise pretty much daily. It limits my wardrobe.

My step counter app will track my stair step climbing on regular stairs in our house. However, it won’t count the steps I do on the step platform. It doesn’t really matter. I count everything else I do when I exercise, even on my anti-Peloton stationary bike, since the digital computer for monitoring my fitness level never worked. I also count the number of throws when I practice the 3-ball cascade juggling pattern (a hundred, often with 2 or 3 different sets of balls).

You can adjust the height on the platform by using risers, which can go up to 8 inches. That’s the usual height of the risers on regular stairs.

It’s not a Stairmaster by any means—but then it doesn’t cost $3,000 either.