Post Office

Today, I planned to walk the hills in Ocean Beach in preparation for my climb up Mt. Beacon in the Spring.  I needed to send a letter to my grandson so I stopped at the Ocean Beach Post Office.  I don't go there often, but when I do there is always a line.  Today I waited 20 minutes for service. The girl behind me in line put her head on the table along which the line is formed and just groaned.  A woman approached me and asked me when it was my turn. "please just get me two address change forms."  She didn't want to get on the long line for two forms.  There were now around twelve people behind me.  When I joined the line, there were eight people ahead of me.

The Post Office is planning to suspend Saturday delivery in August 2013 for monetary reasons.  Although electronic mailing has made substantial inroads into communication, I wonder if they gave better service, things would be different.  I will repeat myself; this particular post office always has a line.  So does the Midway Post Office, which I think used to be the main post office in bygone days.  That Post Office definitely has more workers and provides faster service, but going there today just wasn't convenient for me..

In asking for the American Flag stamp, I was reminded that you can only get that if you purchase a $20 book of stamps.  Why would they make it so difficult to express your patriotism?  The stamp with the American Flag should be the easiest to get.  Perhaps the executives at the Post Office should be thinking more like a customer.

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Transitions

Since I returned from my New York visit, I've been walking/jogging 3 miles a day, as well as occasionally walking up long hills in neighboring Ocean Beach.  The long hills are preparing me to reach the top of Mt Beacon in New York on my next visit.  To improve my daily diet, I've been using the Nutribullet since July of this year.  Although I always ate my vegetables and some fruit, I never had a great amount.  I was intrigued by the Nutribullet ads on TV, so I decided to try it.  I'm providing a link to the Nutribullet because I believe so much in this product.   Every day now, I have a drink made with fresh veggies, such as kale, spinach, and/or carrots, as well as fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, or cherries, and 1/2 a banana.  To this I add almonds, walnuts and flax seeds.  I use a 24 oz container supplied with the Nutribullet, varying the fruits.  I think it's great.   Nutribullet Superfood Nutrition Extractor (Google Affiliate Ad) 

On one of my recent walks, I noticed some fresh green blossoms dropping from some of the trees I pass on my daily trek.   At first, I thought that some small birds were causing them to drop.  At any rate, the falling of these blossoms made me think of spring.  On another block, I have to do a hop, skip and a jump to avoid dried up leaves (of a different kind of tree) on the sidewalk.  Then, one day at my daughter's house, I noticed birds in nests previously populated by other birds all summer.  The original inhabitants had moved out after their babies were ready to leave the nest.  The silence was deafening.  Now the yard is again a harbor for song.  Possibly, the new birds have just migrated for the winter.  However, the changes in the trees got me wondering if this year, San Diego has such a good climate that it may have two spring seasons.  Some years, we have cold days with heavy rains between November and February.  Thankfully for me and my exercise, this is a pleasant winter.

On my recent walk to the Famosa Slough, there were some migrating ducks.  I was looking for a bird I had not seen before.  After looking at the "regulars" I was ready to leave the property.  Then, I spotted just such a bird.  After I took the photo, I left the property.   A computer search for the name of the bird got me nowhere, so I sent an e-mail to someone I believed could identify it.  He responded that it was a "Say's Phoebe."   Thanks, Ray.

Say's Phoebe

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Red-crowned Parrots

Last Friday, on a return trip from the grocery store, I discovered a wild green parrot in a tree on the edge of my apartment complex in San Diego. I rushed home and got my camera. Usually these birds, called Red-crowned Parrots, fly high and fast, squawking very loudly in flocks of up to more than two dozen (I lost count several times).... ergo, my difficulty in photographing them. They fly across the complex every morning between 7 and 8am, returning between 4 and 7pm. Some of the neighbors don't like them because of the noise. I believe they spend the night somewhere in Ocean Beach (a neighboring beach community). Where they actually spend their days is a mystery to me.

When I returned, camera in hand with the shutter sound turned off, I took several pictures. However, they were not good because of the shine of its feathers. Then another parrot spotted me (maybe the glint from the silver colored camera) and squawked, alerting the birds. About five or six swished off in one group, passing just over my head with a rush of sound and wind. I had not seen them since they were buried in the tree. Just when I thought I lost the opportunity, I heard a nut fall from the tree. There among the leaves was one lone parrot. I suppose he was just too hungry to follow the others.