I'm a sister :)

[elaby]

No, my parents didn't have another kid XD (Give you a slight heart attack, coastal_spirit?) We got a thank-you card in the mail from caitirin's brother Jake, and he addressed it to Sister 1 and Sister 2 :) It delights me to have a brother I didn't have to spend those agonizing sibling childhood years with *grins*

He said something similar on our wedding signature-frame-guestbook thing, about being happy to have another sister. Not having any siblings, I really have no clue what it would have been like to grow up with a brother or sister, but I get a good idea from Caitirin :) I'm often told I'm lucky XD

Also, we saw an awesome bird today! It was either a large hawk or an eagle. It was brownish red, probably about two feet tall sitting with maybe a three-foot wingspan (though it was hard to tell) and it had white plumage on parts of its wings. It was hard to see details because it was dusk, but we were out behind Caitirin's library about to get into the car and it apparently attacked a squirrel on the roof of the building next to us. We watched it hiding behind a tree on the roof, then it flew to another tree above our car, then a little later it flew over the building and disappeared. The squirrel was still wigging out and shrieking when we came back to the car after going around the building to look for it.

Here are some pictures Caitirin managed to snap. Click to embiggen.

A Sign? Seen right after talk of totems
Originally uploaded by Rachel Gogan

A Sign? Seen right after talk of totems
Originally uploaded by Rachel Gogan

Picture 121
Originally uploaded by Rachel Gogan

Local bird experts? You were all so helpful last time we asked about the Eider Ducks!

What was cool was that for a half-hour before, I had been helping Caitirin try to figure out what her totem animals might be. Sometimes things make themselves obvious!

Also, my shoulder has been rent by a kitty whose claws are overdue for clipping. Neosporin and three bandaids were swiftly applied. Sheesh, the things you suffer for trying to give her a hug.

Comments

[x-pyewacket-x.livejournal.com]

I think it might be a red-tailed hawk. There's a nice shot of red on the tail feathers in the in-flight picture, but the dusk lighting sort of washes things out.

Until wiser heads prevail, I say red-tailed hawk!

[merrick42.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I would have to agree. That definitely looks like a red-tailed hawk.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Cool! It was awesome to see :)

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thank you! That sounds right to me :)

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Hee, isn't it? *delighted*

[coastal-spirit.livejournal.com]

I wasn't worried. ;) I'm tending to believe more and more in the philosophy of "chosen family" these days, and it's doubly nice if some of your chosen family chooses you back. :)

Daddy says that's a red-tailed hawk. I knew it was some type of hawk and not an eagle, but I didn't know which kind.

Poor shoulder. :(

And I just noticed your music! Yay!

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Heee, yeah, Caitirin had never heard the song so I had to get it on iTunes so she could hear it :) It's such an awesome song!

Tell Daddy thanks about the bird! A red-tailed hawk sounds like the general consensus ^_^ Yay! It was SO pretty.

[coastal-spirit.livejournal.com]

Do you think that a hawk is Rachel's totem? I don't really get the concept of totem animals, so you'll have to explain it to me sometime.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

I don't know. It could be :) I don't know very much about them, but I'd love to talk to you sometime about totem animals :)

[elaby.livejournal.com]

And and! Dante! SQUEE ^_^

[coastal-spirit.livejournal.com]

He's so friggin' adorable!