ActiveRain PhotoBlogger Contest: Of Storms, Power Outage, and a Bird in a Bush
After a few days of hot weather, we had some pretty heavy thunderstorms in Hernando Beach this afternoon. The wind was especially strong and came straight in from the Gulf of Mexico occasionally gusting with speeds of up to 70 mph.
Somewhere, there might have been a power line down because power went out for a while. I guess power outages do have a good side as they bring out the neighbors for a bit. Everyone wants to know whether it's just them who are without power or if others are affected as well. You really get to catch up on some other neighborhood news that way as well!
Not knowing when power will be restored, you start adjusting and improvising. The normal pursuits of our modern lives are suddenly not available. All those things that we take for granted and that use electricity are out: no TV, Internet (no ActiveRain...), no air conditioning, and of course no cooking.
A nice thunderstorm also brings with it a drop in temperature so doors and windows can be opened to achieve a nice cross breeze. We turned on the gas grill and had barbecued chicken with baked beans heated on the gas burner and salad that doesn't need to be heated.
There are some other leisurely pursuits that you can pursue during a power outage. Taking a nice afternoon nap is just one of them! Sitting on the porch with a glass of wine and watching the world dry out is another.
It was then, that we noticed a pair of Mockingbirds jumping around excitedly and loudly complaining about our presence. As we watched their frustration at us for a while, we finally saw the cause for the excitement sitting very quietly just a couple of feet from our chairs.
Baby Mockingbird apparently had fallen out of the nest during the storm and found shelter in the Lantana that is growing at the corner of the front porch.
Before leaving him to his parents' care, I took his first baby photo. After we left, the parents came back quickly and we could hear him squeak every time one of them came to feed him. Later, we watched from a distance as they coached him into another bush to a higher and hopefully, safe place from the neighborhood cats and other predators.
ActiveRainPhotoBlogger Contest: Of Storms, Power Outage, and a Bird in a Bush
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