For those of us who celebrate Christmas with gift-giving, there's always that hope in the back of our minds that we're finding or making something that is absolutely perfect. Not just an item that will elicit an "ooh" when the package is opened, but something that will continue to give joy for years to come. It's a great feeling when you know you've nailed it.
I've been the lucky recipient of a few such gifts over the years; hopefully you have, too. As it happens, the most memorable were bird related. (Well, unless you count that Jane West doll that I got when I was six - she was awesome! And the palomino horse to go with her!)
In fact, it was a Christmas gift from my mom that started me on this magnificent obsession in the first place.
1987 was a big year for us - we got married, and we began work on restoring my husband's family's old (abandoned) cabin in the Santa Cruz mountains. When I paused for breaks, I looked at all the wildlife around - especially the birds. That Christmas, my mom asked hubby for a gift hint, and he suggested binoculars might be fun. That turned out to be the third big thing that happened in 1987.
They opened up a whole new world to me, and literally changed the course of my life. It's amazing that a single gift could have such a great impact, but there it is.
Fast forward a few years and the birding interest has come inside with the addition of some Zebra Finches to our family. I opened a very small box at the end of the gift exchanging frenzy and found this ornament, which now has the place of honor at the very top of the tree:
... and a note:
One (1) each live bird* of your choice.
* reasonable
Kodachrome, not surprisingly, does not trust the Christmas tree. This is suspect, but it does have treats...
Well, the years have given us countless moments to ponder just how reasonable she is, but there is no doubt that Kodachrome has brought us 22 years of joy and entertainment. She's sometimes a bit cranky and she's definitely a neophobe; the list of threatening objects in her worldview is apparently limitless. No photos of her by the tree - that thing is just covered with danger! But when she's on one of our shoulders, safe and secure, she's a sweet little hen happy with her family.
A few years back, I actually found a folk-art sun conure ornament from Haiti. The beak is a little funky, but it's still our beloved little bird. Now I'm on a quest for an African Grey ornament...
Not a Christmas gift, per se, but a gift of the Christmas season nonetheless - in 1992, I did my first Christmas Bird Count (using those binoculars my mom bought me!). One of the other participants in our group was Stef, who signed up for that count area because it was good for raptors. A friendship began that day, and has continued through all these years. In fact, we'll be leading a count group together next Tuesday. She was also the one who first told me about the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory - something that has brought me so many good friends and amazing experiences over the past two decades.
Proxy photo: Over the years, Stef and I have gone on many birding trips, including Skagit, where we saw scores of eagles.
This year brought another remarkable surprise... I came home Tuesday night to a large package from a name I didn't recognize. But when I opened it up, it took me about two seconds to figure out who Secret Santa was - I mean, how often do you see NASCAR-spec birdfeeders? What a remarkable bit of workmanship.
Over the years, I've loved being a part of this community, especially our little corner of the Great Orange Satan Santa. I feel incredibly lucky to have found such a great group of people. Hoping that all of you have a joyous, wonderful (bird-filled!) holiday season, and that the new year brings better times to us all.
Update: If you're feeling blessed with abundance this holiday season, and want to share some of it with others who are struggling, please take a look at GreyHawk's diary.