Birding and the Beautiful Life

Birding at the Walmart

I love the parking lot of the Walmart in Espanola.  No, seriously, I do.  It's a great wide open area with large cottonwood trees off to one side and a row of electrical wires that parallels them--the crows congregate there; they fly from tree to tree and wire to tree, and have vigorous conversations with one another.

Today we drove along that line of wires toward the back of the store when we couldn't find parking in front ("I wonder what's back there,"  M. wondered.  Turns out it was just a big mound of dirt.  Next to it was a hole in the ground.)  The wires there were covered with pigeons.

The crows also like to perch on top of the store, next to the security cameras and the pole with the American flag.  They also perch in groups on top of the large poles scattered throughout the parking lot; each pole is topped with security cameras, angled in various directions, and flood lights.

Birds also roost inside the 3-dimensional letters of the Walmart sign that's splayed across the front of the store, over the automatic doors.

At a lower level, on the pavement, there are many birds of different kinds.  The parking lot is filled with the sound of bird calls, many of which I can't identify.  Even the birds themselves are difficult to identify; they hop on the ground between cars and trucks, only occasionally emerging where they can be seen.

In the past, I've seen grackles at the ground level.  They were very talkative.  Today, I saw birds I couldn't identify.  Mike said perhaps cowbirds, I suggested mockingbirds.  I need to look them up.

I Just Live Because I Love To, and That's Enough You See

Hard Believer, First Aid Kit

So you ask for my opinion
Well what is there to say
To be honest and just foolish
Won't make you wanna stay
You've got to go on and get moving
I can't do that for you
Got so many plans and so much you want to do

Love is tough, time is rough
Love is tough, time is rough
Whoaaaa on me

Well I see you've got your bible
Your delusion imagery
Well I don't need your eternity
Or your meaning to feel free
I just live because I love to
And that's enough you see
So don't come preach about morality
That's just human sense to me

Love is tough, time is rough
Love is tough, time is rough
Whoaaaa on me
On me-eeee .. on me-eee ...

break

And it's one life and it's this life
And it's beautiful
(repeat)
And it's beau .. beau .. beau ... beautiful

Love is tough, time is rough
Whoaaaa on me

This songs moves me deeply, especially the line, "It's one life and it's this life and it's beautiful."  That about captures my personal belief system right now.  Of course, I can't just let it go at that.  I want to know more about what that means to me and if it stands up under closer inspection.  Beyond the obvious rejection of immortality, what does that statement mean to me?  What do I understand beauty to be?  And what's underneath, if anything, my belief that this beauty makes life worth living?  I wish I had read more aesthetics; add it to my to do list.  ("Got so many plans, and so much you want to do.")