Hey tweets, below is a message about parking at CUH, aka Montlake
Fill. The CUH staff is trying to stave off having their parking lots
fall under the aegis of the UW's parking facilities folks, who would
probably charge a lot more money and be a lot more diligent about
enforcement. Please do what you can to help out!

In other news, a BARN SWALLOW was swooping over Main Pond yesterday,
bringing with it a whiff and a promise of spring soon to come. Two
NORTHERN PINTAILS (a pair) flew over the pond at the same time. A male
RUDDY DUCK has been patronizing this pond off and on for weeks now.
Main Pond a great place to sit on your camp stool (if only you had
one!) and let the peacefulness of nature slowly spread its balm over
the cares and stresses of daily life.

Speaking of stools, several years ago, my sister-in-law sent two
folding chairs to us for Christmas. They were director's chairs, with
our names emblazoned on the back in gigantic letters. Neither John nor
I could contemplate the idea of sitting in these chairs at home - for
one thing, we're both familiar with each other's names and can
remember that much, even as we enter the gray years of life. For
another thing, we don't need to announce to family and friends that we
are laying claim to a particular chair, like aggressive hummingbirds
determined to fight off all interlopers. And then there's the ego
factor.

On the other hand, how could we give the chairs away to charity? Who
would want two chairs labeled John and Connie? And what would my
sister-in-law say if she found out we felt uncomfortable with her gift?

Our solution to this conundrum was to take the chairs down to Main
Pond and hide them in the dense brush along the eastern shore. Then
every evening in spring and summer, we would go down to the Fill, haul
out our chairs, and watch the sun go down. It was sublime. We learned,
for example, that the ducks and coots liked to fly in from the lake as
dusk approached, creating a kind of avian convention at our feet. The
migrating shorebirds would wake up and start to preen and feed, in
preparation for a night flight. Bats would appear from who knows
where, swooping over the water to catch insects on the fly. Swallows
would swing by for a quick dip-and-drink, the bird version of a
pilot's touch-and-go.

Our evening outings were such fun, we rarely missed the chance to go
do our Big Sit. We even told other birders about the stools so they
could haul them out whenever they wanted to as well. Then one evening,
the brush was empty. Someone had stolen our chairs! That's when I
bought my first camp stool. Now I carry my chair with me wherever I
go. In the meantime, I still wonder now and then about our two
director's chairs, sitting in someone else's home, still emblazoned
with John and Connie in gigantic letters. And I smile. Imagine how the
thief must explain them!- Connie

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Lauren Fortune <laurenf at u.washington.edu>
> Date: January 12, 2012 11:03:51 AM PST
>
>
> Greetings,
>
> The new 2012 parking passes are ready for you to purchase and
> display on your car dashboard. It is a 5? x 8? two-sided pass which
> has its own clear plastic sleeve for your convenience. The new pass
> should be on your car dashboard while you park at CUH day or evening.
>
> In order to get your new 2012 parking pass, you will need to pay for
> the month of January and as far ahead as you want. Each month that
> is paid will be stamped when we receive your payment. Each time you
> pay for another month, the parking pass will be stamped to show that
> you are current.
>
> To pay and pick up your new pass, please drop by my office (Isaacson
> 114) or place your payment in my mail slot. Payments and passes
> will be processed on Wednesdays every week.
>
> Please use the attached 2012 form. For those of you who have
> already paid for some months in 2012, your new dashboard pass is
> ready.
>
> Thank you for participating!
> Lauren
>
> Lauren S. Fortune
> UW Botanic Gardens
> Facilities & Rental Program
> 206-685-1706
> laurenf at u.washington.edu
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