Woody Woodpecker Heralds Spring

I’m out of my cast and into a weight-bearing air-boot—Whoohoo! Although I’m not allowed to drive in it (considered reckless endangerment in the state of Illinois), I now have the mobility to go outside and enjoy spring.

Sitting on the front porch basking in the early morning sunshine, I hear the distinct rat-a-tat-tat of a woodpecker. With still-bare branches, I easily spot the wily redhead as he pecks away with joyful abandon to find his wood-dwelling breakfast.

When I was a kid, Saturday mornings were cartoon-laden with the likes of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and my favorite, Woody Woodpecker.

Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat! Spring is the harbinger of new things.

What opportunity is knocking at your door?

© lauriebuchanan.com

79 thoughts on “Woody Woodpecker Heralds Spring

  1. The opportunity to be more alive, more me, more everything! To just hear the rat-tat-tat of Spirit on the door and to fling it wide open and let life in. Thank you for such an inspiring post, Ms. Laurie.

  2. Oh….he already did, the cast is off……chopsticks came in handy I bet……oh and another thing is pecking at my door…..a small one and his name is Dominoz………let me know I can maybe bring him for a short visit…..I pick him up tomorrow……….I can’t believe this is happening right during my move, but it will certainly keep me on my toes……

  3. So happy that Spring is here and that you are getting around more. An extra smile came across my lips listening to even just the music of the Woody Woodpecker cartoon. The sun is shining brightly this am and it even says 70 degrees where the sun is shining on the dial. I do believe it is officially here. Yay! Thank you for the extra smiles and thought provoking words each time we hear from you.

  4. The opportunity to appreciate the preciousness of each day. The opportunity to pursue my creative expression without hardship. The opportunity to be generous. The opportunity to love and be loved. The opportunity to give. The dark side is the Boston Marathon. I grieve for the immediate loss of life and the fall out of anger and blame. Sending light and love into the universe to be used wherever it is needed. Warm hugs Laurie. So glad you can get out and about in the yard again.

  5. I think we went for a walk together, this morning, Laurie. I saw that woodpecker a rat-a-tat-tatting. It always surprises me that he doesn’t seem to develop a huge headache. And as I’m writing this I hear him again.
    I’m glad I have the opportunity to come here and read your–always–uplifting posts, Laurie.
    Cease the opportunity in each moment. Enjoy Spring.

  6. Our family of Sapsuckers is busy devouring our Mason Bees and the orchard is not blooming yet! As last year was huge for apples I think this year will be tough. There is a solid grey woodpecker in the mornings tapping on a neighbor’s roof vent. Taps out over the whole area.
    We are working on emptying the freezer to defrost and then fill it again. The list in the spring just grows and grows. The fog has lifted to sunshine and lots of birds are in full voice. No Peepers again this year. I remember their happy noise. And the Piliated woodpeckers gone for nearly 20 years.

    • Patricia – The good news is that the fog has lifted to full-on, glorious sunshine. Last year we didn’t get many apples, so I’m hoping that means it’ll be a boom year for us 🙂

      • Amazing…we are on our 3rd day of sunshine with no fog…seriously and today we got to 70’F I can hardly stay indoors…it is wonder full…..We have 2 stunning hawks or eagles nesting in a tree out our window…a raccoon family with tiny babies visiting us at night – checking on those apple trees. My poet neighbor, stay at home dad and his daughter and 3 year old son all gave me a hug this morning on my walk, and they have been given a 2 weeks trip to France.
        My 92 year old friend down the street told her Exercise person she does not need to do weight lifting – 2 miles of walking every single morning up hill and down is enough….This glorious 3 days is bringing out the smiles in us all….:)

  7. Goodness! I go and move and come back to hear your FOOT is in a CAST? Oooops, I was into cardboard boxes too long and missed that post. Heal well, my dear! I’m hearing eagles who are now around the small area of open water by my dock (lake is frozen still) looking for fish. Woodpeckers here too but BIG ones, like Jurasic Park screaching and the tatting is like a hammer. Yesterday nine deer were feasting on something or other in my yard. Considering it’s all mostly snow yet, one wonders what? We haven’t had a total thaw yet!
    Hugs
    SuZen

  8. Laurie,
    I’m happy for you that you are out of your cast….a little closer to freedom. I can’t say that I have an opportunity knocking at my door, but I am looking for one to knock. Spring makes me a little restless and I am more restless than usual. I’m thinking I need to start actively looking for another job opportunity. We will see…

  9. Hi Laurie! I have a confession. I think I was the only kid who did not like bugs bunny. Woody the Woodpecker irritated me and I never got the roadrunner who went beep-beep all of the time. He totally annoyed me. i so love the real woodpeckers. they are amazing birds. Thea

  10. So much opportunity knocking, choice is a double edged sword.

    I hear the opportunity for universal abundance and universal peace, and the cost will be giving up money and markets.

    Going to be an interesting journey.

  11. The opportunity to be myself and an opportunity to try out some new things.
    By the way how much more reckless can you get??!!

  12. I’m so glad you’re at least in the soft boot stage! I used to love Bugs Bunny and the other Warner Brothers cartoons. Spring does bring new things, but I haven’t been thinking along those lines. Thank you for the suggestion…I’ll be giving that some thought for sure! 🙂

  13. Ah ha! Freedom from the cast is freedom indeed! I’m sure the sound of the Woody Woodpecker a pecking sounded so much sweeter as a result too! Welcome back from the cast, leg! 🙂

  14. Got to love a wily redhead! Change is on it’s way here too – 42C at the weekend, then a combined sandstorm/electrical storm last night. High drama before the mercury refuses to budge below 40C for a few months.
    Work is knocking at my door – in fact, it’s getting quite crowded on my doorstep! I’m thrilled and disturbed at the same time. What is that all about?

    • WarmGinger – Coming from a redhead, your comment made me smile 🙂

      Another redheaded friend, author Sheila Glazov, recently shared with me a polite way of saying “no.” Perhaps this can help if you get TOO much work at your door: “That does not work for me.”

      • I like that. I’m much better at saying no than I was six months ago and am now mentoring someone who can take the jobs that aren’t right for me.

        I think I’m really just freaking out a bit because I’m not that ambitious (I don’t think) and I’m not motivated by money. All of a sudden I seem to be getting quite successful and earning some biggish bucks, so I’m wondering what the pay-off is in terms of my values.
        I am definitely someone who’s held back by a fear of success not a fear of failure! 😉

  15. OMG–you must have had an accident. Sorry to be SO out of the loop. Too busy selling our home and moving to Ecuador to keep up. I have an update coming tomorrow–my first post in over a month. Yikes! We leave in two weeks.
    Glad to know you’re feeling better, my friend.
    Hugs,
    Kathy

  16. Thrilled to hear you are back in the saddle Laurie! The last several weeks have been a downer I know, but you’ve always had the spirit and resilience! This was a winter none of us will forget, much less you and Len, who’ve been in a frigid zone. The “new opportunity” I am thinking of now is the one where I sneeze, get itching eyes and a runny nose! That’s always the harbinger that spring has arrived! Ha!

  17. My sister lives in Florida and has been sending me tons of photos from her flower garden. Today she’s at her vacation home in Tennessee, and this morning, in my email, another big batch of photos, this time of her flowering trees and shrubs in her garden in Tennesse. These bursts of color and new life always lift my spirits and awaken the feeling of renewal each Spring. She is sharing the colors of Spring, and even though I’m not there to smell the fragrance or touch the soft petals, I’m still enjoying every bit of the color and beauty.

    I happen to enjoy the rat-a-tat-tat of the woodpecker, so thanks for this trip down memory lane (although with your newly-uncasted ankle, you should be very wary of “trips” of any kind! I suppose a trip down memory lane is about as safe as it can get).

    🙂

  18. Love that you are getting all better and have graduated to an air-cast. I had one when with a sprained ankle and found I could walk for blocks without pain but otherwise it was not do-able! You are so lucky to have gotten an awesome snapshot of a woody (sigh)…I try my best to get pix of all types of birds and so yearned for a shot of a red bird and then discovered in one of my shots there was not only the male but the female (my WordPress picture). I am still hoping to get an owl or an eagle. I heard an owl hooting at me the other evening while out walking and snapping pix. . .couldn’t find him along a lovely river walk.

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