Meta tags:
description=thoughts about life from below the surface;

Headings (most frequently used words):

this, share, like, the, bird, of, week, bleuwater, home, from, post, navigation, via, email, recent, posts, brown, crested, flycatcher, bakery, so, long, frank, lloyd, wright, cactus, wren, my, away, color, red, white, winged, dove, thoughts, about, life, below, surface, main, menu, subscribe, archives, categories, copyright, notice, follow, blog, comments, top, pages,

Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (152), and (74), bird (33), this (32), they (30), week (28), was (28), are (27), email (22), wright (22), from (21), like (20), new (19), for (19), july (19), #cactus (18), have (17), with (17), brown (16), window (16), april (15), may (15), august (15), 2026 (15), share (15), opens (15), march (14), white (14), posted (14), print (14), nest (13), january (13), february (13), june (13), civic (13), center (13), photography (12), arizona (12), 2014 (12), september (12), october (12), november (12), december (12), 2015 (12), 2016 (12), 2017 (12), 2018 (12), 2019 (12), 2020 (12), 2021 (12), 2022 (12), 2023 (12), 2024 (12), 2025 (12), birds (12), but (12), our (11), wickham (11), red (11), wren (10), that (10), home (10), frank (10), lloyd (10), out (10), hotel (10), loading (8), you (8), about (8), bakery (8), empty (8), their (8), kids (7), crested (7), flycatcher (7), other (7), vacation (7), replies (7), winged (7), desert (7), tagged (7), tumblr (7), tweet (7), link (7), friend (7), marin (7), one (7), also (7), son (7), what (6), posts (6), your (6), all (6), long (6), doves (6), here (6), claremont (6), nests (6), insects (6), county (6), can (5), use (5), will (5), sounds (5), life (5), more (5), eat (5), when (5), weekend (5), there (5), family (5), view (5), trip (5), outside (5), bay (5), san (5), state (5), food (5), spire (5), woodpeckers (5), saguaro (4), bleuwater (4), address (4), content (4), post (4), https (4), org (4), such (4), stay (4), been (4), found (4), range (4), sonoran (4), get (4), diet (4), inches (4), few (4), had (4), berkeley (4), including (4), because (4), where (4), across (4), opened (4), hill (4), before (4), wrens (4), large (4), building (4), library (4), office (4), daughter (4), law (4), flycatchers (4), website (3), name (3), many (3), recent (3), follow (3), walking (3), parenting (3), children (3), away (3), dove (3), www (3), allaboutbirds (3), guide (3), female (3), male (3), known (3), not (3), together (3), nesting (3), backyard (3), seeds (3), fruit (3), fly (3), bright (3), blue (3), eyes (3), length (3), size (3), which (3), photo (3), plans (3), flying (3), perch (3), next (3), beautiful (3), club (3), highlights (3), visit (3), main (3), time (3), too (3), restaurant (3), has (3), same (3), inside (3), francisco (3), down (3), make (3), favorite (3), amazing (3), largest (3), california (3), saw (3), choose (3), open (3), design (3), project (3), commission (3), hall (3), sold (3), croissants (3), went (3), line (3), holes (3), comments (2), search (2), take (2), why (2), taking (2), air (2), parents (2), sports (2), join (2), 042 (2), subscribers (2), enter (2), blog (2), receive (2), notifications (2), via (2), any (2), tips (2), motherhood (2), select (2), archives (2), subscribe (2), plus (2), older (2), navigation (2), wildlife (2), watching (2), brush (2), tree (2), her (2), season (2), mostly (2), millet (2), wild (2), well (2), cacti (2), look (2), water (2), fruits (2), very (2), common (2), wings (2), wingspan (2), between (2), ounces (2), grams (2), scientific (2), northern (2), cardinal (2), blossoms (2), wonderful (2), around (2), every (2), rain (2), again (2), color (2), visiting (2), resort (2), morning (2), sonoma (2), designed (2), hallways (2), return (2), expensive (2), going (2), football (2), nothing (2), enjoy (2), city (2), isn (2), see (2), its (2), don (2), most (2), street (2), stopped (2), tower (2), forage (2), often (2), sides (2), species (2), live (2), taliesin (2), west (2), raphael (2), visited (2), scottsdale (2), roof (2), jail (2), court (2), house (2), entire (2), government (2), glass (2), planned (2), his (2), never (2), built (2), interviewed (2), architect (2), appointed (2), 1959 (2), two (2), wesley (2), peters (2), aaron (2), green (2), three (2), story (2), foot (2), justice (2), circular (2), walls (2), atriums (2), promote (2), site (2), includes (2), only (2), area (2), last (2), east (2), night (2), delicious (2), now (2), steep (2), walk (2), sell (2), ago (2), gilded (2), flickers (2), gila (2), catch (2), trees (2), primary (2), woodpecker (2), thoughts (2), below (2), surface (2), skip (2), write, comment, powered, wordpress, com, changes, land, wrong, pictures, longer, grow, spring, did, know, arthur, miller, married, photographer, broken, toes, tears, youth, top, pages, sadje, deb, sole, property, elizabeth, please, contact, owner, permission, image, text, copyright, notice, writing, uncategorized, swimming, swim, palm, springs, friends, covid, college, childhood, cats, beach, anxiety, aging, categories, month, exclusive, airzona, sonora, museum, winged_dove, finds, location, build, vines, thick, clump, limb, she, builds, sticks, bring, prior, year, reuse, another, monogamous, likely, breeding, seen, far, north, alaska, maine, ontario, canada, southwest, frequent, visitors, feeder, sunflower, willows, ocotillo, agave, miles, moisture, mourning, outnumber, them, close, second, coloring, either, brownish, gray, noticable, tipped, eye, shadow, orange, flight, prominent, measure, possess, weigh, 125, 187, zenaida, asiatica, everything, blooms, flowers, best, flitting, little, table, covered, chaise, lounge, mouthful, then, course, buddy, photos, buds, true, monsoon, thunder, lightning, storms, nights, abundance, thanks, blooming, pinkish, getaway, adult, historic, rest, early, later, country, level, easy, lost, trying, find, room, off, directions, ready, today, figurerd, prices, vary, reasonable, depends, nearby, game, forget, past, than, marriott, courtyard, golden, gate, bridge, part, deck, sit, these, views, wall, windows, facing, zoomed, strategically, placed, outdoor, sofas, chairs, peaceful, quiet, gorgeous, took, health, gym, pool, tennis, courts, spa, elliptical, machine, reflection, 1915, grand, acre, tudor, revival, landmark, overlooking, castle, origins, trace, back, late, 19th, century, private, estate, burned, 1901, being, developed, into, iconic, standard, hotels, anymore, backside, picture, flag, fearless, throughout, arid, regions, southern, nevada, mexico, texas, cactus_wren, heard, loud, gravelly, sound, months, call, weave, shaped, entrance, grasses, twigs, safety, cholla, protective, bushes, several, dummy, lay, eggs, mate, vegetable, matter, pulp, need, drink, hydration, timid, love, perching, chair, stares, unafraid, laptop, personality, speckled, stripe, above, neck, light, cinnamon, backs, heavy, streaks, chests, dark, speckles, males, females, alike, juveniles, slightly, paler, weight, according, parks, canyon, became, 1931, embodies, unique, spirit, toughness, beauty, curious, selected, campylorhynchus, brunneicapillus, spires, simon, garfunkel, travel, summer, mothers, inspirational, homes, buildings, fan, wrote, compound, controversial, thought, underground, tunnel, connects, walked, sheriffs, department, attorney, general, senator, cafeteria, agencies, financial, community, services, administrative, offices, through, ceiling, shopping, originally, capitol, without, anyone, asking, approved, brought, committee, architectural, firms, 1956, peter, neutra, lead, candidate, refused, participate, competitive, selection, ardent, supporter, board, supervisors, battle, him, eventually, earned, directed, proceed, detailed, 1958, died, age, continued, under, direction, architects, model, discovered, intended, centralize, thirteen, dispersed, departments, encompassed, campus, structures, incorporated, ideas, broadacre, scheme, 1930s, 580, administration, four, 880, spanned, valleys, adjacent, hills, flattened, dome, connected, gold, encase, smokestack, radio, transmitter, form, focal, point, plan, concrete, pink, stucco, scalloped, balconies, distinctive, interiors, feature, arranged, order, transparency, felt, governments, should, though, sky, practical, considerations, barrel, vaulted, skylights, put, following, death, construction, carried, william, completed, 1969, veterans, memorial, auditorium, 1971, exhibit, 1976, national, facility, franklloydwright, surprised, touring, agenda, soon, learned, public, looking, hallway, oakland, fournee, chez, panisse, foods, excerise, dining, read, biggest, highlight, spending, park, fairfax, redwoods, first, mediterranean, treated, dil, famous, french, besides, nob, italian, were, spoiled, good, yum, fortunately, plenty, tasty, items, favorites, thankful, made, feel, less, guilty, making, bag, full, treats, couple, times, ham, manchego, cheese, just, serve, sandwiches, days, lucky, enough, buy, introduced, years, challenge, crested_flycatcher, calls, mid, plants, ones, cicadas, beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, dragonflies, bugs, include, caterpillars, spiders, ants, termites, berries, even, hole, fur, rabbits, rats, opossums, badgers, horses, cattle, feathers, ravens, nighthawks, chickens, snake, lizard, skins, organ, pipe, former, larger, smaller, ladder, backed, small, forests, along, streams, suburban, who, southwestern, united, states, argentina, migratory, weighs, roughly, myiarchus, tyrannulus, yard, grateful, run, swimswam, parent, published, works, menu, secondary,

Text of the page (random words):
gratory birds nesting brown crested flycatchers nest in woodpeckers holes in saguaro and organ pipe cactus they choose the former nests of larger woodpeckers like the gilded flickers and gila woodpeckers which are common where we live smaller species such as the ladder backed woodpeckers have nests with too small of holes for the flycatcher they will also use woodpecker holes in forests brush and along streams and in large suburban trees the male and female flycatchers stay together for a season only but often return to the same nesting area and may even use the same woodpecker hole again they line their nests with fur of rabbits rats opossums badgers horses and cattle as well as feathers from ravens nighthawks white winged doves and chickens they also have been known to use snake and lizard skins food their primary diet is insects including large ones like cicadas beetles and grasshoppers they also fly and catch flying insects such as butterflies moths bees wasps and dragonflies other bugs they eat include caterpillars spiders ants and termites their diet includes berries and wild fruits they catch flying insects mid air as they fly or forage for insects as they perch on trees and plants calls https www allaboutbirds org guide brown crested_flycatcher sounds share this print opens in new window print email a link to a friend opens in new window email tweet share on tumblr like this like loading posted in bird of the week birds empty nest photography tagged bird of the week bird of the week challenge bird photography bird watching brown crested flycatcher flycatcher gila woodpeckers gilded flickers photography saguaro cactus 42 replies the bakery posted on august 3 2026 by e a wickham 42 a week ago we visited our son and daughter in law in the east bay this was the line at the bakery before it opened my son introduced me to this bakery a few years ago now when we stay at the claremont i make it to the bakery which is across the street before it opens and they sell out of the most delicious croissants a couple times they sold out of my favorite ham and manchego cheese croissants just as i was next in line also they serve sandwiches a few days a week and i ve never been lucky enough to buy one because they sell out too yum fortunately there are plenty of other tasty items to choose from when my favorites are sold out i went every morning and was thankful for the steep walk down the hill from the hotel it made me feel less guilty making the steep walk up the hill to the hotel with a bag full of treats one of the highlights of our trip was the food the first night we went to a mediterranean restaurant with our son night two i treated my son and dil to a famous french restaurant and besides the hotel that has amazing food we went to nob hill in san francisco for italian all were delicious but now i m so spoiled nothing sounds good to eat at home but the biggest highlight of all was spending time with my son and daughter in law including a trip to sonoma and this park in fairfax with redwoods you can read more about my trip here and here what are your plans for this week share this print opens in new window print email a link to a friend opens in new window email tweet share on tumblr like this like loading posted in children diet dining empty nest excerise family family vacation favorite foods vacation walking tagged berkeley chez panisse claremont croissants east bay family fournee bakery oakland sold out son and daughter in law 42 replies so long frank lloyd wright posted on july 31 2026 by e a wickham 37 looking down the hallway of the marin county civic center in san raphael california one of the highlights of my recent trip to the bay area to see my kids was visiting the marin county civic center i was surprised that touring a civic center was on the agenda with my son and daughter in law but i soon learned that it was frank lloyd wright s largest public project and also his last commission intended to centralize thirteen dispersed marin county departments the civic center project encompassed an entire campus of civic structures and incorporated ideas from wright s broadacre city scheme of the 1930s the three story 580 foot long administration building and a four story 880 foot long hall of justice together spanned the valleys between three adjacent hills the flattened dome of the circular library and its connected gold tower built to encase a smokestack and a radio transmitter form the focal point of the plan the concrete civic center s pink stucco walls blue roof and scalloped balconies are distinctive the interiors feature glass walls and are arranged around open atriums in order to promote the transparency that wright felt governments should promote though wright planned the atriums to be open to the sky practical considerations saw barrel vaulted skylights put in following wright s death construction was carried out by william wesley peters and aaron green the hall of justice was completed in 1969 the veterans memorial auditorium opened in 1971 and the exhibit hall opened in 1976 the site also includes a circular post office wright s only commission for a national u s government facility https franklloydwright org site marin county civic center this was a model of the marin county civic center i discovered outside of the library a committee interviewed 26 architectural firms in 1956 to select an architect for the civic center peter neutra was the lead candidate frank lloyd wright was not interviewed and refused to participate in a competitive selection wright had an ardent supporter on the board of supervisors but it was a battle to get him appointed as the architect wright eventually earned the commission and was directed to proceed with detailed design on april 28 1958 in march 1959 wright was appointed to design the post office on april 9 1959 wright died at age 91 the civic center continued under the direction of two of wright s architects wesley peters and aaron green here s a view of a spire through the ceiling glass we have a frank lloyd wright spire at a shopping center in scottsdale that spire was originally planned for a capitol building that wright designed without anyone asking for it his project was never approved or brought to life but the spire was built this is the library in the civic center we walked the entire length of the building and saw the sheriffs department attorney general s office library a state senator s office cafeteria court house and government agencies including financial community services and administrative offices next to the large building is the jail isn t that amazing the jail is underground and a tunnel connects it to the court house here s s view of the spire from outside the design has been controversial with the blue roof but i thought it was beautiful i wrote about taliesin west frank lloyd wright s compound in scottsdale here are you a frank lloyd wright fan what wright homes or buildings have you visited share this print opens in new window print email a link to a friend opens in new window email tweet share on tumblr like this like loading posted in arizona empty nest inspirational kids motherhood mothers summer travel vacation tagged california frank lloyd wright marin county civic center san raphael simon garfunkel so long frank lloyd wright spires taliesin west 37 replies bird of the week cactus wren posted on july 29 2026 by e a wickham 35 cactus wren campylorhynchus brunneicapillus the cactus wren is the state bird of arizona where we live i was curious why if it was up to me i d have selected the beautiful bright red northern cardinal according to arizona state parks the canyon wren became arizona s state bird in 1931 because it embodies the unique spirit toughness and beauty of the sonoran desert size it is the largest species of wren length 7 1 8 7 in 18 22 cm weight 1 1 1 7 oz 32 47 g color it s a speckled brown bird with a white stripe across and above red eyes to the sides of the neck they have light cinnamon sides and their backs are brown with heavy white streaks cactus wrens have white chests with dark speckles males and females look alike but juveniles are slightly paler and have brown eyes personality cactus wrens are not timid and love to perch on cactus or forage for food out in the open i often have a cactus wren perching on a chair outside my window he stares at me unafraid as i m on my laptop food they mostly eat insects seeds and vegetable matter such as fruit pulp they don t need to drink water but get their hydration from cactus fruit and insects nests they weave football shaped nests with one entrance from grasses and twigs inside the safety of cholla cactus or other protective bushes the male may make several dummy nests and the female will choose one to lay her eggs they mate for life call i have heard the loud gravelly sound of cactus wrens months before i saw one https www allaboutbirds org guide cactus_wren sounds range they are found throughout the sonoran desert and other arid regions of arizona also found in southern california nevada new mexico and texas share this print opens in new window print email a link to a friend opens in new window email tweet share on tumblr like this like loading posted in arizona bird of the week birds empty nest photography tagged arizona arizona birds bird of the week bird photography birds cactus wren fearless largest wren state bird of arizona wrens 35 replies my home away from home posted on july 27 2026 by e a wickham 59 this is my favorite hotel to stay in when we visit our kids it s the claremont in berkeley i was walking to the most amazing bakery across the street when i stopped to take this picture of the tower and flag they don t make hotels like this anymore this is the backside of the hotel the claremont resort club opened in 1915 as a grand 22 acre tudor revival landmark overlooking the san francisco bay known as the white castle on the hill its origins trace back to a late 19th century private estate that burned down in 1901 before being developed into the iconic hotel the san francisco standard isn t it gorgeous i took this photo from inside the health club with a gym pool tennis courts and spa i was on an elliptical machine and you can see the window reflection across the photo i zoomed in on the city view from the strategically placed outdoor sofas and chairs where i enjoy peaceful quiet time outside the golden gate bridge is part of the view the main restaurant has a deck where you can sit outside and enjoy these same views inside there is a wall of windows facing the bay the hotel s prices vary from reasonable to too expensive it all depends on what is going on at nearby uc berkeley if it s parents weekend or a football game forget about it this past week there was nothing going on so the hotel was no more expensive than any other hotel like a marriott courtyard this is one of many hallways on the main level it s easy to get lost trying to find your room because there are hallways taking off in many directions by the time we are ready to return home like today i have it all figurerd out an early morning view i ll share more highlights of our trip later this week including a visit to sonoma and the marin country civic center designed by frank lloyd wright have a wonderful week what are your plans for the rest of july share this print opens in new window print email a link to a friend opens in new window email tweet share on tumblr like this like loading posted in children empty nest family vacation tagged berkeley claremont resort and club family vacation historic hotel home away from home the claremont vacation visiting adult kids weekend weekend getaway 59 replies the color red posted on july 24 2026 by e a wickham 43 we have had a true monsoon week with thunder and lightning storms every few nights and an abundance of rain thanks to the rain we have cactus blooming again in beautiful pinkish red here are a few photos of the buds and blossoms then of course there s my bird buddy red red with a mouthful of millet red found a new perch a little table next to a covered chaise lounge red was flitting and flying around our backyard have a wonderful weekend what are your plans for the weekend which photo do you like best share this print opens in new window print email a link to a friend opens in new window email tweet share on tumblr like this like loading posted in arizona birds empty nest flowers photography tagged arizona birds blossoms cacti blooms everything red northern cardinal photography red sonoran desert wildlife photography 43 replies bird of the week white winged dove posted on july 22 2026 by e a wickham 39 scientific name zenaida asiatica size they measure 11 to 12 5 inches 28 to 32 cm in length possess a wingspan of 19 to 23 inches 48 to 58 cm and weigh between 4 5 and 6 5 ounces 125 to 187 grams white winged doves are very common birds in our backyard the mourning doves outnumber them but white winged doves are a close second their coloring is either brownish or gray they have very noticable white tipped wings bright blue eye shadow and bright orange or red eyes when they are in flight their white wings are more prominent diet they are frequent visitors to our bird feeder and eat sunflower seeds and millet in the wild they eat seeds from desert willows ocotillo agave as well as cacti fruit they can fly up to 25 miles in the sonoran desert to look for water plus get moisture from saguaro cactus fruits range white winged doves have been seen as far north as alaska maine and ontario canada but are mostly found in the southwest a white winged dove in our backyard tree nesting a female finds a location to build a nest such in vines in thick desert brush a clump of cactus or a tree limb she builds a nest out of sticks that the male bird will bring to her they are known to use their nest from a prior year or they will reuse a nest from another bird they are not monogamous for life but more likely to stay together for breeding season sounds https www allaboutbirds org guide white winged_dove sounds share this print opens in new window print email a link to a friend opens in new window email tweet share on tumblr like this like loading posted in bird of the week birds empty nest photography tagged airzona sonora desert museum all about birds bird of the week bird watching birds doves photography white winged dove wildlife photography 39 replies post navigation older posts subscribe via email enter your email address and you will receive exclusive content plus notifications of new posts email address subscribe join 1 042 other subscribers recent posts bird of the week brown crested flycatcher the bakery so long frank lloyd wright bird of the week cactus wren my home away from home archives archives select month august 2026 july 2026 june 2026 may 2026 april 2026 march 2026 february 2026 january 2026 december 2025 november 2025 october 2025 september 2025 august 2025 july 20...