Warmest Regards: We never tire of some things

By Pattie Mihalik

It’s been raining here — a rather heavy rain at that. But I sit outside on my covered lanai watching a nature show that takes place at my bird feeder.

I watch a dazzling blue jay step onto the bird feeder. He’s really too big for the small perch, but he manages to grab a sesame seed before he flies away.

On the ground, a colony of tiny multicolored birds enjoy snacking on the seeds I scattered for birds that prefer to feed on the ground.

The storm seems to be making the birds more active, and soon two cardinals come to the feeder, much to my delight.

I’ve seen this entire nature show before — many times before. But I never tire of it.

Some things are like that. We might have seen them hundreds of times before. Yet, each new sighting is still cause to marvel.

Sunsets are like that, too. No matter how many times we’ve seen a spectacular sunset we still oooh and aahhh over the next one.

Our crowded Englewood beach starts to clear out as people head home for dinner. Then the second shift comes — dozens and dozens of nature lovers who drive for miles to witness sunset at the beach. As the sun sinks, turning the sky into a kaleidoscope of color, people ahhh as if it’s their first sunset. Some clap their appreciation while many others pull out their cameras to capture the scene.

I see some of these cellphone shooters often coming back for more of the same sunset photos.

Unlike days of old when it was expensive to shoot Kodachrome photos that had to be processed, a digital camera lets us shoot to our heart’s content without costing a dime.

Of course, most of our digital photos never get printed, but we can still enjoy sharing them by scrolling through our stored images.

Many of us never tire of taking cellphone snapshots. Some seem to take photos to post on Facebook of every meal they eat and every activity they do.

Another kind of photography we never tire of taking is that of our grandkids. Some of my friends start a conversation by saying, “Did I show you the latest photos of my grandchild?”

A child’s smiling face and easy laughter are two more things of which I never tire.

I have a theory that the older we grow, the more we enjoy seeing children.

Last week my friend Jeanne and I went for dinner at a new restaurant that’s winning rave reviews for its excellent food. Our dinners lived up to the online reviews, but there was one thing that grabbed our attention more than the great food. Two nearby tables each had a pretty baby as part of their family group. The two babies kept throwing smiles at each other — and at us when we caught their eyes.

“There’s nothing like a smiling baby,” said my friend. It’s another sight of which we never tire.

The same can be said of stunning water views. Whenever my husband and I cross the bridge over the Peace River we remark how lucky we are to enjoy such eye-pleasing vistas on a daily basis. Each morning when I go for my daily walk I always pause over a nearby bridge to enjoy the water view below. I pass the same view every day, but I don’t get tired of watching the boats from that bridge.

Another thing that never loses its appeal for me are the canal convoys my friend Andy organizes. About once or twice a month he and other pontoon boat owners come together at our community marina to offer convoy rides to anyone interested in going.

So far more than 500 people have enjoyed those night adventures on the 26 miles of our canals. I count myself blessed every time I am one of the lucky riders.

Andy says he loves taking his pontoon boat for a long ride on the canals. But he likes it more when he can share the experience with others.

It’s especially pretty to meander down the canal under a starry sky. Do you ever tire of seeing a big moon light up the sky or a sky twinkling with a multitude of stars?

I sometimes ask people to name delightful things they never tire of.

One 70-something man surprised me by answering, “Chocolate! I never tire of eating chocolate.”

Just gotta lot a man who loves chocolate.

My husband answered that question by saying, “Getting into a comfortable bed each night after a tiring day.”

He makes sure he is active every day because he claims he can’t sleep unless he’s tired.

With our summer temperatures in the high 90s and with the outside projects David has to finish, being tired at the end of the day is easy.

I have a favorite way of coping with the heat by enjoying laps in my swimming pool.

Some people tell me they get tired of their swimming pool, just as they got tired of the boat that once enchanted them.

Personally I don’t believe I will ever tire being in my swimming pool. It makes me feel like a kid again.

So now I’ll ask you the question I’ve asked others: What are some of the things of which you never tire?

Contact Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.net.