My (Former) Little Town

Without fail, around Christmas for the whole 43 years of our marriage, Walter Zepka of Zepka Florists would call at 7 or 8 at night and ask for Alexandra Zabek. Sandy would come to the phone.

"Alexandra do you want poinsettias at St. Stan's midnight mass in memory of your Dad, Jimmy Zabek?"

She always answered, "tak, dobry dobry," and then dziekuje (yes and thank you) gin koo yah. You always say good twice. I don't know why. I am only one half Polish.

"How are you?"
"Dobry, dobry."

Zepka's closed this year. I know because we never got that phone call. Sandy's cousin Joan Brodalski confirmed it when she sent us the little newspaper clipping stating that after 101 years, Zepka's was no more.

Here is a photo that our son in law, Chris Bernstein, took of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Church. You called it the Polish church if you were from the little town of Adams, Massachusetts.

The Sharp Shinned Hawk

Never seen one? It is a hawk with short wings and long tails. 10-14 inches. Blue Jay-size, but thinner. A larger, rarer, Coopers Hawk has a rounded tail tip.

Last winter a sharp-shinned flew into a large window of our sunroom. Otherwise I would never have seen one. They are quite beautiful.

Range: Alaska; MacKenzie, British Columbia; and Newfoundland. Newfoundland -- I was there once for two weeks, climbing telephone poles and running telephone lines with the Seabees. Also sharp-shinned hawks can be found south to Florida and northern Mexico. Don't you find that amazing?

I saw one again today as I was cutting wood in the front of the house. It preys on warblers and sparrows, small rodents and insects. It flies low and rapido. Like five-feet-or-so low. The sparrows were chirping away, so I guess he was after them. He landed for a few seconds in a large rhododendron that our neighbor Teddy and grandson Abel call “The Sloth Cabin.” He had no luck today.

Sharp-shinned hawks are intolerant of civilization and have become scarce as breeding birds in more settled areas.

The Wampanoags said that when you see a special animal, you will be blessed for that day -- and I was. It was a good day. A really good day.