grand illumination

December 8, 2002

Sometimes when you go to look for brant you find horned larks, the grand illumination, and fireworks too. And even the holiday spirit!

Last night we cocooned with movie candy and watched It's a Wonderful Life on tv. Damn fine movie that. No matter how much of an old chestnut it is it always has me in tears. So I guess I was already leaning towards a holiday sort of mood today when we set out for Colt State Park on the brant quest.

It's cold and there's way more snow still on the ground in Rhode Island than back at my house. It definitely feels like winter. Winter birding in Rhode Island is one of those secret pleasures that the big wide world isn't totally onto yet. But we know about it, and we know where to find brant.

A small flock of about 6 horned larks were feeding in the grass in the spots where the show had melted. They were remarkably unafraid of me. In fact they barely took notice of anything but whatever little grassy food they were poking around for. I walked right up to them and got a halfway decent picture. Considering that I was shivering in the cold and considering that horned larks are designed to blend in with grass, maybe I should call it a three quarters decent picture.

We found only 2 brant at a spot where there are usually a couple of dozen. I wonder where the rest of them were. Anyway, let the record show we did find brant.

Hope Street and some of the side streets in Bristol were blocked off. We asked a balloon seller what was up and found out we'd happened on the night they light the lights. Tons of lights. With live music - a chorus and a brass band - and street vendors selling food and hot beverages. We had a fabulous Italian dinner at Leo's, which was jam-packed for the occasion, and then walked down to the tree for the lighting ceremony. It's not just the tree that they light in Bristol, it's thousands of white lights strung along Hope Street and Metacom Ave and all over the place. They turn everything off so we're caroling in darkness and then after the requisite speeches by local dignitaries a couple of second graders flip the switch and the whole town lights up.

Once the lights are on, everybody walks in procession down to the waterfront for the fireworks. Since Nancy doesn't see well in the dark and it's hard for me to navigate her in a crowd we tagged along at the very end of the procession and stopped for hot cider. With hot cider in hand we discovered a great view of the fireworks from an alley next to a pizza place. Excellent view and no crowd. Must remember this spot for next year's Grand Illumination.

Today's Reading
Modern Japanese Diaries by Donald Keene

This Year's Reading
2002 Book List