My mom the birder

THIS POST WAS UPDATED.

My mother, whom you'll remember lives in Harlingen right by the big Arroyo Colorado birding area, has quite the avian following. She regularly feeds several different kinds of birds with her backyard feeders. She gets regular visitors and the occasional newbie, and her hummingbird feeder is always hopping.

Yesterday she underwent a "minor" surgical procedure, and I'm thankful to the entire universe that it went all right. If anything happened to her, I just don't know what I'd do. It's funny how, even as I've watched myself grow older, I'm still always surprised when I realize my parents have grown older as well. She's 70 now, but she's in great shape thanks to her daily exercise routine and gardening. She's the inspiration for many of the things I now call my hobbies—birding, playing board games and cards, watching old movies and remembering all the actors' names, crossword puzzles. She's just the best.

I hope she gets a chance to go to some of the RGV Birding Festival activities this fall; I know she'd enjoy it.