September 14, 2026
Where: Bombay Hook NWR
When: Friday afternoon sometime
Bird Species: you can see the list on that entry
Things I Thought About:
- I had a full-blown panic attack in the dentist's chair earlier today. It was bad.
- I have no idea what happened. I hate my periodontal appointments more than I hate any other thing, which is part of why my mouth is in this condition, but I have been working with this practice for a while, they never hurt me or make me feel ashamed, I always pop half a Xanax and pop in my ear buds and power through, but today I did a whole sobbing, shaking, choking, can't breathe freakout. It's very unlike me.
- They were so nice and clearly had an SOP for this, sit me up, get me water, hold my hand, help me breathe, lavender oil, temple massage, etc., but it was embarrassing.
- I now have three distinct headaches, the one where all my face bones hurt for two days after these quarterly maintenance visit, the one behind my eyes because I cried, and the one in the dead center of my forehead from the Xanax. Since about 2 pm I have just been waiting for it to be late enough to go to bed insanely early.
- Why am I so fragile and frazzled and fractured lately? [thinks about literally anything going on anywhere in the world for like one second] Oh. That, or menopause.
- All this to say, no bird walk today. Thank goodness I'm stocked up.
Back-Up BOTD: yellow-rumped warbler. This one landed above me at the Hook, one of only a couple of small birds I saw all weekend. They then sat quite surprisingly still for a photo. A shame you can't see their yellow rump.
