genuine verdict

DSCN4900, originally uploaded by trekr.

There is a infamous story about squirrels and the previous homeowner’s wife. She claimed a squirrel came out of the toilet just as she sat down. She called the police and there was a big to do about it. So much fuss was made that the story continues to be retold by neighbors whenever the subject of squirrels comes up. I don’t know if its true. Its hard to imagine how a squirrel would get in a toilet. But I do know, that her husband pounded in the lead vent pipe coverings on the roof.

In any case, there is a free lunch around here if you are a squirrel.

DSCN4876, originally uploaded by trekr.

Today I caught of photo of one parent feeding the hatchlings. It wasn’t easy to get the shot because these birds are very careful approaching their nest. If you know what kind of bird this is, please let me know.

DSCN4730, originally uploaded by trekr.

Some of the birds hatched yesterday. They make a very quiet chirping noise. Their parents are busy feeding them. I’m amazed that they chose to nest so closely to our back door. We’re all used to each other I guess. My wife reminded me that I forgot about our other springtime visitor. A wild rabbit has decided to help us weed our garden. So far he’s been a good guest and hasn’t destroyed any of the vegetables. The beehive has divided as well and taken up residence in another pillar across the pool.

DSCN4710, originally uploaded by trekr.

Every spring this pair of little birds makes a nest in the same flower pot under our back covered porch. Welcome back. There are five eggs in the nest. We are hoping they all hatch. We have other regular visitors every spring. Check out my photostream to see the mallard ducks that have made our swimming pool their springtime home. This is their third year to camp out in the pool. They stay a few weeks and move on. There is a frog that lives somewhere in the landscaping by the pool. At night, he parks himself in the skimmer basket and catches an easy meal or two. The frog has been living in the pool for at least four years now. I make an extra effort to be careful about when and how I chlorinate the pool. My wife is an organic gardener so there are no man made chemical fertilizers or pesticides on our property. Works out nicely, because it would cost a fortune to use chemicals over our acre. Finally, a hive of bees decided to take up a home in one of the fence pillars around the pool. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to find a way to live with them or if I’ll have to call a bee keeper. I’ll keep you posted.

I received some feedback the other day from a retained recruiter on my candidacy for a VP Engineering role at a company that wanted to change, but not too fast. The CEO and CFO felt that because of my military background, I might be too aggressive with the pace of the changes.  Most organizations that fail to change, fail because not everyone is on board.   In business, this is usually middle management.  I’d be more worried about hiring a passive aggressive manager then one that is mistakenly perceived to be too aggressive because of their military training.   I’ll post later about misconceptions of the military.

The pace of change is really about the process of making a decision and building consensus. It is not about the schedule for executing the change plan. To paraphrase Yoda, change or change not…there is no try, no fast or slow. Decisions are made or not. Decisions are accepted by others or not. The pace of change is fast or slow depending on how long the CEO allows for everyone to accept his decision, because the CEO enforces accountability for meeting the milestones in the change plan.  Or he does not.

ice sky bird
Originally uploaded by trekr.

My wife volunteers at our children’s elementary school and she talked me into helping with a major landscaping project last Saturday. Just as we were finishing, the sky turned to colors. Volunteering has many rewards.  I plan to do more.

“The nonchalance of boys who are sure of a dinner, and would disdain as much as a lord to do or say aught to conciliate one, is the healthy attitude of human nature. A boy is in the parlour what the pit is in the playhouse; independent, irresponsible, looking out from his corner on such people and facts as pass by, he tries and sentences them on their merits, in the swift, summary way of boys, as good, bad, interesting, silly, eloquent, troublesome. He cumbers himself never about consequences, about interests: he gives an independent, genuine verdict. You must court him: he does not court you. But the man is, as it were, clapped into jail by his consciousness. As soon as he has once acted or spoken with eclat, he is a committed person, watched by the sympathy or the hatred of hundreds, whose affections must now enter into his account. There is no Lethe for this. Ah, that he could pass again into his neutrality! Who can thus avoid all pledges, and having observed, observe again from the same unaffected, unbiased, unbribable, unaffrighted innocence, must always be formidable. He would utter opinions on all passing affairs, which being seen to be not private, but necessary, would sink like darts into the ear of men, and put them in fear.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

My six year old son reminded me of self-reliance. “Dad, did you get fired?” An independent, genuine verdict. It was easier and more honest to just answer yes rather than try to explain restructuring.

These pages will be a view looking out of my corner.