H.J. Ruiz – Avian101

Have you ever felt inadequate, out of tune from what other people seem entwine to do? I have a peeve about cell phones, I’m referring to all functions that come with it like texting, twitter, music, apps,Twitter, Facebook and other applications. It seems to me, while I’m busy with photography and birds I’m practically going in the opposite direction that most people who are following a trend  with the new phone gadgets. By the way I do not own a cell phone. I tell my wife, who owns and loves her cell phone that most people have lost the use of one hand since the invention of the cell phone, it doesn’t matter where they are, they are mostly limited to use only one hand because the other hand is always holding the cell phone!

While I do food shopping at the grocery market. I see people taking pictures of grocery products and emailing it to someone and then asking for a decision to buy or not. In another instance I hear someone make a call standing in the middle of an isle, oblivious that is blocking the way, a couple of minutes later I hear the caller tell someone just steps away “there you are!”.

I could go on for ever with stories similar to those mentioned. Going a little further on why I obviously don’t go crazy for cell phones I’ll tell you a true story:

A few years back I was driving with my wife going home, just finished from having  a delicious dinner in a fancy restaurant, it’s about 9 p.m. on our wedding anniversary. I’m driving on the third lane from the right lane on a four lane road when I see in the rear view mirror lights from a car approaching rapidly on the left lane. I kept and eye on it and moved my car to the second lane to the right as a precaution measure. The car kept approaching and suddenly veered to my lane and hit my side hard but I was ready for the collision and moved to the first lane quickly in full control of the vehicle, another car hit the corner of my car on the first lane. Not terribly but damaged the rear lights and bumper.

I still remember like in slow motion the moment the speeding car was about to hit mine I saw the driver scared face and steering back the other way so fast that his car turned left almost 90 degree angle and hit the road’s concrete divider and flipped in the air falling back on the road upside down facing the wrong way. A bunch of cars coming in both directions braked to a halt!  I stopped on the side of the road and Lucy told me that she was shaken but okay. I ran to see the car that hit us, the engine was starting to catch fire, I looked for the driver and he wasn’t there at the  steering wheel I was dumbfounded, then I see a guy in the back seat with a cell phone in his hand, looking dazed and his eyes wide open in fear when the car flipped he had been thrown to the back. I quickly grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him out of the car, by then I saw other people ran from other cars on the road with fire stinguishers  putting the fire out. I was very upset because the guy admitted that he was on the phone and without the seat belt on. I shook him and asked him if he had been drinking he said no, he was distracted when he transferred lanes. He was minutes from getting a beating! I was so angry. By then the police patrols, ambulances and firetrucks were there. Luckily Lucy and I were okay, my SUV had damages, the other guy’s car was destroyed and half burned, a total loss. Other drivers kept telling us how lucky we were. They so the whole thing from afar!

Good thing that I felt the danger approaching and maneuvered precisely to reduce the force of the impact.

My wife has for years kept me a cell phone but I never used it. Three years ago I decided to disconnect it permanently!

Here are some photos for you. Enjoy!

Ruddy Turnstone

Eastern Towhee (M)

American Crow

Field Sparrow

Sanderling

Text and photographs © HJ Ruiz -Avian101