Pocket Life

By Corky Mau
January 2022

Fowl Play

Sandhill cranes are a trip worth taking

It was dusk and in the distance I saw birds in flight. I couldn’t guess their numbers, but as they came closer, I knew there were many hundreds. The unique trumpet sound of sandhill cranes grew louder as they glided into the flooded fields off Interstate 5. I was mesmerized and wondered, what took me so long to see this?

Last month, I spent a few hours at the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve with my neighbor, Jane Adams. Adams, former executive director for the California Park and Recreation Society, is a volunteer docent with the sandhill crane tour program operated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“I got hooked on these cranes after my first bus tour of Woodbridge,” Adams says. “That was 17 years ago. It was a beautiful sight, seeing thousands of birds in the sky against the orange glow of the sunset.”

LIFE PRINCIPLES

“How to Build a Boat” is a story about four best friends who set out to build a boat and learn four key life principles: Be a good human. Own it. Always be collaborating. Think big.

These goals are the mantra for Unite Us, a tech group that connects health care and social service providers, and employs author and Pocket resident Casanya Ursery.

I met Ursery several years ago when she worked for City Councilmember Rick Jennings. Her current duties involve coordinating health care networks for underserved communities.

“Although this children’s book was inspired by my work at Unite Us, I believe that these are great principles for anyone at any age,” Ursery says. “This was a dream project for me. The pandemic and upheaval of the past two years made me realize that I had the time to tackle a long-lost dream—write children’s books.”

“How to Build a Boat” is available in paperback and Kindle formats on Amazon.

NEIGHBOR MEETUPS

Lina Lee and her family moved to Greenhaven during the pandemic. Formerly a resident of Natomas, she didn’t waste time immersing herself into our community. Last May, she posted a message to Nextdoor asking, “Ready to socialize? Who wants to walk?” People responded.

Now a walking group meets weekly to walk the Pocket Canal. Lee has expanded activities to include Asian cooking classes and potluck game nights. If you want to join, email Lee at smiling4lina@gmail.com.

Corky Mau can be reached at corky.sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento.