Sarah Getz and Donna Cogar, basketball referees. Photo courtesy of Caroline Velasquez

Two cool things observed recently — one dealing with people; the other, Nature:

* This is such a far cry from fussing at athletic officials!

Twice weekly we have enjoyed watching Salem Parks & Recreation basketball games in the G. W. Carver Elementary School gym — not just for the charm of watching young girls as they learn the game.

The charm includes the referees too! Two women refs are particularly delightful as they not only blow whistles and correct the girls, but also “coach” them a bit.

From the stands we see referees Sarah Getz and Donna Cogar bending down to kid-level, smiling, reminding the young’n’s to dribble and showing each child where to stand during free-throws. We’ve even watched them demonstrate how to shoot that free throw.

“I’ve even seen the refs tie their shoes!” my grandson Lennon said, marveling at the officials’ kindness. (His sister Adeline is a first-time player.)

Referee Sarah Getz is a teacher and coach at Glenvar Middle School. She played high-school ball in Luray, Va. Donna Cogar is a kindergarten teacher at Carver and played on the Roanoke College team.

“We mostly referee the PeeWee girls’ games,” they said.

They are very good at it, and their friendly, instructive manner must encourage kids to continue in sports.

* On a recent Thursday afternoon while driving near Crossroads Mall I saw a cool natural-phenomenon.

“Hey, wowsers, not just on YouTube!” I said (yep, I talk to myself). Video of similar stuff had just zipped across cyber-land a few weeks before: Birds flocking together to form patterns as they flew. (Think schools of fish, airborne.)

So, there were these tight black-winged swarms, like giant paisley forms swooping and dancing back and forth right above Peters Creek Road and 581… as if rehearsed into perfection by some bird-choreographer.

It was so jaw-droppingly wonderful that I had to pull into a parking lot to watch.

And even though my appointment that day fell through, it was a worthwhile trip, beyond-OK with me: I got to witness something very cool that I might otherwise have missed.

Ma Nature, you go, girl!