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It sounds like a thousand squeaky screen doors being opened and closed: metallic, raspy, and loud. The unusual noise accompanies huge flocks of acrobatic birds that darken the sky. These large groups of starlings visit our area periodically, and despite my worries that they’ll empty the bird feeders in five seconds flat, these travelers don’t even seem to notice them.
Continue reading “Haiku: Murmuration’s Mystery”
This was, for me, today’s reminder of resilience: overnight snow and frigid temperatures may have battered the dandelion, furling its tender petals, but I know I’ll see its cheery countenance once again. Further, I know many other blooms lie covered in snow, just waiting for the sun’s restorative touch. We may see Nature as – at times – shockingly harsh, but for natural creatures like plants and animals it simply is…and they don’t have a choice about rising to the challenge of survival. Resilience.
It seemed like a safe place to rest: empty, clean, and well-built. She was weary from the search, having traveled so far in search of the right shelter. It was clear that, once, someone had loved this place; that family had been here, and children, snug in this abode. That had been long ago, though, and the place simply held the echo of memories. With the weather turning cold and wet, and she knew she needed to hunker down.
Continue reading “Short Read: Isabella’s First Flight”
The line was at the Early Voting station – the tree was along the sidewalk where we waited to enter the building. The beauty all around us was in full display here: maple trees had been planted near an unremarkable building that was fronted by an unappealing (and noisy) road, breaking up the inorganic surroundings with their organic exuberance. Looking up, I saw bright oranges and yellows against a cerulean backdrop…not just dull gray concrete and vehicles driving by. It was a welcome visual treat.
If you know who Bob Ross was, you’ll get this one. “Happy accidents”, Bob…happy accidents. Thanks for the reminder!
I was walking in the pastures on a dewy morning (as they frequently are), when I noticed a small butterfly – a copper – struggling to fly out of the wet grass. I was reaching toward it to try to relocate it to higher (drier) ground, when I saw something larger move in the grass nearby. It was dark and I only caught a brief glimpse: a frog?
As I took a closer look at the area where the probable “frog” had gone into the grass, I realized it was definitely not a frog – it was a large spider! She hid from me, just wanting to keep her babies safe, so I quickly took a couple of photos and then left her in peace. What a good mother, toting all those spiderlings around. And what a rare treat to have witnessed her with her special passengers.
Learn more about amazing wolf spiders here.