Always In Fashion

October 30, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

“Can you shut that thing off so I can enjoy my meal?” Female Downy woodpecker making her selection. (Featured image is a Black-eyed Junco checking out our deck. Submitted for Bird Weekly challenge: birds with black feathers.)

Backyard Buddies

October 23, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Our backyard buddies include Juncos, robins, starlings, Red-tailed hawk, and goldfinches. Of course, there are many more. Busy place. (For Bird Weekly challenge: backyard birds.)

Harrington

October 21, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

Just before his surgery, Ric took me for a drive to “show me something”. We turned off the main route and travelled down a dirt road lined on either side by tall trees. “Should see it any moment,” he teased as I eagerly craned my neck for whatever “it” was. And then the tree line […]

A Bird, ‘a’?

October 9, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

An American crow on the rocks with lots to say (featured). (For Bird Weekly Challenge: birds starting with an A)

Birds Up Close

October 3, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

For Bird Weekly challenge: Macro/ close-ups. Featured image: robin.

Short-legged Neighbours

September 26, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

The best part of our new home is the abundance of birds, from the young cardinal whose family nests in the bushes behind, to this unexpected visitor outside my window. To watch the birds is mesmerizing. This fierce hunter also makes an appearance daily: Naturally, there are many more species, but I’ll save those for […]

It’s Not Easy Being Green…

September 20, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

…especially when you dwell in Northern climes. Now, down south, green is all the rage: (A male mallard in a local ditch, and green jays taken along the Rio Valley in Texas. For Bird Weekly challenge.)

Domesticated

September 5, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

The swans in nearby Stratford, are domesticated for the purpose of creating ambiance – replicating the original Stratford on Avon. Dug into my archives for this photo of a man with his two feathered pets. (For Bird Weekly challenge: domesticated birds.)

Rare To Me

August 22, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

I don’t know enough about birds to know what is rare for our area, but I do know that we have a few visitors who stop by on their way elsewhere – the window to see them short. For Bird Weekly’s challenge: Rare Birds. The featured image is a pair of wood ducks. While they […]

Orange: My Favourite Colour

August 15, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

No chance of camouflage when orange is your accessory colour, but oh, I love it. (For Bird Weekly challenge: yellow or orange legged birds)

Imagine

If we could lift understandingto indigenous teachingsexpand our loveto earth, sky, and seaMake personal gain tabooand Ancients a weigh point If we could witness the mountainsslow floating across the skyand touch the dolphin’s soulanxiously swimmingwhere tuna are netted Would we cower at our insignificanceor move forward, learning to acceptthat all of life is deeply woveninto […]

Dear Child

I know a little girl,whose hair in ringletsfalls, unkempt from lackof brushing; who standswhen she should be sitting;who laughs with defiance whenchallenged, her dark eyes gleamingwith mischief; who holds her chin uphigh and stamps her feet, arms foldedin protest when she does not get her way. I see that little girl,have watched her play,with a […]

Re-de-fine-d

Ask me how I’m doingand I’ll say “fine”, notbecause I’m actually fine,but because “fine” is the onlysocially acceptable response. If I said that I have been lyinghere, for three hours now,willing my body to move,that would elicit unsolicitedadvice and tarnish my “fine”. I’d berate myself for breakingmy promise not to moan,knowing that complainingprovokes a compulsive […]