Heart of the World
As long as I live, I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I'll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I'll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can.
John Muir
Cardinal at Fall Creek Falls
You called with a tiny voice
rising cheerfully through the woods,
your little red-winged body blazing bright
against a backdrop of misty blue and green,
the clear notes of your song
ringing above the thunderous drumbeat
of water falling on stone
in the canyon floor below.
You were a wonder as great
as the magnificent cascade at your back -
calmly balanced there on the edge
of a cliff
singing that familiar tune.
I will always remember you
lingering there a moment
As the mist from the great waterfall
kissed my face - and I smiled.
Then your wings took you away.
Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee.
The falls in this park are mostly below you in a deep gorge.
A magical place where the rainbows are below you
I stopped at this park, Fall Creek Falls, in Tennessee for a couple of nights on my way home to Michigan. It rained hard both nights I was there - but during the day, there was just enough respite from the rain to get in some long hikes. I loved other places I visited on the way, but this park was really something special. It is well cared for and loved by everyone who works and volunteers there, and I had such a good experience being there. I hope I get a chance to go back.
I hope you had a good winter and spring! I hope you get outside wherever you live and find something that takes your breath away or at least makes you smile every single day. Just a few minutes of respite from whatever worries you. I’ll try to do the same, and I’ll see you here again soon.
“Every day I walk out into the world / to be dazzled, then to be reflective.”
For the Birds
In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.
Robert Wilson Lynd
seagulls vying for a spot on the top of a lifeguard tower
A mockingbird between songs
Crow trying to out-sing the wind
Morning Coffee
Above me
The mourning dove sings,
the gulls cry out,
the mockingbird proudly
practices drills -
all of them
Unbothered by the disapproving
Clucks and coos of pigeons
Circling on the pavement below .
The herons mind their
Business, not making a sound
Or even acknowledging me
As an egret with a neck so thin
It can barely support his head
Picks his way silently
through the tall grass
And oh- here comes the crow;
my familiar friend
Calling on the wind
reminding me
everywhere i go
I am still home
Night heron watching the water at the marina
Great blue heron on top of the world
a tense green heron fishing
At the edge of the ocean, a crow walked beside me for awhile
A great egret gathering food from the tall grass in the park
Crow flying off a lifeguard tower
The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind.
Carly Simon
Coming from the quiet snowy retreat of my little house in Michigan to bright and noisy Miami Beach was a little bit of a shock to my system. I woke up the entire first week not knowing where I was. But after the initial adjustment, I found my routine here again and more importantly, where to go to be quiet and talk to the birds over morning coffee.
Thank you so much for being here! I will see you soon!
Seagulls watching sunrise
Sweet Encounters
Grace grows best in winter.
Samuel Rutherford
Every morning, I hang out the feeders.
This winter is especially snowy and cold,
So I don’t chase anyone away.
I thought I was doing it for the animals-
But when the buck came, watching the squirrel
struggle to get food from the squirrel resistant feeder,
and began dropping seeds on the ground… sharing…
I realized they’re giving me a greater gift.
I am witnessing the grace of a wild life.
The doe also came, with her fawn -
Standing at the feeder together
Eating together.
They will survive without my help.
They will find other feeders, other food
When I fly south,
But the doe and her fawn,
The buck and the squirrel
Have shown me their love.
They’ve been my close companions
In the silent calm of morning
In the loneliness of winter
Where the white blanket has fallen
And stayed. And I am warm with
Affection for this snow,
And the grace it brings
Wandering out from the woods.
I will miss it when I leave,
but I am grateful for it now.
Seek teachings everywhere,
Like a deer that finds
A quiet place to graze,
Seek Seclusion to digest
All you have gathered. . .
Namkhai Norbu
Oh it is going to be hard to leave this snowy wonderland, but, alas, the next time I write I will be in Miami - looking for iguanas and night herons.
Thank you so much for being here. See you in a week or two.
The heavy winter skies have only allowed the moon to shine through a few times this month, but here she is, rising through the trees - not quite full. The wolf moon.
