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
A Fieldtrip to Fairchild
One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.
W. E. Johns
I took a day-long field trip to the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in South Miami last week. I didn’t know what to expect, but what I found was magic. I also found shade, a series of small lakes, a huge variety of palm trees, a spiny forest, a rain forest, lots and lots of lizards, lots of birds, and a few heart pounding moments…
A curious little lizard greeted me just outside the visitor center.
To see we must forget the name of the thing we are looking at.
Claude Monet
(This isn’t hard when you don’t actually know what it is. A beautiful flower by any name.)
Peeking out.
A gulf fritillary butterfly lands on a cactus blossom in the Spiny Forest garden.
An iguana finds a place in the sun.
Tropical water lilies reflect in a tranquil pond.
Beneath the fig trees it’s another world.
The lower gardens look inviting from the overlook.
I step into the lower gardens with the Egyptian Goose.
A very long iguana crawls beneath the mangroves.
A great egret creeps up to the water’s edge.
A white ibis looks over its shoulder suspiciously.
The unexpected happens - an apparently sleeping crocodile stands up and walks across the path in front of me.
I continue take pictures while internally freaking out.
Then the ibises, who were suspicious and wary of me, follow the crocodile across the path…
and I was worried that I was too close.
Nature, for me is raw and dangerous and difficult and beautiful and unnerving.
Andy Goldsworth
It is easy to forget, when you are surrounded by beauty, that nature is unpredictable and definitely NOT always safe, even here in this beautifully planned and well-maintained garden. That is part of the appeal of exploring outdoors to me - the demand that I take it seriously and weigh the dangers against my desire to see everything. I think I stayed far enough away from the crocodiles at this garden. I did not walk closer to the one I saw crossing the path. I turned around and went back the way I came after taking these photos. Of course, that’s how I saw the next crocodile…
This was a photo-heavy post. I hope it all comes through ok. I was just so excited to share the whole experience. Thanks so much for being here. I will see you next week!
P.S. The ibises were fine. They wandered around near the crocodile for a few minutes, and then just walked away and back down the path.
P.P.S. If you’re interested in Fairchild Gardens, click here.
A parting shot - this crocodile was across the pond from me - much further away than it might appear. I loved the symmetry with its reflection in the water. Its mouth is open, which looks menacing, but it was completely still. {They keep their mouths open when lying in the sun to help regulate their body temperature.)