Photo Journal

Looking Up

When you look up at the sky, you have a feeling of unity which delights you and makes you giddy.

Ferdinand Hodler

A woodpecker  

shuffles up the dead palm tree,

pausing and knocking,

picking out her morning meal

in tiny bites.

She shuffles and knocks

pauses and eats,

up and up,

until gradually

she’s circling

the frondless tip -

where she stops

and lifts her head

to the blue sky.

I spent a week looking up, and this is what I saw:

Seagulls flying overhead, calling.

The noisy green parrots looking down -

wondering what I was looking at.

Crows that alight anywhere,

mourning doves who do not approve of crows.

And then the moon,

the moon,

the waning moon.

Looking up was another assignment from the Zen Camera book by David Ulrich. He meant it more generally, as in keeping your head up and looking around you, observing your surroundings rather than burying your face in your phone, or getting lost in your thoughts, but I decided to take it literally for this week. So, here’s to looking up!

Thank you for being here!

Once you have tasted the taste of sky, you will forever look up.

Leonardo da Vinci

Illumination

All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.

Leo Tolstoy

Catch

On the beach one morning

I am wallowing in

darkness. It is

Vast and heavy

and threatens to swallow me-

until a golden retriever

runs up and rolls in it.

I laugh,

forgetting,

then stop to watch the sun rise

with her owner

in silence.

Moons and years pass by and are gone forever, but a beautiful moment shimmers through life a ray of light.” – Franz Grillparzer

Continuum

Light falls on the edges,

Dances on water.

illuminates the moon,

and makes the city shine.

It creates dark silhouettes,

and kisses crows’ wings

It casts warm shadows over everything.

I’m reading a book called Zen Camera, by David Ulrich. One of the early practices is about observing light, so this post is inspired by that.

Thank you for being here!

Wild Neighborhood

Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way.

John Muir

I’ve had so many animal visitors, and chance encounters right in the neighborhood lately. I try not to move too quickly, and sometimes I get lucky. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

The Dove, on silver pinions, winged her peaceful way.

James Montgomery

I saw this dove sitting on the fence while I was walking, so pretty against the blue sky. Just as I took the photo, she lifted her wings to fly away. I thought I might have missed her, but I was really lucky.

Mourning Dove

With wind ruffled feathers,

a mourning dove

lands on the lamppost-

singing a gentle,

faraway song.

(listen)

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Mourning Doves like to land on the electrical post in the alley behind my apartment. I love not only to sit and listen to their calls; but to watch as they do it. The entire throat expands - and it almost appears as if the sound comes directly from there; they don’t open their bills. It is the male who makes the long mournful cry; a call to woo a female. Far away and longingly sweet.

On another afternoon, a little squirrel climbed onto the balcony wall, and hesitated… looking at me, then looking away, then moving a little, then looking back…and I did pretty much the same, with my camera. Mutual curiosity.

There are so many big sea birds here; it’s easy to forget the little tree birds; but this bright yellow palm warbler stood out against the concrete stairs in the park when I was walking there.

The iguana on the left is getting pretty bold - it was walking along the balcony wall one afternoon - right behind our planters. The one on the right is a little more cautious - hiding in the palm tree, trying to be inconspicuous.

A white Ibis hops onto the park fence as I pass, another lucky photo. It flew away after I got only this one picture.

Nature surrounds us, from parks and backyards to streets and alleyways. Next time you go out for a walk, tread gently and remember that we are both inhabitants and stewards of nature in our neighbourhoods. ~ David Suzuki

And here’s a little moment of zen. Hope you have a wonderful week. Thank you for being here.