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.”

— Mary Oliver

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.