Posts

Shifting Sands

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What is it about the shifting shapes of sand dunes that absolutely fascinate me?  It’s the excitement of seeing the piles of sand at different heights and widths in the distance, knowing the closer I get the more massive the shapes will become, the more they will change and the more detail I will see.  It’s watching the way light reflects and changes the shadows.  It’s seeing animal tracks and determining if they are lizard, snake or insect.  It’s examining plants that can survive in that environment and finding artifacts whitened by the sun.  It’s feeling the breeze as I watch the sand move and ripple forming a new shape.  It’s walking barefoot and feeling the grains between my toes.  It’s learning and experimenting with the camera trying to capture the wonder. It’s knowing that I have to be smart and have water and know where I parked the vehicle because I know how easy it is to become lost in the sand with the hot sun be

Visiting Arboretum Botanical Gardens

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Summer!  Sun shining days and warm breezes bringing lots of birds to my deck in Prescott.  I love summer and remembering the short trips we take.  I have to share this one. Indigo Bunting Matt the new birder!  When we were in Missouri recently my nephew, Matt, took us to the Arboretum Botanical Gardens in Overland Park, Kansas.  I had been there once before but this time we walked all the trails and introduced Matt to the world of birding.  I’m hoping he really gets interested in it because he can really spot the birds!  This is a lovely garden with lots of flowers and different ecosystems.  Monet’s Garden has flowers and plants like the ones Monet painted and there is even a little bridge. Remember the ‘water lilies’? An international sculpture garden shows off some interesting metal sculptures that were donated by Chinese artists and are tucked among the trees. The bird trail leads to a little house with seats and a place for bird food

Working with Nature

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It’s been such a ‘birdie’ beginning of summer!  We had Western Tanagers migrating through our area and they are such beautiful eye- candy that all one could do was stop and look at them.   Unfortunately, one of the males flew into my neighbor’s patio door so hard that it obviously had a concussion.  We tried to revive it with diluted orange juice in a syringe.  My neighbor, Phoebe, and I emailed each other through the day. “Henry is safely installed in our AZ room in the aquarium with a small maple branch, water, o.j. and seeds.  He hasn't taken more juice, but has moved around, out of the box a couple of times. Keep the fingers crossed!”  Sometime in the night our patient (Phoebe named him Henry) gave up the fight and he was buried in the yard under a rock.     This was the first time I had the privilege of actually holding a wild bird.  He was so light and his feathers were such beautiful colors.  Quite the nature experience and of course, sad.  Soon afte