Today being St Patrick’s Day I just had to post something green. The Great Blue herons are often seen quietly stalking the shallow waters looking for a fish to nab. You don’t really know excitement until you’re crossing a footbridge and a huge dinosaur sized bird with a six foot wingspan nearly knocks you into the water. However, when not buzzing about the heads of unsuspecting pedestrians they are quiet and graceful. They always bring me sense of peace and I love just sit and watch them wade the shore. They were a bit of a rare sight in the 70s and still considered endangered. We’ve got one that walks our property in the summer. I hear it call more than I see it. But just knowing it’s around somewhere gives me sense of peace.
Tag: Natural Life
The First Bloom
I was so excited to see this when I pulled into the lot at my day job that I almost forgot to go clock in.
I’ve been waiting for this sight since November 2017. Life is returning to my world! I know it just a Bradford Pear and that we still expect some more snow but this simple little flower made me smile. 😀
Ready for take off
The image above was taken at Northgate Business Park in Kanawha County West Virginia.
When I look at this image I’m taken back forty some years. Back to a time before digital photography and drones. A time when many of the conveniences we enjoy today were science fiction. We used to fly kites on a ridge like this one. We learned what was like to hold the wind in your hands. I was always convinced that one day I would build a kite large enough carry me into the clouds. I would go out on windy days with a jacket and find a nice windy spot. I would open the zipper and stick my hands in the jacket’s pockets and stretch out like a kite. I would close my eyes and turn into wind catching it my jacket. I would sway and tilt just like the kites did. As I grew older, I learned that jackets don’t make good hang gliders but I never lost that dream. Even today I will sometimes open my jacket with hands in pockets and imagine that I’m floating in the wind. Perhaps that’s one reason why I like this spot. It looks like a great runway and I just happen to be wearing my flying jacket today.
Because of Love
I’ve walked the rocky roads,
Because of Love.
I’ve climbed the steepest mountains,
Because of Love.
I’ve worked from dawn to dusk and beyond,
Because of Love.
I’ve carried the heavy burdens,
Because of Love.
I’ve endured the wind and rain,
Because of Love.
All the work that was done, all battles won, all the fires fought and all the gifts that were bought
Were Because of Love.
I came home to your open arms and found fulfillment,
Because of Love.
The image above was taken above the Southridge shopping center in Kanawha County West Virginia.
Camping On Summersville Lake (An amalgamation of memories)
The late summer sun turns the lake into a fire. In the distance I can hear the crickets chirping. A lonely bullfrog sings out in his booming bass voice as the night birds add a chorus of songs and the nightly concert begins. There’s the occasional splash of a fish leaping from the water to catch an insect that flew too close to the surface of the lake. The smell of the fire drifts in as kids roast their marshmallows on freshly cut poplar or birch twigs. I’ll ease back in my chair and take a sip of coffee. The flavor mixes well with the oak in the fire pit. As the sunset fades into the velvety sky the fire in the lake is replaced by silver. Throughout the campground the voices of the people begins to soften. Some campers are already asleep with expectations of being out on the water before the dawn. Scuba divers have told stories about catfish large enough to swallow a human being and each fisherman is convinced that they have the secret to hauling it in. Other campers are setting close to the red glow from the embers of the fire. They’re telling ghost stories about the civil war soldiers who once camped in that very same spot. As I finish my coffee I look out across the campground. Tents glow from the lanterns inside. They look like little hot air balloons preparing for take off. Silhouetted against outside of tents the shadows move on the inside as they turn in for the night. A few of them seem to merge as the lanterns go out one by one. I’m not sleepy. I pour the last of the coffee into my tumbler and stir the embers of my fire. The sparks rise into the air. As I watch the sparks rise and disappear I notice little greenish lights flickering in trees. The fireflies are putting on a light show if their own as the males signal for a mate to answer with the matching code. My tired eyes drift from the trees to the stars above. The coffee is gone and the fire is almost out. It’s time to take in one last breath of the night air as the dew falls. I crawl into my tent and sleep deeply. That’s camping on Summerville Lake.
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