What are the chances of seeing a red dragonfly? I see a lot of dragonflies especially on my walks…but I’ve never encountered a solid red dragonfly! Until now
It was magical …And adds more to my
July’s Merry Merry Wonderment!
You must create your own light. It’s all around you. Even just closing your eyes and facing the sun, let the warm sunshine cascade onto your body.
I am not the most positive person, I assure you. I pull myself out of dark corners daily. Please look up, look around you, you will find the light seeking you. Even if it’s just a small red insect. But you must be willing to look!
(And Trees) and parenthesis (again) but it’s really been a long time since I’ve shown you my mushroom findings. And a lot are just the same logs but just different times I’ve walked upon it. Here’s some recent findings! I love how they just pop out of nowhere and you really have to look closely. I love good dead logs that have been laying on the forest floor for a long time. It’s still giving so much life after its demise. And remember that, I suppose, whatever you want to think about death…I don’t want to get too philosophical, but trees are amazing and what would they say to us if we could communicate with them? and with fungi? What would the earth be like without trees? Well, we certainly wouldn’t be here…so yes, go hug a tree, dammit! (Even dead logs)! Watch out for the deadly fungus though! HAAH…okay, what irony though…giver of life and death…okay, no, I didn’t eat a magical mushroom! But I’m high on nature that’s for sure!
I wish I had a nature’s guide to fungus, so no, I don’t know what this is. This ain’t no scientific blog or anything, just a studying nature. But my ignorance isn’t flattering so I’m sorry I don’t know what any of these fungi are 😦
This wicked fungus is quite beautiful. And bugs were crawling on it, so I assume it’s not too poisonous (to insects anyway).
Okay, enough! but this was a weird one isn’t it? It’s so bizarre you want to touch it, but I didn’t, I promise!
Well, my friendly dead log with the white fungi I come across from time to time.
Ahhh, the trees!
Of course, had to put a puddle in the mix!
And this just looks like the gases of Jupiter! it was just too cool!
Sorry for all the photos, and I’m just in awe that I keep coming back to the same place and each time I find something new and interesting. I hope you find them just as fascinating.
On my latest walkin’ wander about I spotted a great heron on the creek! Yes, these are the majestic birds I encountered flying above me one early morning, and we’re probably what I thought were cranes, and thus my crane energy/spirits were foiled. But not really, because these birds are just as majestic and beautiful. I almost missed it! I had circled back and spotted it on my way back! They’re so much larger than I thought because he got annoyed at me and flew up into a tree and then further down the creek. The wing span is massive!
I’m not sure you can see him but he’s hiding in a tree and then I spotted him further down the creek. I left him alone after that because he was busy trying to get him a meal, so I didn’t want to interfere!
And here are some puddles for your puddlin’ entertainment.
Happy walkin’ wandering abouts! I can’t wait to see what you’ll find in your nearest creek beds. Hmmm…?? is that a challenge?
And here’s just a quick doodle of the great heron. For GREAT HERON POWER! Maybe I am becoming the weird HERON birdo after all! It’s time to get back on the weirdo birdo obsession again.
Nature has transformed since the dreary, solemn winter photos that I took in January/February. Of chilly puddles and barren trees? You must remember I posted 5,000 photos of the stuff. It’s quite a sight to witness nature’s seasons. We are so accustomed to the changes we may not really notice it. But on these walkabouts there is always something changing. Even the same fungi have changed! EVEN I HAVE CHANGED. It’s all a part of the seasons of life, even we must take part in them. We all must learn change.
Just look at all the light! and the green
DRAGONFLIES! and more green!
Okay, that’s enough for now. I’ll post some more dragonflies and the great blue heron I caught down at the creek. But for another day perhaps.
These photos pretty much sums up the continuation of last year’s obsessions with birds and puddles. Ugh, you’re stuck with it. Until I can move past and find more inspiration, I suppose I will continue to find something inspiring in these rather sulky January moments. I like regarding nature after a tumultuous storm, or days of rain and then that cloudy quiet when you can go back outside and regard the damp, sullen leaves, puddles, and the stark trees reflected in the pools. And of course my little kid comes out of me and I must dance in the puddles! But yeah, you’ve already heard this, and if you’ve seen one puddle you’ve seen them all, so I just want to share some more with you.
The only cool thing is I finally caught a barred owl in the trees! So I was super happy and went trudging through the mud trying to get a glimpse of him. He was enjoying a delicious meal of mouse.
He’s hard to see, but you can definitely feel the January in these photos. I can’t promise there won’t be any more puddles and birds, so just bear with. Maybe the next photos there will be plenty of sunshine and buds emerging from this sullen, sodden winter.
My Sunday meanderings began like every other Sunday, on a walk in nature of course! And to one of my favorite walking spots here I went. I was anxious to see if any of the colors were starting to change. I noticed some on the very tips of the trees but relatively still green. I probably will go back each weekend to catch another glimpse of some new colors until they are all swept away. Fall usually starts much later here in East Texas. The sun was definitely illuminating some of the rich colors that are about to show. There are so many trees here, so once fall starts here you really need to look! Otherwise you’ll miss some of the beauty of the trees!
I also love to look at old logs on the forest floor. You can still see life on them, which fascinates me for some reason. I have to make a collection of dead logs in my next blog entry because I have quite a few.
This little patch of sun was shining through the forest floor and I thought, what cool little shadows it cast onto this log and the dead leaves!
And lastly on my meanderings, a hawk cut across my path onto this branch! It literally was just a couple of feet away from me as it flew into this tree! I was too afraid to move any closer for fear it would fly away. He was very annoyed at me because every time my shutter clicked he gave me a menacing look. And then he ruffled up his butt and pooped in my general direction, hah! He was very busy hunting something in the grass. Luckily I didn’t mess him up, because he flew away and caught whatever it was he saw (a mouse I supposed). Red tail hawks are so common here, one of the most common birds of prey here that you might miss them if you’re not looking. They are a nuisance to the local bird neighborhood who try and shoo them out of their nesting areas, but very cool to watch and to witness! I caught one hanging out in the rafters at work. Probably looking for mice there too.
This morning did not disappoint as I forced myself to get out and walk. As much as my mind was in a shameful disposition (hiding in my coffee cup of shamefulness…) and wanting to give up, I could only take a sip and try. The angels and the ancestors were there to tell me to keep going. There is more to come! Don’t give up! You have to keep going…no matter who or what keeps trying to tell you otherwise…
So here I am dancing with the butterflies. It was very hard, I tried to get them all, and did they seem to mind? Of course not.
There are a ton more, as you can see but they get a little redundant. There were several butterflies around but it was hard to capture them altogether, but some I did get them in the same shot. It’s almost like the very last moment of summer captured in these pictures. The sunflowers trying to keep on growing, and the butterflies giving their last moments to them. I feel the seasons beginning to change, in nature and in life. Maybe there is some uncertainty, surely that is inevitable, but I feel that in the moment nature is certainty. It keeps dancing to what it’s supposed to do. Give life, take life, and around all over again.
Here is another little dance with a beautiful butterfly.
I am proud of these pictures, I do NOT consider myself a photographer, but I like to take photos as a hobby. So I hope you enjoy them! The Doodler has hobbies other than doodling, of course!
Take yourself out for a walk in nature! It has become my favorite weekly ritual, helpful to clear the head and to enjoy nature, of course, but also enjoy my own company. And to be inspired. I guess most people already know this about nature walks and hikes, but I just thought I would share some of my photos. These are mostly taken along the Lanana Creek Trail in my town of Nacogdoches, Texas.
Of Course, I had to begin with the bird sculpture! Caw…Caw!
I did spot a buzzard hanging up on one of the electric poles!
A cloudy sunset!
These were not all taken on the same day, some were in the morning and some in the evening. But yes, even just down the road, maybe even in your own hometown can you find inspiration. Life. Enjoy!
This weekend we kept dodging the turtles on the highway. One we had to move out of the road for fear someone would crush the poor guy. We had lots of rain so I guess they’re out and about and spring is ripe and blooming full. Oh and not to mention the snakes are too ( did not replicate the snake though, or help it out of the way, but I did not run over it).
I guess the progress is going slow, however it is progress. I remain attached to my shell though, unless I need to retract. I think retracting is necessary. Then every once in a while popping out of my shell to give the ones I care about a doodle or two.
The birds have been at it since they woke me up this morning. Not to mention the gusty wind!”
I saw many along my walking path today. Among other birds and people, as it was a perfect sunny day. The wind would pick up and the occasional tree branch fell in my path. I felt it was time to scurry along, as the gusts were picking up exponentially. I found a perfect quote to keep me pondering. Walking is definitely for thinking. And sitting and thinking usually makes me sit around second guessing myself, overthinking what I said and how it would be interpreted to some. And all weekend I wanted to delete my website/blog, and burn my writings. Just forget it. Then I would say, but wait, that is the voice of another person who didn’t believe in me. I believe in myself now! I am not a piece of trash. But anyway, I found this quote:
“Walking, I am listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands.” -Linda Hogan (b. 1947) Native American Writer
I wish I had slowed down a little bit more, but as the wind was gusty and I was worried about all the falling limbs, I should have noticed it more. What were the limbs saying to me? WATCH OUT. A warning from my ancestors? I think it’s just the wind breaking the dormant limbs, if you’re a realist. No, it’s just be cautious. It’s okay to be cautious. And to second guess yourself, until you believe in yourself. Until you find your voice. All those that walk beside me, that I cannot see are holding me close and letting me know that I AM Love, and that I can go on spreading that love through my art as long as I know that it comes deep within me and not outwardly, for acceptance or validation. Because anything that comes from the heart is meant to blow away in the wind and catch a falling limb anyway. Love is giving it away all the time to everyone, spirit or living, it is not to be coveted at all.
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