On a recent trip, flying in and out of Memphis, our plane briefly took us along the path of the Mississippi River. It was fun seeing an aerial view of the area.
“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.” ~John Lubbock
Every spring I look forward to the arrival of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak as they migrate through our area. They summer north of us and winter south of us, but during migration, they stop over at our feeders to feast on black sunflower seeds. The males are black and white with red chevrons, while the females are brown and white with whitish stripes over the eye. While they are here, they liven up the back yard with their beauty and presence.
“We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love … and then we return home.” ~Australian Aboriginal Proverb
A wild pink rose with a tiny green grasshopper growing along the side of our country road.
“Some people complain because God put thorns on roses, while others praise Him for putting roses among thorns. ~Unknown
“Hello Rabbit’, he said, ‘is that you?’
‘Let’s pretend it isn’t,’ said Rabbit, ‘and see what happens.”
~A. A. Milne
A Five-lined Skink basking in the afternoon sun.
Of all creatures in this visible world, light is the most glorious; of all light, the light of the sun without compare excels the rest. ~William Gurnall
This Killdeer brought a bit of drama into my afternoon walk when she suddenly let out a loud shrill and ran frantically in short spurts across the road in front of me and into a freshly planted farm field. She was obviously trying to lure my attention away from a nest she had hidden in the grass nearby.
“When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!” ~Unknown
This is the mockingbird that stands guard in our front yard. He generally positions himself at different posts situated about the area, ready to chase off any intruders who venture into his territory. Musically, he is an extremely talented bird that likes to sing day and night. He positions himself in a bush outside our window and performs his varied repertoire of sounds and songs — in a crisp, clear voice — into the early hours of the morning. Due to his enthusiastic singing, especially during nesting season, I like to keep a pair of ear plugs or a box fan handy — just for those times when my brain yearns for silence.
“When my critics tell me to stop singing, I tell them NAY, NAY, NAY!” ~Unknown
“Blue thou art, intensely blue; From whence came thy dazzling hue?” ~James Montgomery
I spotted this lovely Black-necked Stilt strutting around on its long, slender pink legs in some wetland not far from the Mississippi River. It was quite focused on its task of foraging for food.
“I dressed and went for a walk – determined not to return until I took in what Nature had to offer.” ~Raymond Carver
This muskrat was intently feeding upon vegetation on the edge of a flooded farm field near the Mississippi River. His concentration was so focused upon his task that I was able to take several photos before he realized I was there. Finally he looked up, spotted me, dove underwater and quickly swam away.
“Courage consists not in blindly overlooking danger, but in seeing it, and conquering it.” ~Jean Paul
walking on a country road 