“Flowers … are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” ~Luther Burbank
Sunny and bright
Tennessee
Bird watching
Back in early May, I spotted two birds in the Reelfoot Lake area that I had never photographed before. The first was an Eastern Kingbird. Quite a dapper looking fellow, he was sitting in a Cypress tree out in the lake. I watched for some time as he flew off to snatch insects out of the air and then returned to the comfort of his perch in the tree.
The other was a Baltimore Oriole sitting in a tree at the State Park. He and his female companion were busy with the task of nest-building. Between all the flurry of activity, he seemed to be dutifully guarding the site. Baltimore Orioles migrate through our area in the springtime, but generally move northward for the summer.
You never know what you’re going to see when you get out in nature, find a quiet spot and take the time to listen and observe.
“Sometimes when we just stand still the grace finds us.” ~Mary Davis
Common buckeye
“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful; the Lord God made them all.”
~ Cecil Francis Alexander
Noisy Grackles
I often enjoy retreating to the quietness of our backyard to sit and enjoy nature. But recently, the backyard was unusually noisy due to several families of Common Grackles. The dull brown juveniles screeched and squawked, demanding their parents’ attention. The adults chattered as they made continual trips to the feeders in order to satisfy the endless appetites of the insistent juveniles. Though an interesting scene to observe, the disturbance made by the grackles was quite the opposite of the peace and quiet that I had been expecting to find.
“We love to expect, and when expectation is either disappointed or gratified, we want to be again expecting.” ~Samuel Johnson
Sitting by the road
This little rabbit looked content sitting in a shaded white clover patch beside the road.
“To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.” ~Jane Austen
Black Swallowtail on a Purple coneflower
“… find out where joy resides, and give it a voice far beyond singing. For to miss the joy is to miss all.” ~Robert Louis Stevenson
Sunbeams through the clouds
Ah, the souls of those that die
Are but sunbeams lifted higher.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
In loving memory of my Mother-in-law, Charlotte. Our loss is heaven’s gain.
Field of sunflowers
One of the fields near our house is growing a crop of sunflowers this year. Immature sunflower buds turn their heads during the day to track the motion of the sun (heliotropism). Generally, by the time they mature and their heads become heavier, they face the east in order to catch heat from the early morning light. The majority of the sunflowers in this field are facing east, but there are still a few that appear to be “looking around”.
“Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it. And that’s such an admirable thing. And such a lesson in life.” ~Helen Mirren
Queen Anne’s Lace
Presently, our country road is lined in places with rows of Queen Anne’s Lace. The beautiful white wildflowers give the roadside a magical appearance.
… Her lawn looks like a meadow,
And if she mows the place
She leaves the clover standing
And the Queen Anne’s Lace!
~Edna St. Vincent Millay
A colony of Great Egrets
This colony of Great Egrets was hunting for food in a flooded field close to the Mississippi River. Watching as they waded around among the Butterweed was a stunning sight.
“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” ~Mary Davis
walking on a country road 