The Window

She stood looking out the window each day as the children next door came home from school.  The house was old, left to her by her parents.  She had no siblings so the children in the yard became hers in her mind. She loved them from afar but I think by gesture and word, they knew it, even though she never said the words. She had a good vantage point from the second floor window.  Most days the four of them never knew she was there watching over them. Oh she was persnickety for sure and sometimes if they banged the gate going into her yard for their ball, that went over the fence, she would come out, and with a stern face, she would remind them to be gentle with the gate. This is the way it went all the years they were growing up.

She doesn't live there anymore, in fact she doesn't live anywhere.  She passed on a few years back. Some one else has the house now.  They are not as attentive to it as she was.  The lace curtains are gone and sadly, so is the crocheted shade pull. That era has passed.  The kids are all grown now and on their own. They don't live in the house next door anymore either..but each time they pass her house and look up to the window, they think of her and smile. 

Mothering Moments...Great Horned Owls

Spring, early morning.  The sun is shinning so bright.  My lids lift and I know it's going to be a good day. Spring means something different to all of us. Some love the budding of trees, I like those also, some love to play in the dirt, I do not. Some like spring cleaning and purging of all that has nested in their houses over the winter...yes, I even do that.  The smell of lilacs lifts me up and reminds me of my Mom...I feel her presence.  I remember her spring Mothering moments..and then I remember what I love best about spring.

I love nature.  I love getting out in the woods. Loading up my car with camera and a few of my special spring lenses.  For me, the first one on my Canon 7D MK11 is the 150-500.  Spring is critter watching time.  This year has been especially good for me. I love all the birds and raptors that I can find.  Not an easy task but if you stay vigilant and keep your eyes open, and get a very early morning phone call, you might get the shot. Of all the nature shots I get though, my very favorite shots are those Mothering Moments.  This day I was very fortunate.  The call was me to come and play with the Great Horned Mom and Baby.. I was out of bed in a flash, teeth brushed, dressed, grabbed a cup of tea and flew out the door...leaving a trail of spring dust behind me.  

It was a delightful two hours with this Mom and baby.  Like all babies, the little one did not want to leave his Mom's side...stuck like glue they were for the most part.  The Mom kept a good eye out on me...looking right at me and staring me down a few times.  For the most part though, they were content on their tree limb and I was content just being there.  The photo above shows the two of them on that limb and to the right of the Mom is their big, beautiful nest.  As the weeks go by I'll share more of them with you. For now, let's just enjoy the beginning of this one spring morning..

I love how the baby just stays so close to the Mom...This was taken a bit later in the morning...early morning left a shadow right across their sweet little faces...If you look under the branch you can see how long the Mom's tail is.

Just the Mom.  Lovely, large yellow eyes.  We connect and learn to put up with each other.  She is beautiful and even the streak of light does not diminish her charm.  She built such a nice home for her baby.  Don't we all strive to do that for our own children.  A home that is safe and strong.  Mothering Moments are the same in nature as in life.  I have been fortunate to view and photograph so many Mothering moments in nature, and each time I walk away, I feel the same hope, love and caring that all Mothers carry with them as they teach their little ones how to fly.

The baby was just the cutest..A little fuzzy, fur ball.  His ears are just starting to develop and grow to someday be just as cute as him Mom's ears are...and his fur is curly.

Mom was frequently checking out the area.  While she was doing that, baby owl kept his eye on me...

The baby had his own language.  I didn't understand it but I loved listening and watching him...He would open his mouth, and the feathers underneath would start dancing and he would look up at Mom and make these crazy little sounds.  In owl talk, I think he was telling her that he was hungry.  Perhaps last night had not been a successful dinner night.  He's so cute with his little beak open.

Just like any other baby, the little owl only had so much energy and he needed his mid morning nap.  He leaned into his Mom and she welcomed him.  His soft little head fell gently upon her feathers and he promptly closed his eyes, knowing that he was safely in his Mother's care.  She knew he needed the rest and so gave me one last stare as I to, rested.  It is not easy to hand hold a 500 mm lens...but the ache in my arm the next day, was worth a spring morning to remember.

Nature is my spring.  The re-newal, rebirth and awakening that spring brings.  In happens in the dirt, in houses with windows open to the breeze and it even happens in big tall pine trees if you look up.  Whatever the meaning of spring is for you...enjoy it. Let it seeps into your weary bones and soul, let it lift you up to the little things that mean so much and hopefully let Mother Nature be your spring tour guide.

“The owl,” he was saying, “is one of the most curious creatures. A bird that stays awake when the rest of the world sleeps. They can see in the dark. I find that so interesting, to be mired in reality when the rest of the world is dreaming. What does he see and what does he know that the rest of the world is missing?” 
― M.J Rose...Suduction.

Lily of the Valley

“Sita closed her eyes and breathed into her cupped hands. Before she left, she had remembered to perfume her wrist with Muguet. 
The faint odor of that flower, so pure and close to the earth, was comforting. She had planted real lilies of the valley because she liked them so much as a perfume.
Just last fall, before the hard freeze, when she was feeling back to normal, the pips had arrived in a little white box. Her order from a nursery company. She'd put on her deerskin gloves and, on her knees, using a hand trowel, dug a shallow trench along the border of her blue Dwarf iris. Then one by one she'd planted the pips. They looked like shelled acorns, only tinier. "To be planted points upward," said a leaflet in the directions. They came up early in the spring. The tiny spears of their leaves would be showing soon.
Lying there, sleepless, she imaged their white venous roots, a mass of them fastening together, forming new shoots below the earth, unfurling their stiff leaves. She saw herself touching their tiny bells, waxed white, fluted, and breathing the ravishing fragrance they gave off because Louis had absently walked through her border again, dragging his shovel, crushing them with his big, careless feet. 
It seemed as though hours of imaginary gardening passed before Mrs. Waldvogel tiptoed in without turning on the light.” 
― Louise Erdrich, The Beet Queen

Happy Hump Day

One of the things I love about Nature Photography is, whenever you go out the door, even in your own backyard, you never know what your going to discover, if you stand there long enough.  The last few years there has been a few hawks hanging out in our yard.  My husband calls the two that come all the time Thelma and Louise because that's what he used to call Ms. Margaret and her friend of 80 years. Her name was actually Thelma...He believes that Ms. Margaret watches over us because of the hawk that stayed on the landing outside her hospital room when she was dying. Hawks are suppose to be very spiritual birds.  I digress.  Happens all the time.  Long story short, today is Wednesday, commonly referred to as hump day...the photo's tell the rest of the story...no words needed.

The hawk can soar high and reach the heavens effortlessly. As most bird totems, this power animal is often considered as a messenger who brings messages from the spirit world and the unseen.

If you have the hawk as a spirit animal, you may be inclined to play with divination tools and use your intuition to guide your steps in life. Working with the hawk totem could reinforce your ability to rely this type of guidance.

When the hawk shows up in your life, be sensitive to the messages it may carry and be receptive to your own intuition.

I love nature photography...I always have.  It's where I started on my journey and I am always amazed when I'm out there..enjoy these early days of Spring...and also, nature's mysteries.