Tag: going green

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Nature photos Nature Writing Rambling Writers Site

Sixteen Seconds Of Geese And Wind~

This morning I stepped outside to sunshine and heavy humid air. Along the western horizon I could see dark clouds moving slowly east. Black birds were pushing aside wet leaves in an attempt to find worms that had felt the warmth and slithered to the surface. I wondered how many they actually found.  Or was my guess of worms wrong and they were eating seeds, or larva.  The ground was still a solid block of ice, later on I will have to crawl around and check out the area myself…

I shuffled over the leaves and the black birds scattered as I passed by.

 The low area of the path had gotten muddier over night. Even now, the ice and snow melted under the glare of warm sunshine.  The thick broken ice became more of an obstacle course than an uncomplicated walk. At least the ice held the sharp sticks as I slipped over them. The mud, black and slippery, allowed the one to two inches of broken and cut sticks and grass, the opportunity to puncture my boots. 

Walking through this area took more time than it had yesterday.  Uriah became impatient and ran on ahead. He had disappeared into the trees by the time I started walking up the slight incline. I moved south, then east, straight into the un-melted snow.

The distinct smell of skunk wafted around the trees, I glanced around and didn’t see him. I decided, that it was a smart idea to leave, while I could still taste and smell.

 The birds were very vocal again today. Their songs intermingled into a sweet sound of spring.  I stood next to a knocked down fence post and closed my eyes and listened.

A train was heading through the town; the wind blew straight at me from the south, bringing every clack-clack and heavy thudding sound clear as a bell into my universe.  I turned on my camera and started the video; I was only able to capture a sixteen second piece of geese flying over head, before the camera flashed low battery and shut off.

Ooops! I forgot to recharge the battery last night. I slipped the camera back into its case and started walking home.  

A breeze kicked up around me, low to the ground. I smiled, and looked up at the tree tops, enjoying the warmer air. Then I started to sneeze, and sneeze and sneeze and sneeze. I’m allergic to mold! When we have a heavy rain that hangs around for a few days or like today, slow melting snow… That’s when mold appears and I start sneezing, eyes watering and I sound very congested.

I stopped my trek to admire some bright green moss I had found yesterday under a tree. (I had taken a picture.)  That tree had mold growing along its trunk… Oh well!

By the time I reached the house the sun had disappeared behind heavy dark grey clouds.

If it was possible it felt like the air had doubled in humidity. At least I stopped sneezing…

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Nature photos Nature Writing Poetry video Writers Site

Spring Is Trying Real Hard To Find Its Way To Illinois!~Lovely Skunk Perfume:-)

A fog rolled in over night and hung on through the morning, the sky a grayish white that shifted downwards and covered everything. As I walked around the back path, I stopped and listen to the birds. They were heralding in spring.

Rains had started yesterday so the ground had a mushy soft coating like frosting on a cake and ice hard underneath.

I side stepped muskrat holes, coyote and raccoon scat.

 This is a muskrat hole I have been avoiding all winter, still the snow hangs on around it…

As I headed back home I hesitated along the northern section and tried to pull out movement in the underbrush. Two days ago, when I walked this same area I stepped into a cloud of skunk perfume. I gagged and blinked, Uriah who had been right  behind me, slowly backed up and grimaced, then took off on a run, back towards the house.

Chicken!

I really wish I could move that fast.

Luckily the spray didn’t hit me directly so I was able to smell and taste within the hour.

Michael kept coming up to me all night and sniffing, then asking if I smell a skunk….

Today I didn’t see or smell a skunk. But the birds were in full song, especially the Black birds! The cardinals live in the trees near the house. The past few days the geese have been flying low, honking and filling the sky with their V shaped formations. I pulled out my camera and started video taping the birds. I edited them, and added a short poem.

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Nature photos Poetry Writers Site

Poetry Thursday~ Fire And Ice In March~Watching~

Watching

A cold March night

changes clothes

from mornings

black

to daylights

blue

to sunsets

red

Back to black

 

A blood red sky shifts

into darkness as I stand

outside at sunset

 

Fantasy in light

reflecting the horizon

red fire and blue ice

 

I wrote this for, Jingle’s Poetry Thursdays.  I missed last weeks and did not want to miss this weeks.

http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/thursday-poets-rally-poets-homecoming-week/

I used the picture I took tonight at sunset. I loved how this one turned out, even as my hand shook slightly.  Of course, Uriah has to be in on the sunset pictures.

Do you see a poem inside this picture? Or maybe there is one right outside your door.

Have a great day!!

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Nature photos Nature Writing Rambling Writers Site

Clouds, Blue sky, Ice, Snow and Bright Green Pajamas ~What A Great Day For A Walk!~

Early this morning, as I stepped outside, I realized that I forgot my camera. I crossed my fingers that Sano wouldn’t find the camera case with that dangling strap and drag it under the bed. After a few moments I didn’t care about the camera. I was having a hard time seeing. Even though the sky was a white-white- grey, I couldn’t see!  I was blinded by the bright white snow. I looked straight up and saw the clouds part above me exposing a blue sky and allowing the sun to reflect off the surrounding clouds. Snow blind in the middle of my yard…

Uriah was very happy; he raced around me and kept looking at my pockets. I nearly tripped over him. He acted like I was playing and tried to race around me that lasted a whole minute. He is getting older.

“Come on, Uriah! Let’s just walk. I can’t see!” I reached out trying to grab the air. “Stop trying to trip me!”

Uriah sat down to watch me. I blinked and tried to clear my eyes. It didn’t work. I gave up and shielded my eyes with my hand, and slowly walked into a snow drift. Snow poured over the top of my boots. I dusted it away and kept walking.

 Just as I reached the path, Uriah raced off into the trees. First I heard the deep squawking, and then I watched that elusive Pheasant fly awkwardly between the trees.  No camera, again! Heavy Sigh!

Later that afternoon we headed out again, this time I remembered the camera. The clouds had cleared, and the sky was a Cornflower blue. Instead of going around to the back, I wanted to see the pond in front. I believe it was January we had a thaw that inundated the land with water. During the past few weeks the water has evaporated and left ice connected to tree trunks, similar to a picnic table on top and Stalactites forming underneath.

I carefully stepped into the deep snow surrounding the pond, and felt the ice give way under my boots. I eased as close as I could to the ponds edge, trying to judge where I thought that edge should be. Stupid? Yes I am!  I didn’t get that close. Besides I was wearing my normal walking garb, a bright orange coat, grey knit hat, while dragging around ski poles. Almost forgot to add, I didn’t have on my normal blue jeans.  So the people passing on the road, there weren’t a lot of cars, saw me wearing my flannel bright green PJs, with a design of coffee cups and candy pieces.

 I looked fabulous! Just like an escapee from psych ward.    

I didn’t slip onto the frozen pond, nor did I get stuck in the deep snow. Not for the lack of trying by Uriah. He kept trying to see around me, without walking around me.  Instead he pushed me closer to the pond. I won that game by sitting in the snow. Uriah gave up and chased a rabbit he found. That didn’t last very long, the rabbit took off to the south, and Uriah ran to the north…

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Nature Writing Poetry

Beneath the Willow~Poem For Jingles Thursday Poetry

 

Beneath the Willow

I lay inaccessible and supine beneath my Willow

Her naked branches pull me upward

in a flurry of color, waves of light

She drops her clothing to cover her roots

Her muse once led my soul

Now, She whips at my stone

Dancing in the timbre of sunshine

Fire amidst rustling autumn foliage

I drift deep into the cold ground

Shimmering fall leaves bury me

fighting the march of winter

Prelude to the intake of biting air

Willow will sleep quietly

raining bitterness and delight

Blending…

of dried leaves, verdure and decay

Tang of freshly turned mud and dusty soil

She taunts me, coating my name with leaves

Burning embers, flashes of destruction

Move closer, She will burn

Does She Understand this…

Having no choice I am inside the flame of colors

Staring upward spinning blue, against white

She crashes to earth in a storm of orange…

Arcing, vivid orange, photosphere, blindingly

A searing prism

A golden illumination

An autumnal equinox

Her aroma full of passionate ecstasy

Willow, whispers of the changing winds

Listen you will hear her laughter at my entrapment

Roots dig deep, tearing into my sides as She reigns from above

I am… This volatile collision

A menagerie swept together of bitter green and biting hot

All but a memory of light and life

Shifting beneath a path of sweet promise

Willow worries not for me

She will feed off my flesh

Ripping into my marrow

Until I disintegrate into the cold ground, forever supine…

 I posted this for Jingles Thrusday Poetry- I wrote it for the writers site I belong to, it was for their picture contest- October 2008.  I added the picture that was used for that contest.
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Nature photos Nature Writing Rambling video

Sanosuke And His Big Pink Mouse~

The vet appointment was changed to Monday, one day early. We were glad of this; Sano was showing signs of a urinary track infection.

What we learned about Sano on the fifth day;

He loves Michael, and he loves to cuddle with me( if Michael isn’t around)

He loves Kenshin, Tomoe and PJ. They love him back. When he was lured out of the living room by Kenshin, I thought Tomoe was going to have a heart attack; she raced around looking for him, then glared at Kenshin.

He is big on cuddles.

He gets angry at ‘me’ when he is given his medicine.

We can’t show him what we are eating, he tastes everything.

He doesn’t care if we hover over him anymore, he is feeling safe.

He is a big talker.

He decided the pillow on the couch is the best place to sit.

He can lie on his back on the floor and push himself around, while facing the ceiling.

He will cry until he gets picked up then gives out kisses.

I was playing with my camera’s  video and  irritating our new kitten. I was able to do a little editing. See how you like it, comments and advice welcome.

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Nature photos Nature Writing

Earthquake In Illinois~ Michaels’ Cat Knew Before It Hit! ~

I woke up early this morning to my husband’s voice.  Tomoe, his black half Siamese was standing on his head and pulling his hair. Her intention was to get him up, now! Just minutes before she was sleeping at the end of the bed.

I could hear, Uriah barking.

Michael sat up and started cooing to Tomoe, who had moved away from him to the end of the bed. 

 At that moment the room started to rattle! Then a booming sound hit the house! Immediately the bed started to shake…

  I jumped up yelling, “Earthquake!”

My husband was trying to get Tomoe out from under the bed, where she launched when the first rattle started.

Everything settled down almost as fast as it hit.

He stood up, “It’s the blizzard not an earthquake!” Irritated, he couldn’t reach his cat. Michael spoke slowly, for my benefit.  “The wind hit the house.”

 I hate when he does that…

Michael walked around to his side of the bed where he crawled back in. “You’re scaring Tomoe.”

“Where’s she at?” I asked grabbing my robe.

“Under the bed.”  He mumbled, as he yawned, and pulled his blanket over his head.  

“Uriah’s still barking.” I stood next to the bed confused. Something felt off.

“Uriah’s an idiot! It’s only the wind.”  Michael rolled over; his part of the conversation was over.

The house was quiet. I could hear the wind blasting the outside of the house. It did not sound like that booming blast that hit a few minutes before.

Not one of the three house cats appeared, as I wandered around the house.

 Pictures were off kilter. I noticed my purse had slipped off the table.  Other than that, everything seemed normal.

When I heard we had been hit by an earthquake. I was able to say to Michael, “Told you so!” I can’t do that very often…

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/10/illinois.earthquake/index.html?section=cnn_latest

When the sun was up, and today it did shine very brightly in a blue sky. I headed outside to check around the house. The only thing I could see was some loose siding and a couple of storm windows were crooked. If any major damage happened I may not see it until we thaw out, in spring…

Last nights blizzard covered everything with a bright, white snow.  Anywhere from four inches to fifteen inches of it whipped around the driveway and off the roof. I could see some higher drifts along the trees, I wasn’t going anywhere near them.

        I wanted to get back in where it was warm.

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Nature photos Nature Writing

Imagine All The Pheasants~

The skies are grey and very dreary looking. I stood out in the yard next to the deck.  I really wanted to head back inside and drink my coffee hot today. Uriah ran up to me still holding his milk bone in his mouth, wagging his tail madly and looking towards the back path.

 I could hear him begging, “Come on! Let’s go! Let’s take a walk!” He sat down then stood up and turned in a circle.   

“Ok! Ok!” I grumbled and Uriah  happily turned and trotted away.

 I didn’t have my camera. I looked back at the house. Nope!  I’m not heading back inside. I could hear the Blue Jays screaming ahead of me, and the high pitch screech of a Hawk as he floated somewhere above me. No! That pheasant won’t be showing up today.

I carefully walked over the snow and broken ice, through the path and stopped. Facing the snow filled drainage area in front of me, I turned to the right and stepped over the muskrat holes.

Uriah had disappeared into the trees to the North.  Suddenly, he started barking. I could hear him crashing through the trees and  dry grass.

 Worried, I turned towards the sound. Just in time to watch the Pheasant fly upwards, out of the trees. It flew at least forty feet, complaining loudly and clumsy landed on a branch. From there, it perched unsteady and watched me, standing in the snow covered field.

I turned away and kept walking. Uriah ran past me, his hackles were up, and he looked very proud of himself.

I called after him and grumbled.  “You couldn’t have done that yesterday when I had my camera?”

He gave me a doggy grin and rolled in a patch of frozen snow.

*

Just and FYI- The photo above was taken on the 2nd. The Pheasant landed on one of those heaver branches, today…
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Nature photos Nature Writing

Winter Walk In Illinois~

Yesterday afternoon I trudged out back with my camera. The sun was shining brilliantly and I thought I may just capture a picture of that Pheasant.

The snow was still brightly white. Not like in town, or further out on the highway, where the snows have changed to a dirty grayish black.

I walked over the low, beginning section of the path and followed the slight incline to the back.

It never dawned on me that there was even a breeze, until I walked past an evergreen and was pushed backward by the wind.  Looking at the icy snow ahead of me, I cut across the field; following Uriah’s paw prints and connected to the path heading back home.

The ground tilted upward, so I was just under the line of wind, slightly. That wind wasn’t skimming across the ground it was higher up in the trees. I watched the tree tops move when the gust picked up.  The wind was bitter cold. I was glad to be shielded by the trees.

Oddly, when I wasn’t in the wind, the air felt like spring. I even found some green moss  shining through the snow.

I stopped and decided to search out the nest of mice, that were living  in the tops of the Bog Willows. I wrote about them in an earlier Blog:

http://gerardinebaugh.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/hickory-dickory-dock/

 I was happy! The nest was empty…

As I headed back home, I turned on the video, which I really need to learn how to edit..

I found the Pheasants tracks and ironically followed them back towards the house. I didn’t see the Pheasant. Little bugger was probably watching me from the trees…

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Nature photos Nature Writing Poetry

Amid Winters White, Cardinals Sing To Each Other~

From my kitchen window, I spotted a half dozen red Cardinals flitting from tree to tree. I had to try and get them on film.

I pulled on my heavy coat and boots, hat and gloves and trudged out to the trees.   

What I didn’t realize, that trying to pinpoint a small bird in bright sunlight by looking into a small view screen is pretty much impossible.  The only way I knew for sure, I had captured a picture of the birds, happened after I downloaded the pictures on my computer.   

I stood in the snow next to the fence as the Cardinal looked sideways at me.  I must not have been a threat because he never flew away. He just had a bored look about him, as he turned his back on me and looked over his shoulder. He wasn’t quite sure I couldn’t climb that tree.

As I focused, and squinted at the screen Uriah decided he wanted to play. And made a grab at the camera’s wrist strap, he missed, and the bird flew away.

This is the picture I captured.

Early this morning, with an overcast whitish-grey sky, I saw the cardinals again. This time I was able to take a group picture. 

Amid winters white
A blur of bright red
And soft brownish red
Cardinals sing to each other
Life is shared they call out
They have a perfect mate
A path of perfection
Whispered with
Fluttering wings
A tender touch
One, will watch the other fly
Skimming between branches, 
No doubt of its return
One without the other
Will not survive
Natures path, brings them together
I pretend, their song is  for me
Reality is, they sing for each other
And there they stay,
Hearts connected
Mates forever