The Bold and Beautiful

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Last week my husband and I were sitting on the couch in the ‘nature room’….yes, that’s what I call our family room, but that’s another story…and, as usual, I was drinking coffee and staring out the window taking it all in.  Suddenly, something white caught my eye sitting on one of the larger logs on the other side of the creek. It was low tide, so the fallen logs in the creek were quite visible, and evidently, perch-worthy.

There is a large, white cat that stalks our pond for fish, entertaining our indoor cat, and terrorizing our outside cat – who, I have to say, I really thought was tougher than that.  I started wondering how on earth she was able get across the creek and onto that log. I’ve yet to see her take a dip in our pond, so I was sure, like any cat, she wasn’t about to cross that creek, though sometimes I kinda wish she would.  DSC_0086

My curiosity was piqued! I quickly grabbed my camera to zoom in on this white thing, and as soon as I did, began snapping as quickly as my finger would allow!

 

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Yes, very blurry indeed:(  But, no problem, I would just go out quietly on the back porch, walk down a little closer to the creek, zoom in, and have an incredible picture!!  I couldn’t believe he was just perched right there for the snapping!  I had seen bald eagles fly up and down the creek on occasion, especially during the spring, but never have I had a photographic opportunity present itself like this, with the bold beauty himself!

I was wrong…on both counts. The better picture was not to be, and the eagle was anything but bold!! The second I very quietly opened the porch door and dared put one foot outside, this fierce, “bold” beauty darted for the skies! Are you kidding me??!!?? I just knew my presence that far away would go totally unnoticed. What threat did this big guy think I could possibly pose?  Oh well, back to the couch, and my coffee, muttering my utter disbelief as I went.

Weeks later, spring is in full bloom, and I discover who the really bold and beautiful ones are:)

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Black Swallowtail Butterfly
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Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

These delicate, winged beauties happily floated from flower to flower, seemingly oblivious to my hovering intrusion.  Now that’s bold, and oh so beautiful!

Happy spring!

∼Jen

Oh, not to despair, I soon got another chance at that big, bold rascal!

Meet Harold!

Do any of you have one of those neighbors, you know, the silent, grouchy, unkempt-looking, loner-type? We do. Our first meeting of him was quite unnerving to say the least, especially to my unsuspecting husband.

Our first introduction took place the week we moved into our new neighborhood.  It was a beautiful, August day and the tide was just right for a kayak ride.  My husband and I pushed off quietly from the shore, excited to discover our new backyard. I was paddling in the rear, enjoying the beauty and solitude, when all of a sudden I heard a shrill scream from the banks.  I happened to be facing this extremely, unhappy-to-be -discovered stalker, but my husband, unfortunately, was not! He jumped, really as anyone would, if only hearing the pterodactyl-like scream without having any visual of the culprit!

As for me, after I got over laughing at my husband, it was love at first sight!!

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Great Blue Heron

And now, you have been properly introduced to our neighbor, whom I have affectionately called Harold for close to four years!

♥ Jen

http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/great-blue-heron

 

 

Ode to a Dead Tree…

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While sitting on my porch last week – drinking coffee of course – I noticed a chickadee perching on this dead tree that I previously had paid very little, if any attention to.

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 It’s early spring, so I thought maybe it was looking for holes in which to nest, but it wasn’t long before I saw another bird, the hairy woodpecker, pecking away looking for insects on this same tree. Needless to say, that chased away the chickadee, who perched on a small branch to the side of the dead tree, waiting for the bigger guy to get his fill and move along.

He was in for a wait, however, because in moments hairy was replaced by the even larger red-bellied woodpecker….who doesn’t just peck, but hammers away!

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 A closer look at the beak in the below picture of “red” reveals his hammering produced a tasty treat.

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In my mind, this little dead tree was going to provide many photographic delights in the future, and I was more than up to the task.

Fast forward several days….my husband had contacted people to come and clear away some of the brush and fallen branches, and yeah, you can guess where this is leading…. right up to the ode. I had never mentioned my newfound delight in this little, dead tree to my husband, so my dear, dead tree was part of the doomed.

I’m not going to wax poetic or resemble anything like an ode should be, but suffice it to say, I sure am going to miss that little, dead tree and all the moments that could have been.

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∼Jen