Category: Uncategorized

Back in the end of July I read an article about at ongoing exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden. 
I wrote about it here: https://movingforwardslowly.com/2023/07/20/red-in-the-garden/

I could not find my vulture pictures to show what I think about when I read about vultures. Since then I found the pictures in my files. As you can see my memories of them are that they are unclean. They eat carrion and rummage through dumpsters.
They flock together in one tree, and you can imagine what the white stains running down their feathers show. They do perform an important ecological function by cleaning up road kill.

These are old pictures taken with an old camera from a good distance away. You do not want to get too close to them because they might vomit on you if frightened.

So you can imagine the idea of glittery vulture sculptures standing among beautiful flowers makes me wonder if New York vultures are that different from Virginia vultures!?

Someone or something removed the vultures from my neighborhood because I no longer see them nor have I looked for them. 

The pictures that we take shape our vision of the world.

Pictures of flowers, birds, bugs, trees, and other natural features of my environment are what has normally been in my focus lens. As a result, the people in my life have been side-lined sometimes.

As I get older and look back, I can clearly see some of my misdirection. Some reasons have been justified, and others have not.

There does lie a future in front of me, and corrections are presently being made.

Still the actions in our lives are often reactions to other people’s actions. Often our good intentions get left behind. One fact of life that we all must live by is the fact that we can only truly change ourselves. Slowly the cycle can show changes with good intentions being modeled.

There is beauty in all of us. Some are visibly more beautiful, some are more beautiful in their heartfelt actions, and we all have different perspectives and interests. Some express beauty in their art and words. Together we can let beauty hold us all up in the face of death and drudgery.

When our world looks to be in ruins we have to look harder to find beauty. We must look to those who have a vision of rebuilding in their mind. They will be the ones that can bring us back to beauty.

This turtle was moving a fast turtle speed as it tried to get away from my prying eyes.
The garden provided cover,though the terrain was uneven and rough in spots.
Its shell provides cover for a heavy price. It elongates its neck and little legs.
This allows it to move faster than you might think.
I was unprepared for its speed as I tried to snap some pictures.

Look at those back legs stretch and push.
I let it get away. This particular turtle had places to go.

Actually many birds are coming back since 
I started regularly feeding them.
The birds have changed over the years.
Some are here whether I feed them or not.
Since supplying a variety of seed and suet,
most of those lost have returned. One prime example is the Downy woodpecker.
I see them regularly once again. The chickadees are also back consistently.
I have yet to see the red-breasted nuthatch.
I have my hope that by winter I will see some.

The anemone is a part of the buttercup family.
They are commonly known as windflowers.
This bee looks like it has passed out...
Too much nectar?
I have a lot of unanswered questions.
According to Bob Dylan, "the answer is blowing in the wind"...

Dragonflies are more common around my pond than the damselflies.
I don't know why. Perhaps the damselflies are shyly blending in with the flowers and foliage.
I have noticed a few over the years. 
Their numbers are far fewer than the dragonflies, at least in my garden.

Long ago I had a lovely Bonica pink rose. 
The aphid pest loved this rose. It would regularly attack it.
Here is a damselfly gladly helping to get rid of the aphids.
It is another example of a beneficial insect in the garden.
They love to eat bad bugs.

We adopted Little Girl from a divorcing couple that had several dogs.
They split up the dogs between the two of them, and decided that neither wanted the cat.
Little Girl never liked the dogs, and frequently hid where she would not be bothered.
We agreed to adopt her. She immediately ran under our bed when we got her to our home.
After a few days she ventured out. 
When she realized that there were no dogs around she became comfortable and loving.
She was about 3 yrs old when we got her. She lived for about 15 years with us before she died.
She has been gone now for over 10 years. She was mostly an indoor cat, though once my husband let her outside, that was where she wanted to be. She always came inside when she was called and when her food dish as rattled.
I miss her. We have never gotten another pet.
I do enjoy the wildlife that visits our yard.

Long ago, we even had two young stags visit our bird bath. It was a dry year.

I can open my eyes to see the glorious sun.
My body needs a few more feathers to fly.
One day I will outgrow this nest

Here are some of the baby's relatives enjoying the nearby birdbath.

I was going through old pictures.
I found the one above.
This made me wonder--Do birds Pee?
I googled this.The information said "no".
Then I googled do hummingbirds pee?
The answer came back "yes".
They are one of the few birds that do.
So now I know and you do too.

I also found some pictures of a hummingbird grooming.
I chose this picture since the setting is a pyracantha.
Compare its long pointy beak with those thorns.
They are almost the same size.

Be careful when you are photographing wild things.