Take a picture here in the daylight, oh-oh And it's a wild, wild life*

Just a quick note on the animals in the area. Last week we encountered a coyote and a fox in the neighborhood on the same ramble. The coyote was slinking across a lawn backlit by streetlights but the fox was scurrying right in front of us over where the old dog Willy lived way back when. Then the deer stood and watched us from the neighbor's yard as we headed out one evening. I've seen two bald eagles in the past week as well. And so many hawks, so many hawks, as I drive toward school.

And because I have no pictures of those friends here's a picture from two years ago:

Be kind, be safe. 

* Talking Heads: Wild, Wild Life

That one jewel

It was open all the windows and enjoy the day day. Today was harvest the rest of the tomatoes day. They were transplanted late from the Aero garden and the box of them still looks like gooseberries on steroids. Then it was clean the raised bed day (but leave the cosmos for the bees). Then on the front porch it was trim, repot and bring in the begonias and geraniums day. Then it was make some bread day. It was watch the chickadees at the feeder day. And stand quietly trying to see what bird is singing in the ornamental pear tree day. It was admire the sunflowers day and read some poems day. It was stand in the sun day.

The palm held to the sky
holds the sun, that one jewel
that outlasts all others.

 

Rutabaga!

Most afternoons as I'm driving back from school I pass Randy's Rescue Ranch. Randy's Rescue Ranch is an animal sanctuary at the edge of town. As I go by I roll down my window and yell "RUTABAGA!!!" 

Rutabaga is a pig that lives at the ranch. The pig is a local star. I think the rescue ranch is pretty cool too. Just a little animal kindness today.

Rutabaga the Pig

A rumor of frost

I was on my way into my first class today, coming around the end of the Literary Arts building when I saw a bird walking into the pond. The pond sits at the back of the building between a parking lot and what was the main drive into campus. Usually, the geese are gathered back there, grazing or planning mayhem, but today an egret was moving slowly into the water. I stood and watched. It was a cool day; mist rose around the bird whose body glowed in the morning sun. I wanted to stay longer but needed to get upstairs to review my notes one more time before the latest quiz. Imagine how pleased I was to look back out there a few hours later and see an egret still pacing about.

 Last week during our ramble an owl came to rest above us on a streetlamp. Coyotes were speaking to one another across the many cul-de-sacs from the edge of town, and the first cool evening seemed to be settling in. For the past five or six days we’ve been able to open the windows in house and keep them open all day. Low temperatures and low humidity and a rumor of frost this weekend.

It reminds me that the world is still and calm in small doses.