In the growing season it is a struggle for me to balance my love wander and my love of growing things.. from inside here the mockingbird was busy filling the air with the song of both the phoebe and the great crested flycatcher (who arrived a few weeks ago). His give away was the repeats and the change of song. The shadows cast from the pine trees outside are my memories of gathering pecans with my family as a little girl. In the growing season wandering simply happens outside my front door, in my greenhouse, in the garden. There is much to see and do and there are new friends to make and old friends to welcome back. Winter wandering is expansive.. it is about space, about rest, and breath.. spring wandering is infinite curiosity, observation, awareness.. it is about activity, life, and growth.
Inside
Staying somewhat cozy in my treehouse (it’s still got some caulking to do) watching the birds come to and from my recently filled bird feeder. First bird of the day was my namesake, Chickadee.
Rising Up
I’ve been at this nature thing for a few years now. Making the time to find moments and tend my sit spot practice.. and life is life and so my moments have gotten shorter and shorter as summer waned and fall began. Squeezing in 10 has been - let’s say challenging? The last two weeks I’ve been making the time in the mornings again to get outside and join the chorus welcoming the light of the sun. I’ve been striving for 30 minutes and feel pretty satisfied with the 20 I get. This morning the doves were chasing out what I think was one of their babies. It’s time for he or she to go find their own neighborhood.
And, at work I’ve got a mystery bird in the swath of green behind the building.. the more I tune in at home the more I tune in elsewhere. Funny how that works.
Swath
With the time change and a lot of other changes finding longer moments happens on the weekends.. thankfully, most days this little strip of brush and trees is full of birds. I finally get to hang out with a mockingbird, an eastern phoebe, some towhees.. the wrens really hate the cats.. and today.. finally the white throated sparrow stopped in for a visit.
