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Fields of Gold ~ Huron River and Watershed, Michigan
"I never made promises lightly
and there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left we'll walk in fields of gold
We'll walk in fields of gold." ~ StinggoldenHuron River WatershedMichiganfloraflowerflowering plantnaturepetalsmacrowildflower
Red-winged Blackbird ~ Agelaius phoeniceus ~ Upper Mahoning River Watershed, Ohio
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free
Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night
Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise."
~ John Lennon, Paul McCartneyRedwinged blackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusmalebirdboldly coloredabundantglossy blacktumbling songterritorialblackbirdslender conical billred shoulder patch bordered with yellowagile flyer
Red-headed Woodpecker ~ Melanerpes erythrocephalus ~ Ohio River Valley
"Photography can only represent the present. Once photographed, the subject becomes part of the past." ~ Bernice Abbott
Redheaded WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusbirdwoodpeckerflying checkerboardentirely crimson headbold patternmediumsizedredscarlet red headstockybirthday x2
summertime ~ Huron River and Watershed
"Summertime, and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
So hush, little baby, don't you cry.
One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing
And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
But till that morning, there ain't nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by."
~ George Gershwin
tethers ~ Southern Outer Banks
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~ Mark Twain
kitetethersrecreationkitingkiteboardingkitesurfingsportsynergy of wind and waterbeachSouthern Outer BanksEastern SeaboardEastern North CarolinaBogue BanksEmerald Islebarrier islandAtlantic Oceanseaseasideseacoastharness the winddream of flyingpilotmajestic swoopsoutdoorsbirthday
Eventide Ripples ~ Southern Outer Banks
"Don't look away. Look straight at everything. Look it all in the eye, good and bad." ~ Henry Miller
Southern Outer BanksNorth CarolinaEastern North CarolinaEastern Seaboardwatereventideeveningsoundsunsetwaterwayislandbarrier islandCrystal CoastBogue BanksEmerald IslePine Knoll Shoresintracoastal waterwayspringscenieoutdoorsnaturebirthday
Captain Buck ~ Shrimping ~ Southern Outer Banks
"Do what makes you happy. Look upon what gives you joy. Listen to what lifts your spirit. Speak to those who warm your heart. Surround yourself with sights and sounds and people who make you smile." ~ Unknown
shrimpingboatCaptain BuckSouthern Outer Bankswatersoundharbormonochromebirthday
Assemblé ~ Great Egret ~ Ardea alba ~ Southern Outer Banks
"An Assemblé in classical ballet has many different variations, but the basics are always the same: two legs joining together in the air." ~ ballethub.com
AssembléGreat EgretArdea albaelegantwetlandssvelteyellow billwading birdbirdwhite feathersshallow watercolonial nestercoastal marshoutdoorsnatureegretwaterbirthday
Another Perspective ~ Least Tern ~ Sternula antillarum ~ Southern Outer Bank Banks
"Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she hath wings." ~ Victor Hugo
Least TernperspectiveSternula antillarumnesting siteEmerald Islebarrier islandBogue BanksCrystal CoastEastern SeaboardEastern North CarolinabirdinflightseashoreAtlantic OceanAmerican TernplungerSpecies of High Concernloss of nestinghabitatseacoastseasideoutdoorsnaturebirthday
Least Tern ~ Sternula antillarum ~ Southern Outer Banks
"No place is boring, if you've had a good night's sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film." ~ Robert Adams
Least TernTernSternula antillarumSouthern Outer BanksAtlantic OceanAmerican Ternbirdinflightprefers nesting on sandy beachesoldest recorded was at least 24 yearsplungerSpecies of High Concernloss of nesting habitatEmerald IsleBogue Banksseacoastseasidebarrier islandCrystal CoastEastern SeaboardEastern North Carolinaoutdoorsnaturebirthday
Brown Pelican ~ Pelecanus occidentalis ~ Southern Outer Banks
"Promise me you will not spend so much time treading water and trying to keep your head above the waves that you forget, truly forget, how much you have always loved to swim." ~ Tyler Knott Gregson
pelicanbrown pelicanhorizonoutdoorsnaturePelecanus occidentalisSouthern Outer BanksbirdsoaringAtlantic Oceanseaseasidecoastbarrier islandislandwatercomically elegantoversized billsinuous neckglide above the surfEastern SeaboardEastern North Carolinaplungediversspecies recovered from pollutionseabirdstretchy throat pouchupdraft surferswingbeats slowdeeppowerfulnest.in.coloniesbirthday
Herring Gull, probably 2nd year ~ Larus argentatus ~ Southern Outer Banks
"The only way to truly know a person is to argue with them. For when they argue in full swing, then they reveal their true character." ~ Anne Frank
Herring Gull2nd yearLarus argentatusSouthern Outer BanksAtlantic OceanoceanseacoastEmerald IsleBogue BanksCrystal CoastEastern SeaboardEastern North Carolinacoastseajuveniles are mottled brown2ndyear brown wgraybirdinflightshorelinenatureoutdoorsbirthday
Morning Stroll ~ Southern Outer Banks
“A tear contains an ocean. A photographer is aware of the tiny moments in a persons life that reveal greater truths.” ~ Anonymous
Southern Outer Banksmorning strollbeachoceanseasideseaisleislandAtlantic OceanwatersandBogue BanksEmerald IsleCrystal Coastnaturewavesoutdoorsseashorebirthday
Sea Isle ~ Southern Outer Banks
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle
seacoastoceansea isleislandAtlantic OceanBogue BanksCrystal CoastSouthern Outer BanksEastern SeaboardEastern North Carolinawaternatureoutdoorswavesbluesandsurfskiesseafoamwhitecapsbirthday
Laughing Gull ~ Leucophaeus atricilla ~ Southern Outer Banks
"I have a place where dreams are born, and time is never planned. It’s not on any chart, you must find it with your heart.... Just think of lovely things, and your heart will fly on wings...." ~ J.M. Barrie
Leucophaeus.atricillalaughing.gullcrisp.black.headstrident callbirdover beachesgullEastern SeaboardCrystal CoastBogue BanksEmerald IsleSouthern Outer Banksraucous callssummer visitors to the Northeastyearround on coasts of Southeast and Gulf of Mexicocoastal speciesinflightAtlantic Oceanseacoastislandbirthday
European Starling ~ Sturnus vulgaris ~ Huron River and Watershed
European.Starling Sturnus vulgarismost numerous songbird U.S.songbirdbirdglossy iridescencemurmationslook like fourpointed stars in flightyellow beak in summerStarllingboisterouswhite spots on wingstight flocks in flightaerial balletnatureoutdoorsbirthday
Mallard ~ Anas platyrhynchos ~ Huron River
Yoga Backbend: Cobra Pose or Bhugangasana ~ strengthens spine, stimulates abdominal organs, helps relieve stress and fatigue.
Anas.platyrhynchosMallardduckHuron Riverriverwatermalegleaming green headblack tailcurldabbling duckwetland habitatbirdanimalwingedbirthday
"Here's Looking at You, Kid" ~ Huron River
Taken from IMDB trivia on Casablanca: "Here's looking at you, kid" was improvised by Humphrey Bogart in the Parisian scenes and worked so well that it was used later on again in the film. He originally used the same line in Midnight. It is also rumored that during breaks, Ingrid Bergman would play poker with other cast members. Since she was still learning English, Bogart would occasionally watch the game, and he added "Here's looking at you" to her poker repertoire. It is unclear where the line, "Here's looking at you, kid," originated, but it definitely predated both Casablanca and earlier stage work by Bogart. On March 9, 1932 - 10 years before Casablanca - Eddie Cantor signed his name in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theater and wrote, "Here's looking at you, Sid" (referring to Sid Grauman, owner of the theater). Cantor certainly meant it as a take-off on "Here's looking at you, kid", which evidently was a line in circulation at the time.
carpfishthrashingriverHuron RiverMichigan waternatureoutdoorsfresh watergreat capacity for hearingbirthday
Fir ~ Huron River and Watershed
"Earth teach me stillness
as the grasses are stilled with light.
Earth teach me suffering
as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility
as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring
as the mother who secures her young.
Earth teach me courage
as the tree which stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation
as the ant which crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom
as the eagle which soars in the sky.
Earth teach me resignation
as the leaves which die in the fall.
Earth teach me regeneration
as the seed which rises in the spring.
Each teach me to forget myself
as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness
as dry fields weep in the rain."
~ Ute, North Americanfirgreentreeplantsummertimenatureoutdoorsmacroevergreenconiferous Pinaceaetwig carries needles singlyconestimberresinpyramidalfir needles are softflat and cannot be rolled between fingerssmooth barkAbies spp.birthday
Siberian Iris ~ A Closer Look ~ Huron River and Watershed
"In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you." ~ Buddha
Siberian IrisnatureflowerflorapurpleIris sibiricafrillygardenspringlushlonglasting bloomsnarrow foliagefrom cormsbloomtallgraceful plantslim grassy foliageperennialmacrobirthday
Siberian Iris ~ Huron River and Watershed
"Being male is a matter of birth, being a man is a matter of age, being a gentleman is a matter of choice." ~ Drake
Siberian.IrisIrisnatureoutdoorsflowerflorapurpleblueIris sibiricafrillygardenspringlush longlasting bloomsnarrow foliagefrom cormsbloomtall.graceful plantplantslim grassy foliageperennialbirthdaychallenge
Siberian Iris ~ Huron River and Watershed
"I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow." ~ Abraham Lincoln
Siberian IrisHuron River Watershedpurpleflowerflorapetalsplantgardenbudsperennialherbaeceousrhizomatousvioletblueornamentalnature
Iris ~ Huron River and Watershed
"Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious." ~ Brandon Gill
Irisplantflowerpurpleflowering plantshowy flowersrainbowgardennatureperennialgrow from creeping rhizomesalso grow from bulbslong erect flowering stemornamentalspringstate flower of Tennesseemacrobirthday
House Finch ~ Haemorhous mexicanus ~ Huron River and Watershed
"I once knew a man who built his own railroad. It was completely straight. Not one curve in it. He had a reason for that. I don't remember what it was. Reasons get forgotten." Baldabiou, *Silk*
House FinchFinchHaemorhous mexicanuslongtwittering sonsmallbodiedfairly large beakflat headshort wingsmalerelatively shallow notch in tailbouncy flightstreaking on flanksbirdbirthday
Magnolia Blossom ~ Huron River and Watershed
“Have you ever looked at the bud of a magnolia flower? It’s a tight little pod that stays closed up for a long time on the end of its branch until one day, out of nowhere, it finally bursts open into this gigantic, gorgeous, fragrant flower that’s ten times bigger than the bud itself. It’s impossible to imagine that such a big beautiful thing could pop out of that tiny little bud. But it does.” ~ Joanna Gaines
fragantmagnoliablossomflowerflorasweet fraganceplantnatureoutdoorsmacrotreebloombirthday
American Goldfinch ~ Spinus tristis; White-breasted Nuthatch ~ Sitta carolinensis ~ Huron River and Watershed
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” ~ Iain S. Thomas
goldWhitebreasted NuthatchbirdSitta carolinensisagilechestnut underbellyoutdoorsnatureanimalAmerican goldfinchyellowSpinus tristisfinchspringacrobaticbouncy.flightsongbirdbirthday
American Goldfinch ~ Spinus tristis ~ Huron River and Watershed
"I believe that if one always looked at the skies, one would end up with wings…" ~ Gustave Flaubert
American GoldfinchbirdyellowSpinus tristisnatureoutdoorsfinchspring malespringacrobaticbouncy flightsongbirdanimalbirthday
White-breasted Nuthatch ~ Sitta carolinensis ~ Huron River and Watershed
"You are continuously discovering how you can ooze more Spirit into your personal life and there's no end to that process. It goes on and on and deepens and deepens and deepens." ~ Arjuna Ardagh
Whitebreasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisbirdagile chestnut underbellyoutdoorsnatureanimalbirthday
Virginia Bluebells
"To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition, to know even one life breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded." ~ attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson
Herbaceous perennialVirginia BluebellsBoraginaceaeblueMertensia virginicawildflowerclumpformingpenduloustrumpetshapedflowersplantblooms early springleavesfoliageephemeralbellshaped flowersVirginia cowsliplungwort oysterleafRoanoke bellsbutterflies most common pollinatorbuds pinkmacroflower
Antique Rose Bush, After the Rain
"To look at a thing is very different from seeing a thing. One does not see anything until one sees its beauty." ~ Oscar Wilde
antiquerosebushplantgreenraindropsgardennatureold gardenhardyfragant flowersold rosesleavesred thornsstems
Nature ~ Huron River and Watershed, Michigan
"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." ~ William Shakespeare
rose.of.sharonseedpodsnatureplantbokehfloraHuron River and WatershedMichiganmacro
Chipping Sparrow, Feasting After the Rain ~ Spizella passerina ~ Huron River and Watershed
"If you're small and on a search
I've got a feeder for you to perch on."
~ Mark O. EverettfeederHuron River Watershedafter the rainoutdoorsnaturechipping sparrowSpizella passerinasparrowbright rufous caploud trilling songbirdfeastbirthday
One Bright Spring Evening
"He said, 'One life on this earth is all that we get, whether it is enough or not enough, and the obvious conclusion would seem to be that at the very least we are fools if we do not live it as fully and bravely and beautifully as we can.'" ~ Frederick Buechner
antique rose bushold garden rose bushcolors of the worldoutdoorsnatureplantbushgardenmacrobirthday
Daffodils ~ Huron River and Watershed
Regarding daffolils: "I thinke none ever had this kind before myselfe nor did I myself ever see it before the year 1618 for it is of mine own raising and flowering first in my own garden." ~ John Parkinson, *Paradisus Terrestris* 1632
daffodilsnarcissusplantperennialfloweryellowdaffadowndillyjonquilwellknown.in.ancient. civilizationsnatureoutdoorsarose.in.the.Iberian.peninsulaasphodelnative to meadows and woodlandsornamentalgardensymbol of springnational flower of walesmacroeaster
Downy Woodpecker ~ Picoides pubescens ~ Huron River and Watershed
"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it." ~ Peter Pan
downywoodpeckerpicoides pubescensHuron River Watershedbirdacrobaticforagerblackandwitered patchundulating flight pathbirthday
Welcome to My World! ~ Huron River and Watershed
"A single crocus blossom ought to be enough to convince our heart that springtime, no matter how predictable, is somehow a gift, gratuitous, gratis, a grace." ~ David Steindl-Rast
crocusflowerplantbloompurplefloweringiris.familyperennialgrow from cormssaffron yellowturmericsaffrongardennatureoutdoorsnarrowgrasslike leavescupshapedsolitary flowerlilacspringsalverform floweryellowthree stamesmacrobirthday
stand of crocus ~ Huron River and Watershed
"Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there's no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic." ~ Laini Taylor
crocusflowerplantbloompurplefloweringIris.familyperennialgrow.from.cormssaffron yellowturmericsaffrongardennatureoutdoorsnarrow grasslike leavescupshapedsolitary flowersalverform flowerthree stamensspringyellowbirthday
another view
"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ~ Mother Teresa
Oriental Shorthaircatfelinegreen eyesanimalpetkittyMauidomestic catalmondshaped eyestriangular head shapemuscular bodysocialintelligentvocalrelated to Abyssinians and Siameselarge earsmammalsoft furfelis domesticusfelidfelis catussvelteebony silver spottedsleekkittenportraitbirthday
Charms in Winter ~ Huron River and Watershed
"...there are things which nobody would see unless I photographed them." ~ Diane Arbus
Blue, Our Oriental Shorthair
"A cat has absolute emotional honesty. Human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not." ~ Ernest Hemingway
Oriental ShorthairSiamese in pajamascatkittenpetanimalfaunamacro
Maui Focus
"When I am playing with my cat, how do I know she is not playing with me?" ~ Michel de Mongaigne
MauifocusplayingcatkittykittenOriental Shorthairfelinemonochromebirthday
