Tag Archives: nature

in the wild.

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imagine my delight

 when discovering this spring baby giraffe 

in the woods near my home

i had no idea that they were native to michigan.

 

“however much you know giraffes, to see one in the wild for the first time feels prehistoric.”

-jane goodall

 

 

spring chickens.

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the kinder, who are spring chickens, check out the other spring chickens

and the other spring chickens check out the kinder. 

“the sun’s not yellow, it’s chicken!”

-bob dylan

wild mushrooms.

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mushrooms are one of my absolute favorite foods

and it’s soon time for the elusive morels to appear

luckily i have this handy chart to help.

no time to write more

i’m off to find a sasquatch den.

“on the subject of wild mushrooms, it is easy to tell who is an expert and who is not:

the expert is the one who is still alive.”

-donal henahan

no mow.

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(landscaper waiting patiently)

the city has introduced an initiative

asking residents

to let their lawns and parks

grow to one foot tall before mowing

to benefit the struggling pollinator population

the landscapers are standing down.

 

“the grass is always greener once you don’t have to mow a lawn anymore.”

r.k. milholland

squirrely.

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*National Park Service warning that begins,

“Most squirrel bites originate at the front, or “bite-y end,” of the squirrel.”

Most? Yeah, most. Wanna fight about it? In general, it’s best not to be in contact with any part of a wild animal. 

Let’s be honest, squirrels can be cute and fluffy (if not friend, why friend shaped?) therefore, people don’t usually mind them getting too close. But cuteness fades when a squirrel bites your hand, steals your car keys, and floors it out of the park with all your food in tow. Um, was Grandma in the car? 

We kid about the keys and driving, (that’d be nuts), but squirrel bites really can happen at parks. Best to keep hands and fingers away from bitey ends. Feeding human food to any wildlife is bad for them and makes them fearless and potentially aggressive.

In conclusion, squirrels may not know better, but YOU do. Although it may feel flattering, (well, aren’t you the animal whisperer) if any kind of wildlife approaches you, back away and maintain that safe distance. It’s your responsibility and your safety —help us keep wildlife wild. Has anyone seen our car keys? 

*i’m such a fan of the national park service’s humorous approach to warning the public about the creatures in their parks. humans need reminders from time to time. 

“this town is infested with squirrels, have you noticed?”
“i’d rather say it’s rich with squirrels.”
― elizabeth mckenzie, the portabel vebl

yet to ask.

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just booked my next adventure

off to the rainforest in costa rica

104 days from now.

they had me at

coffee, monkeys, trees, water, the unknown, and chocolate.

“the rainforests hold answers to questions we have yet to ask.”

-mark plotkin

nests.

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robin’s nests created by the kinder using natural materials 

clay, twigs, pinecones, clippings

any robin would be happy to raise her babies in one of these beautiful homes

 

“wildness we might consider as the root of the authentic spontaneities of any being. it is that wellspring of creativity whence comes the instinctive activities that enable all living beings to obtain their food, to find shelter, to bring forth their young; to sing and dance and fly through the air and swim through the depths of the sea. this is the same inner tendency that evokes the insight of the poet, the skill of the artist, and the power of the shaman.”-  thomas berry

 

listen, earth sings.

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May be an image of flower, nature and body of water
 Claude Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France
 “Spring has returned again.
The Earth is like a child
that knows poems by heart;
so many poems, so many verses,
patient toil winning her prizes at last.
Strict, the old teacher.
We loved the whiteness in the old
gentleman’s beard,
its bright snow.
Now when we ask what the green,
what the blue is,
Earth knows the answer,
has learned it.
She knows.
Earth, you’re on holiday,
lucky one: play now!
Play with us children!
We’ll try to catch you.
Glad, joyous Earth!
The gladdest must win.
Every lesson the old teacher
taught her,
all that is printed in roots
and laborious stems:
now she sings it!
Listen, Earth sings.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke
“The inspiration for this sonnet came from
a visit to Ronda, in southern Spain, in the
winter of 1912-13. Rilke had overheard a
group of schoolchildren singing in the Convent
of Santo Domingo, accompanied only by a
triangle and tambourine. He didn’t know what
their song meant, but the light-hearted
animation of their singing is reflected in the
cadences of the second and third stanzas.”
on international poetry day

follow your eyes.

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we went to see the dinos

and along the way

we peeked inside of a magical drawer

filled with beautiful eggs and nests

what wonderful surprise

there’s always something

you don’t expect to discover

when you go to a museum.

“don’t go to a museum with a destination. museums are wormholes to other worlds. they are ecstasy machines. follow your eyes to wherever they lead you…and the world should begin to change for you.”
– jerry saltz