full sunshine

untrodden snowfield

prismatic

My wife and I moved east from Colorado a few years ago, and we've settled in upstate NY after a couple years in western PA.

We're tremendously pleased here, and getting to know the birds that visit our rural property.

I hope I never take the presence of any species for granted again, as I get wistful, a little teary eyed even, missing some that I used to see every day... especially magpies, mountain chickadees, and pygmy nuthatches (two individuals in particular who became dear friends.)

If I thought harder, I'd miss more. Steller's jays, Western meadowlarks, dammit.

Love the ones you're with.

I noticed a turkey running around our yard with something flapping around in its beak, closely pursued by the rest of the rafter. It was windy, and I thought maybe it had picked up a stray piece of plastic or something.

I took a look with the binoculars, and was surprised to see it was a struggling chickadee.

It lay motionless on the snow when thrown aside.

I've seen a Cardinal bunting, a turkey crane, a chickadee swallow, and a titmouse on a lark.

buried seeds

snow on turkeys' backs

sudden storm

pungent shore

blubber turns to dust

in the sun

sun is out

shadows seen again

welcome back

It's a new year, a new day, and a new world.

I'm wiping the slate clean.

You, who "yelled" at me for asking an innocent and fair question.

You, you incomprehensible blatherer.

You, who would trade your ❤️ for adoration.

You two, whose handwringing and demoralizing negativity felt too much to bear.

You... you and your simply awful jokes...

In the spirit of the "big tent", let's start over!

Love,
Harker