Drops of Beauty #153

November 24, 2023

This week “hmmm, my body is tired, I think I’ll rest” turned into “oh, my body is sick, I need some help”. I’ve spent the week on a couch with a blanket and some hot rice pillows singing and envisioning love and healing into my body. What better way to show my body gratitude for all it does to support me through this life? (Also better than fretting about what might happen next, which is always a challenge for me!)

It’s such a gift when a wild creature will let me spend time in its presence. (yellow-rumped warbler)

Thankfully there are now >5000 unposted photos in my library to choose from, so I can work through a small period of time without even going back to the archive of favorites. Here are some recent favorites for today:

Sunrise, November 18, the last day I made it out. Hopefully again soon!

There is a large (30-50) colony of doves in my favorite sunrise spot. They haven’t agreed to let me get too close yet. I thought they’d be traumatized by Wednesday night’s fireworks event at the lake, but Mother Earth took care of them and it has been canceled. Many humans are sad but many creatures will benefit.

And this is what they do if I get too close, which so far seems to be pretty far away.

This is how they usually look before they fly up to the trees - they are really hard to see or photograph down on the ground! They’ve got winter camouflage down.

This little ruddy duck swam through the cove all by herself. Usually I only see them in groups way out in the middle of the lake. Maybe the fog helped?

Dark-eyed junco in the first light of sunrise.

Blue jays still gathering acorns.

This was taken a few weeks ago when the backdrop was still green, but bluebirds are always so much lovelier in the fall and winter!

The osprey’s stay here is so brief! Already missing them.

One of my favorite year-round residents, bald eagle.

Some days gratitude is easier than others. I am very grateful for my wonderful family. Being sick makes me grateful for healthy days. Getting older makes me grateful for my body as it carries me through this life. My walks in nature every day are an act of gratitude for Life and all its beauty. Sending these newsletters out reminds me every time how grateful I am for all of you! It would be far less fun to take these photos if I had no one to share them with!

I am also very grateful for everyone who has supported me with a paid membership, even for one month. Every little bit helps pay for the equipment needed to produce these posts!

PS - If you’re looking for a Christmas gift for anyone, I can highly recommend Mother Earth Pillows. I’ve used them for a decade for pain relief, relaxation and to warm the bed before I hop in. I’ve been using my “body wrap” daily for over a year and I can truly say they hold up great. I’ve gifted them to everyone from little kids to grandparents and they are always received well. And no, I don’t receive anything for this endorsement, they are just one of my favorite things.