44 Comments

You have an impish sense of humor that makes me smile every time. The red lipstick! The preening while driving! (We've all watched that in the human world!) Chatting flickers!

“We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” - Thoreau, Walden

Thank you for bringing us these refreshing doses of beauty, Karen. It is received with much gratitude.

Expand full comment

Thank you Switter! ANd I love that quote.

Expand full comment

It looks like we both love that quote. We can share it back and forth for birthdays and holidays. You are in charge of it for now.

Expand full comment

Perfect!

Expand full comment

Thank you so much for sharing your amazing and soul embracing photos. Long ago I grew up living on the shore of northeastern Lake Michigan (my grandparents were on Lake Superior) and I have so many beautiful memories of gulls, loons, snowy owls, red winged blackbirds (filling the air with song), killdeer, and so many others. We still summer at our cottage in Northern Michigan on a small lake close to Superior and enjoy ducks, geese, loons, blue heron and sandhill cranes, various woodpeckers, wood thrush, bald eagles, hawks, and others. Thank you again for the beauty and peace you so generously offer us.

Expand full comment

Thank you! And oh, that sounds like a magical place.

Expand full comment

The sunrise is spectacular ~ and I love the red lipstick ~ I pray your shoulder is better~ thank you for these uplifting pictures.💕

Expand full comment

Thank you Catherine

Expand full comment

Beautiful Karen, especially the water, looking very much like hammered copper.Hope you didn’t do one of those, reaching into the back seat with one arm behind you,while in the driver’s seat.

Feel better !

Expand full comment

Thank you Lor - I don't even know what I did, but I think it's in the category of "it could have been worse" so just taking good care and hoping it recovers quickly.

Expand full comment

Love the sea gulls (glad they don't fly over a bay or they'd be bagels - haha) Yours are so white. Our So. California gulls have a lot of gray and even black on them up top.

Hope your shoulder is well. Mine is "ouchy" and it's only the beginning of leaf-raking season. Groan.

Expand full comment

LOL bay-gulls. I like to call them my gull-friends. Franklin's gulls are really white as are Bonaparte's. Ring-billed gulls have lots more gray, all depends on their age and molt. Hope your shoulder feels better too!

Expand full comment

Karen, everyone seems to know but me! What happened to your shoulder? I sheared my collar bone into two unconnected pieces about ten years ago.. lots of pain and the physical therapy was almost as bad! 🙁

Expand full comment

Oh, they only know my little comment at the beginning of the post. I don't really know what i did, I just felt that lightning bolt down the back and then it hurts and everything tightens up. Definitely not terrible, hopefully it will relax and start healing shortly.

Expand full comment

Love todays pics! So, I am wondering how you like your new camera? Are you feeling more comfortable with it? Do you miss your previous camera? Just wondering how the transition is going?

Expand full comment

Thank you Sandy! It was the phone I traded out - the big camera will be a whole other thing. But the transition is going well. The new phone does have lots of advantages - including being able to at least somewhat work it with mittens on. Some downsides too. Still learning, but I got the workflow part worked out which helps!

Expand full comment

I should have said phone. That was what I was picturing. Good to hear that it is proving to be useful. Cool that you might be able to wear mittens while using it!

Expand full comment

The Three Philosophers and the Red Lipstick...thank you for these drops of beauty.

Expand full comment

Thank you Sue!

Expand full comment

The shot of the Three Philosophers made me laugh out loud! Exhibit #1for birds can be funny!

Expand full comment

:) birds make me laugh all the time!

Expand full comment

Good morning, Karen. You’ve gifted us another fine collection of bird images! Recently I read (Nat Geo or Popular Science) that scientists now suspect our thoughts travel the lengths of the Universe! Quantum physics has demonstrated that energy produces simultaneous actions much faster than the speed of light. Simultaneously!

I’m of that mind and visualize the minds of others, with help from the Universe, bringing healing to your shoulder faster than light. All the very best to you Karen. Today and always.

Expand full comment

Thank you for the healing energy! Every bit helps!

Expand full comment

Very profound, Gary. Entanglement is a fascinating phenomena and we're just beginning to see the possibilities of using it as a technology. On the spiritual side it is recognized also!

Expand full comment

Entanglement is fascinating. I have had some interesting experiences!

Expand full comment

I second that visualization of your shoulder feeling much better soon.

Expand full comment

Thank you Sandy!

Expand full comment

Hope your shoulder is ok… I love the gulls too….we had some sort of white birds at a field behind houses by the library… always flying and landing and circling… I assume catching bugs….they were here all summer from spring on….but now the field is empty and they are gone😳☹️ we are looking forward to the cool fronts and cooler temperatures too… Bo 90’s the rest of the week👍❤️👏 beautiful photos❤️😍🥰👍

Expand full comment

Thank you Sharon! I wonder if your birds were kites? Mississippi kites or maybe white-tailed kites? The timing might be right for them. It's possibly going to freeze here tomorrow morning!

Expand full comment

Yikes🥶 little early for a freeze?😳. I will look at Mississippi kites and see if they looked like them 👍❤️

Expand full comment

Aw Karen I hope your shoulder gets better, my friend uses Voltaren patches or heat pads when hers gets bad.

My favourite photos today the Red Lipstick and Three Philosophers - we can easily imagine speech bubbles above their heads! Now, where did they put that stone of theirs?

Expand full comment

Thank you Victoria! I use my hot flax seed packs all the time. I'm grateful they last such a long time. Ha, and I love the image!

Expand full comment

Dear Karen, I'm praying so hard for your shoulder to be all right (and the rest of you to be well, too)!! <3

These photos are absolutely wonderful! I love the philosopher Franklin's gulls (those faces!!) and the talkative woodpecker so much! What joy today!!! :D

Expand full comment

Thank you Roxy!

Expand full comment

Karen, your talents are extraordinary. As we literally dig out from the aftermath of Helene, your photos and words keep me going.💙

Expand full comment

Thank you Katherine. Sending you so much love and wishing you all the resources you need.

Expand full comment

May your shoulder heal quickly and completely ‼️

Expand full comment

Thank you Clark, Katharine and Michael!

Expand full comment

ditto💙

Expand full comment

Ditto💚

Expand full comment

Always beautiful. Those Franklins! ❤️

Expand full comment

Thank you Mary!

Expand full comment

Your work is such a gift!

Expand full comment

Thank you Leah!

Expand full comment