I’m thankful for the sunrise every day, but perhaps especially in the winter. It’s as if the universe knows I need deeper, richer colors that linger longer on the horizon when the rest of the landscape is brown and bare.
I’m thankful for the ducks of winter who arrive just as so many other birds leave. The goldeneyes, mergansers, and gulls will be my companions through the darkest months.
I’m thankful for the cold and wind - most of the time. I know even these bitter conditions can bring beauty, plus they keep the mosquitoes in check! Whenever I feel the dread of winter storms, I remind myself there will be beauty, somewhere, after the storm.
I’m thankful for the bubblers in the marina that keep a small area of water unfrozen. It’s the one time of year I have a good chance to see the mergansers and other small ducks up close!
I’m thankful for the winds of March that begin to blow the warmer air back in and bring the early birds of spring, like the loons!
I’m thankful for the shorebirds who, when I’m very lucky, might make a stop here on their way north in April. The avocets, willets, and sandpipers don’t stay long, but every sighting is a moment of awe.
I’m thankful for the songbirds of May who fill the air with joyful noise. The warblers, vireos, orioles, tanagers, flycatchers, and all the other birds who pass through in the whirlwind that is spring migration bring exuberance and joy.
I’m thankful for the birds that stay and nest here in the summer. The orioles, indigo buntings, gnatcatchers, purple martins, swallows, and other feathered friends that bring moments of delight all summer long.
I’m thankful for the prothonatory warbler who nested in my favorite cove this summer. This little bird sang his heart out for months, and he was music to my ears most every day.
I’m thankful to the baby birds learning to navigate the world in the late summer months. Watching them reminds me what it’s like to be fearless and to try new things. They keep me laughing on the hottest days.
I’m thankful for the bug-eaters who arrive in the spring and stay until late fall. The phoebes, great-crested flycatchers, swallows, martins, and other friends without whom I would drown in a sea of gnats and mosquitoes. They perform a critical service and look great doing it!
I’m thankful to the early migrants who arrive in September, including the egrets and the flickers. They join the young hawks, vultures, killdeer, and the year-round birds in the fall game of “I spy.”
I’m thankful for the surprises of fall migration that appear occasionally in October. They are never a given and rarely the same. This year’s biggest surprise was a sweet little cattle egret! In a year where the shorebirds passed us by, it’s comforting to know that someone else might appear.
I’m thankful for the shorter days of the cooler months, when sometimes I might actually get to watch a sunset from somewhere other than my window. I’m grateful for an understanding sister who completely understood when I said, “I know I’m supposed to be helping you with Thanksgiving dinner, but I’m watching the sunset.”
I’m thankful for this practice of walking in nature and this beautiful county park that feels like home. When it started, I never imagined it would be come my way of life. It was more a response from somewhere deep inside to the challenges I was walking through, a love I didn’t know I had until I turned around one day and realized what was happening.
I’m thankful for the people who encouraged me when I had no idea what I was doing (and quiet honestly my photos were not very good). I’m thankful for the people who encourage me still, who see my heart in what I do, even when I don’t always see it myself.
I’m thankful that all things change, that every day there is something new to discover - both in nature and in myself. I’m thankful for the spirits in both physical and ethereal form that love, guide, and support me every day.
Some days I don’t feel altogether thankful. More and more I’m learning to say, “It’s ok sweetheart, you don’t have to feel it every day. It’s ok to cuddle up in a blanket, sip some tea, and feel what you feel. You can trust that gratitude will return because it always does. If you want a reminder, just open your photo app.”
May you find time to sink into the small things that bring comfort and joy this week.
She thanks birds, drops, skies...
We thank her, her photographs.
All seasons, weather~
So much beauty. Grateful to you for seeing and sharing. 🙏🩷