These new books come straight from my heart--inspired by my kiddos who carry my heart around with them everywhere they go. The animal photos are terrific (I can say that because I wasn't the one holding the camera), and the sentiments are fresh and meaningful (I can say that too, because I wrote a bunch of them). Lots of poignant quotes too. Great little gift for your son or daughter, and a thoughtful stocking stuffer, provided the stocking fits a six-inch-wide foot.
PS: Love you, Jill & Nate! Just eleven days later, our sparrows are toddling around the planter box, showing off their new feathers. The petunias may be cranky, because I don't want to water the nest or the toddlers, but the fledglings are happy with the arrangement.
See what we found nestled under the begonias and petunias in my window planter box? I noticed a few long strands of straw hanging over the edges of the box and realized they were attached to something precious. Now I water the flowers oh so carefully.
Thanks to my daughter, Jill, for the great picture! Today I heard what sounded like a couple of chatty birds in our cedar tree. Until this Mom and her three kits climbed down the trunk. Boy, did she have her opposable thumbs full. One rascal kept trying to scamper up a tree in the neighbor's yard. Mom obviously wanted him to wait for his more timid siblings, because she tackled him to the ground and held him there until the others arrived. I can't say I'm thrilled about our new neighbors. I'm gonna keep a real close eye on our pups, and our garbage can.
Well, that explains why my red-twig dogwood tree isn't growing. And this little lady isn't shy. Not a bit of zoom on my camera to get this shot.
I spat out a sharp, "No!" but she didn't budge; she gobbled. Come to think of it, that's just what I would do if I were eating M&Ms and someone told me to stop. Only when I reached out to pet her did she back up and re-join her buds in the field--clearly hesitant to leave her treat behind. Time to transplant the dogwood! I've been seeing young bucks roaming my back yard every day this summer. Not sure why--usually it's just the does and their fawns. Maybe the unusual drought is bringing them to my birdbath. Today this young buck in velvet, about ten feet away, hung out with me while I separated my recycling. We had a nice chat. I told him I really appreciated him cleaning up the cherries that had fallen from the tree. Thankfully the deer turn up their noses at my sweet peas and cherry tomatoes.
Out for a walk today (way too pretty to stay inside!) and spotted this young bald eagle defending his rodent prey from a marauding crow. The mouse ended up at the bottom of the cliff, the crow took off, and the hungry juvenile swooped down to the water but came back empty-taloned. He perched on this fallen log that hangs over the cliff, eyeballing the shoreline and water 130 feet below for his next meal. This young 'un has mottled brown coloring, and he won't get his white head until he's around four years old. But he already has a near-six-foot wing span.
Just two hours west of Seattle and two hours east of the Hoh Rainforest, which gets 12 feet of rain a year, my town of Sequim gets only 16 inches of precipitation. In fact, we see the sun about 300 days a year. That doesn't mean 300 full days of sun; it can mean just an hour or two, but plenty to take the dog for a long walk, ride my bike, or work in the garden. Irrigation was introduced to Sequim 120 years ago. Before that it was pretty desert-like. No one could grow crops, so why would anyone want to live here? All that changed with irrigation. This week Sequim celebrates its 120th annual Irrigation Festival--the longest consecutively running festival in the state of Washington. And yes, they have a royal court who ride in the parade. I always dreamed of living in a place like Sequim, but I have to admit I never once aspired to become "Irrigation Queen." Drone-shot photo by John Gussman, www.dcproductions.com
Want to know what I am asked most often? "Why (in-the-world) did you move to Sequim from Hawaii?" As in, "What were you thinking?" Well, besides wanting to live closer to my grown children, here's one compelling reason: This morning's magnificent sunrise was captured by friend and local photographer John Gussman. In days to come, I'll share more compelling reasons for my move!
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AuthorBonnie, a nature lover, is the author of twenty-eight heart-to-heart gift books full of animal and nature images, plus one inspiring book on interfaith understanding. Archives
June 2021
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