writing
Beep! Beep! Road Runner plays by the rules
A roadrunner came right up to my back door this afternoon–first time I’ve ever seen one in my garden! He sped away before I could hop on my knee scooter & grab my camera, BUT! If you look in the area where the orange flowers are growing, you’ll see him beating a hasty retreat. Headed for the hills, no doubt, where Wile E. Coyote lives.
Speaking of which: I discovered the list of rules Chuck Jones developed as a creative backdrop for his Coyote and Road Runner animations! So cool, the way he sketched out each character’s personality traits beforehand. It’s also fun to think about the ways those quirks played out onscreen, predictably so, without ever losing their charm.
Photo via @AmosPosner (Chuck Jones exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image).
My thoughts, too, Amos Posner–tweeted to a larger audience, with far fewer characters:
#WordlessWednesday: Rest in Peace, Rev. Billy Graham
My father and Billy Graham were college classmates at Florida Bible Institute. BEACON yearbook, circa 1939
Tiny as a hummingbird egg, but much bigger than I am
The light falls slant on my front yard fuchsia, casting a warm glow over the hummingbird nest. It’s cloaked in shadows for most of the day, but this is the bewitching hour.
I climb the ladder I’ve positioned earlier—a bridge between mama hummingbird’s world and mine. Carefully, so I don’t disturb the nest or its inhabitants. Cautiously, so predators won’t track my movements.
“Hello, Luna,” I whisper.
Mama Hummingbird tilts her head toward the sound of my voice. She tracks me with her bright, round eyes, but even when I raise my camera—slowly, so as not to startle her—she rests peacefully on the nursery she’s built for her babies-to-be. We observe each other quietly, taking the measure of each other’s essence. And then suddenly, she zooms toward the nectar-rich flowers behind me, a flash of iridescent wings and feathers.
Two alabaster eggs, smaller than Tic-tac mints, are nestled into the bottom of her little jewel box. Such an honor, to be entrusted with these tiny treasures!
On closer examination, I realize there are three!
This is one of those serendipitous moments I live for–when I find myself in nature’s sanctuary, bearing witness to something as magnificent as this. Something as rare as a Super Blue Blood Moon, or perhaps three, pearlescent hummingbird eggs. A still, small voice says “Look!” And when I soften my gaze, the veil between heaven and earth is lifted.
Super Blue Blood Moon
The life blood of photography is a kind of holy curiosity, where life is viewed with reverence and awe and some measure of understanding as to the transience of it all.” —Donna Hopkins
Did you hear? The “supermoon,” “blue moon,” and “blood moon” put on quite a show this morning. Lucky me, I had an unobstructed view of this celestial event. It was an awe-inspiring performance—a magic trick, unparalleled. The supermoon hung low in the sky, a luminous pearl against a backdrop of black velvet. As it passed through the earth’s shadow, it turned blood red and then vanished.
When I first spotted the oversized moon, it was peeking through my picture window—a bright orange orb, nestled into a cradle of shimmery white. I ran outside, cell phone tilted upward, and did a celestial show-and-tell with my friend Donna.
We talked a while longer, but the moon had already cast its spell. As soon as we said goodbye, I tossed a jacket over my pajamas and grabbed my car keys.
By 5:35 a.m., I was enjoying an ocean-front view of the eclipse. There were other people there, of course: pros, lugging fancy equipment into position; and casual observers, snapping selfies with their smart phones.
Most, however, peered up at the moon through their windshields, windows cranked so they could listen to the ocean’s lullaby.
I stood alone on a sand berm, wrapped in a cloak of silent reverence. Salty mist stuck to my lashes; bracing winds tousled my hair. No need to be shy about having tossed a hoodie over pink ostrich pajamas—everyone was sleepy-eyed, anyway.
The moon shone down on all of us…
…eventually fading into a rusty glow.
It winked at the rising sun, and then slipped into the ocean.
You’ll find better pictures elsewhere, of course. I don’t own a high-powered, fancy-pants camera, and I’ve got lots to learn about manual settings. But you know what? I sincerely doubt that any camera (pen or sketch pad) in the world could’ve captured the deep-seated joy—and the wide-eyed sense of wonderment –that came of saying yes! to the magnetic pull of the moon this morning.
The Wellness Garden
I’ve admired Shawna Coronado’s work for a long while, not only for her creative approach to landscaping, but also because she believes (as I do) that when we invite visitors into our garden spaces, new friendships take root and grow.
I also admire her grit and grace. Shawna shared openly the despair she felt when she was first diagnosed with degenerative osteoarthritis, a few years back. Devastating, but she never put down her garden trowel. She instead found ways to translate her lifelong passion into new ways of being, all of which are chronicled in her latest book, The Wellness Garden: Grow, Eat, and Walk Your Way to Better Health.
In addition to dietary changes, Shawna speaks to the importance of daily walks, activities that build flexibility (such as yoga), and consistent exposure to nature and the outside world, all of which help nourish us from the inside out. And of course, she literally digs in the dirt of her therapeutic garden, taking full advantage of the nutritious foods she grows.
Photo Credit: Shawna Coronado. Used with permission.
The Wellness Garden is equally valuable to the urban hobbyist and rural farmer—it’s chock-full of ideas for growing healthy plants in large and small spaces (e.g., containers and “living walls”), composting and chemical-free gardening, building raised beds, and incorporating colorful vegetables into decorative borders.
Photo Credit: Shawna Coronado. Used with permission.
Shawna’s book is for practical, down-to-earth folks like you and me. But while she doesn’t wander into the weeds, her main assertions are backed by science. As always, her beautiful photographs invite readers to come outside and play. I handed my copy to Karen Reinhart, who visited me last week from Spokane, Washington. We savored it together, and were equally inspired. And when we put our heads together to write this blog, both of us agreed: Everyone who’s interested in health and well-being can find something of benefit in this book.
Note: I received a review copy of The Wellness Garden from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
Nesting Season begins anew
Well now. Looks like mama hummingbird’s granting us another bird’s-eye view of her nursery!
I don’t know when she laid her eggs, but I suspect it was shortly after she put the final touches on this nest–very likely, a few days ago. Hummingbird incubations typically last about 14-16 days, but since we’re having a cooler weather (low to mid-60s), the hatchlings might wait a while longer to poke their beaks through their shells.
We’ve lived at Chez Shore for almost four years now, and in that time, we’ve watched lots of hummingbird mamas build their walnut-sized nests in this sheltered alcove, right outside our front door. Their instincts must tell them it’s a safe place to be. Tucked into the furthest reaches of this “Thalia” Fuchsia, their nests are well-camouflaged. The tile roof is a barrier against winter storms.
Look closely: Can you spot her nest in this leafy nursery?
A quick note of reassurance: I took these photos at a safe distance–at least 10 feet from the fuchsia. The nest is about 10 feet above ground.
Celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister, Nobel Laureate and civil rights activist who dedicated his life to “peace, social justice, and opportunity for all Americans, irrespective of color or creed.”
Today we commemorate the undeniable force behind Dr. King’s words, the unmistakable impact of his willingness to “pray with his feet.” As we examine his place in history, we reflect equally on his physical footprint and the truths he held self-evident.
It’s a good day, also, to think about our personal legacies. Where do we stand in the long arc of history? When we “tell it on the mountain,” what’s being echoed in the valleys below? I’ve illustrated a small sampling of Dr. King’s quotes, because they speak to my own ideals and aspirations. Feel free to download them and share.
Of hummingbird nests and the Oval Office
Mama Hummingbird’s nest is nearly complete—an architectural wonder that’s built of cotton fluff, stringy palm fronds, sticks, seeds, grass clippings and even paint chips, all of which help provide a cushiony, camouflaged home for fragile eggs.
Bit by bit, she ferried these building materials from our flowerbeds and the neighboring hillside, and then stitched everything together with her needle-sharp beak. Note that she’s lashed the nest to the fuschia with spider silk, strong as steel and stretchy enough to hold up to severe weather and her growing hatchlings’ flight simulations.
Flawless in its own right…Beauty that helps offset the ugliness that spilled out of the Oval Office today, betraying the very principles on which our nation was built. #Resist