Two baby quail with poppa. They are the tiniest I’ve seen. I think they just broke out of their eggs!
I missed Red hanging out in our yard for three full days. I was so worried he’d abandoned us. Or, perhaps he thought I’d abandoned him. I honestly believe we had a bond, because when I’d go outside, he’d show up. I’d drive up our driveway and he’d sing to me from a nearby tree. I was inside for two full weeks, post surgery and Red disappeared. Fortunately, I had a Red sighting on Monday and heard him singing while I sat outside — now that I’m able.
Red taking off for who knows where! Below, I spotted Red near our feeder across the yard.
I caught a Gilded Flicker in flight. That made me smile.
Here’s a Gila Woodpecker and below is a Flicker.
Getting my Nikon out with my telephoto lens after more than two weeks of not using it — also made me smile. I used it for all the photos above, looking out my casita window. The photo below, I love for the morning light.
I’ll finish this post about what made me smile with a selfie I took with my iphone. It’s a goofy photo of my new look taken in the reflection of our sliding glass doors.
Thanks to the amazing and compassionate Vicki from Victoria Ponders for nominating me along with 10 other bloggers for the “Sunshine Blogger Award.” This award was started by Kimberly Vargas Agnese. I usually avoid such things, but I found the questions intriguing and Vicki’s answers so thoughtful.
So here it goes:
What is your morning routine?
I follow Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” which grounds me for the day. I begin with three pages of journaling. Then I listen to a Bible reading on my phone and pray for an ever increasing list of friends and family members. After that (or before if the weather is too hot) I walk three miles. I’ve been doing this consistently for 10 years. If there’s a day when I can’t do my morning routine, I feel out of sorts.
What is your favorite season? Why?
Definitely summer followed by Spring. I have the best memories growing up in the Pacific Northwest in summer, which is such a beautiful season there. Raising my kids, we’d spend summer in Laguna Beach. Now we go to Santa Barbara for a few weeks up to a month. I love the water, yet live in the desert, so I look forward to being by the ocean all year long.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
Being with family on our boat in the summer. Enjoying fishing, digging clams and catching Dungeness crab with our mom cooking seafood on the boat within minutes of being caught.
Who or what has been your most unlikely teacher?
My kids. They taught me how to appreciate being present in the moment with them. Also, not to worry over things I cannot control.
Who or what are you most proud of?
Again, my kids. They are loving, kind adults and a joy to be with.
What is something that surprises people about you?
How outdoorsy my childhood was thanks to mom and dad. I took a fly tying class and Power Squadron boating safety class with them. I picked Chanterelle mushrooms, fished for salmon, rockfish, and trout, dug razor clams and little necks and caught Dungeness crabs — enjoying Western Washington state’s lifestyle.
What motivated you to start blogging?
A fellow swim mom who read my children’s stories and YA manuscripts. She loved to read blogs when I knew nothing about blogging. She encouraged me to start bleuwater.me, which then opened doors to writing a weekly sports parenting column for SwimSwam, a swimming website with more than 8 million views per month. I wrote that column for more than five years.
What forms of entertainment do you enjoy the most?
I have always been a reader since I was a young child. I enjoy finding a new author. It’s like finding a gem. I’ll know there will be more good books to read. I also enjoy being outdoors, walking, hiking and taking pictures.
If you are a book reader, do you prefer a paper copy or a digital copy?
Paper copies. I prefer paperbacks, because I feel less guilty about turning down the corners. Also, they are less expensive, easier to carry and read than hard bound books. My arms don’t get tired with paperbacks!
What’s your favorite music genre, and who is your favorite singer?
I like rock and roll from the 1970s and 1980s which were my high school and college days. I have Sirius set to 1970s in my car and I love to sing along to old favorites. My favorite singer is Don McLean from “American Pie” because my mom listened to him nonstop in the 1970s. She was a Coloratura Soprano and music major. She loved McLean’s voice and poetic lyrics. Listening to his songs brings me closer to memories of Mom.
What societal causes do you care about the most?
Currently, my focus is helping sex trafficked victims in the Phoenix area. Phoenix is one of the nation’s hubs of sex trafficking — and our country is the first or second purchaser of children for sex in the world. Today, I’m visiting The Phoenix Dream Center, which is a residential facility that provides a safe, secure home complete with medical, mental health, and career training, to help victims return to a “normal” life. They are having a ribbon cutting for a new kitchen which my women’s group fundraised to purchase all the appliances. I’ll also be donating clothes after Spring cleaning my closet. I’ve volunteered in my community for different causes since college.
Don’t worry if you’ve already been tagged or if you’d prefer not to do this. I’m taking a page from Vicki and using most of the questions she asked and have thrown in a few new ones:
Here are the guidelines from Kimberly about the “Sunshine Blogger Award”:
• Display the award’s official logo somewhere on your blog. • Thank the person who nominated you. • Provide a link to your nominator’s blog. • Answer your nominators’ questions:
What is your morning routine?
What is your favorite season? Why?
What is your favorite childhood memory?
Who or what has been your most unlikely teacher?
What is your favorite meal that you would never get tired of and why?
What is something that surprises people about you?
What motivated you to start blogging?
Would you rather spend a quiet evening at home or out with friends or a party? Why?
If you are a book reader, do you prefer a paper copy or a digital copy?
What’s your favorite music genre, and who is your favorite singer?
What societal causes do you care about the most?
• Nominate up to 11 bloggers. • Ask your nominees 11 questions. • Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts.
“Human creativity is nature manifest in us.” — Ethan Hawke
I was finishing up my photography assignments Saturday. There was a page of resources the professor left for us. Included with short videos by famous photographers discussing their work was this gem of a TED Talk by Ethan Hawke, actor, writer and film director.
It’s definitely worth the less than 10 minutes to hear his views about creativity, humanity, and our connections with each other. He discusses that our own enemy is wanting to create something of importance or something great. In Hawke’s opinion, children throw themselves into any project with abandonment. They don’t care if they’re “good” or not. They are willing to try and don’t bring habits into the project.
Happy Monday and enjoy this TED Talk.
After watching this video, what impressed you?
How did you find it helpful for your own writing or blogging?
