Dawn Chorus

Good Morning from North Louisiana.
I woke up at my Mother-in-Love's home to the sound of the dawn chorus. As always I recognized the voices of the cardinal and the blue jay calling to their own, ' Are you awake? Are you finding anything good to eat?' There were many others singing high and singing low whose names I do not know. For 45 minutes the tall trees and shrubs were full of the voices of songbirds checking in with each other.
When I looked out my bedroom window, the morning sun was barely lighting the dogwood's fall leaves, the double pink sasanqua, and finally the old pecan tree that the squirrels love in the backyard.
Grateful to Be Here ~ With Heart

Trees and Tracks

It's 9 am, 46 degrees, and what some people call a glorious day.

Yesterday I forgot my camera when I marveled at this colorful sight.
Today I didn't leave home without it.

What bird made these wet tracks on my path?
They're just right for a crow.

The neighborhood heron caught a worm rich after this moment.

Enjoying a Morning Walk 

With Heart

October Heron

I see the early morning fisher.

He sees me.

He sees the runner.

Beautiful in flight and in shadow 

Off to more fishing.

Beautiful October morning!

Shining

With Heart

Fall Colors

On our morning walk Mark pointed out to me the yellow leaves among the green over our heads in the sweet gum tree. Delighted on this cool fall morning, I took some pictures so I could go home and sketch. Imagine my surprise upon finding the blue leaves in the photo.
Marveling ~ With Heart

Buon Giorno

Sunrise over the Adriatic Sea is a fine way to start a day. It's also good to end an afternoon with a complete rainbow over Venice!
Va Bene ~ With Heart

Refreshing!

Cool water on Olympia dusty feet saves the day. Little fish dart around my legs as I dig my toes into the rounded pebbles.
Blissfully ~ With Heart

Dawn at Napoli

Ahh! Nature at its finest! Gentle breeze. Moisture in the air. Swallows darting and checking in with each other.
Smiling ~ With Heart

Refuge

A bearded 14th century gargoyle guards two tiny white 21st century eggs in the curve of his arm. Who do the eggs belong to?
Intrigued ~ With Heart

La Sagrada Familia

Look up into the leaf canopy of this forest of columns inside the church designed by Antoni Gaudi.
He said, "The great book, always open and which we should make an effort to read, is that of Nature."
Research him and you too will be
Inspired ~ With Heart

You've Gotta Have Heart

Every day Karen walks past this little vinca growing in the sidewalk seam. She took me up the hill one day to see it enjoying the sunshine.
All you really need is ~ Heart.

The Twins

Hope and Promise were almost fully opened Sunday.

Today, 2 weeks after they were tight green buds, 

the Twins fill me with joy and ~

With Heart

Budding Hope

Can you be amazed with me that the two tight green buds I photographed just a week ago are blushing pink today?
Keep Hoping
With Heart

Hope

Every morning I have the pleasure if walking San Ramon Creek and then Osage Park with its rose garden. This sweet sight caught my attention with its blossom and its promise of more beauty.
Pause and think of that.

Hopefully
With Heart

Love-in-a-Mist

Love-in-a-Mist

from Maggie's Cottage Garden

 May 14
This member of the buttercup family blooms in a lovely mist of feathery green leaves.

June 16

A colorful riot of horned seed capsules looks like old-fashioned peppermint candy.

This plant loves the conditions in my garden: 

4 hours of dry season sun

Hand watering during the bloom

Plenty of enjoyment

Opportunity to reseed with abandon

July 23, 2013

These are the tiny seeds from just one of the seed capsules. 

The promise of next Spring.

Delighted 

With Heart

Primrose Farewell

I have to pull these renegade primroses up, so I asked Karen to take a picture of me in the midst of them before I start to work. I love them even if they do naughty things like jump out of the flower bed.

White-lined Sphinx Moth

On a hot morning Mark, another Marveler, found this moth on the tire of his truck. 

We thought it would get hot and thirsty and fly away.

I went right out, phone/camera in hand, to photograph this 2 inch striped moth

before I went back inside to look it up.

At http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Hyles-lineata, I learned that it is a 

White-lined Sphinx Moth, Hyles lineata.

After lunch I took a soft cloth out to gently capture the moth for release

and to make a movie of it for my grandson. 

I haven't been able to include a video in the past, so bear with me if it doesn't.

If it does work, you'll hear why I don't want the youngest grandson 

who is overly cautious about 'bu's (bugs) to see it.

Excitedly

With Heart

Rosy Maple Moth

Dryocampa rubicunda 

My daughter in north Mississippi texted me this picture with no explanation.

At first I thought it was a pink and yellow kid's toy one of the grandsons had posed on the screen door.

Me:  What is it?

Janie:  A moth. 3/4 inches long.

Me:  Quick send another picture!

Janie:  Big brother (the 4 year old naturalist) tried to get it 

before I could stop him, then Tatum (the dog) ate it.

That's the only picture.  

As it turns out the dog didn't eat it.

The naturalist and his mother caught it later for temporary inspection in the bug box.

Naturalist Grandson: What do mothses eat SweetHart?

We Googled that question while we shared about the moth on FaceTime.

Adults do not feed but drink moisture from their natural surroundings.

Check out the ruby maple moth at Wikipedia and at BugGuide.net at http://bugguide.net/node/view/19258 for a description and 

wonderful comments posted about it from across the country.

The Marveling Grandmother

With Heart

Marbling

My sister-in-law Mary Ann who is the original Marveler 

texted me these pictures and sentiments yesterday. 

I just had to share them and she gave me the go-ahead.

'Been outside marveling or 'marbling' as the case may be. Picking up green twigs all over the yard from a storm earlier ing the week and came across this in the grass. This is a yard that has been mowed and raked many, many times since a little girl played marbles in the back yard! And...'

'A little renegade red leaf on my fig vine. And...'

'A heart shaped drop of water on my very first elephant ear. Little ear doesn't look too sprightly, but maybe his brother leaf that is pushing his way up from beneath will be greener!

God is good!'

Thank you Mary Ann

With Heart

Patio Salad

On Earth Day I posted pictures of the salad bowls that Karen and I planted. 

We were inspired by my brother Bryan and his Square Foot Gardening in his Louisiana yard.

We watered and waited.

Look what happened in a month!

I think the basil is eating the spinach because I can only find 2 out of 6 spinach plants.

It's a good thing we love basil on many dishes, because it's growing well.

We harvested salad greens, purples, and reds from the terra cotta salad bowls on the patio 

and brought them to the table.

Our bodies and our souls are satisfied.

Mmm!

With Heart

A Mother's Day Handful of Thankfulness

Happy Mother's Day from my favorite secret picnic spot. 

I could tell my history by the pictures taken on this day at this place for 25 years beginning with 2 little girls who are now beautiful grown women I am thankful for. 

There's promise in these tiny grapes that fit in my hand.

That's my mothering, too!

Thankfully

With Heart

Marveling 'Just Outside My Door'

Yesterday my friend Carrie and I enjoyed a patio lunch in a beautiful backyard setting. 

We remarked that we could go marveling in our own yards.

I found this stunning morning sunrise just outside my kitchen door. I couldn't seem to get enough of seeing the sunbeams and backlit clouds over my neighbor's house.

Do you remember my friend Amy who wrote Swamper: Letters from a Louisiana Swamp Rabbit?

(See my post Swamper 3/29/13.)

This is her Valentine poem, Simplicity.

The little flower is from my yard.

Let's take to heart the simple message from Amy and Swamper and step outside our door.

Share your discovery with me. Post a comment below.

Go Marveling 

With Heart

Let's Go Marveling

Marveling:

Being filled with wonder or astonishment

Let's go marveling at Fernandez Ranch in Martinez, CA.

The round leaves of miner's lettuce

A two-inch shell fossill in a soil bank beside the trail

The gnarly branches of an oak

Shooting stars in the forest floor

The heart of the oak behind my shoulder

Go marveling yourself and share your finds with someone.

With Heart