I had been trapped. So trapped by all of this....this stuff we call life. I was tired of the heat, the crazy of my work and the do this and do that! Constant and nonstop.
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| Verdin |
And that's when I booked it after the last school bell of the day.
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| Bullfrog |
I had to get on the road before the traffic got crazy. And boy did I get out in a hurry.
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| Gambel's Quail |
I felt a lot of stress inside. I won't go into details but I will say this. We need to stop making excuses for our youth and we parents need to hold them accountable for their actions. We're heading down a strange road. And I'll leave it at that.
Go go go!!! And then I arrived. It had been two weeks since I last went out with the camera and that was with Kathie!! For you, that post would have been yesterday. For me it was nearly 2 weeks later!
I was alone and with my camera. And as soon as I hit the trail, my anxiety and stress evaporated and I felt calm inside again.
The signs of fall all around me. While subtle in the desert, they are noticeable after years of living here. The ducks are back again in large groups.
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| Mallard Duck |
And it was nice to see them again. I got so used to their presence last winter that I took them for granted. During the summer, many disappear and the ponds around Sweetwater are quiet. Not anymore:)
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| Northern Shoveler |
And the Yellow Headed Blackbirds are back!!!!! They flew in great numbers above my head and I smiled. Last year at this time I was asking myself what these birds were.
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| Yellow Headed Blackbirds |
The Dragonflies will disappear as will most of the hummingbirds. But I'm excited for our winter guests to arrive. And that includes several new birder friends that I met on my walks before summer. And I can't wait to see their faces again.
Recently, I had a week off to explore Southern Arizona. I went alone this time. And it was incredible.
I went to Portal and I'll have all my discoveries and so much more coming up from that trip.
You'll see what I find on my adventures soon. But like this Harris Hawk.....
.....I'm just going to be exploring all over this fall.
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| Harris Hawk |
Who knows what tomorrow will bring? I write this post wondering what things I'll discover. Everyday is like that for me when I don't have to work. Routine is good, but sometimes no routine is even better.
And I will migrate my way......somewhere exciting. But for today, this walk cured me of my stress. While it was hot, it still relaxed my mind from the troubles and anger of our society.
Posts
Another wonderful look round.
ReplyDeleteThe frog is a real gem.
Brilliant photos Chris.
ReplyDeleteLovely post. The dragonflies are so gorgeous. Nothing like a bit of outdoors and wildlife to help ease life's stresses :)
ReplyDeleteSorry you are feeling so stressed. I am not imagine what the teachers now have to put up with. Enjoying your nature scenes and birds is relaxing. Love the dragonflies and the cool Harris Hawk. Great birds and sightings. Your photos are wonderful, Chris!
ReplyDeleteTouching base with Nature is a great way to smooth out the rough edges of Life and make it all so tolerable. I believe that all the streses in life are challenges which can only serve to make us stronger. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteI am thankful you have places and creatures to take you away from it all. We all need it. The hawk is amazing.
ReplyDeleteNature so heals the soul. Glad you have a place to run to.
ReplyDeleteSpending time in nature is what I do when life is stressful. It works every time!
ReplyDeleteLove your photos--very nice! What kind of camera do you use--or, more importantly, what lenses do you have?
http://gardeningandthespanishway-rohrerbot.blogspot.com/2012/03/big-3-lenses.html
DeleteHello there! How's it going?:) I have the typical short lens and longer 5oo. This is the one I use often and if I dare say it...my favorite. I use the Canon Rebel and it has been well used:) Hope you are well and nice to hear from you:)
I am glad this outing took away some of your stress. Life is a struggle but it is worth it.
ReplyDeleteYou got some awesome photos again Chris!!
it is a communion
ReplyDeletesuch wonderful photos...but I always say that
you have a gift
Our society sure has broken down
maybe it has gotten so bad..that people
will turn and make better choices
take responsibility
expect respect and earn it
maybe the lawlessness of our laws
will be corrected...but until that happens
do your best and commune with nature every chance you get
take care....
It has. It has changed so much from the 90's in this profession. It was already changing then! Difficult times. We put 40 students in a classroom now compared to 25 or 28....and they all want our attention but there's only one of me which limits the interaction time. I hope you are right about the change because we need it!
Deletethe last shot of the hawk made me smile. i am jealous of the yellow-headed blackbirds. i am hoping life and work stresses get better for you. glad you could get away for an afternoon to decompress. :)
ReplyDeleteVery poetic, your first shot, the dragonfly perched at the end of a limb, looking up into the dark, turbulent sky; its wings, though tattered and torn, are intact and strong, ready to take flight. I don't know what age your students are, but if they are teenagers, you have my full respect. Although they don't show it, and act in every way like they don't need guidance - they do!
ReplyDeleteRosemary. You are very perceptive. That dragonfly shot is how I feel right now in my life and that's why I began the post with the shot. Washed out. I do indeed work with teenagers and they are a great group of kids but there are simply too many of them now to help out. And it's overwhelming. So many need help but there's not enough of me to go around!
Deletesorry you are feeling a little stressed Chris but going out with you camera obviously helps you unwind. Like the hawk shots- that Cooper's looks like it had a large meal recently.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you were able to decompress and find time with your camera and nature. Smiles...the last shot looks like the hawk is shooting somebody the moon. :) Did you love Portal???
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy! Did I love Portal??!!!! OH my gosh! That place is like paradise. A bit dangerous with all the bears running around.....but incredible! I have pics coming up this month. WOW WOW WOW! I think the hawk was indeed....mooning me:)
DeleteThank goodness for the great outdoors Chris..I think it's an escape for so many people to get away from their probs for a while, AND in your case you got some really good shots at the same time. I totally agree about parents taking more responsibility..it works!
ReplyDeletePiękne ptaki, ważki i niespodzianka, żabka na drodze. Wszystko jest wspaniałe. Pozdrawiam.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful birds, dragonflies and surprise, frog on the road. Everything is great. Yours.
It is good you were able to get rid of your stresses - I totally agree with you regarding children and parents taking responsibility for them.
ReplyDeleteYou got some wonderful pictures on your walk.
I hope your stress levels remain low when you go back to work.
What a great way to get away. Beautiful birds.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful wildlife photos! Hope you're feeling revived and de-stressed. There's nothing like communing with nature for letting go of the day's troubles.
ReplyDeleteGreat, that's a lot of awesome poses for your models today. I can't imagine nor have seen a bird doing the stunt of raising its back parts, that is really wonderful. And that last one foto, i even haven't seen it in posts or photos elsewhere. I can understand now that your boredom subsided with all these sights. Maybe both of us have ADHD, hehehe!
ReplyDeleteI think you are right:)
DeleteGlad you were able to get out and relax. You got pictures of some wonderful critters.
ReplyDeleteChris, whatever road YOU'RE on, I like it and I thank you for taking us along. Now, can you tell me why I put up bird feeders and a nice little bird bath yet I haven't seen a single feathered friend other than the woodpeckers and hummers? Not even a morning dove on my wall. What gives? - tracy
ReplyDeleteHello there:) Yeah I wish the road had a name but right now I'm driving in the dark without my headlight on. But something is happening. I begin a new decade of my life and while numbers of age don't really matter....I feel like the 40's are still young enough to change a career before it's too late. I'm a bit frightened by it all.
DeleteAs for the bird feeders! I have been noticing it as well. The bird seed has slowed down A LOT! I have two feeders in the yard. One is the big feeder and I fill it every 4 days. Over the summer it was once a day. My little side feeder is always emptied everyday....so it could be where you are placing it...or there are feral cats/hawk in the area which discourage the birds to visit. Woodpeckers and hummers aren't affected by this drama. But everyone else is:) It could be the season change. It's great to hear from you and I hope you are doing well.
Really super photos Chris. So sad to hear you had such a bad day at work but glad you managed to escape your stress and worries. I always find that nature can make me forget all my problems and is the best way to "recharge the batteries".
ReplyDeleteIts sad to see the summer visitors disappear but as you say so exciting to look for the winter species arriving :) I've been out recently looking for Winter Thrushes - Redwings and Fieldfares - no sign yet but they will appear soon :)
Here's to great discoveries and distressing with nature!
ReplyDeleteOh Chris...I am proud of you for dealing with things as they are now in teaching our yotuth. It isn't what it used to be, and I know it isn't easy. And I oo am worried about our nation, our world. But, we can seek solace in nature, and thank the good Lord for that! Your de-stressing time looks beautiful! LOVE all the wonderful shots. I'm so glad you got to get away for a while!
ReplyDelete