Blood and Stone

I hear you Mr. Trogon. You are calling for a mate.  My ears guide me towards your voice.  Slowly I tackle the rocky hillside along the rambling creek.  There I stand behind a tree so that you won't notice me. But you probably already do:)  For minutes, I scan the trees for your voice.  

Elegant Trogon

Eventually I find you and marvel at your beauty.  I know there is another who is also calling to her.  She is in the canyon and both of you are vying for her affections. I secretly wish you luck. 

As we say our good-byes, I step off a ledge and fall into the creek. Damnit! "Don't look back!  Go get her!" The bird leaves me behind as I lie on my side.  My padded rear takes the brunt of the impact as does my left arm.  Scrapes.  Blood.  Stone.  It was worth it. 

Tree Creeper

Once the dust settles, I realize my phone flew into the stream! Quickly I grab the half submerged device and proceed to dry it off.  Oh oh.  I pick myself up and wander the trail some more. 

It doesn't take long before I am surrounded by new friends. We stand together and I think about how perfect the moment is.  I'm alone, safe and in tune with the world around me. Together we walk the dirt path without a care in the world. Isn't this the way life should be?

Hummingbirds zip around my head.  All around me, birds are nesting and singing.  I think about my last week of work before summer break begins.  I think about my friend Melissa who isn't with us anymore.  I think about what will come. And what may be.  Excited. Nervous.  Perhaps stressed. A wedding will do this to a person. But my mind wanders and I forget about what was stressing me in the first place. Like the hummingbird, my thoughts quickly move onto other forest matters.

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher

I move inches forward.  There I spy Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers.  It was only three years ago I found them in that exact same spot.  Were these the children or the same adults I glanced upon not so long ago?  I remember being such a novice then.  In many ways, I still am.  But now I know these local characters.  By heart. By song.  By habit.  By love.  For it's what changed me. 

As my crazy work schedule comes to an end, I can sit down and organize this summer better.  I have several conferences to attend, a trip to Colorado, a camping trip into the Chiricahuas, and our Mexican trek.  

A blurry Flame-colored male Tanager

 The mission on this day had been to find the nesting and rare-to-the-US Flame-colored Tanagers.  This bird wasn't a life bird but it was a new bird for the US list.  And honestly, I just wanted to see them.  I have yet to get a better photo of these birds, but I know I'll see them again in the future. The Flame-colored Tanager, formerly known as the Stripe-back Tanager, is a medium size songbird. Formerly placed in the Tanager family, it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family....like this Pyrrhuloxia(pronounced Pear-oh-luck-zee-ah) below. 

Pyrrhuloxia-taken at my school this week

  And so my stories shall continue.  We have reached the 1/3 mark of the year.  As we close off this chapter of the "Americano" travels, I take a look back with a video clip below. This video was filmed in Wisconsin and Arizona from the United States while another part was taken in Sonora, Mexico.

                                                   

Being out in the wild, makes me feel alive.  The stresses of work, my crazy neighborhood, and life all seem to wash away.  On this day, I am only able to spend 5 hours outdoors.  But it's the best 5 hours of therapy a person can have. PS. If your cell phone gets wet, turn it off and stick it in a ziploc bag full of dry rice.  It really works!  Until next time!