Water is a healing balm,
bringing those who contemplate calm.
Essence of life.
Absence of strife.
Water is wine,
for the soul.
“While men believe in the infinite some ponds will be thought to be bottomless.” Thoreau
Cheers to you with water’s natural high~
Month: June 2014
Mortal Combat!
Notice the hummer spearing another in the head, amazingly I have never seen a hummer seriously hurt from the sparring although I imagine they could be. I certainly hear the sound of their airborne impacts, and see the missing and displaced feathers.
This guy is waiting to spear the guy from above who is about to attack him! Hummingbirds move incredibly quickly, but when they are in attack mode they move at warp-speed.
You can see evidence of the airborne impacts in the ruffled feathers.
Some seem disproportionately harassed.
Others position themselves for advantangeous attack!
The majority though avoid the fray and remain untouched. I suspect their aerial evasion techniques are even more evolved than their attack skills. They are simply phenomonal fliers.
This is of course how I prefer to see the hummers! Peaceful and radiant.
Cheers to you from the occasionally bickersome, but always beautiful, Holler Hummers~
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Corvids & Congressmen~
Blue Jays (California Coastal Scrub Jays) are smart birds and they are handsome birds, and I get the feeling they know both these things about themselves, and even more I get the feeling they are none too impressed with us humans. It’s kinda the way they look at us (see above) and scold us (see below). I always suspect they are correct when they scold me as I surely am doing something annoying.
There is at least one human being who I am certain is smarter than a Blue Jay and that is Mark Twain. So check out what he had to say on the subject…..
“You may call a jay a bird. Well, so he is, in a measure – because he’s got feathers on him, and don’t belong to no church, perhaps; but otherwise he is just as much a human as you be. And I’ll tell you for why. A jay’s gifts, and instincts, and feelings, and interests, cover the whole ground. A jay hasn’t got any more principle than a congressman.”
“A jay will lie, a jay will steal, a jay will deceive, a jay will betray; and four times out of five, a jay will go back on his solemnest promise. The sacredness of an obligation is a thing which you can’t cram into no bluejay’s head. Now, on top of all this, there’s another thing; a jay can outswear any gentleman in the mines….”
“And there’s yet another thing; in the one little particular of scolding – just good, clean, out-and-out scolding – a bluejay can lay over anything, human or divine. Yes, sir, a jay is everything that a man is.”
“A jay can cry, a jay can laugh, a jay can feel shame, a jay can reason and plan and discuss, a jay likes gossip and scandal, a jay has got a sense of humor, a jay knows when he is an ass just as well as you do – maybe better.”
Of course Twain is right, especially about congressmen, but about Blue Jays too. They are corvids and are highly intelligent with excellent memories and the ability to plan for the future, a trait once thought only primates were capable of. Jays like to hide food and objects for the future in caches and can remember the location of up to 200 of these caches. Since I regularly cannot locate my keys or glasses, I find this ability impressive.
Cheers to you from California’s bossy, sometimes dishonest Blue Jays, who are probably more intelligent than your average congressman~
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San Diego County Native Wildflowers~
Argemone or Prickly Poppy
Elfin Mariposal Lily
California Coastal Sunflower
Wild Artichoke. These were miniatures though which were new to me!
Here is some more of the striking Prickly Poppies.
I had never seen these before. They resemble small Matilija Poppies.
They are so beautiful and were blanketing the coastal mountains that had burned in prior years.
I am looking in to planting some at The Holler.
Cheers to you from these most cheerful native San Diego wildflowers!
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Rare Visitors~
Excitement at The Holler!
I called, “Quickly! Run!”
The Quail have come!
The coyotes usually keep them at bay.
So this was quite a special day!
Cheers to you from the newly arrived Holler quail!
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Prague’s Fairytale Rooftops~
Prague, the magical fairyland……
The rooftops fascinate!
This is where the fairies come to dance, in this magical fairytale city.
All of Prague is like a fairyland and when you are here you are sure the fairies are too.
Who else were these rooftops built for?
We of course can enjoy them, but only the fairies can dance up there!
Feeling a bit nostalgic for Prague and I thought you might enjoy some images too!
Okay….. so this isn’t exactly a roof, it’s a ceiling, but I included it because in Prague the things under the roof are just as beautiful as the things on the roof!
Cheers to you from incomparable Prague~
