Ooo-wee! I’m totally alone, a very rare circumstance on this half acre of land, with all the multiple activities going on here. Playing Dr. John doing “Such A Night” with The Band at their “Last Waltz” concert (my all-time fave music movie). (If you go looking for this song, you have to clickon “albums,” then scroll way down; it’s on the left.)
Great Blue Heron Yesterday Rick and I were working in the office and I noticed movement outside the window. This magnificent creature had landed on the roof, and was peering over the edge at our fishpond. Stunning. Royalty.
It wasn’t like seeing ducks or pigeons or doves or quail or crows or even Oregon Juncos or Rufous-sided Towhees. This was something else.
You rarely get close these very wary birds, I think, due to the fact that it takes them so long to get airborne, they’re extra cautious — continually scanning 360.
I shot photos through the window. He flew down to the pond (bye-bye goldfish!) and I snuck out of the office slowly and came around to the front door of the house, hoping to get pics of him at the pond. As soon as I moved the (glass-paned) front door, he took off. He spotted me through two panes of glass, at a distance of about 40′. Wary.
Hopis Try to Stop Paris Sale of Artifacts There was an article in the NYTimes yesterday (4/3/13) by Tom Mashberg about the planned auction of Hopi artifacts in Paris. There was the photo of a mask on the front page and it was startlingly alive. I was just about to post it here, but thought better about it after reading this:
“In a rare case of a cultural heritage claim arising from the sale of American artifacts abroad, the Hopi Indians of Arizona have asked federal officials to help stop a high-price auction of 70 sacred masks in Paris next week.…”
“The Hopis, who number about 18,000 in northeast Arizona, regard the objects in the Paris sale, which they call Katsinam,or “friends,” as imbued with divine spirits. They object to calling them “masks” and say that outsiders who photograph, collect or sell them are committing sacrilege. The brightly colored visages and headdresses, often adorned with horsehair, sheepskin, feathers and maize, are thought to embody the spirits of warriors, animals, messengers, fire, rain and clouds, among other things. They are used today, as in the past, in many Hopi rites, like coming-of-age ceremonies and harvest rituals.…”
The Art of Blogging In the Facebook era, blogging seems sort of old school. It suits me perfectly. I’m primarily a broadcaster. I’m a frustrated newspaper editor. I found I couldn’t take never-ending deadlines, and ended up doing books, which have a yearly-or-so deadline. Blogging is my-other-than-book-form communication, and I love it for its immediacy.
I get a lot of great feedback, but I just don’t have time to get into discussions. Same for Facebook, I’ve got plenty of friends, can’t afford the time to get in FB dialogues. Have said this before but every once in a while I feel guilty about not answering thoughtful (or challenging) comments…
Rain On the Ground /Eggs in the Nest We’ve had 1-1/2″ rain this week. Feels good. Our little flock of mostly Golden Seabrights and bantam Auracanas are turning out over a dozen little eggs a day, what flavor! Abalone season opened and the boys went north. Billy and his diving friends saw another diver diving in 35-40′ of water. Whew, that’s down there!
As I get ready to send this off, Etta James doing “Let it Rock.”
Rock on.
beauty
do lots of work on computer, so often check back to your site, for a break…..
snaps like this … make it worth the trip..
amazes me you can take such soul grabbing photos through window pane…
maybe you would consider selling copies of some of your images, via your book site…as long as they (maybe with matt) are sized no larger than your books, would ship well….
“feel guilty about not answering”…… not to worry…… all good………………… sometimes you comment / sometimes others / sometimes space to mull / ever hear of “Blank Page” movement? some folks think there is too little space in this world for folks to consider their own mind/thoughts….some writers (in books) (bloggers) deliberately leave a “Blank Page” every so often…..(it’s on google, it must be true..grin)
(re Hopi artifacts — me, i wouldn’t have reprinted the images either…just in case)
A few years back I undertook a journey to Chaco Canyon to observe and partake in a sunrise ceremony at the Great Kiva on the summer solstice – a small group of Hopi showed up and drummed up the Sun. Pure Magic!
And Etta…..yeah….
Dr John yea u rite.walk on gilded splinters.
What a fantastic gift, Lloyd, getting a photo like this on your own roof. Too bad about the goldfish, though.
K
And I wouldn't have republished the Hopi mask photo, either. Good call.
Stunning pic! 🙂
Great pic,it's amazing how much wildlife even a small pond can attract. Good call on the Hopi mask. Too many people consider Native Americans a historical curiosity rather than a living and diverse people.
-Michael
Rock On Indeed!
Peace
Gill
Learned a few years ago that herons will carry fish eggs via their feet
from one body of water to another.. so goldfish had appeared in a drainage pond in front of office without human intervention! Thanks for sharing this.
Great Photo and Great post. Have a wonderful week.mary
thanks for share...