Monday at Heckscher

 

On Mondays mornings, when the Connetquot River State Park is closed, I sometimes go to Heckscher State Park. Yesterday it seemed like I was the only person there. Walking beside the cattails that circle the roadway around the park, I saw three rabbits. I regretted that I only had my simple pocket camera with me, but I admit I have plenty of rabbit pictures. Most of them are side portraits because this is how rabbits like to position themselves when they are watching something. Since I was not in a creative mood at all, this typical shot was fine with me.

In the Wintertime

 In the wintertime we go

Walking in the fields of snow

Where there is no grass at all;

Where the top of every wall,

Every fence and every tree,

Is as white as white can be...

Excerpted from White Fields by James Stephens

When walking in snow, I think of the above poem. My first grade teacher recited it once while having the class bang on pots with spoons to the rhythm of the verse. I admit that sometimes it feels like a curse that I can't forget that. Other things I think of on snowy days are foxes and hawks. The snow seems to draw them out. So I wasn’t surprised to see both creatures today. Early in my walk I spotted a red-tailed hawk; later when I was returning to my car I saw a fox. All this made my winter walk feel complete.

Robins in January

American robins are said to be harbingers of spring.  Therefore, I didn't expect to see a flock of them today when I walked in the area of West Brook Pond. Whether these robins remained here or migrated from further up north, I can't determine. What I do know on this cold January day is that these particular robins should not be thought of as harbingers of spring.

Desire to Walk

 "Above all, do not lose your desire to walk... I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it." Soren Kierkegaard

Great Blue Heron

 

The still blue heron stands.

Smoke-blue he is, and grey

As embers of yesterday.

Still he is, as death;

Like stone, or shadow of stone,

Without a pulse or breath,

Motionless and alone

There in the lily stems:

But his eyes are alive like gems... 

Excerpt from the poem The Blue Heron by Theodore Goodridge Roberts

Today as I stood on the bridge over Deep Water Pond (Connetquot River State Park), and gazed out over the water, I saw a Great Blue Heron standing in the pond. He was so still, I almost did not notice him. They are such strange, impressive, and serene looking creatures, I feel as though they belong in another world, perhaps a zen-like place.

Bird Mail

When I was pulling into my driveway, I saw this sparrow sitting on the mailbox. I quickly took the picture through the car window. It's not a quality photograph, but I like how the bird seems to be waiting for the mail to arrive. Perhaps she is expecting a letter from a charming chaffinch.

An Oakdale Morning Sky

Today's sky at 7:00 a.m.

.

A purple cloud hangs half-way down;

 Sky, yellow gold below;

The naked trees, beyond the town,

 Like masts against it show,—

excerpt from Before Sunrise in Winter
  by Edward Rowland Sill

Burls

A burl on a tree at Connequot River State Park.

The tumor-like growth on this tree trunk is known as a burl. They develop when a tree is stressed from an insect infestation, fungi, or mold. The tree trunk pictured above also has woodpecker holes. Although burls were once believed caused by woodpeckers, this apparently is not the case, because they will also grow on trees in areas not inhabited by woodpeckers. However, insects causing stress to a tree could also attract woodpeckers looking for a meal. The good news is that burls are harmless to trees (although what is causing the stress might not be). The wood inside them is prized by woodworkers for its intricate patterns and vivid colors, which result from its complex grain.

Swans on Deep Water Pond

Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher and mathematician, believed that the souls of poets pass into swans.