A Memorial, from The Field

I spent this past Friday alone, in the field, at my beloved Brazos Bend State Park.  I spent the day doing what I most love:  watching my feathered friends in their native habitat and taking photos, as they allowed.

It was a perfect day in the field.  With only my thoughts of this beautiful day to keep me company, I drove home, excited about the day's sightings and hopeful for the day's photos.  A peaceful tiredness was my companion.

When safely home, I took a long hot bath.  In silence, I prepared my dinner and a favorite drink, retiring to the living room to put up my tired feet; to eat; to relax in front of the TV, ready for some mindless viewing to keep me company.

And it was at that moment that the TV brought me the news of this day’s seemingly impossible horror at a small elementary school, in small town America.   Newtown, Connecticut.

I have no words or thoughts to blog; my silence is mournful.  And as surely as every other healthy adult, I have not stopped wondering how this culture of ours could have enabled such an event; such a horrific tragedy.

I simply want to share a few photos from my Friday in the field. I believe first graders would enjoy them. I know first graders would have loved my day at Brazos Bend. 

An Eastern Phoebe gives pause, seeming to contemplate the events of this day:

 

A juvenile White Ibis (left) receives what appears to be adopted parental protection from a different adult Aves species, the White-faced Ibis (right).  It was powerful imagery to watch the adult follow the juvenile about, demonstrating what appeared to be maternal protection rather than male breeding aggression:

 

The beauty of this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker brought color to this overcast day:

And this photo of a Yellow-rumped Warbler reminds me of the importance of the human spirit, given flight, to pursue life’s hopeful possibilities: