5.10.09 ~ Cape Cod National Seashore
Provincetown, Massachusetts
I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.
~ Henry David Thoreau
(Walking)
Yesterday Karma was blogging about red squirrels. Now seems as good a time as any to pull out this old blog and post it here. The picture above is one of my rare successes (in my humble opinion) photographing wildlife.
One of the things we did on our anniversary was take a walk on Beech Forest Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore. It felt so peaceful and invigorating being out in the salty fresh air and filtered sunlight… At one point a little chickadee flew very close to me and landed on a branch at eye-level, just inches from me. I put out my hand but he declined to land on it, disappointed because I had no seeds for him. But he stayed close and talked to me for a bit, posing for pictures on his little branch. Unfortunately the pictures came out blurry! However, a little farther along the trail, someone had put out a few seeds for the birds on a stump, but an adorable red squirrel was hogging that feast! He wouldn’t pose for my camera, but didn’t mind if I got close and tried to get a few shots with the “children and pets” setting. I’m now thinking perhaps the chickadee was asking me to shoo the red squirrel away from the seeds…
~ Barbara Rodgers
(Gaia Community, 12 May 2009)
But indeed, it is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men’s hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from the old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.
~ Robert Louis Stevenson
(Essays of Travel)
What an adorable shot, Barb! I’m jealous of how close up you got! Hubby and I go to the Cape for our anniversary too – I’d like to walk that trail sometime; do you get there from the visitor’s center in Eastham?
As a matter of fact, I did get a quick shot of Mr. Red this morning, sitting on the fence post, but its no where near as close up as I’d like it to be. On a camping trip in Plymouth, MA, a couple years ago I got this shot of one that we were feeding our breakfast leftovers: http://www.flickr.com/photos/karmardav/2623217436/in/set-72157603631526560/
Thank you for the shout out!
Thanks, Karen! I’m not normally that lucky! Beech Forest Trail is way out in Provincetown, and there is also another smaller visitor center there, too, with wonderful views. (Province Lands Visitor Center) It’s worth the trip! http://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/upload/2009selfguidingrevise.pdf
My sister was here this morning and I showed her your red squirrel picture – beyond adorable! We were laughing because the pancake was almost as big as he was, and we were trying to imagine what it would be like if we stumbled across a cookie as big as we are…. Thanks for the day brightener!
Great photograph! Wonderful blog, yes those little wild creators are difficult to photograph and have minds of their own.
Thank you for re-posting this blog!
I am Love, Jeff
‘Twas my pleasure, Jeff! I *really* wanted the chickadee pictures, but this guy was a delightful consolation prize!
That squirrel was a lovely consolation prize, indeed, Barbara! It is so hard to get close to them. I remember when you posted this on Gaia. All of a sudden I am feeling heart-tugging missing that community… Hope you have a good holiday weekend!
I’m touched that you remembered this post, Kathy! I miss Gaia a lot, too, but I’m thoroughly distracted and enjoying this new blogging life so much that it makes the loss much easier to bear. Happy 4th of July to you and your loved ones!
Oh yes, this blogging life does make the loss easier to bear. That’s for sure!
🙂
I like your nature photos Barbara – the gray squirrels are so cute and we have lots of them at the Park. They are not as bold as the Fox squirrels but braver than the black squirrels when it comes to peanuts. I like your gull shot too. I like seagulls – I overlook their screeching and swooping, because just like you, the gulls like to pose and stay put long enough to get a shot. I have never been to Cape Cod but it is has been on my bucket list for a long time – maybe after retirement. The quote with this post is just fabulous!
Thank you, Linda! (Sorry your comment did go to spam, which seems to happen randomly for no rhyme or reason. I’m learning to check my spam queue more often.) I don’t think I’ve ever seen a black squirrel before and I’ve never been to Michigan. 🙂 It’s so amazing the different kinds of wildlife out there to discover. We have a beefalo on the loose in our state ~ never heard of that cow/buffalo hybrid before yesterday. I had a very dear gull friend, pictured in the sidebar, who had a mangled leg, but I haven’t seen him this summer. I’m looking forward to following you on your walks ~ I like your photos, too.
I thought that might have happened that it went to SPAM Barbara, but yesterday my wireless connection kept going out. I’ve worked from home for about ten years now and I lost my connection several times throughout the day – the connection came back about 30 seconds later, but was out long enough to lose my remote connection. That’s why I wrote the second comment. I was looking at your gull in the sidebar and the juvenile gull too. I see seagulls down at the Detroit River and people fish there all the time. One gull had a fishhook through his foot and was holding his foot up the entire time I was there. When I got home I contacted our local DNR and told them, thinking there was probably a local bird rescue person or a nearby avian vet who might come get him and remove it – they said it would work its way out of its foot eventually. I don’t know – it was embedded and a line was hanging from it. I am going to subscribe to you Barbara – I saw the e-mail subscription, but not Reader follow sign and since I had the computer issues, I decided to try again. Thank you – my next post will be about starting my walking regimen on Labor Day weekend of 2011. It was the best thing I have done for myself, as then came blogging two years later and a renewed interest in photography. Most pictures are taken with a digital compact which I always have on me. Two years ago I got a DSLR but I just shoot on automatic and have been lucky doing that. 🙂
Problems with internet connections are so frustrating. Fortunately for me my husband knows how to deal with those headaches and my son keeps my blog running smoothly.
It’s so upsetting seeing injured birds in the wild, but over the years my gull friend has taught me many lessons, showing me how to carry on with living in spite of my health problems. Still, I hope the gull you saw doesn’t have to spend the rest of its life with a fish hook through its foot.
Thanks for subscribing! I have also subscribed to you and am looking forward to more of your walking and nature posts. I also shoot on automatic. 🙂 I have no patience for settings and the technical stuff…
That’s good Barbara- it is good to have someone who knows their way around technical issues! My boss and I left a medium-sized law firm in 2003 and all of a sudden there was no more calling the computer guy on the phone with questions/problems. I learned a lot from support over the phone, but we are still on Windows 7 and not converted to Windows 10 yet – I am not looking forward to it at all. The Windows 10 computer equipment was ordered in March 2019 and the laptop is at my house, taking up space and a plug, but until we are all set up, it just sits there … I am not pushing for change as I’m not good with change. The computer guy seemingly has forgotten about this project, despite my boss’ pleas.
A photographer I follow loves to take pictures of bald eagles – he lives on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. He is always nagging me to learn how to use the DSLR to its full extent – I said “why – there is too much to remember to do – in the time I fiddle with what knob and setting to use, the moment is gone – maybe when I’m retired and have more time (and patience). Besides, except seagulls, who else poses that long!” Life is complicated enough – I like things simple!
I think we’re going to enjoy reading one another’s posts … I didn’t start out writing about nature, it kind of morphed along the way. I do stick in other posts occasionally for special occasions but mostly nature. My mom had many health problems her entire life, the result of being hit by a car at age 11. I saw her pain and suffering through the years, so I have never taken my health for granted – I started walking because I was sitting too much after working at home. I still sit too much to be honest. I hope that gull I saw was okay – I was disappointed in the DNR’s response.
It’s good we can help each other with our talents. My husband and kids rely on me to edit their papers for spelling and grammar. I rely on them for tech stuff. 🙂 I agree, keep things simple! (And be grateful for the geniuses who design cameras with automatic settings!) My blog is kind of a hodgepodge of family history research finds and nature photography. And when the pandemic is over and we come out of quarantine there will no doubt be a few pictures of the grandchildren in the mix again… Chronic pain is a heavy burden to bear, so sorry about your mother. Here’s to your health! Walk on! (I do senior yoga on days when I can’t walk – it’s done me a world of good.)