The heat and humidity seem to have finally left us! For good, I hope. I put on my permethrin-treated anti-tick pants and socks and joined Sally for a good long walk at Sandy Creek Park in Durham. It felt so good to be outside at long last and to do some birdwatching. And I got to add another bird to my life bird list near the end of our saunter!
Thought can keep the storylines alive, and the body reliably hums along with its somatic accompaniments that seem to confirm the storylines and then re-trigger them, but every re-telling is actually slightly different in content and always fresh in the act of remembering, and every somatic sensation, every breath, is fresh and new, however familiar it seems.
~ Joan Tollifson
(Ungraspable Presence, October 7, 2026)
Joan Tollifson’s words spoke to me the other morning as my thoughts have been spinning, trying to come up with a story to explain a distressing somatic symptom. Is it psychosomatic, triggered by anxiety and/or grief? (plausible) Or maybe a side effect of a prescription drug? (equally plausible) Or both, or something else entirely? My doctor is investigating and running all kinds of tests. Hopefully we’ll figure it out soon.
Somatic worries aside, it felt amazingly good and healthy to be out in the fresh air with a wonderful companion, enjoying the perfect sunlight of this time of year.
Ever since I moved to North Carolina I have received repeated warnings and cautions about snakes. Well, after living here for three years I finally encountered one! A copperhead was lying very still across our path through a marshy area. We turned around and went back the way we came. (Yes, I used the zoom to get the pictures!)
And he who made kittens put snakes in the grass.
~ Ian Anderson
♫ (Bungle in the Jungle) ♫
Eight months later, and the for the second time this year, Sally spotted another life bird for me with her binoculars. Even though it was at quite a distance, and moving around at a fast pace, she said it was one of the best looks at one she’s ever had. As with the yellow-bellied sapsucker we saw in February, my camera’s zoom lens struggled to get these shots, which are cropped.
The gorgeous Red-headed Woodpecker is so boldly patterned it’s been called a “flying checkerboard,” with an entirely crimson head, a snow-white body, and half white, half inky black wings. These birds don’t act quite like most other woodpeckers: they’re adept at catching insects in the air, and they eat lots of acorns and beech nuts, often hiding away extra food in tree crevices for later. This magnificent species has declined severely in the past half-century because of habitat loss and changes to its food supply.
~ All About Birds website
Sandy Creek was pretty low. In spite of the rain we’ve been getting sporadically we are still in a moderate drought. The pond and the creek look a lot different than they did back in January 2025, the last time I was here with Tim. It was interesting to see the difference in the pictures of the creek at the ends of that post and this post. The post from that walk was entitled three stents make a difference. Turns out that was wishful thinking. Tim kept getting worse as his lung disease was finally diagnosed later in the year.
I hope the tests give you some answers. 🙏🏼
Glad your weather has become more tolerable. You must feel like an AC prisoner all summer, longing for sunshine and fresh air.
A beautiful walk, thanks for sharing it. 💕
Me, too… I’m glad you enjoyed the walk, Eliza. It’s been way too long since I’ve been out there! Cabin fever in the summer is no picnic, that’s for sure, and walking on the treadmill just isn’t the same. 💙
Anna Thoma
9:01 AM (2 minutes ago)
to In
Lovely pictures. The red headed woodpecker is spectacular! So glad you got out on a beautiful day in October. The copperhead in the grass triggered childhood memories. I was often warned to watch out for them. My father was good at spotting them and if my grandmother saw one in her garden she would come at it with the ax! She was fierce. I’m headed to Georgia soon and hope to see some fall colors.I’ve been very busy with the League of Women Voters as they gear up for the election. It will be nice to get away and into the woods for a much needed change of headspace. Hope your tests turn out fine. I have a couple of gastric tests lined up next week. It will be nice to get away from doctors too!
Thank you, Anna! It was such a good day – it’s amazing how we can be feeling under the weather and be enjoying a good day at the same time. Your grandmother sounds like a very decisive woman, she had her ax plan and didn’t have to think twice about what to do in a copperhead situation. My grandfather had an ax, too, he lived with us and spent his days keeping the brush down in the woods around our house. He would wave it at us and holler at us in Ukrainian when we disturbed his neat piles of brush. Or so it seemed to my sister and me. Don’t know if he ever found any snakes, though. I hope you find lots of fall color to enjoy in Georgia – you must be going to the mountains – and I hope your tests turn out fine, too. No worries about the double post – I deleted it for you. 🙂
Ahhh, i so wish i could have been there with y’all ! Maybe some time??
How beautiful these photos, their details, and the commentary about each !
Thank you, Barbara! We’ll definitely have to get together for a walk together soon! Now that fall seems to be here to stay I’m sure we can make it happen. 🍂
There is nothing like a long walk in nature to stir the soul and feel rejuvenated again. I see time ticking by so quickly toward Winter and feel like I want to stop and savor every Fall day like you have here. Congratulations on bird #92! I know we have them here as I often see pictures in the Metroparks Photographers group I follow on Facebook of great captures and it seems Dawn did a post about a red-headed woodpecker at Kensington Metropark. I saw one go blitzing by once, as I sat in the car, camera not handy unfortunately to catch it. I’ve not seen a Brown Thrasher or an Eastern Phoebe though. I love these little Fleabane Daisies – they are always so perky looking. Well I laughed at the “Bungle in the Jungle” reference, but that snake was hardly a laughing matter. I’d be running for the hills, but, like you, I know I’d be trying to get a picture first. 🙂 I’m glad you and Sally got out for a hike and birding!
You can say that again, Linda! The walk was so rejuvenating, even if my neck got sore from bending back and looking up to photograph those birds. Well, the thrasher made things easy for me, walking along on the ground. It was so much easier taking pictures of the flowers, so I will have to get over to the botanical garden one of these days. I’m glad somebody got the Bungle in the Jungle lyric – that line popped into my head the minute I saw the snake. Can you believe that song was released in 1974??? I was quite a Jethro Tull fan back in the day, and the 1977 album Songs from the Wood was my favorite. Even back then I was in love with the woods. 🙂
I’m sure it felt great to be out and about again Barbara. Hopefully your tick-preventative pants kept the ticks, even the seed ticks, at bay. I am not all that familiar with Jethro Tull’s music, however, Bungle in the Jungle was such a big hit for such a long time, I remember all the lyrics. It amazes me how you don’t hear music for a long time and it comes back to you, like the words were embedded in a recess of your brain all these years. I don’t listen the radio much anymore and usually in the car I have the all-new/traffic station on. Back in the day I was a big Eagles fan and had a lot of their albums. I was in the grocery store the other day and “Heartache Tonight” was playing. I enjoyed hearing it and remembered every word and I’ll bet it’s been 25+ years since I heard that song.
There are probably not as many ticks around this time of year but I didn’t take any chances and I didn’t bring any home with me. No bites! So I assume the treated pants and socks worked. 🙂 What attracted me to Jethro Tull was their lyrics critical of religious hypocrisy, especially on the Aqualung album. I didn’t have any Eagles albums but I did enjoy their music. Lyin’ Eyes, Peaceful Easy Feeling, and Take It Easy come to mind. Nowadays I still listen to WMVY streaming at home, or my Spotify playlist, with a little bit of everything from different eras. I hear newer music from time to time when driving around with my kids.
I enjoyed the old music because it seemed like you could leave it on in the background and it wasn’t too loud that you couldn’t think. I have to say that before I heard the Eagles tune at the grocery store, there was some awful song that was so loud, I wished I could plug my ears. I don’t know any of the newer music. On my way to being a dinosaur I guess. 🙂
So many beautiful shots! That is a really neat woodpecker – I’ve never seen one before. Glad you can finally get out and enjoy the weather and nature!
Thank you, Karma! It was quite a treat seeing my first red-headed woodpecker, even if it was way up there, and kept moving around to the other side of the tree!
Thinking of you so much, Barbara. It sounds like your body is asking for some extra care and answers right now, which is completely understandable given how much your heart has carried—especially this month. I’m so grateful you have such a supportive family nearby right now. Please take all the time you need for yourself, and know that your blog community is cheering you on and sending you strength.
This walk with your friend Sally is a perfect way of healing. Your photos are absolutely beautiful! My favorite is “nature trail through the dappled sunlit woods”. It reminds me of you, my dear.
And second favorite is your focus on blue mist flowers, both! Well I suppose that makes three! 💙💙💙
Thank you for all your kind, caring, and encouraging thoughts, Teri. Knowing that others are cheering me on does give me a good measure of strength! 💙
I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. It was fun taking them, even if I was feeling off that day. Of course everything I do or see reminds me of Tim and somehow that makes doing anything a challenge, but I keep trying to let the memories comfort me.
Those blue mistflowers were so pretty. My camera just couldn’t decide what to focus on so I chuckled and took both views. 🙂 💙