Hello friends,
I was so looking forward to this morning. Yesterday was overcast and intermittently rainy all day and today’s forecast was clear and sunny. I wanted to get out there and photograph some birds! I woke up at 6, grabbed a protein bar from the fridge, stopped off at Starbucks for an iced coffee, and headed to the marsh. While it was indeed clear most of the way to the marsh, conditions turned foggy as I descended further into the valley. The fog was lovely, but just as you can’t see clearly through it, you also can’t photograph with any kind of sharpness. I was disappointed, but I decided not to lean into that feeling. I accepted the situation for what it was (and hoped that the sun would soon burn off the fog).
The little guy (gal?) in the photo above is a muskrat. The marsh has muskrats, otters, and beavers, although I’ve never seen an otter there. The beavers were active this morning, too, but they were always a little too far away to get any kind of decent photograph. The clarity of the water this morning was such that I actually saw the fish, and I was stunned at how many there were and how big some of them were. No wonder the great blue herons love to go there for a meal. I saw several snapping turtles, one of which was so huge that its head was easily the size of a man’s fist.
I had conversations with some of the other birders there. I found out about a couple of places I had never thought to go before, very close by, one of which is known for its owl population. I was nourished by the interactions.
The sun finally did burn off the fog, at about 9, but I had places to go (home, lol) and people to talk to (Beth, Sam, Mom). I realized that allowing the morning to be exactly how it was rescued me from disappointment. There’s definitely a lesson to be learned there.
Have a wonderful week.
Love,
Michelle xoxo