Breathe, Love, Meditate

 

Video Taken On One Of My Recent Walks

Cosumnes River Preserve Wetlands Walk

Galt, California

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature,

 he finds it attached to the rest of the world."

~John Muir

Breathe in, breath out. 

Meditate.

Breathe in nature. Know your worth. Live in love.

Meditate.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Meditate.

Scenes from Cosumnes River Preserve

March 19th, 2026

Greater White-fronted Geese

And A Little Soft Jazz

Thursday Afternoons

 

And now a little moment away from all the drama fires happening.

A little respite.

"Geese; Because you also wanted a pet that can also hold you hostage."

~Unknown

Autumn's Pacific Flyway

 

"Autumn is a place where words fall short. It is a magic that must be felt breathed, experienced, and treasured."
~Laura Jaworski

Pintails. Shovelers, and my favorite of all, the Greater White-fronted goose! That's him in the background, photobombing his friends, but of course, he'd call it watching over his pals. Northern Pintail, with their elegant lines, blue bills, and gorgeous tails are a pleasure to photograph. As is my favorite goose. A lot of different birds are starting to come into the valley, from the Pacific Flyway. Pretty soon the Snow geese and the Ross's geese will arrive. I am betting it will be next week, or maybe the first week of December. I can't wait for their return! The more the merrier!

A Blurry Photo, Of An Old Friend

“This morning I stopped to watch the geese fly, even though I didn’t have the time to do so. And I realized that not having the time to do something might be the very reason why I need to do it.” 

 
~Craig D. Lounsbrough 

 

I wish I could have taken a better photo, but I just couldn't get a clear shot, and my camera wasn't being particularly helpful. There were too many weeds in the way. But who cares? Today was the first day I have spotted my favorite geese, the Greater White-fronted. I saw only 4 of them, but I am sure there were more way in the back of the pond. I saw all kinds of birds frolicking today, among them, Northern Pintail, Stilts, and Greater Yellowlegs! Desmond road is paradise to me, I have seen so many amazing birds for the first time, such as the Bald Eagle! I actually went out today in search of the Sandhill Crane, which has been spotted here and there, but with no luck. That's okay, as it happens often with birds, you go looking for a certain bird, and you might just spot someone else you weren't expecting! And that's a good thing!

 

The suspense continues, maybe tomorrow will be the day

 I spot my amazing Sandhill crane!

The Arrival Of The Sandhill Crane 2024

 

“If a year was tucked inside of a clock,

 then autumn would be the magic hour.”

~Victoria Erickson

 

They're back! And right on schedule! They came in, last week, but we were busy most of the week caring for Dylan, and therefore I wasn't able to be on Woodbridge road to see their arrival. Dylan needed me, in one way or another, and I wouldn't have had it any other way, it was all just bad timing. Anyway, they are here in great numbers, so I will have all season to play with them and do photos. I wish this one was more clear, but they were a fair distance away. Practice will make perfect, I hope. Now if my beloved, Greater White-fronted goose, would just come back. I saw a small group of them on Desmond road, maybe Wednesday of last week, but then they seemed to be gone. They will be back, no doubt, but I could use them now. I just love their beautiful faces.

Four Seasons In One Day

Crowded House

Four Seasons In One Day
 

 

 “Seek out the things on the edge, the things in balance. There's a reason why we see beauty in the sunrise and the sunset, in the change of the seasons, and where the land meets the sea.” 

~Kevin A. Kuhn,

  Do You Realize?

 

Desmond road was absolutely beautiful last Saturday. While I crave, and basically live in autumn, the beauty of witnessing four seasons in one day, especially when it was 70 degrees outside, was not lost on me, in fact, it produced a zen like calm I haven't felt in almost a year. That time it was a late winter day, and again I was out birding. I got to witness about 50 Tundra swans, swimming in the water near the roadside on Woodbridge road. You see, the atmospheric river last year had produced a pool of deep water, and the wonderful swans made it their home for a little while. But as soon as the water reseeded, the swans were on their way. But in that moment, all was right with the world. And on Desmond road the other day, you could see influences of all four seasons, with the presence of some beautiful ducks and geese. Give me every day like this. I know you thought I would say just give me autumn and I will be fine, but no, having that balance meant something to me. I have needed to balance my feelings about the car accident my niece was in, and the suicide of my nephew. It's time that heals, and time brought me to Desmond road last Saturday, and I am grateful. 

 

 

 

 

Autumn On A Late Autumn Day

 

 “One brisk morning I stood in a field chilled frosty by autumn’s touch. Suddenly, the hordes of geese that surrounded me lifted off into the sky in a thunderous roar of nature on a grand mission. Standing stunned and awed in a field now fallen silent, it dawned on me that something is most powerful when it believes in its mission and rises without hesitation to achieve it.” 

― Craig D. Lounsbrough 

 

The Winter light is really pushing Autumn around, everything has that particular and peculiar glow to it, but Autumn isn't giving up without a fight. She whispered to the trees and they are displaying their magical colors. The Greater White-fronted geese have finally arrived, and their numbers are impressive! I love those geese with all my heart.Truly, they are all my friends. And all of them are named Harvey. Harvey, he's the best!

Silly And Full Of Personality

 

“It looked like the world was

 covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.”

 
  ~ Sarah Addison Allen,

  First Frost

 

 I love them so much. The Greater White-fronted geese are so fun and almost debonair. At least I think so. Mostly they are silly and full of personality. Oh my. It wouldn't be autumn without them! And right now, while I am completely stressed out, I am grateful for them.

Windy Days In November And Autumn Leaf Of The Day #50

 

“The wind makes you ache is some place that is deeper than your bones. It may be that it touches something old in the human soul, a chord of race memory that says Migrate or die - migrate or die.” 

 

~Stephen King

 

Yes, yes, I know. I used that quote just a number of posts back, but yesterday was like that. We are in November and the wind does something to one's bones. I want to find some real autumn color, autumn is a madness that only lasts a little bit of time, and then the death of a year come.s That makes a difference to me. I was sick for a large part of 2022. We held off a disaster with the midterms, now behind us, but there is unpleasantness in front of us, with Trump's impending announcement, and or, his impending indictment and arrest. God, how I am looking forward to his perp walk. Oh my, I digress. Here is the thing, I want more autumn color but it's like 2022 needs a little more inspiration to bring a little more color. Autumn is in my bones and I am waiting for now.

 

 

~Me

He's Home, And Autumn Leaf Of The Day #6

 

"I've always marveled that geese can feel a call stirring, rise on hardy wings to engage it, and without contemplation, compass or map complete the feat. And could it be that they achieve this astounding accomplishment because far too often contemplation. compass or map rob the call by sterile analysis when we should liberate the call through expectant obedience."

 

~Craig D. Lounsbrough 

 

He's home! My favorite of the species of goose. The king himself. The Greater White-fronted goose has finally arrived in lower Sacramento county, after a long trip from Siberia. I have been checking, pretty much since the end of August for it, at all the usual spots. Cosumnes. Woodbridge. Stone Lakes. Even the Clifton Court Forebay, with no luck at all, but on Sunday, there he was, relaxing in the water off Desmond road. Visiting all those places paid off by awarding us at least one new bird each time. And if there wasn't a new bird for this year's file, there may have been more than one moment of deep cute, such as a mother Grebe, floating happily in the water, with one of her babies on her back. Sigh. But knowing he is back moves me a little more toward normal. I am thinking about my projects, and not about painful memories. I am planning to set a new goal to find. The Caspian Tern, or maybe a Black Oystercatcher. So many birds await!

 

Clark's Grebe with baby.

 

 

~Me

This Way Guys! UPDATE!

 

"If you're born without wings, 

 do nothing to prevent them from growing."

 

UPDATE: That contraption the fella is flying about the sky in is actually called a "paramotor" or motorized glider, not a para-glider. Thanks to my friend Bob ( https://twitter.com/WagstaffBob ) for the update!

 

~Coco Chanel

 

So one day last spring, while bird watching along Desmond road, in Galt, I noticed this fella soaring about the sky over Lodi. Sometimes he seemed closer, sometimes farther away, which I suppose is the nature of paragliding, but what stood out were the colors of his sail. They were so beautiful and vibrant it was hard to remember that hanging a puss had become my new hobby. And with the optical illusion of his leading a flock of Greater White-faced geese across the sky, I damn near broke into a smile!

 

Damn IT!   ;) It really is the little things!

 

~Me 

August 24th 2022