22 April 2008

Celebrate Earth Day! Do Your Part!

In 1962 Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" was published. She said "Who has decided - who has the right to decide - for the countless regions of people who were not consulted that the supreme value is a world without insects, even though it be also a world ungraced by the curving wing of a bird in flight?" "Over increasingly large areas of the United States, spring now comes unheralded by the return of the birds, and the early mornings are strangely silent where once they were filled with the beauty of bird song." The book stimulated the environmental movement.

Earth Day is a time to celebrate the gains we've made toward environmental progress. It's also a chance to re-focus on OUR part of the equation both at the local level and in our own backyard. Make a commitment today to volunteer and support your community wherever there is a need.

Another great idea is to have your backyard certified as a wildlife habitat! Part of which, is the importance of including native plants in your yard.

(and on a personal note) I have such happy news ~ and just in time for the nesting season!! On top of my honey-do list (actually this was the ONLY thing on the list) DH finally took the bluebird box down a few weeks ago expecting to see 14 nests CRAMMED inside. To our amazement, after many, many successful nestings, there was only ONE. I can't tell you what a relief it was for both of us.





And the best news? Yesterday morning I saw a female Eastern Bluebird sitting on top of the box with a twig in her beak! This is how I spell S.U.C.C.E.S.S!! Truly, there are no words to describe how it feels to know you are part of the continuation of a species!



"I wish you bluebirds in the spring,


To give your heart a song to sing,


And then a kiss,


But more than this, I wish you love!"




excerpt from "I Wish You Love"


sung by Frank Sinatra, written by A. A. Beach & C. Trenet.



17 April 2008

American Gothic

Here is a small sampling from my road trip on Sunday. About 20 miles from home, this trip really begins just beyond the Ten Mile River Amtrack RR station (near Kent, CT), heading north on Route 22 along the CT/NY state border to extreme southwestern VT.

ONE OF THE BEST TRIPS FOR PHOTO OPS!!!