Shot of the Day 5/6/23

Heaviest of the native North American birds, trumpeter swans arrive at their nesting grounds after a long flight, and circle the big pond once or twice before splashing down. Then, they’ll typically do a little socializing and a whole lot of preening. Finally, it’ll be time to get down to the business at hand, and if all goes well, there will soon be a string of fuzzy little cygnets trailing mama like the tail of a kite.

the trumpeter swan

can be summed up in two words:

big and beautiful

–Photos by me

The Fisher Cat

I don’t know why they call him that

He doesn’t fish, he’s not a cat

But what he should get credit for

Is being a bad-ass predator

He’s ruthless, and he likes to dine

On snowshoe hare and porcupine–

No, I wouldn’t call him that

The truth is he would eat my cat

–Photo by me

Skittles is Missing

I went out to the farm a couple of days ago and was disheartened to learn that Skittles (the orphaned fawn) has been missing since that nasty blizzard we had in early April. Stephanie said that although Skittles would often be gone all day, she’d always come home to sleep indoors at night.

So far, all of poor Steph’s calling out for her has gone unanswered.

Now, there’s always a chance that she finally just up and left with others of her kind. Perhaps one day I’ll run into her on one of my woodland walks. I hope so.

Good things are fleeting

They touch us and then are gone–

To make way for more

–Photo by me (last year)

Skunk

I came upon a skunk

And we held a mutual gaze

Till we sized each other up–

Then we went our separate ways.

Now, you may wish this story

Had more action to present,

But I am very happy

That it went the way it went.

–Photo by me

Milli

I’m so proud of my granddaughter, Milli. She’s such a happy, healthy little ball of energy, in spite of all she’s gone through so early in life.

Her father abandoned her at birth, and she was quite sick for a few months, so I moved in with my daughter to help. Even then, I noticed something special about her: she could do things beyond her years. When she was barely three, she showed up riding a bicycle like a pro one day.

But then my daughter got involved with a meth-head loser, and everything started falling apart. He moved in with her (I moved out) and they started fighting. Finally, both Milli and her older sister Maddi were taken away and moved to a foster home. (Maddi’s father died of a drug overdose about the same time.)

It breaks my heart that she can’t be with her mom, but both girls are doing so well now, it’s truly amazing. They have piano lessons, trips other states, and so much more they would have never known otherwise.

And that’s why she’s running a 5k race today. That girl is going places.

–photo by foster mom