WINGS

Photo by S. Auberle

I will always love

the sound of wings

never knowing

if it's bird

or angel...

- mimi

QUESTION

Photo by S. Auberle

"The great question from agnosticism is

who turned on the lights?

The question from faith is,

whatever for?

- Annie Dillard

"Pilgrim At Tinker Creek"

AAHHH SPRING

Photo collage by S. Auberle

no time

for old blues

when May

is flowing

like warm honey

down the curves

of my soul...

- mimi

NEVER TRUST

Artist unknown--graffiti on a wall in Bisbee, Arizona

"Never trust the artist, the writer, the philosopher.

They will betray the truth that raised them.

Through their curiosity and the fire of their imagination,

they will evoke change.

They are religion-breakers,

myth-makers and alchemists.

Their loyalties are to the lapis stones

they carry in their hands at birth."

- Terry Tempest Williams

"Leap"

SUCCESS!

You have to love a bird that has "elegant" in its name...and the Elegant Trogon is surely that. Sometimes known as the "Holy Grail" bird because of the often-times unsuccessful efforts to spot him, it does become a quest of sorts--to seek the magic, the mystique of this elusive creature. Particularly, when you can hear him calling in the forest all around you--teasing, probably laughing at we foolish humans. And then, just when you've given up for the day, he takes pity on you (sometimes) and shows his brilliant plumage. Often that will be just a glimpse flashing through the trees. But this particular bird apparently liked us, as he flew to a branch not far from where we sat and proceeded to preen and pose while we fumbled with scope and camera, feeling extremely blessed as if, indeed, we'd found the Grail...

This photo is a joint effort--really not even that--if my birder-mate hadn't hauled the spotting scope along on our day-long hike and captured precisely the bird in the lens, there would be no photo. All I did was press the camera button.

- mimi

IN SEARCH OF THE ELEGANT TROGON

In case anyone is wondering, I haven't fallen off the edge of the earth...yet. Though there are some pretty high places here in the Chiricauhua Wilderness, which is where I am and why I'm not blogging.

The scenery is spectacular and even the weather is cooperating with a "cold" front moving through making this corner of Arizone quite cool.

Anyway, we--my mate and I (he's a birder-wannabe) are in search of the Elegant Trogon, one of the most tropical birds found in the U.S.--gorgeous bird--size of, and looks like, a parrot in his elegant coat of red, white, green and black.

We are here in this funky little town of Portal, (just east of Paradise) which consists of about 15 houses, one general store and people from all over the world in search of this bird...

Stay tuned...
- mimi

BLESSING

Sculpture by David Wright

Edgewood Orchards Galleries, Fish Creek, Wisconsin

http://edgewoodorchard.com/

Thanks to my children and grandchildren for this moment and 10,000 others; for the joy they have brought me; and for bestowing upon me the title of mother and grandmother...

Happy Mother's Day to all, wherever you may be...

miss you, Mom...

BLESSINGS

for David and Grace

There are moments of grace

in everyone's life--some of them

enormous--some of them small.

Occasionally we know at the time,

often not and, mostly, it will take

the rest of our lives to realize

how blessed we were...

Grace, tall on my son's shoulders,

me, small beside them, watching

from the bank of a pond

hundreds of geese returning

to their roost, the prairie night

a blaze of purple and orange.

The baby points with delight, calling

bird, bird in the clear bell of her voice,

thrilled at the flocks winging in

from every corner of the sky...

this moment--her name...

- mimi

GREEN WOMAN

Photo by S. Auberle

GREEN WOMAN

You have done this before,

you are certain of it--

in other lifetimes, perhaps,

fallen to your knees, like today

before these new goddesses:

trout lily, hepatica,

trillium, marybelles...

You feel something ancient

unfurling in your heart,

something buried deep

and long ago.

From childhood you have known

this forest...your lover

mother.. cathedral... friend...

each plant and stone

pulling you earthward,

each spiral of unfolding leaf beckoning:

come, bed in the tender moss,

smell, touch, burrow

deep...

You fear, one day,

a siren call,

an irresistible day

when a god rolls over

in the flowers, invites you

to stay and play--

a day on which

you will not return.

- mimi

CELEBRATE!

Photo by S. Auberle

HAPPY Cinco de Mayo!!!

TULIP

Digitally altered photo by S. Auberle

"Every day I see in a new way."

- Nancy Marculewicz, artist