#Wildlife

Off to Give a #WildlifeTalk Today – #FloridasFantasticOwls – #DeBaryHall

/ Marcia / 39 Comments

Heading out shortly to get set up for today’s wildlife talk at the beautiful DeBary Hall Historic Manor. Due to the pandemic restrictions and my own health issues, I’ve only done a few talks in the last three years, so I’m feeling a bit rusty, but I suspect that will go away as soon as I see some smiling faces coming through the door. I do plan to schedule only one a month for the foreseeable future, as doing 24 talks a year (as I did for several years) is going to be a bit more than I want to take on again. So, I’ll be at the Enterprise Museum one month and at DeBary Hall the next. We’ll see how that works.

For those who might be interested in birds, we have five species of owls native to Florida, and every one of them is a beautiful, fascinating creature. And for those who might be in the area, all the talks are free, no reservations required (except for luncheons).  

Just wanted to let you know why I won’t be around much, if at all, today, but we have a great week coming up, with another super fun #TenThingsPost on Wednesday.  See you later! 

DeBary Hall Historic Mansion

A Wee Thought After a Difficult Week – #Poetry (Sort of)

/ Marcia / 64 Comments

Ode to a Painted Bunting

A sign.
My heart called out for a sign.
Something to hang onto.
Something to give me hope.
Something to remind me the world can be beautiful,
And people can be kind, generous, and loving.

Just a sign.
Please.
Nothing momentous.
A simple reminder that Life can be good.
That’s all I asked.
All I needed.

And then …
A sudden glimpse of red,
An impossible flash of chartreuse,
A dollop of bluish purple …
There!

Just there, outside my window.
I held my breath, staring in wonder.
How could such a creature even be real?
So tiny and quick, and yet …
So brilliantly magical!
Reminding me of all the beauty in the world.

A sign.
That’s what it was.
And I smiled, at peace again,
And ready to face the day.

Painted buntings have been at my backyard birdfeeder for over 2 weeks now, passing through on their northward migration. I have been in awe every day, as they never stay here this long. (Guess they got the weather report and decided to postpone heading farther north). Last week was a tough one, and I was feeling pretty discouraged, but when I got up today and saw there were still two males and two of the solid green females at my feeder, I realized what a gift I’d been given. A sign, indeed! Better days are ahead! For ALL of us! 💖💖💖

 

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire

/ Marcia / 18 Comments

As always, another week filled with great stuff on #StoryEmpire. Be sure to check out these terrific posts!

MONDAY:  Gwen Plano’s post, Extroversion and Introversion, gives us a look at the types of personalities writers might have, and how it can impact how we look at life, and approach our work. AND there’s a link where you can find out just where you fit on the introvert/extrovert scale. VERY interesting. Check Gwen’s post out  HERE.

WEDNESDAY:  Don’t Talk Like That: How to Write Good Dialogue–Punctuation is another very helpful post in this informative series from Harmony Kent. Check it out HERE.

FRIDAY:  Today,  D. L. Finn has a post near and dear to my heart, entitled Animals and Writing. I’m a huge fan of pets and other animals being included in stories, and Denise does an excellent job of explaining the why and hows of doing so. Check it out HERE.

And there you have it folks! See? As I said, it’s great stuff! 😀

Have a Great Saturn’s Day!

/ Marcia / 13 Comments

indigo bunting bird perched amid greeneryIndigo Bunting
(Image found on Pixabay)

Hope everyone is set for a great weekend! I’m off to do a talk at one of my two favorite venues, the beautiful DeBary Hall. Today, I’m going to help folks learn to identify some of the less common backyard birds they might see visiting their feeders, including the gorgeous indigo bunting above. (And his even more gorgeous cousin, the painted bunting, surely a contender for the most beautiful songbird in the world.)

It’s so wonderful to have a safe place to get out once again to share some nature talks with folks in this area! I missed that more than anything else during the year I was pretty much in total isolation.  Between DeBary Hall and the wonderfully restored 1930s schoolhouse that is now Enterprise Museum, I have met some of the nicest people in the world. LOVE talking to them!

See you when I get back!

Photo of DeBary Hall Historic ManorDeBary Hall Historic Manor