4 Years

I've been so preoccupied with illness and despair that I forgot this blog recently turned 4 years old. Will I continue writing it? Right now my motivation is pretty darn low, but I'm sure as spring rolls around I'll get out in the field and there will likely be new stories and photographs to share.

Wild Geese - Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

Bolz Conservancy

Problem: 8 inches of fresh snow and subzero temperatures.
Solution: Bolz Conservancy at Olbrich Botanical Gardens.

All images © 2009 Mike McDowell

Super Scope Deal!

Whether it's your first spotting scope or a backup, here's a super deal on a "non-brand" 20-60x80mm scope sold exclusively through Eagle Optics for $199.99. Available in angled or straight body designs, the scope is also supported by the Eagle Optics Platinum Protection Lifetime Warranty!

What is a natural photograph?

A worthwhile read...

"Sometimes as nature photographers, our minds focus too much on getting a good photograph, instead of just enjoying nature and being there to capture some of the light we come across. It's important to keep nature natural, and I'll tell you a story to help illustrate what I mean. It's about the ethics of attracting animals by "baiting" them - feeding them in an effort to get them to come closer to you, so you can get a photograph."

Link: Read the rest!

Peregrine Falcon © 2009 Mike McDowell