tall grass prairie

big sky
white straw grass, just beginning to green
solitary twiggy twisted trees
copses tucked into the indentation of the hills
wind
birds of the grasses--meadowlarks, kildeer, blackbirds, and then a totally unexpected wonder, foot-long tail, vivid salmon shoulder pads, a scissor-tailed flycatcher.

leaving home

Blasting out of the ordinary is easier when I travel. Unless it's to a very familiar place, I'm surrounded by the new--not always positive or enchanting, but able to raise my level of being aware, outside of my self.
We're traveling though parts of the South we've missed before, filling up on new sounds, sights, and oh my goodness tastes. Routines are abandoned, miles on the road dissolve, as we wend our way from the Tall Grass Prairie of Oklahoma through the Ozarks--both far more beautiful than anticipated.
Today: Little Rock, and then on to Memphis.

sleepless night

A sleepless night. Sitting at the computer, with a cup of tea, while it's still pitch black out as far as I can tell, I hear the softest song:
http://www.learnbirdsongs.com/birdsong.php?id=12
It's a sound that speaks Spring to me. This chickadee and his mate have moved into the nesting box I've hung just outside the window, and his melody, murmured to his mate, notes the onset of the day.