July Afternoon

 

A few days ago I took a short walk in the refuge, just a small break from the digging, planting, and painting I’m doing at the little house I hope to move to one day soon.

Most often I walk in the early morning, when the songbirds are loud and cheerful. On a hot July afternoon they quietly hide from the sun. I only knew the birds were there because of a soft rustling in the bushes and the occasional burst of Chickadee song, though I never saw the singer.

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Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge

The bunnies barely seemed to notice the heat, or my intrusion, as they nibble on the undergrowth.

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The herons didn’t move at all as they napped on their feet at the edge of the pond.

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A couple of large nutria were unfazed by the heat while they dived and played in the pond. They reminded me of a morning two weeks ago when I’d watched a young family exclaiming over a couple of beavers. There are beavers at the refuge, so I didn’t risk disappointing them by telling them they were watching nutria..

Get outside whenever you can, and stay well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Medicine

How could I have imagined that I was too busy for a walk in the natural world?

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The Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge is also a refuge for me; but lately I’ve been working on my new little “fixer-upper” home and I’ve been preoccupied with the state of the world,  living a little less in the present.

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For the first time in weeks I visited the refuge again yesterday.

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It takes a lot to distract me from the birds, the bunnies, and this year’s fawns, but yesterday it was blooming wildflowers that earned my undivided attention.

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We’ve all been dealng with serious issues this year, but we need to take time to do whatever it takes to maintain internal calm and peace despite the chaos. Taking care of ourselves will keep us grounded as we face our issues head on.

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Whatever it is that makes you feel whole, make room for it in this strange year of 2020 – and be well.

 

Morning Gl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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