Category Archives: Melissa’s Musings and Doodlings

Musings, original paintings, and sketches from life as I see it

Happy Birthday, Petra!

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We started out the day as we do most days, with Petra snuggling on my lap while I read and had my morning tea. Then the games began; Petra has her friends Roark and Tallulah visiting for her birthday, so today is full of Aussie fun.

Rowan, Roark, Tallulah, Petra (back to front)

Petra does everything fast, so birthday fun for her means running (almost too fast to be seen)…
(If you click the photos, you can see them bigger.)

and playing chase…

and leaping in the air…

That was a fun party with friends!

Tallulah, Petra, Roark, Rowan

Happy Birthday, Petra Sweetie! You bring me joy and love every day, and I adore you.

Trumpeter Swans

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I still smile every time I think of the Trumpeter Swans I saw in Ohio last month. They were an unexpected treat, since I had no idea there were Trumpeters anywhere in the East. When I first saw them, I thought they must be Tundra Swans, which look very similar, because my bird book (Peterson’s Field Guide to Birds East of the Rockies, fourth edition) doesn’t even include Trumpeter Swans.

As I wandered the boardwalks in the area, I wondered what the loud, honking noise was that I heard echoing frequently over the marshes– Trumpeter Swans! These birds float gracefully and serenely in the marshes, dipping their long necks under to eat plant material and staining their heads and necks red with the ferrous minerals in the sediment.

Trumpeter Swans used to be native to that area, but were extirpated by over-hunting and loss of habitat in the 1800’s. In 1996 they were reintroduced to Ohio and now there is a breeding population of these majestic birds.

Trumpeter Swans are the largest North American waterfowl (20-30 pounds) with a wingspan of 6-8 feet and they can fly between 40 and 80 miles per hour. They mate for life and usually live about 15-20 years in the wild. They mate for life and build large nests, up to 6 feet in diameter, in marshes, and tend to reuse the same nest year after year.

I don’t know if this is a Trumpeter Swan nest, but it was very large with large eggs, so I think it might be

Links for more info:
Trumpeter Swans in Ohio
The Trumpeter Swan

Ducks in Trees and Other Delights

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I slipped quietly onto the boardwalk after watching the sunrise over Lake Erie at Maumee Bay State Park. As they were the day before, the Red-wing Blackbirds were again the most numerous and clamorous of the birds, but suddenly I heard a louder rustling than one of them could have made. I looked up and saw…a pair of Wood Ducks perched in top of a tall tree! The photo on the left shows the tree, a ways away from me and quite tall, with the duck perched near the top. I knew Wood Ducks nested in holes in trees a fair distance from the ground, but I had never seen them perched so high. During this morning walk, I observed many of them flying to and from tree tops. 
Wood Duck perched in center tree
Zooming in on perching Wood Duck
Next I spotted a bright-eyed raccoon watching me through a screen of reeds…

You can’t see me…

A couple of Hermit Thrushes hopped and perched in the underbrush, bobbing their tails as they  watched me passing by.

Hermit Thrush

 After almost three hours rambling along the boardwalk, I headed back to the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. When there, I found only five Trumpeter Swans where there had been thirty-four the evening before. Were they on their way farther north?

Several Blue-winged Teals were feeding– the first I’d seen in many years. The blue on their wings was beautiful when they flew.

Blue-winged Teal (male)

There were two families of Canada Geese on one pond; one pair both had bright white chin straps…

whereas the other pair both had chin straps that were more of a tan color. I am trying to determine if they are a different subspecies. Does anyone reading this know? I know there are seven subspecies of Canada Goose (and four of the related Cackling Goose), but I can’t find descriptions with photos.

Everywhere I went I heard the Red-winged Blackbirds proclaiming their ownership of reeds, trees, and shrubs. It was a privilege to visit this land that belongs to them and all these other denizens of the wild, and I look forward to visiting again someday. In the meantime, may they be fruitful and multiply and live in safety in their beautiful world.

Red-winged Blackbird

Birding in NW Ohio

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Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge

I
knew I’d be ready for some time alone after three days with 2,000
people at The Festival of Faith & Writing (more on that in a later
post), so I planned a meandering journey home with plenty of time for both
planned and spontaneous birding breaks. I spent this afternoon and this
evening along the coastal marsh areas in NW Ohio, stopping at nearly
every wildlife refuge and natural spot I came upon.

Maumee Bay State Park

The
soft pastels of the cattail marshes spread far and wide, dotted with
clumps of trees, alive with a plethora of Red-wing Blackbirds singing,
squawking, and flitting by. I’ve always liked the showy males with their
red and yellow epaulets, but I’m finding that now I especially love the
more muted, yet still striking, colors of the females. These blackbirds
filled the air with their song, perched on reed
and small trees throughout the marshes, watching me walk by on trail and boardwalk.              

Great
Blue Herons, gulls and terns of various sorts, Egrets, and Bald Eagles
fly over the marshes. At Magee Marsh this evening, there were about ten
Great Egrets feeding in the pond, standing still, bill poised over the
water, then suddenly striking. 

 

The ponds are filled with water birds,
and I saw my first American Widgeon, Greater Scaup, Northern Shoveler,
and Trumpeter Swan. Thirty-four Trumpeter Swans! They were dotted
throughout a waterway in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, reaching
under to graze on water plants, then lifting their graceful heads to
look around. I didn’t want to leave, and kept stopping my car to watch
them.

Trumpeter Swan
Northern Shoveler

I
walked a mile or so back in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge,
enjoying the sights and sounds, the wind blowing so hard I couldn’t hold
my binoculars steady. That wind meant few songbirds were active, but it
also meant that, when I was downwind of a muskrat, it had no idea I was
there and so it came fairly close, ripping grasses to carry away.
Eventually he had gathered enough, then he slid into the water and swam
off with a tremendous mouthful of grass.

A
refreshing day of solitude immersed in the beauty of creation. From the
excitement of “firsts” to the quiet wonder of watching a muskrat
gathering grass, my soul was nurtured and filled as I savored God’s good
handiwork.

Happy Birthday, Milo!

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It’s hard to believe that my Little Bean is EIGHT today. He is such a fun and funny member of our family, making me laugh every day, no matter what might be on my mind. He is also a world-class lap snuggler, keeping me warm on those cold, windy days that make a 270 year-old farmhouse house feels drafty.

Keeping Mom warm

From the connection we have when tracking, to Milo’s overflowing joy every time I walk upstairs from the basement, to his silly, happy dance at mealtimes, Milo is a delight and has been a gift from the day he joined our family. Happy Birthday, Milo Bean, and may you have many more!

 

Rolling with Lucy!

Playing with Kippy

Solitude

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There is a contemplative 
in all of us,
almost strangled
but still alive,
who craves quiet
enjoyment of the Now,
and longs to touch
the seamless
garment of silence
which
makes whole.
                                                 Alan P. Tory
I move
around the house, breathing air rich with potential. My thoughts slow, not in
lassitude, but with quiet peace that opens me to the broad expanse of today. I
look around, see sunlight painting patterns on the fir flooring,
Milo basking on the hearth, the meandering stream sparkling through the woods.
Birds sing from time to time, but not often; I hear the near stillness of a
winter day.
Time alone, solitude– words of invitation to step out and in.
Out of the bustle and pressure of rushing toward the future, into the richness
of the present moment. My tattered soul longs for, yet resists the quiet
invitation, clinging anxiously to the
demands of the urgent, even while reaching for the Now.
The
present gently envelops me; my eyes open to the small and the large that I’ve
been missing in the rush. Fingers relax, breathing slows and deepens, colors
catch and hold my eye, smiles dance across my face…
This
hour passes timelessly, I in concert with it. Afterward, my soul once again
whole, I look to the future, now filled with peace and joy. 
Morning Sparkle

Savoring Here and Now

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Sitting in the darkened living
room, Stephen beside me, we watch the Christmas tree
lights randomly sequence slowly through varied color combinations–the
result of Stephen’s programming fun last year. Milo is curled on
the hearth, absorbing the fire’s warmth; Petra is snuggled at my feet,
twitching slightly as she dreams, and the other pets are sleeping
nearby.

Christmas
music is playing softly, the fire is quietly crackling. All else is
still. And so we sit, absorbing the fullness of the moment. Quiet inside
and out, reflecting on the gifts of this season. Peace, love, time
together, life, hope. A Savior, freely given, and the gift of faith,
that we may know him. Nothing is lacking. 

I
want to stop time and hold this moment forever. I
know I can’t, though, so I savor it fully, heart attuned to the present moment
in both this time and this place. All of myself here now, with Stephen, with
myself, and with our God. 

Tea with Bilbo

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Bilbo watched me expectantly, his stub tail wagging, as I put the kettle on, took a mug out of the cupboard, and rustled in the tea cabinet. He knew what that meant: time for afternoon tea. Bilbo, a rescue Australian Shepherd with an unknown history, had a tendency to become anxious if anything in his routine changed. And, of course, most routine went out the window for our family of five during holidays, with three active teenagers and their friends in and out of the house. Add to that my tendency to become stressed during the holidays, and neither Bilbo nor I was a happy camper.

One year, as Bilbo’s anxiety mounted and my holiday-related stress rose, an idea occurred to me. Why not share a cup of tea with Bilbo? I started making a pot of chamomile tea each afternoon, knowing the calming qualities of chamomile, and looking forward to a few quiet moments for myself. Very soon, Bilbo and I were both looking forward to this daily interlude of quiet connection in a busy time of year. I’d make the pot of tea, pour some in a bowl and add a couple of ice cubes, pour myself a steaming mugful, then give Bilbo his tea at my feet, while I sat in my rocker with mine. He would lap, I would sip, and both our stress would retreat for a time. After drinking his tea, Bilbo would settle with a sigh, always touching one of my feet. I would sit quietly so as not to disturb him, and we would enjoy a few moments of quiet connection.

Each dog has given me different gifts; one of Bilbo’s gifts to me was a way to slow down and enjoy simple peace and quiet in the midst of holiday stress. Bilbo is long gone, but those quiet moments shared over a cup of tea are some of my most precious memories of him.

Walk in the Woods with a Child

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I recently came across the following poem that my Grandmother wrote many years ago, after walking with me in the woods behind our home one day.  I think I was probably about eleven, when Gramummy asked me to take her for a walk in our woods and show her some of my favorite places. (At that time I spent most of my free time exploring our woods and the 750 acre sanctuary beyond our stone wall.) I remember the joy I felt at the opportunity to share my wonderful world and point out the little signs of the wildlife I loved. I didn’t know Gramummy had written about our walk until years later, after she had died, so it was a special gift to receive this poem.
Walk in the woods with your children
And learn the wonders of God.
I walked in the woods with Melissa
And heard the song of a bird,
I saw the print of a field mouse
And smelled the scent of the wood.
I felt the presence of creatures
That gave perspective to man
And yearned for the power of
childhood
To know God’s miraculous plan.
         
               Edith D. Beach

  
This Barred Owl reminds me of one early morning years ago, when Jonathan, Arielle and I got up before dawn and went out into the woods to observe and sketch. We were thrilled to find a Barred Owl posing beautifully in a tree, and we stood for a long time admiring and sketching him.

Riga Falls, where I sat on the damp woods floor and sketched with my nephew Felix last summer

Babycakes Cafe Exhibition

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Babycakes Cafe in Poughkeepsie, NY offers space for local artists to hang their work, and my work will be there through the month of December. I’m delighted at the opportunity to exhibit my work locally, and Babycakes has become one of Steve’s and my favorite spots to go for an evening out dinner date. Arielle and I have also been there for brunch, and so far everything I have tried there has been delicious.

Here are some of my watercolors you can see at Babycakes.

Stonehenge
Filigree 
Surveying His Kingdom