grey days

Thursday, August 13, 2009



Miss D and my early morning walk along the crescent beach

Grey days, calm waters and great blue herons.

The blue herons at this time of year are as common as crows. When we walk along the harbours edge the shallow waters are lined with these giant and majestic birds. They're expert fishers. We take them a bit for granted we see them so often ... and so many of them. If by chance I see an eagle, or even rarer, an osprey my heart skips a jump and I feel thrilled but seeing the herons each day has become a bit blase, which I'm ashamed to confess.

This little harbour eventually leads, just past the large cement wharf and under the bridge to a wide open estuary with an island, a sanctuary for all water birds and all of this land is protected for the them, for the herons, the many varieties of ducks and the thousands of geese who stop here on there way somewhere - although lately many just stop here and our winter fields have become dotted with big beautiful Canada Geese.

Great blue herons are huge giant birds standing, atop long stilt like legs, they tower beteen 3 and 4ft tall and with a wing span of between 5 and 6 ft. They have a terribly unflattering squawking cry which you can listen to here (scroll down to the bottom). I can hear them now, as I type, squawking down at the harbours edge. They have beautiful and quite dramatic markings, although they're not really blue it's more of a steel grey colour and they have a defined black and white crest atop their head. This time of the year here in our little village by the sea they're everywhere ... and we're glad they're here.

heron animal medicine


16 comments:

  1. Hello: has "40 Years Later" disappeared? I always followed her through your blog but she's off the list? I'd enjoyed keeping up with her. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Its lovely to have such an abundance of bird life around.

    That first photo is so serene.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is that where you stay??
    Such a beautiful place...Loved it!
    Wish I could come there sometime!!
    Keep writing..:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. You can almost lose the sky in the sea. So peaceful, and so like autumn. Is the weather changing, or is it still hot? Edward especially wants to know as he has almost reached his limit with the hot weather!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jackie - 40 years seems to have stopped blogging way back in May.

    And yes this is my home - the scenes from today's post steps from my door.

    And Pamela the nights and early mornings are noticably cooler but it's still summer through mid day hot but thankfully the humidity has disappeared. Winnie sends lots of love to E & A.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your view looks conducive to meditation. I love the peacefulness in your photos.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Susan, that was me, Judy in KY. My blogger account is acting up.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the herons. We don't see them very often (or the eagles), so I still get excited. There is one heron who comes to our creek every year (from where I have no idea). And one year I surprised a heron who was 'shopping' in the little fish pond we have by the kitchen door. Amazing wings! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yeah.....about those Canada Geese or as I like to call them, Da Poopers. Can you get more of them to come home to Canada? Believe me with our political system we have MORE than enough fecal matter.
    If you can't lure them home then can you at least send me a good roast goose recipe?










    (yes i know, in the US these geese are protected and would never dream of harming a feather on Da Poopers heads)

    ReplyDelete
  10. how could you ever leave? i am going to win the lotto and move to 29 blackstreet. the heron medicine sounds like the perfect rememdy for where you are now. i like the photos *ho hum the same ol comment but my goodness you take some beautiful photos* the sea bleeds into sky.

    ReplyDelete
  11. B Shamu of course you are a friend to geese, especially those crazy socialist geese from the North. Frozen goose poop is a delicacy much loved by most dogs - although Miss D, with her delicate palate is not a fan - she prefers crab or muskrat - or a combo of - her version of surf & turf.

    and chickory I "must" move because I'm a girl who just wants to create, design, read books, cook and take photographs, hang with the cats and walk with Miss D. This big old house and big old yard is way too much for me. I do nothing (in the cleaning, maintenance, mowing, chopping, whacking areas) and she's fast falling in disrepair, and being swallowed whole by unruly green things. I could try to find a smaller more manageable house nearby but you also must remember I don't like to drive. I feel isolated here and I'm lonely. If I'm gonna make a move - I think it's time to really move. A move to a place where I could see movies in a theatre, go back to school, join things , volunteer more, walk & chat daily with my best friend, do more, be more - live a little. It is totally bittersweet. My memories here are tainted by loss and of a "past" happy life. I keep longing for that old life. It's time to begin a new great life with a fresh start.

    I love it here and I have filled myself up with this place, it's beauty, it's peace and quiet, the nature that's all around me - but I know with confidence that I could love somewhere else too.

    It means so much that you think my photos are beautiful. Merci my friend.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Grey here today too. Sandhill cranes are the tall squawkers here. Hope things have been well with you, Miss Dixon and the boys. I've fallen off the blogging wagon and can't seem to climb back on. It's been an interesting summer, to put it mildly.

    ReplyDelete
  13. My Elizabeth loves the Great Blue Herons! It's been her favorite bird since she was just an itty bitty thing.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I kinda like grey days...an excuse for a veg and read day!
    Loved the photos.

    ReplyDelete
  15. There's a number of herons here too.

    I love how the grey skies and land blend at the horizon in your shots.

    ReplyDelete

Hey ! We LOVE comments here at 29 Black Street.
Thanks for stopping by.