Ray made this fun, solar fountain....
What is it about fountains that are so relaxing? Water is such a vital source of life... Primordial and sacred... a source of inspiration and regeneration. Powerful and mysterious.... always new. A gift of love that connects all things.....
“I understand that everything is connected, that all roads meet, and that all rivers flow into the same sea.” – Paulo Coelho

I keep going back to the Rookery to watch the development of the Herons, from arriving and building their nests, to the newborns, to watching the chicks learn to fly and eventually all leaving the nests...only to come back each year and do it again.
It is truly a gift to be so close and watch the hundreds of birds as they live their lives... This is a collection of photos from the hundreds of Herons nesting at the 9th Street Rookery. I recorded the amazing sounds they make (sorry for the occasional cars going by). It is always a joyous ruckus of sounds and activities, and for those who can't visit this gives you a little idea of the wonder and fun.

After a week of being sick with a cold, I am feeling a little better, so Ray and I were able to take a walk around Howarth Park this morning. It was an overcast day, but still beautiful to take a moment and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of nature.

Every year, over 200 Egrets arrive to nest. It an incredible gift to see them each season, from the first arrivals preparing the nests, through the births and dramas, and watching the young take their first test flights. It is an active colony with noisy, nest building, and includes Great Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Black Crown Night Egrets and Snowy Egrets.