gratitude

Want to help celebrate my birthday?

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

Today is my birthday and I’m grateful for all that I have.
I’m not in need of anything.
Meanwhile, Gaza remains under siege during the latest so-called ceasefire and
part of that “deal” includes Israel murdering 2 children/ day in the first six weeks.

Seen on Olympic Discovery Trail. November 18, 2025

Many of us feel helpless in the face of mass death and destruction,
but small acts can be life-changing for Palestinians.
Please consider helping me celebrate my birthday
by helping Ahmed and his family.
Any and all donations gratefully accepted.

Free Palestine.

Harlequin romance

/ Tracy Abell / 7 Comments

As much as I adore birds and watch them every chance I get, my identification skills are lacking. That’s why I especially appreciate whenever I spot the fanciest duck seen on the water around here. With markings like these, it’s easy to proclaim, “That’s a Harlequin Duck!”

Olympic Discovery Trail. November 18, 2025

While you can’t tell from this angle, Mr. Handsome was tucked up next to the bank and hard to see. I only noticed him while moving around in order to photograph a perching gull through a tangle of branches. I immediately shifted my focus.

Hello, beautiful! I’m in love.

Thankful Thursday: buffet of gifts

/ Tracy Abell / 13 Comments

Here’s a shout-out to this week’s highlight reel of awesomeness:

⭐  On Tuesday, Zohran Mamdani–33-year-old Muslim/democratic socialist/New York State Assemblyperson–won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor! Mamdani crushed the money-soaked and scandal-ridden Andrew Cuomo, and now has the Democratic establishment and pro-Israel money machine in an absolute panic. I’m still riding that high!

⭐  Zippy and I finally unpacked enough boxes and moved/donated enough furniture to be able to fit our car in the garage! The end of this moving process is in sight (if I squint and tilt my head just so).

⭐  Today there was a pretty substantial low tide (-3.4′) at Freshwater Bay so we put on our boots (hiking for Zippy, waders for me) and went exploring. The first thing we saw upon arrival was this:

When we got closer, I took another photo as I asked Zippy what he thought the story was with the boat. A voice came out of nowhere: “I fell asleep during high tide.” I hadn’t realized anyone was on the severely-tipped boat! The man went on to say he just had to wait for high tide and then could leave. A pretty relaxed outlook considering he was most definitely not able to wait/sit in an upright position.

Zippy and I continued our explorations where we saw all sorts of cool stuff (crab; very large sea anenome; sea slug known as “clown nudibranch”; vivid orange sea star [click to enlarge]:

 

                 

⭐  Two other generous explorers also shared their discoveries with us, sightings that made them absolutely giddy with excitement since those creatures are somewhat rare in that area: a California Sea Cucumber and a Sunflower Sea Star. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in position for good photos but very much appreciated the sightings!

⭐  After a couple hours, Zippy and I headed back across the slippery, kelp-strewn rocks toward the parking area. One last gift? The rising tide righted that man’s boat.

Happy day!

In gratitude and grief

/ Tracy Abell / 13 Comments

For 10 months, I felt a close connection to a person in Gaza. I didn’t know their name and they didn’t know mine. That didn’t matter. What did matter was a Palestinian needed help and I was able to provide assistance. Our shared humanity brought us together.

Because Israel targeted (and continues to target) internet infrastructure in Gaza, it’s incredibly difficult for Palestinians to communicate with family, friends, and the world beyond the open air prison in which they live. Imagine not only being under constant bombardment while enduring forced starvation, but also desperately wanting the ability to say one last goodbye. This is why Egyptian writer and journalist Mirna El Helbawi stepped in to provide free esims to the people of Gaza. As explained in that article, “Despite the name, eSIM cards aren’t physical cards at all but pieces of software that act like traditional SIM cards, allowing people to activate a new cellular plan with phone and internet access on their existing phone.”

When I learned about El Helbawi’s efforts via Connecting-Humanity.org, I purchased esims to donate. Several esims were never activated and then one was, and my heart soared! Starting on August 10, 2024, I kept an open tab on my laptop for the Nomad esim site where I could monitor the 10 GB data usage. Each time I opened the tab, I made a silent wish that the data amount had gone down. Day after day, I cheered on the Palestinian recipient, sending thoughts of strength and solidarity. Each decrease in data was proof of Palestinian resiliency. Whenever the data usage reached 7-8 GBs, I topped off the esim, adding another 10 GB that would be ready when the other ran out.

Month after month, I was connected to that Palestinian in Gaza. A student doing online studies? A journalist? Healthcare worker or street medic? Mother of four? Older brother caring for younger siblings? I had no way of knowing who might be accessing the internet but my heart was filled with gratitude for El Helbawi and the other volunteers who provided vital assistance to my Palestinian “friend” and thousands of others while also providing people such as myself a way to make a tangible difference in Gaza.

Today, after 10 months of usage, that Nomad esim expired with 6.37 GB of data remaining. For the past three weeks or so, the usage had remained the same despite me  checking and rechecking the Nomad site. My Palestinian friend used only 3.63 of the 10 GB before the esim quietly expired.

Obviously, I have no way of knowing what happened. Maybe their phone was dropped and damaged. Maybe their phone got lost. Or maybe the genocidal Israeli forces dropped a bomb on their tent or denied them access to life-saving medicine or lured them to a humanitarian aid station in order to gun them down. Or maybe my Palestinian friend got thrown in prison along with the thousands of Palestinians that Israel holds on administrative detention.

I will never know what happened to that courageous and resilient Palestinian who used their phone to survive those many months of horror. My pain of not-knowing is the tiniest fraction of the pain Palestinians endure as their families, friends, and communities are destroyed, and tens of thousands remain buried beneath rubble. I can barely imagine the depth of their pain and trauma.

What is being done to Palestinians is horrific. Full stop. But the damage doesn’t end with the death and destruction that’s been live-streamed since October of 2023. This genocide damages all of us as we avert our gazes and harden our hearts in futile efforts to protect ourselves from the violence and trauma. Israel and the United States and every other genocide-enabling government — whether actively aiding and abetting the death and destruction or merely remaining quiet — are counting on us becoming numb. They are purposely normalizing genocide, ethnic cleansing, displacement, colonialism, and state-sanctioned brutality so that we quit feeling compassion for others. Make no mistake, there’s a direct connection between what’s happening in Gaza and what’s happening in Los Angeles. Israel’s IDF trains ICE and police to use IDF’s brutal tactics.

In honor of my Palestinian friend I never met, I invite you to make a donation to Crips for esims for Gaza  which is “a collaboration between Jane Shi, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, and Alice Wong. Disabled people around the world are raising funds to get as many eSims as we can into Gaza.” This group has raised $2.4 million to buy esims for Gaza. They’re doing good and compassionate work.

Finally, also in honor of my Palestinian friend, I post this image from my yard. While it’s been battered and bruised by the elements, this red poppy still shines bright. It will rise up again next spring. There’s a reason the poppy is the national flower of Palestine.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

Thankful Thursday: holding onto my JOY

/ Tracy Abell / 24 Comments

These are incredibly hard days on the planet and today I want to give a shout-out to the JOY in my heart, something the fascists will never, ever take from me. They want us cowering in fear and apathy, quietly sinking into dark and joyless pits of despair, but it’s vital to stay connected to all the good stuff in this world. Here’s a list of some things bringing me joy today:

  • Running for the first time in months (not to mention at sea level!) and even though my joints were creaky and my pace pretty darned slow, it made me SO freaking happy. Joyous, even!
  • Singer/songwriter Valerie June‘s new release aptly titled “Joy, Joy!” which is catchy and uplifting (check it out here).
  • Watching the rain fall as the sun shines.
  • Putting on jeans still warm from the dryer.
  • Leaving on my walk to the library after posting this, knowing I’ll get answers to my questions because librarians rule! They take care of patrons and books alike!

I’d love to hear about what’s bringing you joy these days so please share in the comments!

Thankful Thursday: Olympic National Park

/ Tracy Abell / 10 Comments

It’s almost two weeks since we reached the Olympic Peninsula and because we’ve been busy with all sorts of tasks related to moving and relocation, we hadn’t yet visited the Olympic National Park. This morning, Zippy suggested a walk in the sunshine (!) to the Visitor’s Center to check it out. Kind of a recon mission. Well, before reaching the Visitor’s Center, we came upon a trail just off the street.

We stepped into the forest.

Oh my goodness. It was immediately like being in a whole different world. The sounds and smells of traffic disappeared, along with the stress I carried. Below you can see my spouse and our dog Emma, seemingly tiny beings against the backdrop of magnificent trees.

I’ve already developed a bit of a crick in my neck/shoulders from constantly tilting my head back in an attempt to see the tops of trees here and I’m not sure I’ll ever get tired of admiring moss-covered trunks and limbs.

Here’s Zippy working on his own neck crick while checking out these two trees growing from a cedar stump.

We had plans to hike another few miles but when the trail got so slick it took down Zippy, we decided to turn around for the day.

Today I give thanks for the Olympic National Park, its proximity to our rental home, and the rejuvenating properties of time spent in the natural world.

I receive these gifts.

 

Wordful Wednesday: travel edition

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Common Merganser in Umatilla River. Echo, Oregon. March 7, 2025

On our drive from Colorado to Washington, our second night’s stay was at a campground in Echo, Oregon. We arrived in the dark so it wasn’t until morning that I realized we were next to the Umatilla River. There was lots of bird song and movement, and I first grabbed the binoculars then the camera. The above photo was the first I took. I also saw a Belted Kingfisher, Greater Yellowlegs, California Scrub Jay, Mallards, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Eurasian-collared Doves. Zippy had to gently remind me that we had a full day’s drive ahead of us and so should leave.

I reluctantly said goodbye to everyone and everything there, thanking them for the gift of their presence. Echo was a lovely place to begin the day.

Thankful Thursday: rehomed piano

/ Tracy Abell / 25 Comments

For the past several months, I’ve been trying to find a new home for my beautiful old piano.

I don’t play nearly enough to justify paying out of state moving costs and so offered it up for free on the local Buy Nothing and Craigslist forums. Various people expressed interest over the months and one woman even came to play it. She’s used to playing a baby grand but is also moving and needs a piano that takes up less space. She asked me to play so she could hear how it sounded. HAHAHAHA I knew better than to put my “big note” skills on display for someone who’d brought her own sheet music and instead went in the other room while she played. Oh my goodness, that piano never produced such beautiful music, at least not while in my possession. And although I never heard from the woman again, I was grateful because I now knew for sure the piano had life left in it. I was more determined than ever to keep it out of the landfill.

However, our departure date was drawing closer and I was getting nervous. So I posted the piano again, this time offering to split piano-mover costs. I got exactly one response from someone who lives in a small mountain community and said he’d pick it up himself. I was skeptical on multiple levels. But today, he showed up in a car pulling a trailer rigged out with a pulley system. Zippy helped him get it on the ramp and the guy did all the rest. A friend in his community has a music studio and has been wanting a piano, but if he doesn’t want it the man would turn the piano into beautiful furniture, same  as he’s done with a bunch of other pianos over the past few years. I’m hoping his friend want this one and that my beautiful old piano has new musical adventures.

While waiting for the man to arrive this morning, I’d played one last song: Melancholy Baby. But the sadness lifted as I watched the piano leave the driveway. In addition to happiness about its potential new life in a music studio, I got a boost from the man who told us he approved of our yard signs and has a license plate holder that says “FREE PALESTINE. END APARTHEID.”

Solidarity, Mr. Piano Man! Melancholy no more.

Thankful Thursday: shared humanity

/ Tracy Abell / 10 Comments

This beautiful begonia bloom was waiting for me this morning when I arrived at a neighbor’s to water their plants.

The delicate bloom rested on the concrete below the pot, looking perfect as could be. It felt like a gift and I brought it home.

And now I offer this beautiful flower to those I’m grateful to be in community with, the people whose hearts are also broken on behalf of the Palestinians facing horror after horror as the United States arms and gives political cover to Israel’s genocide. This begonia bloom is also for those experiencing further outrage and heartache on behalf of the Lebanese who suffered two terrorist attacks this week as Israel carried out its long-range plan that involved a shell company in Hungary which built electronic devices laced with explosives to be detonated at a later date. That later date was this week. Dozens, including children, are dead, and thousands are maimed as a result of electronic devices literally exploding in their faces.

For all who refuse to normalize death and destruction, who refuse to harden their hearts against people halfway around the world, I’m grateful for your shared humanity. Thank you.

Edited to add: I meant to also share the begonia gift with those sickened and heartsick on behalf of the Haitian immigrants being demonized and terrorized by people using the “othering” playbook to advance their fascist goals. I’m grateful to all who refuse to remain silent in the face of that hateful demagoguery.

Thankful Thursday: people who reach out

/ Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

Over the years, I’ve had friends from my distant past find me via this site which is always a happy surprise. And strangers have reached out after reading something I posted. For example, after writing about Aaron Bushnell on Memorial Day, a friend of his wrote to me. Their message touched me deeply and I wrote back to thank them for taking the time to contact me in solidarity.

But I’m not always successful in responding to people and so today I’m using this space to let LR know that I received their message. Thank you! I tried to respond via the email provided but there’s an error with that address and it doesn’t go through. I did an online search and was able to find an edu email address for you, and sent my message there. Because I haven’t heard anything back, I’m  wondering if that’s also a bad address. PLEASE, if you see this, use the contact form again and leave a different return address. I very much appreciated your message and would like to converse some more!

May 29, 2019

Solidarity!

Thankful Thursday: the common

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Life feels difficult the last few days–personally, professionally, and globally–and now more than ever, I’m grateful for nature’s gifts. Today I’ve taken solace in the presence of many magpies (my next door neighbor just confirmed her dog–again— spread kibble in their backyard) as they fly to-and-fro, pause to snack on Rainbow’s offerings, and bathe in my bird bath.

Magpies are common around here yet they never fail to lift my spirits. Equally common are the bright, cheery sunflowers smiling in my yard and throughout the neighborhood. These, too, always bring a smile. And when that sunflower sighting includes a Common Checkered-Skipper?

Backyard. August 12, 2024

Well, then my gratitude knows no bounds. Even when I gaze upon the image nearly a month later, it’s like bottled Balm for the Soul.

A story in three acts

/ Tracy Abell / 18 Comments

The other day, I went outside to sit with my camera. Just in case something interesting presented itself. I focused on the zinnias that are finally blooming from the seeds I planted months ago.

Right after taking that photo, the camera still held to my eye, something interesting happened.

A Broad-tailed Hummingbird flew into the frame! Fortunately, the camera speed was fairly high and, four images later, I captured this which was the best of the bunch:

In that brief span of time, all felt right with me and the world. Thank you, little Miss Hummingbird, for the gift of your presence.

Thankful Thursday: hawk edition

/ Tracy Abell / 15 Comments

Earlier today, movement outside the window caught my eye. I turned and saw:
Emma running along the fence + a Red-tailed Hawk sitting on the wire + a squirrel jumping into the maple tree right next to the wire + another Red-tailed Hawk landing in that maple tree.

I sent up a prayer for the squirrel as I ran for the camera in the other room. By the time I returned, all I could see were the two hawks. The squirrel must’ve escaped and Emma was elsewhere in the yard, oblivious to having chased that squirrel right toward the hawks.

I photographed the one on the wire through the kitchen window and captured the hawk in the tree by sneakily pushing my big lens through the mini-blinds in Zippy’s office. I was grateful they didn’t startle at my movements and even more grateful they hung around as long as they did. Just moments after getting photos of the tree-sitter, the hawk took off from the wire and the other followed.

I receive these gifts.

Thankful Thursday: trailrunning

/ Tracy Abell / 22 Comments

Just over three weeks ago, I took a pretty hard fall while running on the trails in the open space. I’ll spare you the image of my left knee that I texted to my sons after limping home (an image that prompted Wildebeest to reply, “Ewwwww. Mother I am squeamish”), and will only say that the last bits of scabbing came off two days ago (to which everyone reading is probably thinking, “Ewwwww, Tracy. We’re squeamish!”) The point is, my knee is healed and while I’d already resumed running on the streets, I was very nervous about trail running again.

I got up at six this morning knowing I needed to run early in order to beat the heat, and checked in with my intuition: run on the trails or run on the streets? Trails. Okay, then. In an attempt to feel slightly more protected, I put on leggings despite temperatures already in the 60s.

Not gonna lie: it’s always scary to run on those rocky trails after a fall and today was no different. It was hard to fully relax and I had to intentionally push images of tripping and falling out of my mind. I talked myself through the run (“You are strong. You are resilient. You are mindful. Feet on the ground, feet on the ground, feet on the ground,”) and tried very hard to be in the moment. Whenever my brain jumped to catastrophe, I reminded it to “be in this moment, with these steps.” [Note: I’m sharing these details to document the experience for myself, but also in case this approach might be helpful for anyone dealing with a trauma.]

I wasn’t alone out in the open space. A large dark butterfly flew right in front of me, bringing a grin. Birds sang (lots of Spotted Towhees with their sweet sweet teeeeea) and when I paused to stretch at the top of the slog, I heard the liquid song of a Western Meadowlark.

Not a great photo but this was my very first Western Meadowlark sighting of the year at Lake Hasty on 4.3.24

While I avoided a particularly rocky segment of the trail, I knew it was imperative I run past where I’d fallen. As I got closer to the scene of the fall, all sorts of feelings and tightness showed up in my body, and I paused to allow myself to feel all of that. As I had immediately after the initial fall, I visualized my left foot hitting the rock in the trail and then rewrote the story in my mind. Instead of slamming into the hard ground, I slid into what was essentially a slip-n-slide of banana pudding (yep, that’s what my brain came up with that day). Both initially and today, I allowed my body to feel that frictionless sensation and then visualized myself laughing as I wiped pudding from my face and hands, and licked it from my fingers. I went through that exercise several times. It’s a somatic experiencing trick I learned from my therapist, and I highly recommend this for releasing trauma from your system. It works. As I walked home from the initial fall, my knee hurt but my body was already more relaxed. And over the next week, whenever the image of falling popped into my head, I reverted to my banana pudding rewrite. Pretty soon, I stopped having “flashbacks.”

Today I’m very grateful that I was able to run on my beloved trails again. I’m grateful I remained upright and I’m grateful for the tools I have to help me recover. I know from past experience that today’s run didn’t fully liberate me from my trauma and that I’ll be tentative for a bit, but facing my fear will go a long way toward getting me back to where I want to be. And where I want to be is out running on the trails. 🙂

Twofer Tuesday: out my window

/ Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

Today I’m grateful for all the activity that’s viewable from my windows. Just a while ago, I paused my laundry duties to watch house wrens at the nesting box hanging outside the window. Nothing like a little avian activity to lighten the drudgery of dealing with dirty sheets and towels.

Last week, I photographed this youngster eating the nut munch we provide for neighborhood squirrels. I smiled the entire time.

A few minutes later, I was gifted the sighting of this magpie and its colorful plumage. It wasn’t until looking at the photos that I realized a tail feather is damaged. That imperfection doesn’t detract from its beauty, but instead adds to its mystique.

It’s currently 95 degrees and I’m hunkered down inside, grateful for the swamp cooler keeping the house cool-ish and for the windows that allow glimpses of our wildlife visitors.

Sandhill Cranes

/ Tracy Abell / 11 Comments

We had a glorious time at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge with the thousands of Sandhill Cranes. This is just a tiny taste of what we experienced and one of the final photos I took yesterday evening. These four cranes were coming in for a landing at a popular feeding spot in the barley field.

March 12, 2024

I don’t know what it was about that corner but during each of the three feeding times we witnessed, cranes showed up at that spot which is within 50 feet of where people are allowed to stand. There’d be just a few to start and then others, like the four above, would drop in to join them. Zippy joked about the cranes having an agreement to take turns posing for the humans. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful for their presence. More photos to come!

Thankful Thursday: South Africa charges Israel with genocide

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

It’s very fitting that South Africa, a former apartheid state, is the country that recently filed charges against Israel in the International Court of Justice.

South Africa asserts that Israel is in violation of the Geneva Convention. From the 84-page document‘s Introduction:
The acts and omissions by Israel complained of by South Africa are genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group, that being the part of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip (‘Palestinians in Gaza’). The acts in question include killing Palestinians in Gaza, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, and inflicting on them conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction. The acts are all attributable to Israel, which has failed to prevent genocide and is committing genocide in manifest violation of the Genocide Convention, and which has also violated and is continuing to violate its other fundamental obligations under the Genocide Convention, including by failing to prevent or punish the direct and public incitement to genocide by senior Israeli officials and others.

I have not read the entire document (not even close), but here is video of British newspaper columnist, Owen Jones, breaking down the contents. Confession: it was difficult getting through the entire video due to the sheer volume of horrifying details about Israel’s genocidal campaign, but it felt important to bear witness to what’s happening in my name. (Note: the video link also allows you to “show transcript” if you’d rather read or want to read along. OR, you can watch with subtitles via Twitter)

This from the end of Owen Jones’s video (~ 32:00 mark):
This is why South Africa’s case is so important. A ruling by the court could take years but we don’t have years so South Africa has asked for something else as well for the court to order in the meantime: for Israel to cease its operations in Gaza, to desist from the forced displacement of Palestinians, and allow Gazans to get access to humanitarian aid. That would mean foreign States who then facilitate Israel’s current action would find themselves criminally liable.

Predictably, White House National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, referred to the filing as “meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever.” (Um, the filing contains 574 footnotes, not to mention that the entire world is watching this genocide!)

I haven’t watched it yet, but Owen Jones made another video on South Africa’s filing, this one with human rights lawyer Daniel Machover. (Fun fact: In 1967, after Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Daniel Machover’s father, who was born to a Jewish family in Tel Aviv, plus 11 others, signed this statement:

If only Israel had aligned itself with that statement which saw far into the country’s future.

As for South Africa’s filing, since the U.S. is the bully of the planet, I’m not holding my breath. But I will watch the video with Daniel Machover and see what he thinks could happen. Either way, we should all be grateful to South Africa for stepping up in this moment.  It’s increasingly difficult to maintain my civility when placing calls to Biden and my so-called representatives who continue to insist Israel is merely defending itself (via mass starvation?!), and I would love for all of them to someday be held complicit in this genocide. A woman can dream, right?

No matter what happens, I remain in steadfast support of a Free Palestine.

Thankful Thursday: moral courage

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Today I am thankful for the many, many people lending their voices to the chorus for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Protesters raise their painted hands as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing to examine the national security supplemental request, in Washington October 31, 2023 © SAUL LOEB / AFP

  • Several days ago, a top UN official who’d worked on human rights issues for 30+ years resigned in protest of the ongoing genocide and the UN & West’s complicity in Israel’s abuses. You can read Craig Mokhiber’s full letter HERE, including this excerpt: ” . . . western corporate media, increasingly captured and state-adjacent, are in open breach of Article 20 of the ICCPR, continuously dehumanizing Palestinians to facilitate the genocide, and broadcasting propaganda for war and advocacy of national, racial, or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, and violence. US-based social media companies are suppressing the voices of human rights defenders while amplifying pro-Israel propaganda. Israel lobby online-trolls and GONGOS are harassing and smearing human rights defenders, and western universities and employers are collaborating with them to punish those who dare to speak out against the atrocities.”
  • Incredibly brave American Jews and allies are protesting and demonstrating in various parts of the U.S. as I write this. In Durham, North Carolina, they’re blocking the highway to demand a CeasefireNOW. They’ve taken over the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. In Boston, dozens of faith leaders are protesting in the JFK Building.
  • Ultra-Orthodox Jews are speaking out in solidarity with Palestinians and disavowing Zionism, putting themselves in harm’s way. I don’t want to link to those upsetting videos, but invite you to see video from a New York protest HERE.
  • African American writer Ta-Nehisi Coates went on Democracy Now! to speak about his visit to Palestine and the connections he saw between Jim Crow/ segregation and the apartheid in Israel. You can watch that interview and/or read the transcript HERE

Demonstrations and marches continue around the world. Go HERE for the list that’s updated daily. Ceasefiretoday.com includes that link plus ALL the tools needed to make our voices heard.

Nothing but gratitude for those refusing to remain silent!

A dose of nature

/ Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

On Tuesday, Zippy and I drove to Kenosha Pass to admire the changing foliage and take a hike. I was giddy with anticipation since we’d left Emma at home which meant I could fully relax without constantly scanning for other dogs on the trail. Emma came to us with some emotional baggage and she still, after all these years, frequently reacts to other dogs. I was looking forward to a quiet hike and photo session. But when we reached Kenosha Pass, the parking lots where we typically only see about ten vehicles when we drive past on Highway 285 were completely filled with vehicles. Not only that, the side road was also lined with vehicles. About 50 or more vehicles. Ugh.

I made a quick U-turn and drove back another mile or so to a turnoff our neighbor had alerted us to. He’d said there was a lake back there where we could hike. Well, it turns out that lake is now off-limits to the public and there were several NO TRESPASSING signs posted about but there was a parking area for another trailhead. So, off we went.

We were in Pike National Forest where the pine trees outnumbered the showy aspen trees, but that was okay. Because it was SO peaceful in the forest and there was much vivid beauty to admire. (click to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

We kept a tally of the few birds seen and heard** as we were serenaded by the wind in the pines. And then the pines would quit their shushing wind sounds to become absolutely silent. At one point, we were hiking in that silence and then came upon these trees which loudly creaked as several of them rubbed against each other in the wind.

I fought the urge to investigate which ones were producing the creaking sounds as I’d learned while hiking to Eaglesmere Lake that those sounds are impossible to locate. On that hike, I’d stood in one spot to listen and felt positive the sound was coming from my left, only to move left and then hear the sound coming from behind me. Or in front of me or to the right. It was enough to make me believe in impish woodland creatures.

When we’d arrived at the trailhead, the car display said it was 47 degrees. Clouds moved in as we hiked and the temperature dropped a bit. At one point, the sun shone down as a smattering of teeny-tiny flakes of snow fell. The most troublesome objects in the sky were the three sets of fighter jets that flew over, completely obliterating the tranquility. When the third set roared overhead, Zippy aimed a middle finger at them and shouted a profanity which cracked me up although I couldn’t stop thinking about how the wildlife must be so traumatized by those sounds. At least we understood the source of that horrific noise.

It wasn’t all pines, we did see some glorious aspen displays. Here we are taking turns being leaf-peepers. As you can see, Zippy’s approach is a bit more stealth than mine.

 

 

 

After we’d turned around to head back, the clouds began to darken and I started singing Winnie-the-Pooh’s “A Little Black Rain Cloud.” But it wasn’t rain in those clouds, it was snow! For a while there, we hiked through an absolute flurry.

Our first snow of the season! We were above 10,000 feet so it shouldn’t have been that unexpected, but it did feel a bit other-worldly. And it was getting colder. All summer when hiking with my camelback, the first sips of water that’d been in the tube were always warmer than the following sips. It was the reverse: the tube-water was cold and the water from inside the pack was warm. Kinda trippy!

Fortunately, I was dressed appropriately and kept warm for the 5 1/2 mile hike. Even better, we only saw ONE HUMAN that entire time. A woman on a mountain bike passed us going the other way at our four-mile mark and then caught up with us again a few minutes before we made it back to our car. We were SO glad we’d opted out of the hordes of leaf-peepers on the pass. They might’ve seen more aspen displays than us, but we had the solitude on our side. It was truly a magnificent hike.

All gratitude to nature!

**
Dark-headed Junco
Canada Jay
Possibly a bald eagle although probably a Turkey Vulture
Mountain Chickadee
Crow
Common Raven
Chipmunk

Thankful Thursday: second time’s the charm

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

Almost exactly two years ago, Zippy and I attempted a hike to Eaglesmere Lake in the White River National Forest, but were thwarted in our efforts (in no small part because Zippy had forgotten shoes and was hiking in socks and Tevas + we’d forgotten to bring the trail info + we missed the turn due to a very faded trail sign). I wrote about that experience here. Today, I’m happy to report that yesterday we made it to Eaglesmere Lake!

Zippy took this wide-angle shot with his phone.

click to enlarge

It’s true that the last time we attempted the hike, the trail sign was old and faded. But what’s also true is that there was at least a mention of Eaglesmere Lake on the middle sign. Not so anymore. Here’s the new sign we encountered yesterday:

No mention of Eaglesmere Lake whatsoever. So, if we hadn’t been better prepared this time (as in knowing we’d started on Trail 61 and needed to turn right at Trail 60), we would’ve been hosed again. Fortunately, we had proper footwear AND trail info!

After hiking the 4.3 miles there, I asked Zippy to photograph me with the elusive lake in the background to show we’d prevailed. I wanted documentation, darn it!

And Zippy wanted a photo of me without the visor and hood:

Then we ate a late lunch. We were the only people there because, once again, we’d gotten a late start which meant that everyone else had already been and gone by the time we arrived. After eating, I clambered over the rocks to photograph the grasses (?) floating on the water.

click to enlarge

After a little more rest, we started back. Along the way, we spotted a Downy Woodpecker in the same area where we’d watched a woodpecker circle the trunk of an aspen tree two years ago. We grinned at the synchronicity. Then just a little farther down the trail, we were treated to a sighting of the larger Hairy Woodpecker! Hooray!

We arrived back at our campsite at 5:30, tired from our exertions but very grateful we’d accomplished what we’d set out to do.  All hail Eaglesmere Lake!

 

Thankful Thursday: assortment edition

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

Hello, out there! I haven’t been around much because I’ve been hunkered down in the revision cave. However, today I am thankful because:

  • I finally, finally sent my revised manuscript to my agent earlier this week!
  • A family member made it through a surgery today!
  • Our new ebike was delivered this afternoon and Zippy just finished putting it all together (minus the front and back baskets)!

While Zippy is a bicyclist, I haven’t ridden a bike in years and have been content to keep running for my cardio exercise. So why the ebike? We’d like to avoid using our gas-powered vehicle as much as possible and because we live on a hill, running errands on a bike is very daunting. Zippy can ride up the hill but I’d have to get off and walk a bike for the approximate mile of incline. Oof.

But now  I’ll have pedal-assist when it comes to that big ol’ hill. I’ll be able to go to the library to return books and check out more! It’ll be a breeze going to the office supply store when I need another notebook or some pens! When Zippy is missing an ingredient for whatever delicious meal he’s preparing, I’ll be able to zip down to the supermarket and back! Yay yay yay!

In case anyone’s interested, the Heybike sale is going for another day. I realize it’s still LOTS of money (I’m also very thankful for our ability to invest in this bike), but wanted to put this info out there. Customer satisfaction seems to be very high for this bike. I’ll keep you posted on our experiences. In the meanwhile, I hope you and yours are having a good week!

All hail the monarch!

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

I have many memories of milkweed plants and monarch butterflies from my childhood in Wisconsin, but haven’t seen a living monarch in quite some time. Years and years and years, to be (in)exact. There’ve been some sightings of no-longer-living monarchs, one in Florida and another here on a neighborhood street a looong time ago, along with increasingly frequent milkweed sightings that make me happy because the plant is crucial to monarchs’ survival, which is why I got upset when a patch of milkweed on the corner got hammered by hail last month. I was able to restore one plant to an upright and stable, position, but then a couple weeks later noticed someone had chopped it down. *sob*

Well, I’m thrilled to report an update. As we finished our neighborhood walk this morning, we stopped three houses up the street from our home to admire a patch of milkweed in bloom. Sharp-eyed Zippy whispered, “Look.”

My heart soared as we silently watched that delicate beauty move about the bloom. I reminded Zippy of his phone which he slowly and carefully took out to document the moment. I’m so grateful for this photo and will return to it again and again. It’s hard times on the planet these days, but the magnificent collaboration between this butterfly and plant gave me a much-needed boost. May it do the same for you.

Thankful Thursday: House Wrens

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

I just spent a whole bunch of time at my laundry room window with my camera, watching the House Wren family. In mid-April, I sent a wish into the universe for wrens to nest in the box Zippy put up beneath the deck (a nest box he found while cleaning out his mother’s home) and then in early June I noted wrens had moved into the nesting box!

For the past week or so, there’s been a clamor coming from that box. A frenzied wall of sound that prompted me to tell Zippy “Sounds like 16 babies in there!” The noise level goes WAY up when a parent arrives with food, causing many spontaneous smiles on our faces. But it wasn’t until today that I went down with my camera and, oh my goodness, what fun! Not only fun, but educational.

First off, all those sounds appear to come from just two babies. (I never saw more than two beaks poking out.)

Second, those wren parents work their butts off.

Not only does a parent bring food every food minutes, but they also remove poop after each feeding. (That was my guess after watching for a while, but I had no idea how it was done.) Per Wikipedia, the nestling produces a fecal sac within seconds of being fed, which the parent removes. The below image isn’t great (click to enlarge), but it does show the sac in the parent’s beak.

 

However, the poop saga doesn’t end there! If the nestling doesn’t produce a fecal sac, the parent will prod around the little one’s hind end (no, that’s not the correct anatomical term) to stimulate excretion. Which explains the next image.

 

After the nestling(s) took the insect, the adult waited a bit and then dove into the nesting box. This only happened the one time, so I’m guessing the little ones were doing a pretty good job of pooping right after eating. Probably not fun having Mom up in their business.

 

At one point, I was baffled by all the sounds I was hearing because neither nestling was visible at the hole. Who was so agitated? And where was the sound coming from? I stared and stared at that hole in the box. Then movement caught my eye and I noticed an adult with a moth in its beak on a timber below the nesting box. It made no sense, but it was clearly the one singing the song because I could see their throat move. Weird, I thought, singing with its mouth full. What’s up with that? And the dancing?

When I described what I’d seen, Zippy suggested that maybe the adult was trying to entice the youngsters to leave the nest. That made perfect sense to me, but a quick online search didn’t turn up any info to support or deny that theory. Either way, it was so delightful watching that tiny bird dance around with an enormous moth in its beak, all the while singing a beautiful song.

That was the most enjoyable laundry room experience I’ve ever had! Thank you, universe, for granting my wish. This wren family is balm for my soul.

Thankful Thursday: documented poppy

/ Tracy Abell

I photographed the neighbors’ glorious poppy on June 8 which is good because even if it had bloomed this long, it would be no-more.

Last night we had heavy hail that shredded leaves and plants around the neighborhood and today we had another round of very heavy rain** and more hail. While I do appreciate the moisture (my perspective is “as long as we’re soggy, we won’t start on fire”), there’s such a thing as moderation. We’re clearly experiencing extreme weather all around the globe, but I won’t go into the depressing realities of the climate crisis.

Instead, today I give thanks that I took the time to document this gorgeous flower so that it could be enjoyed forever. May it bring you a smile!

** 1.5 – 2.5″ of rain in 1-2 hours in our neighborhood

Thankful Thursday: clean air hike

/ Tracy Abell / 7 Comments

While many, many other communities continue to struggle with unhealthy and hazardous air quality due to wildfire smoke, the air has been clear in the Denver metro area. Zippy, Emma, and I ventured out into the open space for the first time in weeks after lots of rain made the trails too muddy. Hooray for them being almost completely dry again!

Here are a few highlights, beginning with the Turkey Vulture soaring overhead when we got on the trail:

One of a few blooming Paintbrushes:

And finally, an enormous bumblebee drinking from a lupine (I wish I could include audio because this bee was BUZZING):

I’m grateful for the clean air, the glory of the natural world, and my ability to move about on the trails. I humbly receive these gifts.