Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Author Archives: dawnkinster


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Search for Red

My purpose, this past Monday, in going out to my favorite park was to see if the red-winged blackbird was back here in southeastern Michigan. I had one visiting my backyard feeder, but I hadn’t heard him or any others singing, my true harbinger of spring.

Everybody’s in a hurry. Why not stop and just enjoy a spot of sunlight?

I knew if they were anywhere, they’d be at Kensington which has large marshy areas and more importantly, people with food for the birds.

Hey lady! I’ll pose for peanuts!

When I arrived I drove past the heron rookery in case the eagle happened to be there, and since he (or she?) was not, I didn’t bother to walk over there after I parked. Instead I considered which trail might be most effective for finding the blackbirds.

I’ll keep watch for you lady! My fee is mere peanuts!

And then I remembered that I have been seeing beautiful images of the illusive (to me anyway) red headed woodpecker taken at this park. And I knew, from those pictures, what area of the trail system he had usually been seen.

I don’t see any red birds over this way. Do you happen to have any peanuts?

So I decided to go check that out before more people showed up. I had only seen one other car in the lot, and I didn’t want a lot of people clomping around scaring off my birds! And speaking of clomping, I was wearing my Yax grippers, and let me tell you, wearing those on ice makes it impossible to sneak up on anything!

The trails were covered in ice, no problem for the big guy.

I arrived at the location I thought I’d find the red headed and there wasn’t a bird to be seen. Nothing. Not a sparrow or a mourning dove. Not a starling or a cardinal. No hawk, no crow. No bird sounds. I stood there a long time. Then I sighed and walked off down the trail, head down, dragging my heavy camera in defeat.

Guy with really big camera charges off into the woods and missed the big show.

And then I heard the little squeak of a nuthatch. He was poking his head up over a slightly hollow stump. Someone had left some millet in the stump and he was poking around eating what he could find

Hey! Don’t suppose you have a peanut for me?

He was adorable. And then there was a second set of squeaking, and I saw a second nuthatch on a nearby tree. Beautiful.

If there are peanuts, I’m in!

I walked over to their stump and put a few peanuts in there, as sort of a reward for posing so nice for me, and then I backed up and waited. Soon enough they were both running around on their stump, and my camera was following them.

She didn’t put very many in here, we better get our share!

And then I heard a bigger squawk. OMG, look what came in for a peanut!

I have arrived!

Well, look at both of them, the red headed and a male downy woodpecker, tucked in lower on the right side of the stump. I could hardly breath as I was shooting.

The little male downy wasn’t sure he was invited.

And even when the red headed flew up into the tree he didn’t go far.

Getting a snack to take up into the trees.

He kept posing for me, up and over branches, in and out of the sun. My arms ached from holding the big heavy lens up toward the sky.

I loved the tree limbs in this one.

But I couldn’t stop smiling.

He looks small here, like a hummingbird, but he’s definitely a good sized woodpecker!

I clicked away until I finally gave up. He wasn’t moving, and I had no idea if I had anything worthwhile.

I’m watching you lady!

Still smiling, I walked away. After all, I had to go find my blackbirds!

Don’t forget about me, lady! I won’t be around here much longer!


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Did you say you wanted to see a turkey?

A couple weeks back Debbie, of ND Domer’s Mom said, in a comment on my post about snowy owls or barns, that she wouldn’t mind seeing a turkey, and I assured her I’d run across a turkey sooner or later.

Hey lady! It’s early and we’re not camera ready yet! Well, except for Ralph over there, he’s a camera hog.

Well, yesterday turned out to be the day.

And in the early morning light they were beautiful.

Showing off my colors while looking for breakfast.

In a weird sort of way.

A face only a mother could love.

And though they were not the reason I was in their park, they turned out to be a feature of the icy walk.

I’m ready for my photo shoot now.

Why was I there? Well, I was trying to confirm whether red winged blackbirds were indeed back, that my loan male visiting my deck wasn’t an anomaly.

What did I find?

Guess you’ll have to wait and see.

What? Am I too early for spring?


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Tantalizing

It’s possible that spring is closer than the snow on the ground foreshadows.

Trying out my summer look.

This little goldfinch was on my railing a couple days ago, sporting his fresh yellow feather patch. You might even think he was showing off.

And coincidently I sent this little goldfinch to a friend that same day.

Flying off to say HI to someone far far away.

Maybe it doesn’t mean anything, but I like to think spring is here. Of course I think that every year about now.

But then on the 25th this guy showed up. I was so shocked I couldn’t focus the camera.

Definite proof, even if he is the only one so far.

Ah huh. This year, for sure, spring is here early.

Yep. No question about it.


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Unrelated

I heard a helicopter fly over late last night. And the night before. I don’t know why or where it’s going, but it makes me think about the people in Ukraine, and what they’re hearing fly over, or roll by outside their windows. And I wonder how they are sleeping while hiding in an abandoned subway or in an old bomb shelter. And I think about those trying to leave the country, walking miles, standing for hours, the men being turned back to fight, women and children trying to find a safe place to rest. My heart breaks for them all.

Last week I dog sat for a neighbor who was out of town for a couple days. The dog’s favorite indoor game was to retrieve his tennis ball. So I’d roll it under the ottoman fast enough that it would appear on the other side. He figured it out pretty quick, either waiting for it over there, or trying to keep me from rolling it past him in the first place. As he was pouncing on my hand, moving so quickly that it was almost impossible to get it past his big feet and long tongue, I had a memory flash. We used to play “Sheltie in the middle,” with one of us sitting on the floor on one side of the room, and one of us on the floor at the other side. We’d roll her tennis ball back and forth and Katie would try to get it. She usually did. Then she’d prance to one or the other of us and give us the ball to play again. I had forgotten she used to play like that. My heart cracked just a little.

Unrelated heartbreak. It’s everywhere.


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A long drive for a little walk

Earlier this week I decided to visit Chippewa Nature Center up in Midland. That’s about a two hour drive for me, but I kept seeing beautiful photos on a Facebook group of birds and animals that were taken there, and I’d never been. So, since I had one day free and the weather wasn’t too horrible, I decided to buzz up there and see what I could see.

I almost didn’t put tights on under my jeans before I left, and I’m so glad I did because it was much colder up there and the wind was blowing. Great. Once I arrived I studied the map at the parking lot trying to figure out where the trailhead was. It wasn’t very clear, so I wandered a bit and ended up on a paved path designed for preschoolers. The little trail looped around a school. This was the only picture I took.

Preschoolers dressed for winter fun.

Then I went and figured out where the adult trails were, but they were covered in ice and even though I had my Yax grippers with me I didn’t think it looked very fun to creep along the ice on a trail that I had never been on before. Alone.

So I decided to come back another day, after things thawed out a bit. But because I was very near the Midland Park where I had once seen eagles, I stopped by on my way home. No eagles were flying, but I did see two eagles on their nest. Unfortunately the nest isn’t anywhere close to parking, so no pictures. But still cool.

And then, on the way home, having taken only one picture (unheard of for me!) I decided since I was driving right past, I’d stop at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, a favorite place of mine. I was hoping I would find eagles on the nest I’d seen last time I was there.

On the road out to the refuge I had to stop to shoot this barn. I’ve loved it before, but it was especially pretty with the light that morning.

It’s the tree that makes this barn beautiful.

And this one, too, a little further down the road. Now, even if I saw nothing else, I’d at least have shot three things on this adventure. Some kids and a couple barns.

I’m a sucker for a barn and a row of trees.

There was no one at the refuge when I got there. I was arriving later in the day than normal, but I was still hoping to see those eagles…

So far so good, easy walking and no ice!

…until I got to the T in the trail and to the right, the way I needed to go, looked like this.

That’s a bench up there on the left, but I’m not going to sit on it.

Hmmmm…I could put on the cleats. But still, I was alone out there — if I fell it would be a long time before someone came to help. It didnt seem worth the risk.

Turning left there was a ‘nature viewing’ shack. I’d never investigated it before, and the trail was clear that way so I figured why not.

What’s that back there?

This is the view. Uninspiring.

Well, the trees are nice…

I took the heavy long lens off the camera and put my regular lens back on and decided I’d just go for artsy fartsy pictures on the mile long walk back to the car. So that’s what you’r going to get for the rest of this post. I don’t imagine you’ll mind too much.

There was some beaver damage on downed trees. Not really artsy fartsy, but interesting.

Those beaver have some big teeth!

And a huge tree limb that had fallen across the trail with beautiful insect tracks.

Reminded me of petroglyphs somehow.

I originally thought it was a limb from an ash tree because of the bug trails…but the tree this limb fell from looked like a hickory tree, so I don’t know what caused the damage. I spent a long time taking pictures of the naked limbs with the beautiful but sad markings.

These marks aren’t the same as what I’ve seen made by the ash beetle.

And closer to the car the ice, as long as I wasn’t walking on it, was beautiful too.

In a black and white winter world there was still plenty of color.

Even a bit of frozen grass could be seen as art.

I thought the colors were a perfect representation of winter in Michigan.

And fungus on a stick was certainly beautiful too.

Up close, the better to appreciate the wonder of it.

Back at the parking lot I shot the farm that was way off across a field, and that was the end of the photographic adventure for the day.

One last farm.

Oh! I did see a couple cardinals. Not that I can’t see those at home, but still…it was wildlife.

Hey Lady! I’m right here!

The grand total was some kids, some ice, some dead tree limbs and a bird or two. Not what I went looking for. But it was still fun. I got out of the house, in the fresh (cold) air with my camera. You can’t always choose what you get to shoot, but you can always turn it into something worthwhile.

Guaranteed.


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Sheltie speak

Hey everybody! Katie here!

I know, I know. Today is Wednesday, and so I’m supposed to be wordless. I don’t know who thought up that stupid rule, but let me tell you, this girl has never been wordless in her whole life. And I’m not going to start now!

Mama? Can we please go on another walk?

Actually I don’t really have much to say, being that I hardly ever get to go anywhere anymore, except the vet or the groomer, and those are not places you want to hear about! Or maybe you do?

They’re not going to weigh me are they? Cause I’ve put on a couple pounds.

Really? Well, OK then.

This past week I went to a new groomer. You know how I used to go to my groomer Nicole, I’ve been going to her since I was a baby. And then this weird covid thing happened and her groomer place wasn’t open. So after months and months of no baths or nail trims mama was getting sort of desparate and she asked on her neighborhood FB thing if anyone was a groomer and would be willing to take care of me under the radar…and I went to see Jessica.

Mama….do I look round to you?

Jessica was really nice and the good thing was that I’d get an actual appointment and not have to be dropped off at the beginning of the day and picked up at the end of the day like at Nicole’s. I only had to be in the scary place an hour. And it was pretty close to where we lived so mama liked it. I went to Jessica for over a year.

But Jessica didn’t really listen to mama. Mama likes my furs long and flowy. She loves to watch me walk with all my fur blowing in the wind. Jessica would nod her head and then when mama picked me up in an hour I looked like a tough street kid with short spiky fur! Everybody thought I was cute in the short cut, but mama was frustrated.

I don’t know…I guess it’s a look.

Then Deuce’s mom (you remember Deuce, my cocker spanial friend?) started taking Ace, his little brother, to a groomer right here in my very own town!

Deuce and I went for a walk while Ace was at the groomer, but it was so cold and windy the moms made us go back home.

She had high praise for this groomer, cause Ace, who has only just turned 2 and is a real handful, has a thick heavy coat, sort of like mine, and he takes a lot of maintaining. Kinda like….well….me.

A couple weeks ago mama took me to meet Tracy and to get my nails and feet done.

She only did my nails this time, but I still got a bandana.

And last week mama got a full grooming appointment for me. Mama dropped me off and went home to do some vacuuming in peace. Tracy, the new groomer, sent mama pictures of me and asked if she should take off more or leave parts of me longer. Mama appreciated that.

I was cute but not really feeling the pink floof.

OK, I came home with silly pink things in my furs, but at least I had some furs left! Mama likes Tracy a lot, and I like that I didn’t have to stay there very long, and that the car ride was really short. Cause lately when I get put in the car I go to scary places, so I’m sorta not liking car rides so much any more.

Ah….I remember the old days when mama and I used to go on long car rides and stop at lots of rest stops with great smells, and sleep out under the stars and run on the ocean beach, and walk among old growth pines and hang out on my lake house deck and explore the world and meet new friends.

Me and my Florida friends in 2018!

Yep. I remember those days. I sure miss doing fun stuff like that, but I appreciate mama and daddy taking me out on short walks around the neighborhood whenever I ask. And I ask frequently, cause let me tell you it’s boring here in the house!

Mama, me and my shadow going for a walk this week.

Mama’s been feeling a bit stircrazy too and she says if I stick around until spring she’ll set the tent up in the backyard and we can sleep under the stars again. I can’t wait, I hope spring hurries up and comes! But mama says I shouldn’t wish the days away, cause there are only just so many.

What you talkin’ about, mama?

Sometimes mama is a little obtuse, you know? I think I’ll go take a nap while she wipes her eyes. Darn woman is just so leakey-eyed these days. She never used to be like this, I don’t know what I’m going to do with her.

I guess I’ll sign off for now, mama will have to figure herself out on her own.

Sometimes a girl just has to take a nap

Your perfectly coiffed princess,

Katie.

Don’t forget to wake me up for supper!

PS: Mama says she’s sorry about the quality of the images…most of them are from her phone. She hardly ever takes me on photo shoots with her big camera anymore. She says she can’t give me treats, and so she doesn’t think it’s fair for me to have to pose for free. Plus it’s cold out there.

Mama is a wimp.

Mama and me.


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Jump right in.

I’ve been painting the little cards that I send off in batches of 5 to a nonprofit who distributes them to seniors in Michigan assisted living and nursing home residents, I get attached to almost every painting and it’s hard to put them into envelopes and mail them off. It’s kind of like they are my kids or something.

I need to start working on spring stuff again.

Before I mail them I like to just look at them, and I always take a picture before they go. I’m often surprised that I painted them, but other times it’s painfully clear that I did them, though most of the time I send them on anyway. I know how much it means to get a note in the mail, and most people won’t be offended if the artwork isn’t up to par.

Did these in January for Valentines. I think I did 10 of them.

Because, really, who decides what’s par anyway?

The nonprofit I make these for is called Bring Smiles to Seniors, and it sends cards all across the United States. I work with the Michigan chapter, because that’s where I live. But I know there’s a big chapter in Florida too, as well as smaller groups in the other states.

These just went to the seniors. Sometimes I do images a second time, so some of you might recognize something in here.

They take handmade cards that are donated by individuals and groups, and get them into the hands of people who could really use a smile. Check them out if you make cards and are looking for an outlet for your art. Your art doesn’t have to be watercolor. It can be anything at all, stamping, collage,pencil, anything that will make someone smile.

Still love to do birds.

But I really meant to blog about a tiny bit of branching out that I did. Something a little bigger than the greeting cards I’ve been painting since the pandemic began. This is a 5×7 piece, done from a reference photo I stole from a friend’s Facebook page a couple years ago.

I loved the color of her coat and boots and especially the hat.

I didn’t have enough confidence to try it back then, but I loved it when I saw the image on her page and thought it would make a really lovely painting. It’s her granddaughter, walking among the pines on one of their many adventures up north.

At the beginning of 2022 I began to think about trying to reproduce some version of the image. I always knew I’d mail it to my friend, regardless of how it turned out. It’s the thought that counts. Right?

Might even start to do some summer stuff. Even if there IS 5 inches of snow on the ground today.

But oh the pressure! To do something bigger, something specific to someone. And to do a person, even if it’s just the back of a person! All of those things made it very difficult to start.

These, done last fall, were much easier!

Why is it that we so often don’t want to start, in fear of failing. Of wasting a piece of paper and a little bit of paint? I did a practice painting in my sketch book and it wasn’t bad. So I took a deep breath and just began.

And I’m mostly pretty happy with it. Of course, like any piece, there are things I’d do differently, things I hope no one notices. But that’s true of any piece of art.

And in the end, it fulfilled a number of goals. One was to make my friend smile. Another was for me to try something different. And a third goal was to realize it’s just paper…dont worry, jump in!

From this past Christmas.

Today I encourage you all to take some time for yourself and jump into something you love to do. Or something you’ve always wondered if you’d love.

The experience will make you smile. Guaranteed.


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Owl….no barn…no owl…hunt

Sunday morning, in preparation for the Super Bowl, I left home with my camera.

Multiple barns make for an efficient shot.

OK. So maybe it didn’t have anything to do with the Super Bowl, maybe it was just me wanting to get out of the house for a little bit. With a camera and nowhere specific to go.

Artsy-fartsy sun on pole. No owl.

A friend had told me about a snowy owl that she’s seen a few times over near Katie’s vet. Lots of open fields and telephone poles out that way so I figured maybe I would finally see a snowy owl if I headed in that direction.

So I did.

Barn with multiple additions.

And I might have seen one. Something kind of large flew directly over the car, while I was still on the freeway. I only caught a glimpse of the underside, the same color as the light grey sky, it blended into the nothingness above me and then disappeared. It might have been a hawk. But it felt more round than a hawk in flight would be.

Starting to snow again.

Anyway, when I got to the town nearest the vet I entered a pretty heavy snow squall. It was hard to see anything, and I was trying to figure out if I should just turn around and go home. How in the world would I see a white owl in a blizzard?

Hard to see a white barn in a blizzard too.

I crept along, passed Katie’s vet and turned south on the next big road, looking for the small rural road she said the owl had been seen on. It seemed sort of far, and figuring I had missed it, I stopped looking at the street signs just about the time I passed the road.

Darn it all.

But sometimes it was sunny.

So I drove on to the next road and a place to turn around. But what was that over there? A very nice barn? Well, might be I should just go over there first and then go back and find that owl road.

White barn, white fence, white snow.

And up there at the next, quite far away, corner, well that looks like a good barn too. And wait, over there, I need to see what’s over there for sure. Good thing the snow let up.

White on white.

And that’s how it went. On my way back to the road that might or might not have an owl I kept finding more barns. And the snow came and went.

Still pretty.

Sometimes on the left would be sunshine and blue sky while on the right a blizzard raged.

Another version of red, white and blue.

I eventually did wander down the road I had originally intended to explore. Never did see an owl of any color. Saw a couple turkeys cross the road, but they didn’t want their pictures taken.

Such a pretty farm.

And then I turned a corner and saw the sweetest little barn with a dormer. Something niggled at me and then I remembered. I’d been by this exact barn about a month ago. I had no idea where I was by then, but I knew if I was repeating barns it was time to head for home.

Why do you look so familiar?

I have to say this adventure was mostly a barn hunt on which I might have seen a snowy owl float overhead for a moment. In fact I think I’ll just say that’s what it was.

Yep. I saw a snowy owl on Sunday, and I got home in time to watch the game too.

Last year’s corn, this year’s snow.

Win/win