Bird Migration! A Peaceful Interlude at Cosumnes River Preserve Sacramento California September 2022

"The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind." - Carly Simon

My mind is always going.  And not just going...but going and going and going!  

Thoughts. Worries. Pictures. Memories. Lights. Questions. Worries. More Thoughts. More Worries.

For me, I find it really hard to turn my mind off.  It's hard to just meditate (although I need to really learn and work at it because it is valuable).  I have to replace it with something.  And the best things for me are driving, music and nature.  

Hey!  Birds are both music and nature!  I guess that's one reason they are so healing for me.  It's definitely a form of meditation to drive to where birds are (even if it's just a nearby park), listening to healing music, and then spend some time either sitting, walking, or driving around looking and listening to birds. 

On this slightly cloudy and foggy afternoon (after lots of 100 degree plus weather!), I decided to head over to Cosumnes on the spur of the moment for a bit of solitude and healing. And of course to see what birds might be visiting in the early fall migration.  

I started off, as I always do at Cosumnes, by driving down Bruceville Road and the fields and ponds over on that side.  I was greeted by hawks and adorable baby cows!  These two stopped their playing to stare at me as I pulled up.  The four baby calves were so cute as a mama cow stood guard! 

While on a nearby telephone pole this Red-shouldered Hawk was searching for his next meal. 

I was a bit surprised because most of the ponds were still dry.  I guess I shouldn't have been that surprised since we had been having such a hot and dry summer.  But I'm always saddened and surprised at the lack of water when I travel around the Western U.S. now.    

But there was some water and ducks in one of the ponds on Bruceville as well as one pond across from the Visitor Center parking lot that had a bit of water in it.  I could see ducks and some wading shorebirds there so I decided to park and walk over.  

An older woman was sitting on the bench on the viewing platform so I hung back a bit so as to not disturb her.  I guess I needn't have bothered because she got up and walked over to greet me.  She was very friendly and we stopped and talked about birds and nature for about 10 minutes which was quite nice.  Then we wished each other well and changed places with her walking to her car by the Visitor's Center and I taking her place on the viewing platform.  

I didn't sit on the bench as the water was not up to the viewing platform.  Instead, I planted myself on the edge of the platform with my feet in the wild grass surrounding it.  

There were quite a few birds who looked similar to each other but also slightly different?  I believe these are Long-billed Dowitchers.  

And I think this is a Least Sandpiper.  So tiny!

Least Sandpiper

Black-necked Stilt

Long-billed Dowitcher

Northern Shoveler (female? or juvenile? - not sure)

Least Sandpiper with a much larger small female Northern Shoveler duck behind her.

Ducks dabbling.

Greater Yellowlegs

Dowitchers

Greater Yellowlegs

Least Sandpiper

Greater Yellowlegs

Black-necked Stilt

Killdeer

Flying Geese

It was starting to get dark, so I headed back to Bruceville Rd for one last check before heading back home.  This time instead of the Red-shouldered Hawk sitting on the pole, there was a beautiful and much larger Red-tailed Hawk on a pole at the opposite end of the road. 

I got there just time to catch the Pintail Ducks rise up in a swirl of joyful noise to fly around in circles and land 20 yards away.  

Pintails look so fancy with their elegant tails and blue and black striped bills.  Ducks are truly amazing. 

I just love ducks, geese, and cranes flying!  When it gets close to sundown, these guys fly to water to settle in for the night safe(er?) from predators who don't really want to run through a marsh looking for their next meal.  It's always a great show and there is nothing more peaceful than listening to the gentle honks of geese, quacks of ducks, and cooing of cranes as the sun sets.

I highly recommend when you have too much going on in your head, replace it with the joyful noise of birds and the visions of sunset.  It'll do wonders for your mental health.  Plus remind you that there is beauty and amazement to be found all around you and that the world is still a beautiful place. 

xoxo

Panasonic Lumix Fz80

Therapy Time! Ups. Downs. Lots of Down Down Downs. But HOPE is Still Present.

 Hi Friends.  I am trying to be open and accepting about my mental health struggles without being too much of an oversharer.  

Life...has been really rough.  Back in February, I thought I had overwhelmed myself with this blog and trying to learn to edit videos.  It turned out to be much less specific.  

And it got worse.  And worse.  

Over the next several months, I am willing to admit that my depression and anxiety crossed the line into active suicidal thoughts.  Luckily, I have my daughter and my kitty to anchor me to this world.  At least for now and hopefully for a long time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I started this post like 2 weeks ago and - like most everything in my anxiety-ridden and depressed, sad world - I couldn't focus and finish it.

So glad to report that I am still here and seeking help on multiple levels.  

Anxiety and depression can happen to ANYONE!  Please reach out to your friends and family - even if all seems well - to let them know that their presence in your life means something important to you.

And if you are struggling with mental health, PLEASE have a safety plan written down and with you at all times. 

Some suggestions:

Make a list of 1-2 people that you can call if you are in a bad spot and you know they will LISTEN and be there to be strong for you. 

Make a list/playlist of songs that are meaningful to you and soothe you.  This can also include mantras or positive affirmations, hymns, comedy shows, etc.  Anything that brings you joy and comfort and REMINDS you that there are things in this world that are worth staying around for. 

Have tools to get your mind back on a positive track.  This could include portable Labyrinths to trace or poems to read - therapy exercises such as "tapping" or 5-4-3-2-1 coping technique. 

Please love yourself. Always keep fighting. 

xoxo

Jen

Therapy Time! Getting Back On Track - When You're Derailed by Anxiety Over Something You Love (Text Post)

 I learned something.  

But it took me a long time.

Insidious days slip past 

Until I wonder if I'll ever recover.

They're gone...

But I'm still here.  

Wanting to start again. 

Determined to start again. 

Whoa damn.  Anxiety can sometimes get you where you least expect it!  My "journey" with anxiety is relatively recent.  At least recognizing my anxiety is relatively recent.  

This time, I got completely derailed by something I was totally excited about!!  It caused me to stop posting for MONTHS!  I hadn't even realized that a month had passed until monthS had passed.

What was this little thing that caused me to completely avoid my fun pastime of editing photos and preserving my adventures for a time when I can no longer go on adventures?

Videos. 

After doing very basic edits on videos for my last couple posts, apparently I just couldn't face editing anymore.  I was happy when filming them.  I was even okay when I was editing them!  

At least I don't remember any frustration because, to be honest, I wasn't that worried about how they would turn out. I wasn't expecting them to be perfect or super artistic or elaborate or anything like that.

I just wanted to add some movement - so to speak - to my collection of photos and memories. And I succeeded with my very low bar.

But somewhere in there, I felt inadequate. 

 I hated the sound of my voice...the sound of my breathing.  I hated my jerky movements with my phones/cameras.  I was sad that I wasn't able to be more SILENT and let nature speak.  I blamed myself.

So I am letting that go!  Buy-bye now! 

I have photos ready to go since August and I'm going to continue my posts!  And some may even have videos!  And some may not.  Some might be all videos.

Whatever.

I will be kind to myself (and my voice. and my breathing.)

I will love myself.  

Be back soon.

xoxo

Jen