Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
(Click pictures to enlarge) "The wild hawk stood with the down on his beak
And stared with his foot on the prey."
~ Lord Alfred Tennyson, The Poet's Song
Hawks hang around our house... loving the tall pines and oaks of the preserve. I've seen them perching high in the branches and gliding smoothly on the warm updrafts around the golf course, occasionally taking time to settle on our fence for a short rest. One afternoon, I was sitting on the patio and a small warbler flew in front of me, head high not more than four feet away... right behind him was the hawk, head high and oblivious to me. I could feel the wind turbulence from its wings and in open space the warbler would be toast, or at least breakfast. Fortunately, for the warbler, he weaved in and out through the branches of the preserve where the hawk could not maneuver as quickly and was safe to fly another day.
The successful hunter poses........
But, on another day, we were sitting in the den, resting, relaxing.. when suddenly at the upper windows looking out over the patio there was a slight thud and the wild fluttering of wings much too large for the usual feeder visitors. When I ran in the living room to get my camera... there he was; the large majestic Cooper's hawk with his captured prey, a hapless red-winged blackbird. I like the red-winged blackbird and would rather he had caught one of those pesky boat-tailed blackbirds or grackles. But, there he was, a foot off the patio in the grass, posing with his supper.
..."I'm ready for my closeup" 
A magnificent bird, he sat stately still, as if waiting for me... I took seven or eight shots from different angles, even this one with his orange eyes glaring straight at me... then, as if to dismiss the insignificant human, he turned.. grasped his spoils in those razor sharp talons and flew silently off into the woods. What an amazing display of power and grace.
This is the third in a series documenting the birds we've seen at our feeders. Part one is here and Part two, here. Cooper will strut his stuff aboard Friday's Ark this week and just might fly on over to "I and The Bird #100" next week. I also think this marvelous creature deserves to be seen over at Camera Critters.
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Another yellow rose... and it is blooming in my garden.
(Click picture to enlarge) "If the rose puzzled its mind over the question how it grew, it would not have been the miracle that it is." ~ J. B. Yeats
The yellow table rose bush I planted last year. It bloomed all summer and far into the fall... deep into October. I trimmed it back and it is more full this year, loaded with buds. This is another picture for my brother, who loves roses but always seems to be singing somewhere else when they start to bloom. The dark lavender pink rose was the first.... then they all burst into bloom. Today was perfect for pictures, gray skies and rain..
This rose always looks so smooth and soft... like lemon sherbet... I love the yellow sunshine packaged in these petals. Carmi has a weekly theme... and this week it is.... (drum roll)... "yellow". So many yellows... so little time to post them.
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Red delights: tulips, impatiens, geraniums.
(Click picture to enlarge) "Red 'rings' inwardly with a determined and powerful intensity. It glows in itself, maturely, and does not distribute its vigor aimlessly." ~ Vassily Kandinsky
I have seen flowerbeds and gardens with certain color schemes... perhaps done in shades of blue from navy to pale sky blue and all those in between; or gardens with all shades of yellow or pink or even reds. These are usually beautiful and obviously planned out by a professional landscape artist.
However, I love the rainbow and the colors mixed together. In fact, my perfect garden would have flowers of every shade mixed with no particular pattern, on the back ground of greenery of varying shades and textures with splashes of white thrown in... like a gorgeous stained glass window. Also, it is so hard to decide what flower you want to ban from the garden, so why not try to include them.. or as many of them as you can. To this end I have started to fill out our flowerbeds, a little at a time each year. I prefer perennials to annuals partly because I am lazy... I don't like planting them over and over and over each year; but, also because I love the suspense in the the spring... which little green shoots are going to sprout up through the winter mulch first... have they grown in number, will the blooms be gorgeous again... all those mysteries to be uncovered each year. So, I leave the obligatory winter pansies and the summer impatiens to the yard man and concentrate on the bulbs and flowering bushes.
Each fall my mother loves the chrysanthemums and now we have both dark purple and an orange/red variety growing strong. We have pink verbena, dwarf lilies in white, red, orange and pink, yellow daffodils, purple lavender, and roses in shades of lavender, yellow and a purple/pink. Oh yes, yesterday I saw the shoots of the yellow calla lilies being reborn and the gardenia starters are putting on an ever thickening coat of green... can the fragrant white blooms be far behind?
Yes, I love the rainbow in my flowerbed... these are a few of the current punches of red! This is my first Ruby Tuesday entries.... others are found at Work of the Poet!
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The first rose of spring... in our flower garden.
(Click picture to enlarge) "You love the roses--so do I. I wish the sky would rain down roses, as they rain from off the shaken bush. Why will it not? Then all the valley would be pink and white and soft to tread on. They would fall as light as feathers, smelling sweet: and it would be like sleeping and yet waking, all at once." ~ George Eliot
My brother loves roses. For several years his visits back to the states have been just after the roses have finished blooming for the season or just before. The botanical garden has a beautiful rose garden designed to be the perfect backdrop for weddings; it has fountains and gazebos with climbing roses, tree roses and roses the color of the rainbow. I have planted roses at the house as well.
Stephen's visit just a week or two ago was the same. The roses were growing lush and green, the buds were gathering with just a preview hint of color on their tips.. and yet, no blooms. He had to return to Europe....two days later... this gorgeous lavender pink rose burst forth in bloom. So this post is for Stephen, the first rose of the new season.... I believe this may be the "Marie Osmond" variety.
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Clockwise from upper left: A walk around Mt. Trashmore,
March of the Canada Geese, Lady Liberty takes a stroll,
College sweethearts walk hand in hand.
(Click pictures to enlarge.)"Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake."
~ Wallace Stevens
Walking under the bridge to a magical land, Prospect Park, Brooklyn,
Remembering Max and his walks around the block,
Keeping step with time in Colonial Williamsburg,
Walking on water, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.
"There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo. Even a bicycle goes too fast." ~ Paul Scott Mowrer, The House of Europe
Graduation 2008, The College of William and Mary.
Flip-flops and high heels... these feet were made for walking.
Traditional walk from the Wren Building to the ceremony.
Parents walk along... proud and relieved!
"The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy; walk and be healthy. The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose." ~ Charles Dickens
The theme this week gave me a chance to revisit some of my favorite places and times. Of course, I am partial to the William and Mary pictures, especially the feet. Nyssa wore flip-flops; I can't imagine walking over the brick sidewalks, down through the dell and up the hill in those high heeled shoes....
Actually, with my knees these days, walking all the way across campus in sneakers isn't the easiest thing to do..... but
"He who limps is still walking." ~ Stanislaw J. Lec
Other Saturday Photo Hunt participants are found over at Tennessee Chick.
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