A Trip Around the Sun

I have just been congratulated for completing another trip around the sun.  I am fortunate.  Yet, I am also aware that I live in the fast lane.  You see, this vehicle upon which I travel not only is remarkable; it’s fast.  Kepler pointed out that Spaceship Earth and the other planets travel in elliptical orbits.  Earth’s average distance from the sun is some 93 million miles.  Of course, we all know it takes 365 days for one trip.  Put it all together and we are traveling at 66,661 mph—life in the fast lane.

On my walk this morning, a trail through the piney woods, I am again reminded of the diversity and complexity of life on this third planet from the sun.  I have to be careful not to slow down too much or often to admire a Downy Woodpecker or Summer Tanager.  It slows my heart rate and defeats the exercise benefit of the “walk”.  Yet, I do pause and am rewarded.  On other days and other trails I cross paths with deer or rabbits and even snakes.

So, I begin another trip around the sun and continue my walks on the flight deck of Spaceship Earth.

Finding Comfort in Texas

 Early morning on Cypress Creek in Comfort, Texas, sitting with a cup or coffee and equipped with my camera and binoculars, that’s where I recently found myself. While the rest of the state was burning up, even at that early hour, we were comfortable, pun intended. The family vacation was short and did not involve a lot of travel this year. We found ourselves revisiting one of our favorite spots, Comfort.

 One of the grand draws to this small town is the ease and tranquility one can find on the banks of Cypress Creek. Deer come to feed around 8:00 AM attracted by corn. We counted 16 one morning and 20 the next.

 There are birds to see and listen for as well. Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Carolina Chickadees, Cardinals, and wrens all come to call. On one of our walks down to the ball fields we found Barn Swallows and heard the call of a Red Shouldered Hawk. Yet, the best birds were a flock of Lesser Goldfinches. I tried but was unsuccessful at getting a decent picture of the goldfinches