Transient Beauties.

For a few days the lights were out. 

The strong tropical winds met our lands on the east end.

They appeared with a damp heat that made one wonder... "where are these breezes coming from?"

Big old rotten, nutrient rich trees came down and the geometry of the land shifted over night.

The light here has changed, it is new again. 

Mother nature and her very powerful transient beauties showed up this week, she shows up in so many different ways. 

For a few days, there wasn't the electrical current that keeps our nervous systems buzzing and alert. My system settled deeply. In turn, there were very deep restful sleeps that came up through the earth.

Moments arose to drop in deeper to the practice of listening with grace and minding the presence of the tides and winds.  

A katydid showed up on the last autumn flowers for a long intimate visit at my front door. It shared with me how willing it is to take chances and spring forth when the timing is right. We spent close to an hour together, and it showed its' curiosity towards me and showed me an elegant dance... from side to side. Followed by the gift of glorious dahlias, and a day at the beach in Amagansett,  accompanied by a late blooming morning glory. 

Each day now feels feels like a new universe, new visions, insights and profound healings.

I can not remember a time in my many turns around the sun that I have experienced such a quickening around the center of the earth. 

As we are moving forward in this time of unprecedented change, in the curious quick dance of reorganization, it is all for growth. 

 I am wishing everyone grace, centering, embodied presence  and illumination as we are leaning  towards the greater good and a more peaceful connection to the rhythms of the natural world. 

Swimming with Seagulls and the Snowy Egret.

The September light has been truly delicious. 

Warm and settling. 

Amazing for swimming with seagulls.

And for being still.

 In the bays, there are a plethora of winged beauties taking advantage of the plentiful food. 

The snowy egret, the peacemaker among fisherman, and a symbol of balance, showed up yesterday at Louse Point. This beauty took my breath away. Since my meeting with this majestic bird,  I have been learning about them and how they fish, migrate and stand so beautifully in the water.

As they hunt, they gracefully turn sideways and they catch their prey from an angle.

They watch for spearing, then dart into the water with such intensity and speed that one has to watch closely to be able to see what happens next. 

And then there is a quick gulp. 

And a swollen neck. 

Followed by more tracking and more fishing. 

The light in this image came from the setting sun at Accabonac harbor and fell graciously over the apricot sands of Louse Point which were indented with the footprints of many visitors. 

The light was clear and crisp. The baitfish were literally splashing out of and flying through the indigo waters.

The yellow and greens of this majestic bird are mesmerizing, and captivating.

All the while, this beautiful sandpiper moved quickly between the water and the stones on the shore at dusk yesterday. Back and forth, and back and forth. 

And this anxious seagull, looked for its next meal.

These days are so precious and meaningful. 

Life moves quickly and reminds us to take in the magic and to swim with seagulls before the sun cools. 

The Beauty of Wings

The beauty of having wings is that they allow for us to fly. 

With them, we may visit far away places that are quite beautiful. 

This evening as the sun began to set as Louse Point,  this beauty was eating fish and flashing perfect grace in the soft September sun. 

While I am working, I often imagine the scapula as a portal to the metaphor for soaring and flying. We all have these incredible bones that are often referred to as the seat of our human wings. 

In Chinese medicine, the pathway or meridian that runs through the scapula is the Small Intestine channel. The Small Intestine is the partner to the Heart. The Fire Element. The channel leads to the all knowing Emperor. So when I am treating the Heart, I always touch into the Small Intestine first, to send a very soft and gentle message to the Emperor, asking, if it is ok to proceed. 

Sometimes the Emperor says 'please wait and rest here a bit', and so we do. 

Holding space for the wisdom of the wings to speak the needs of the Heart. 

The Secret Lives of Hummingbirds. Part Three.

Sometimes loves comes in waves.

Other times, it comes in small ripples and there are occasional swells that wash gently over our fickle hearts. Then there are the moments where in the flash of a nanosecond, it hits us and we are done. Swallowed in the deep blue sweet goodness, like a vortex into the ocean of the unknown. 

The later happened today. 

This male hummingbird who has been wreaking havok in my otherwise quiet garden, made me fall in love with him. His ruby red feathers that flashed me days on end, pulled me in, and I fell for him. It was a slow and curious dance. 

Today, he won my heart.

After three weeks of not allowing me into his field, we fell into one another and shared a space that was safe and warm. The remnants of the flower garden are fading hourly and miss Flora is feeding as quickly as she can before she leaves. 

Today he let me in and surrendered to my curiosity and proximity.

I took this image at dusk as the light was shifting into Autumn. 

He will be flying South any day now and is allowing me to get closer with my camera and new lens. It is a Sigma 160-500. I now have countless images of him, his green emerald feathers, white soft chest and his brilliant ruby flashy necklace. 

But what captures my interest the most are his eyes. Here the soul resides. 

Just as when I photograph whales, and dolphins, I always want to see and feel the depth of who I am meeting and what they may have to share with me in that intimate moment. 

So as this secret and almost sacred world of the hummingbird opens to me, bit by bit, I am blessed with these fleeting moments and tender connections between my curiosity and their willingness to be still. 

Flora in the Eclipse Light

Summer days are passing, and the light is shifting into a very soft golden light. This is my favorite light of the entire year. It is full, it glows, and it is generous. 

As the eclipse neared, I wondered what the light would look like, and how it might be captured on camera. I sat quietly on my meditation cushion, where I sit to watch the hummingbirds and waited. 

Flora arrived just after the peak of the eclipse and was kind enough to bide some time with me. I had no expectations or desires other than to watch what mother nature had to gift us during this very magical celestial event. 

The energy was strong and I felt a very deep pull to the earth.

Of all of the pictures that I have taken of her, this may be my favorite one yet. She is reaching to the nectar inside the flower in the soft and metallic grey light of the eclipse. 

As the flowers are wilting and the days are growing shorter, there is a hint of sadness inside of me. I know that she will be leaving soon, for warmer weather and nectar filled bright tropical flowers. 

In the meanwhile, I am taking every opportunity to take her picture, and pictures of Guapo, the male hummingbird who is sharing the garden while flaunting his ruby iridescent feathers. 

Miss Flora and the Cardinal Vine.

Today has been an extraordinary day. I have spent several hours in the garden and Flora has come closer to me than ever before. Twice this morning she hovered over my head and let out her little chirping sounds while looking directly at me. 

She was so close to me that I was unable to focus my lens. 

It was a very special visit. 

And then, a delivery of local honey and beeswax arrived today as a gift and I am reminded that life is full of delicious nectar and blessings, we just have to be available to receive it when it spontaneously appears. 

The Secret Lives of Hummingbirds. Part Two.

The Summer heat is upon us, today is humid, sticky and heavy. Big fast rain touched the garden this morning and Miss Flora did not appear until later in the day. Her behavior has quickened in recent days, this makes me think that perhaps she laid eggs and they have hatched. She darts from flower to flower with a new speed and incredible agility. 

I caught her napping on a cedar branch a few days ago. I never knew that hummingbirds napped sitting up! As I took her picture, she heard the sound of the camera and raised her head to see where I was and what the commotion was all about, only to rest her head again into her hummingbird slumber. 

Somehow, this picture makes me love her more. She is safe here. Safe enough to stay, despite my paparazzi tendencies to follow her around the garden with a very large and heavy lens, extender and camera body. She is teaching me about what she needs to feel comfortable and stay in one place. It is really a delicious metaphor for life.

It seems we are developing a new rhythm. She comes to the windows, looks in and continues to be just as curious about me as I am about her amazing tiny iridescent green being. 

Her favorite flowers continue to be purple salvia, magenta salvia, and deep orange fuschia. She loves hanging baskets, and it appears as though she often competes with bees for access. I have seen some serious bee pecking happening between the two of them.

The peonies above were from the garden. While she did not fall for the peonies, they were curious to her, she explored them briefly. 

Above is a picture of Flora on the tip of a cedar branch. How those tiny feet stabilize her on that very fine branch tip is very mysterious. The hummingbirds are so very delicate and yet so strong. 

Below is a picture that I took while she was feeding on the purple salvia. She appears so still, and as though she is looking directly at me. 

Since the last post, I have a few more observations to share from my time in the garden. The most significant is that waiting for hummingbirds is a complete and profound mediation. One can not have an expectation, or be tense in any way. She always seems to show up, with a low hum, just when my thoughts have turned inward or towards something beautiful in the garden. 

My nervous system becomes aware that she is near and sometimes I try not to look directly at her because if I move too quickly, she will dart away into the woods. 

I have more access to her when I am so completely in the moment and I remember to breath. There are times that I am taking her picture and I get so excited, I think 'oh this is the picture' and then my heart begins to race and my breath quickens and I realize that the lens is moving too much, there is a lot of wobble.

My capacity to go in, be still and available has only become more spacious with her here this Summer. I feel so very grateful to know her and share these images. 

Wishing everyone a beautiful evening. 

The Secret Lives of Hummingbirds. Part One.

Here begins an elegant adventure of the curious life of a beautiful female Ruby Throated Hummingbird named Flora. She travels long distances between the lush tropical lands of Central America and returns to the East End of Long Island, to Springs, in East Hampton.

First a little background on who these gem like creatures are...Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, also known as Archilochus colubris are named for the fine magenta feathers that emerge from the throats of the males. Last month, I was flashed by a male several times. His feathers were remarkable and the color was dazzling. When the sunshine hits these stunning feathers, they sparkle like a bouquet of shimmering rubies.

These particular hummingbirds travel to as far away as Panama and the West Indies for the Winter months, often to returning to the same gardens in the Northern hemisphere year after year. What I find most impressive, is that they can fly across the Gulf of Mexico from theYucatan to Florida and Louisiana and up the East coast. 

So Miss Flora is seen here in all of her glory. Females do not have the ruby feathers.

so far this season, several other hummingbirds have tried to compete for the garden, but as they are quite protective of their environment. She does not share her flowers. 

Throughout the season, regular postings of her adventures under dried Angelica flowers, mid-air antics, and regular nectar feedings from bright and beautiful flowers will be documented.

There is so much goodness and meaningful wisdom that arises when sitting in the garden for hours waiting for such delicate and revealing

moments and pictures. 

As I have cultivated this curious relationship with hummingbirds, so many pearls of wisdom have been uncovered...

~Slow is indeed fast~

~And~

~ Patience is a virtue~

For more interesting insights as miss Flora shares herself with all of us and additional captivating images, please stay tuned!

Wishing everyone a beautiful Summer. 

And Then the Peonies Began to Bloom...

Dr. Bowling Goes to the Gardens.

It has been quite a full time, and now Spring is upon us and today the first oriole and hummingbird appeared. The warmth of the day brought on a feeling of hope and well being. 

This past week I was with my friend Tasha Mannox  www.tashimannox.com and his assistant David, for a special adventure in the Bronx Botanical Gardens. It was masterfully planned by the universe that we should all meet while the Chihuly glass exhibit is embedded in the masterfully designed arrangements of tulips, narcissus, allium, cherry blossoms and rhododendron. 

Tashi is visiting New York, after is trip to Bhutan. 

The experience of being at the Gardens was a feast for the eyes, soul and spirit. 

There was a sense that we were walking through fields of magic. 

Tasha's work is equally as magically as is his presence. He and David appeared for our meeting artfully dressed in the colors that melded seamlessly into the Chihuly glass sculptures.

Days of such goodness are to be cherished and tucked away in the reservoirs of our hearts where we hold our dearest and most colorful memories. 

Since my last post, I have finished my fourth year of trauma resolution study in Denver, Colorado and completed my Doctoral degree. There will be more time for photographs of hummingbirds and whales, Earl Grey tea and walks in nature with dear and patient friends who supported me from near and far while I dove down into myself and touched the bottom of the ocean of my potential and came back with an understanding that now I begin again from scratch and start anew.