Another wonderful moment from the cranberry harvest.
Fitting for a day when it’s all about paddling on, about keeping on.
‘Got my duck boots, ON! 😉
Have a good day everyone. ❤
Paddle On
Category Archives: perseverance
Best Foot Forward
Well it’s Monday.
Again.
Time to put our best foot – paw – hoof – wing – forward and give it a GO!
Hope your Monday’s a good one! 😉
A New Day
The new day dawns.
Stretching out before us with a fresh chance to step forward and make of it what we will.
And how will we live this new day? Will it be for others, or will it be for ourselves alone?
For love, or for hate?
Will we build, or will we tear down?
Reach out for greater understanding or cling in fear to the safe world we already know?
I guess the choice is ours, and ours alone.
We have this day.
Rising Above the Small Stuff
At about this time every summer when I am juuust about ready to scream about the dripping humid heat and the Cape Cod crowds, I am reminded of how small my worries really are.
On my evening walks I hear the cries of hungry, young ospreys filling the skies above the marshes and I am reminded…
That they beat the air with tireless wings, day in and day out, in order to learn this thing they absolutely must — fishing.
For this is survival time. In the days ahead juvenile ospreys must learn to fish so they can eat today and be strong for the long flight home come October.
Rising in the air, then falling, then rising again, somehow with repeated attempts and uncoordinated failures…
They finally do manage to figure it all out.
In comparison to their struggles, I guess can handle a little more heat and noise as summer draws to a close here on ole’ Cape Cod. 😉
Sally
Friday Sigh
It’s been a week to end all weeks.
A HUGE project of the heart is now finished, and I’ve been looking forward to today more than I can even begin to say.
Time now for some much needed R&R…
Time to unwind, and breathe a little deeper…
To feel good about what’s been accomplished and get rested up for the next leg of the journey.
As an artist, I poured all that I had into a project that means the world to me. The creative stretch was absolutely amazing, and I uncovered a wellspring of new possibilities that I didn’t even know existed.
And maybe that’s something to crow about!
Thanks for visiting me here at Images of Cape Cod.
Happy Friday, everybody! 🙂
Sally
So Who Needs Crab CAKES?
I spotted him as soon as I arrived at the beach last night. One of the prettiest herring gulls I’ve ever seen. Noble, proud. And perfectly coiffed.
And as anyone who has read my blog knows, I love seagulls. These beautiful, verbose, opportunistic scavengers are as much a part of Cape Cod as the seals and the surf.
But this was my evening to finally get down along the shore and shoot shells! No more pesky sand fleas, no mosquitoes, no crowds. Just me, the camera and this amazing seashelled landscape that I’d been dying for weeks to capture up close.
And soon I was lost in the experience, one shot after another, and another, and another. The time flew by, and the next thing I knew the red light was showing on my camera. DRATS! My battery was low.
I looked up just then from where I was crouched and saw my friend Herring Gull, swimming real close to the shore.
Closer, actually, than any bird ever is for me when I photograph. He seemed so aware of me and what I was doing.
So I decided to take advantage of the boon, get a few shots, and just let the battery juice dribble out.
And besides, he was such a handsome dude…
Just then — KerSPLASH!!
In one swift move, my Handsome Herring Gull had plunged into the water and UP he came with a real prize. Ohhhh… if only my battery would hold out for just a little longer…
Now as most people who’ve been to the Cape know, there isn’t much in the way of seafood cuisine that’s better than a crab cake. With just the right mix of crab, milk, mayo, eggs, bread crumbs and seasoning, it’s one of those Cape Cod culinery treats that the tourists rave about.
But my Herring Gull had a different recipe. Sushi!! he squealed as he quickly headed for shore with his wriggling captive.
There was a definite lilt in his step as Herring Gull proudly strode onto firm ground.
Dropping his crab, he gave it a long, hard look…
And then dove in, no bread crumbs, condiments or cooking necessary for this gull’s recipe. (With just a hint of sea salt, of course!)
One could only imagine how many times he’d caught crabs. Yet Herring Gull seemed to relish the whole experience as if it was the first, one tasty bite, one crunch at a time…
Until with one final GULP! it was gone.
Now, for just a little sip of water…
A scratch of the ole’ beak…
And some much needed feather adjustment.
I let out a sigh as I watched this master chef standing there in the light of the setting sun, gazing back out to sea as he savored the afterglow of a truly perfect meal.
And then he was off again, paddling along in the water, his eyes peeled for anything that might be moving below the surface.
Meanwhile, Black Backed Gull had arrived to the area, determined to try his own wing at a tasty game of crab diving.
But alas, try as he might, he kept coming up empty.
I could see him looking around for Herring Gull, perhaps hoping for the secret to his success.
But Herring Gull was long gone. Back on his jetty, soaking in the sun and dreaming of new crabs to be caught, a la his own special recipe! 😉
And me? I was hugging my camera, feeling so grateful for the battery juice to capture it all…
Thanks for visiting me here at Images of Cape Cod, ’til next time!
Sally
Images of Cape Cod 