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
Tag Archives: perseverance
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
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
The Cat Days of Summer
If you get to the “Cat Days of Summer”, then you KNOW summer’s really gone too far.
Like a dog-with-a-bone, the heat and humidity just will not let go.
And you find yourself wondering… Will it ever ever end?
Thank goodness it looks like a change is a-comin’ soon! 🙂
So…. stay tuned!! 🙂
Sally
Whatever It Takes
Sometimes, getting a particular subject in just the right light or focus, can take a few takes.
Or more than just a few.
Like this morning, as the storm was approaching and the wind was blowing, this tiny song sparrow had a tough time holding a pose…
Try as he might, the wind just kept comin’ up behind him and wham! over he’d go!
But he persevered, as did I
Take 1, take 2, take 3…
And we were rewarded for our efforts at last!
In photography it simply takes, whatever it takes…
Love these tiny sparrows, they’re so plucky! 🙂
Thanks for visiting me here at Images of Cape Cod!
Sally
If At First You Don’t Succeed… Fly, Fly Again
Mornings at Forest Beach marsh have been magical of late.
The high dew points make us all feel miserable, but there’s a light on the marsh in the mornings that bathes everything in a heavenly glow.
Each morning when I get out of the car, my first shot is always of the osprey nest.
Unless of course, someone else grabs my attention first.
The other day I was heading up Osprey Hill like always, this time feeling pulled upward in my climb with every step by a curious, lone cry; shrill and incessant as it pierced the still, thick air.
I looked out at the far nest where three ospreys were perched. It didn’t seem like the cry belonged to them.
Turning my lens back toward the near nest I saw a single osprey, calling out and fluttering her wings in a most agitated manner.
Her siblings, perched at the other end of the osprey pole, seemed oblivious to her cries as they continued their preening.
She turned and hopped into the center of the nest…
And then lifted up a few inches into the air.
Almost immediately, she was reaching for the nest again with her great talons.
Landing safely, she looked for a moment relieved.
But before I knew it she was once again beating the air with her wings, and calling out.
She was going to give it another try.
I could see the glow of the sun on her feathers as she spread her wings, again and again, as if trying to gain some kind of momentum.
The second time she managed to get a bit higher off the nest, then once more grabbed for the safety of the nest to steady herself.
She was safe upon landing, but clearly, being safe on the nest was not her goal.
She stood up along the farthest edge of the nest, as if on tippy-toes…
Spread wide, wide those gorgeous wings one more time…
And this time with absolute ease she was up, up and away, out over the marsh and out of sight!
She returned to the nest almost immediately, but still, she had DONE it!
This brave girl was determined to fly, if only for a moment, and her reward was the glorious thrill of first flight…
She looked back to her siblings, surely they would be equally impressed with her amazing achievement.
Alas, hmmm, not so much…
But I had seen it, and I was clapping wildly for this magnificent bird who just would not give up.
This bird who had just inspired me to feel excited about getting back to my studio to take another crack at a pesky HAT brim I’ve been wrestling with lately! 😉
Thanks for visiting me here at Images of Cape Cod!
Sally
Images of Cape Cod 