poetry

April 1 – Insured

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April 1 – Insured

as I complete the morning ritual
of hanging the birdfeeders
I smile with relief –
today is our first day back in America
when illness might not ruin us

poetry

on not winter-camping

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on not winter-camping

once the dark falls
I draw the cabin walls around me
filling them with wood and warmth
shutting out the fox’s screams

poetry

loose ends

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loose ends

gliding through aspen and spruce
the question arises unbidden –
what unfinished business do I have?

mostly the same as any mother
any wife
any daughter
any sister

and then the book I have been writing
all these late nights for years
unsent
unpublished
unimportant

otherwise
I think all the people I love know
and now all that’s left
is to sink into the skis’ kick and glide
think thank you over and over
and pray for mercy

poetry

called home early

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called home early

our adventure cut short
no sloths or macaws
Temple of the Sun
Bosque Eterno de los Niños
Panamanian private island
really no March April May plans left
probably not even empty Seawall Beach in June
our one year off hacked by a third
down the drain
alongside a pile of cash
but
we regained a winter
and a neighborhood fox
the moon waxes right to left again
our boys learn how to stand on skis
our lessons in slowing down
have been taken to the extreme
I sit with Moon Creek every day
its news an antidote to mine
more importantly
our family knows we will not leave them
we’re as safe as Americans can be
we’re done debating how long to hold out
we still have our foursome to hug
and no one we love has died alone yet
there is never a good time
for terrible events
and just look what we packed
into those six short months
we were lucky to live so large

poetry

denning bears

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denning bears

tonight we will sleep
each in our own places
the deep slumber
of denning bears
so warm in our thick black coats
in our cozy hollows
of thick white snow
where no wind stirs
we will dream
calm safe dreams
of honey in unguarded hives
and salmon that jump
into our open mouths
trusting that when winter
eases its grasp
and it’s time to
muscle our way
out of the drifts
the sun will be there to warm us
the roots will be ready to nourish us
and our ancestors have already made
clear paths we can follow
to finally drink fresh water
and feel the crisp clean air
settling deep into our lungs
until all our old stale breaths
are wrung right out
yes, you and I,
each in our quiet den,
a mountain or more apart,
we trust implicitly
that there will still be a world
worth waking for
and our cubs will be
just fine

poetry

Uncertain Love Poem

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Uncertain Love Poem

Today I am falling in love with snow falling –
air moving water from one basin to the next –
while Moon Creek refuses to freeze.

I am falling in love with our modern life
transformed into a black-and-white photograph –
monochromatic woods of white snow and charcoal trunks;
our thoughts so much more basic this March than last –
where to find flour
how to wash hands to survive
which board game to play today.

I am falling in love with the mysterious intact orange
our boys found in a snowbank,
now halved on the deck,
an offering for orioles
who may never arrive.

I am falling in love with uncertainty,
I tell myself without buying it.
My mouth still goes sour
at each unknown we’re forced to swallow now.
Honestly, I am just falling into a holding pattern,
making a new space in my mind
where not knowing is allowed
(if not warmly welcomed).

This year the universe keeps pounding on my door
like the house is on fire,
desperately trying to wake me up,
shaking me in my bed until I will repeat after it:
you don’t need to know what’s next.
In fact, you may never get to know what happened.
All that’s left for you to know, to trust, to believe,
is that if you squint hard enough
there will always be something in your field of view
worthy of your love.

poetry

The Good News (inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh)

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The Good News (inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh)

Moon Creek will sing
whether we’re on the earth
or under it

the blue sky
will get bluer
without contrails

the twisted path that brought us here
today lets me make friendship offerings
to birds and foxes
whose bright beating hearts remind me
we’re not alone

my mother, planning for her death
in a place where I can’t hold her hand
smiles bravely, assures my sister and me
she’s lived her life of service
without regret

now there is so little left
in the way of importance
I sit on the side of the creek
while the snowy banks run to water
doing nothing
only being
only listening
when a mountain chickadee
who has heard nothing of the end of days
flits to a flat rock in the channel
then wades in
delightedly splashing clean cold water
all over her plump fluffed self

it takes a long time
for her to stop savoring the sensation
she jumps from one branch to the next
shaking all her feathers loose
bustling with the busy joy
of water sun and wind

and I am still here to see her
and you are still here to tell

poetry

Roxy the Red Fox

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photo by Owen

Roxy the Red Fox

a fuzzy flicker of flame
far brighter than the
temperamental woodstove can manage
glides across ice-crusted snow
in knee-high black boots

he fixes us with amber eyes
gauging our intent
then settles in on the knoll
overlooking Moon Creek
(we passed his test)

first he curls his tail into a cushion
then draws himself up
so he can settle upon it
like a ptarmigan atop her chicks

from his dainty pointed nose
to velvet black-backed ears
he is all elegance
that still melts into ponderosa when needed

now we’ll never feel the same here,
always looking out the sides of our sight
wondering if he’s near
studying any tracks
and sniffing for his scent
waiting for him
with the same delightful disappointment
the Little Prince felt when his fox was late

our latest emissary from the universe’s
Department of Good News
says without speaking
no matter how distant you try to be
you’re never, ever alone –
your animal family
will always be near

photography

Chile: North and South

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For Chile we decided to stay in one location for a long time, and we chose the town of Puerto Varas, near the very beginning of Patagonia. We also took small trips to other locations, such as the island of Chiloe, and to Volcan Osorno. After our month there was over, we stopped in the north at Putre, a town in the Andes for several days, so we could take a trip into the nearby Parque Nacional Lauca, a hotspot for high Andean wildlife, such as vicuñas, flamingos, rheas, viscachas, and more, all seen here.

Waterbirds abounded at Lago Llanquihue, (the lake by Puerto Varas) and Yellow-billed Pintails were common, sometimes with young chicks.
Silvery Grebes were also easy to see from shore, although harder to get a good view of, as they dove frequently.
On a side trip to an area to the east of the lake we found this Andean Fox (more commonly known as a Zorro Culpeo) wandering around a parking lot. It was not shy at all, and we were able to watch it for a long time.
Although South America is famous for its parrots, in the south there are only two species. This is the more common one, the Slender-billed Parakeet, which is also one of Chile’s 12 endemic bird species.
The South American equivalent of the muskrat, the coipo, was easily seen at a lake in the middle of a town. This one just sat on the bank and let us watch.
This Southern Caracara was perched on a tree branch over a road, and when we pulled over it continued sitting there and looking around.
On one stretch of the Rio Maullin near Puerto Varas we saw at least 10 Black-crowned Night-herons on the bank and in the water, allowing easy photography and viewing.
The Neotropic Cormorant colony at the lake where we saw the coipo allowed very easy photography, as there were around 75 birds in two trees.
In a forest reserve near the town we managed to see two species of sought-after tapaculos (secretive forest birds). This is the rarer one, the Black-throated Huet-huet, but this is generally the best view you could ask for, it standing out in the open on a log.
The other species of tapaculo was the Chucao Tapaculo, an inquisitive bird that would circle you in the forest, allowing brief views, but not running away,
Our only multi-day trip away from Puerto Varas was to visit the island of Chiloe. This Black-necked Swan greeted us as the ferry arrived.
Our first stop on Chiloe was the Monumento Natural Islotes de Puñihuil, well known for its colony of Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins. The mainland held abundant numbers of Kelp Geese, and this male afforded us wonderful views.
The colonies were mostly made up of Magellanic Penguins, like this one, but here and there several Humboldts appeared.
The huge Flightless Steamer-ducks were also easy to find on the coast. These huge ducks are simply so fat that their tiny wings cannot carry them into the air. We also managed to see a pair lead a line of chicks into the ocean, and even these young birds were able to maneuver the rocks and waves of the islands.
The female Kelp Goose is so different from the male that if I did not know they were the same species I would try to identify them separately.
Southern Lapwings, a type of plover, are common by Lago Llanquihue, but it can be hard to find them among the rocky shore.
An unlikely sighting in the middle of the Atacama Desert, this Vermilion Flycatcher provided nice relief to the brown desert landscape.
Chilean Woodstars are rare and Critically Endangered, with only 270-395 individuals left. This female gave an amazing view, and perched for at least a minute.
Croaking Ground-doves are extremely common in the Atacama region, and frequently take dust baths and sunbathe, as this individual is demonstrating.
This juvenile Mountain Caracara flew down to us and landed, clearly hoping for food, although it was a very nice visit.
The difference in birdlife at altitude realtive to sea level was such that during a half-hour lunch stop I was able to see around 4 new species, including this Blue-and-yellow Tanager, which attacked its reflection in one of our wing mirrors.
Black-hooded Sierra-finches were very common around the town of Putre, and we found one building a nest on the roof of one of the buildings at the hotel we were staying at.
One of our first sightings in Lauca was of a trio of Torrent Ducks, which specialize in feeding on fast-flowing Andean rivers. This is a male.
Lesser Rheas are another Lauca specialty, and on our first trip we managed to see 12 different birds. This is one of our first.
Llamas, although not wild, also abounded in the bofedales, or swamps, in the valleys. These are two babies, or crias.
We also spotted some familiar birds. This female American Kestrel gave us a very good view on top of a sign.
Seedsnipes, the “ptarmigan of South America” were less frequent, but we still managed to see several.
One of Lauca’s two species of tinamous, the Puna Tinamou is, in most opinions, more ornate than the Ornate Tinamou. This is a Puna, and although shy, several groups trotted across the road in front of our car.
Domestic alpacas also are easily seen here, and some of them actually have brightly colored tassels hanging from their ears.
The Las Cuevas area near the beginning of the main road, is covered with viscachas, a relative of the chinchilla. Most of them will just sit and let you watch them, but if they want to they can bound about the rocky slopes where they live with surprising agility and speed.
Yet another Lauca specialty is the Puna Teal, which frequents small lagoons and rivers in the park. Although their bodies are well camouflaged, their bright blue bills seem to undo the effect.
Giant Coots can be found in the thousands on the lakes. This one is transporting waterweed which it uses to build its huge volcano-like nest in the middle of the water.
Seeing flamingos fly in front of snow-covered mountains is a strange sight, but these Chilean Flamingos are common on the lakes, especially the huge Lago Chungará.
The lakes at this altitude are mostly saline, so the flamingos have plenty of delicious algae and plankton to filter through their strange bills.
Lauca’s most common small birds are the ground-tyrants, such as this Rufous-naped Ground-tyrant. We also saw Ochre-naped Ground-tyrant and the localized White-fronted Ground-tyrant.
When looking from a high viewpoint down on the lake, the coots cause the surface to become speckled with black, covering the entire shore area.
Giant Coots are not the only coots on Lago Chungará. Mixed in with the larger Giant Coots there is the occasional Slate-colored Coot, a common bird throughout the Andes. From the lookout you can actually distinguish the two by size alone.
Vicuñas complete the trio of camelids to be found in Lauca. After a day of driving, they become like features of the landscape, and nothing to be excited about.
We observed baby vicuñas battling with their necks, and whether this is just random play or practice for something later in life, we do not know.
When looking at a rock face in Lauca, at first you will see nothing. Then you will see one viscacha, then another, then another, until you realize that there are viscachas everywhere you turn.
poetry

waiting

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waiting

standing in the clearing
open to the periwinkle sky
waiting for what will be
stilling my breath to listen
for anything at all