Saturday, August 19, 2023

A Few Days at Home: Down at the Ditch

Stepping back in time for a minute, I was home for a few days when I took Nancy back down state to head back to Colorado. Of course I had to visit the Ditch! And I wasn't disappointed.


Often, there are many walkers but on this morning it was especially quiet and peaceful.


But it was clear, others had walked the path before and left behind a charming reminder that birds lose their feathers -- and sometimes they are saved!


It was looking especially pretty on this visit -- lots of very cheery flowers were in bloom. 


Everywhere you looked there was color.


I loved the texture on these.


The shapes on this grouping intrigued me, too.


Even the whites were elegant and graceful.


The water lilies were just pristine. 

You might be wondering where all the wildlife was. Well, there was plenty, including this hungry fellow.


The ducks seemed woefully absent until I came around the corner and saw them all congregating on the shore.


A few were skimming the water on this gorgeous day.


And then there was Harry. I've never seen him in the trees before, but a fallen limb was a perfect perch.


He was able to look into the pond and above, perhaps scoping out his next snack.


I admired how he turned his head with such dexterity.


I never, ever tire of observing his graceful shape and elegance.

I wouldn't want to tangle with him, but I love looking!


So, here's looking at you, Harry!


And then.... without a word of warning....


He's off. And so am I!

Sharing with:::  Saturday's Critters     /   Love Your Creativity   

59 comments:

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Thanks for taking us on a walk with you. They are tremendous birds. Sometimes, earlier in the summer, we would see one fly over our house. It was like watching a small pterodactyl! I love the ducks!! -Jenn

Anvilcloud said...

Harry was good to the photgrapher.

Mae Travels said...

We (here in Michigan) are SO LUCKY with the weather this summer, when disasters of all types are befalling the globe, and we have gorgeous days at totally comfortable temperatures! I hope you continue to enjoy sunshine over the weekend.

I love your photos… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Beautiful photos - enjoyed looking at them all - brought a smile to my face!

Divers and Sundry said...

I'd forgotten about the ditch. It's nice to see all the flowers there!

eileeninmd said...

Hello Jeanie,
Great series on Harry the Heron. I love the big group of Mallards, looks like they are having a meeting. The squirrel is a cutie. Beautiful variety of flowers. Nice walk and pretty photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

Misadventures of Widowhood said...

It's easy to understand why you love the ditch.

Bill said...

What a wonderful walk surrounded by the beauty and wildlife. Thank you!

Marilyn Miller said...

Your pictures of Harry are so beautiful. He is so regal!
Love the wildflowers and ducks too. What a lovely walk.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

That first photo is a really beautiful pose! Love the squirrel with his snack too. Looks very beautiful with so many flowers blooming!

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Terrific photos of your beautiful walk, Jeanie. Harry is gorgeous and you captured him wonderfully! You are so fortunate to have such beauty near you.

roentare said...

The ducks on the walking path are such a great view!

Gretchen Joanna said...

Thanks for a fun nature walk!

Debra@CommonGround said...

Jeanie, this is such a gorgeous natural spot. Your heron photos are just amazing!! And that squirrel so adorable. what is he eating? some kind of pinecone type thingy? great photos!

gigi-hawaii said...

Love those colorful flowers and cute animals. Harry is elegant, isn't he? La vita bella.

Shiju Sugunan said...

Your Harry pictures are absolutely stunning!

ashok said...

Your photography has taken us there...lovely ✨️

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I am sure it was quite therapeutic to walk those familiar paths, Jeanie, with Harry there to greet you. What a faithful friend he is!

JillO said...

I guess its time to take a walk down to the lake. Thanks for the incentive...

Arti said...

You’re fortunate to have Harry living there at the Ditch that you can visit him any time and he’s there. Great capture in pics. It’s so seldom for me to see a blue heron here.

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

Lovely walk today, love the photos of the wildlife and flowers.

DUTA said...

Yes, Harry's got it all: shape, grace, elegance. He definitely deserves to
be captured by your camera.
The flowers, the ducks, the squirrel - all serve as background to his Majesty Harry.

Rita C at Panoply said...

Love the scenes from the ditch! Looks very much still vibrant, whereas perennial things are looking a little tired here now.

Steve Reed said...

Beautiful wildflowers! I see echinacea and bee balm, among others. I'm sure they're making the insects happy! Glad you were able to get back to the ditch and see Harry, even for a short visit.

shoreacres said...

That pink flower whose shape intrigued you is wild bergamot.I've never seen it in the wild, although it is native in parts of Texas, but lookie here! It's one of your natives, too. I wondered about your mallards. I think I read somewhere -- maybe at David's blog -- that there's a time of the year when they begin to cluster because of molting. What a fun surprise that group must have been!

Joanne Huffman said...

Lovely photos.

This N That said...

Nice photos..thanks for taking us along..Pretty flowers..Nice series of Harry..Lovely walk..Enjoy your day

Nikki - Notes of Life said...

Such wonderful photos! I've really enjoyed my visit!

Sandi Magle said...

Goodness...no wonder you are on a first name basis with Sir Harry..gorgeous photos, what a joy to see so much gorgeous wildlife! Hugs, Sandi

Red Rose Alley said...

Oh Jeanie, I'm glad you got to visit the Ditch. Harry IS graceful looking, and I'm sure you always love to see your friend when you visit there. The water lilies are so pretty. You saw many different wildflowers. I discovered a place nearby that I visited this week, and there were lots of wildflowers there as well. It has a creek, surrounded with pines, and is peaceful. I love that photo of the white feather. It sounds like you had a very nice day, and you had the Ditch all to yourself! The duck photo is lovely too. So, have a safe trip back to the lake house, Jeanie. I'll be there waiting for you. ; )

~Sheri

anno said...

Such a joyous bundle of ducks! Harry is graceful and regal as always, but something about all those ducks just makes me smile. Looks like you made great use of a brief stop home...

BTW, do all the ditches in your area come with such beautifully groomed trails, lovely benches, and charming bridges?

Fundy Blue said...

Such a lovely post, Jeanie! Thanks for sharing these lovely, graceful pictures. Have a great week! xoxox

Veronica Lee said...

I absolutely enjoyed this wonderful virtual walk with you, Jeanie.
Beautiful photos, my friend.
Such a delight to see so much beauty and wildlife!

Hugs and blessings

Rita said...

All so very beautiful!! Really enjoyed this walk with you. :) :)

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

I love the way you describe the colors and textures - truly with an artist's eye! I'm guessing you see everything as a possible painting! I'm the same - I see the world in terms of what might make a good photo.
I can't remember if you've painted Harry! Have a good week, Jeanie!

R's Rue said...

Beautiful

Pamela said...

Harry is so interesting and you capture his personality well. That little squirrel is cute!

Danielle L Zecher said...

These are all great pictures, but the water lily is definitely my favorite. It's so pretty

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

such pretty photos! Our walks to the creek have been kind of depressing this summer as the water levels keep dropping since we are in yet another drought. We got a lot of rain last weekend so hopefully the water levels are up. I wasn't keen to take the kids there this past weekend because Paul has refused to scoot back when we are part of the way back to the house so it takes much cajoling to get him to scoot back home. But we'll have to try to go tonight before the crazy heat hits! We'll be back in the upper 90s with heat indexes of 100+. I feel bad for people without a/c!

Jenn Jilks said...

That was amazing! What a treat for me!

Jenn Jilks said...

That was amazing! What a treat for me!

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

The ditch is looking pretty with the flowers, but its the bird I love to see. I hope you're enjoying the cabin.

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

Jeanie,
Fabulous photos!! Thanks so much for sharing with us and thanks again for always stopping by!!! I truly appreciate your visits!!! I hope you are having a great week!!
Hugs,
Deb

Sandra Cox said...

What a wondrous haven. Harry is such a handsome fellow.

Pam Richardson said...

The ditch is in beautiful bloom. Love the water lily! August must be a lovely time where you live Harry never disappoints, he is a good looking guy! Enjoy the week, Jeanie!

Prims By The Water said...

Never seen an American Black Duck in person. What a sight! I saw the most beautiful Echinacea (Coneflower)the other day. It was a reddish orange and so vibrant. Am going to try and plant one next year. I so love the combination of Queen Anne's Lace with the blue Chicory. The ditch did not disappoint you. Janice

Nancy said...

Wow! Gorgeous beauty surrounds you in the ditch! A peaceful place to take a stroll. Harry is quite handsome!
I always enjoy your pictures, and thank you always for visiting my blog.
Enjoy your week, my friend!

My name is Erika. said...

It's interesting to see how different the ditch is in summer from your winter and spring visits. You managed some super bird photos too. It's great to see what a popular place the ditch is, for both walkers and wildlife. If you're back at the lake, I hope you're enjoying some beautiful late August weather. hugs-Erika

My name is Erika. said...

It's interesting to see how different the ditch is in summer from your winter and spring visits. You managed some super bird photos too. It's great to see what a popular place the ditch is, for both walkers and wildlife. If you're back at the lake, I hope you're enjoying some beautiful late August weather. hugs-Erika

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

We saw one of Harry’s relatives this week on the Nashua River from our LR apt view. Your close up shots were great, Jeanie, and reminded me of the ones I wojld take years ago in Chincoteague, VA, when we lived on the VA Eastern Shore. Thanks for showing us the Ditch in summer with the blooms and wildlife, especially the ducks😀 which I much prefer to the Canada Geese on the river here.

mokktar sultan said...

Nice photos..thanks for taking us along..Pretty flowers....Lovely walk..Enjoy your day
شركة نقل عفش بالرياض
شركة نقل عفش بجدة
شركة نقل عفش بمكة
شركة نقل عفش بالمدينة المنورة
شركة نقل عفش بالطائف
شركة نقل عفش بالدمام
شركة نقل عفش بالجبيل
نقل عفش بالقصيم

Jenny Woolf said...

Such lovely wild country photos! Thanks Jeanie !

Maggie from Stillness at Cherith said...

A beautiful, relaxing walk ♥

Carola Bartz said...

Such pretty images of Harry! "Our" Great Blue Herons are way more skittish.

William Kendall said...

Wonderful shots of Harry!

Lowcarb team member said...

"Everywhere you looked there was color" ... and it was lovely to see, great photographs.

Especially nice ones of Harry too :)

All the best Jan

thepaintedapron.com said...

Lovely photo captures on your walk at the Ditch Jeanie, you know I love the heron, and the squirrel nibbling is adorable!
Jenna

خدمات said...

شركة النخيل
شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالرياض
شركة مكافحة حشرات بالرياض
شركة فتح ابواب بالرياض
شركة تسليك مجاري بالرياض

خدمات said...

شركة النخيل
شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالرياض
شركة مكافحة حشرات بالرياض
شركة فتح ابواب بالرياض
شركة تسليك مجاري بالرياض

Popular Posts