The Sky Howling
October 29, 2012 
Back and forth...and forth and back again. I've never seen him quite as restless. As if he couldn't find a quiet space in which to settle in..to roost..to rest.
The winds - madly blowing. The rains - soaking and over-filling.
Strange to find this icon of patience and perseverance and silent solitary focus - at such a loss. I wondered what they know - these creatures of many feathers. I wondered what they do to protect themselves...to survive. I wondered if - perhaps - he might be able to forecast the weather any better than any of us.
And - I watched from the relative safety of the dry ground I was standing on. The waters rising and - at the same time - falling. The sky howling.
They wanted to call it the perfect storm. I wanted to call it - inspiring.
Reader Comments (26)
...you always nail it....
Looks like a storm's a brewing!
Beautiful image. Looks almost like a painting. I hope you weather the storm without any problems, Marcie!
As I might have mentioned, I 'know' herons well and I have come to believe that they do predict weather. If there is no heron, it often means there will be rain.
Beautiful.
I know you've lost your power. I know you're dry...and safe. But the heron does know all about the emotional to-and-fro of these hours or days of wondering what will happen next. My thoughts and prayers are with you!
Marcie you bring sanity to the most challenging situations by observing what IS. Thank you for your daily practice and for sharing it with such generousity.
Wonderful color harmony and motion captured today! Stay safe and dry!
I hope all is well where you are - that you are safe and sound. I am so glad you were there to capture the incredible heron on that day of all days and in that moment of moments. So beautiful. Thanks, Marcie.
I hope you and your surrounding feathered friends are safe. A beautiful image of motion and flight.
A fine action shot and interesting narrative. A fine post.
Lovely and descriptive writing.
A nice blurring action in this essay in grey.
Sandy was inspirational in her own way. Where do the birds find shelter?
Nature in all her terrible fury is unlike anything else we are ever witness to. Sobering, but yet also, yes, inspiring.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if he sensed the impending storm...so many animals do. You expressed the powerful emotions of this image so beautifully...thank you, as always!
I believe strongly that animals have the ability to know things that we cannot, and that they, in many ways, may be quite superior to us who are so trapped in our words. By closely observing animals , we often discover so much ( as you did when sensing his restlessness via his unusual behaviour & tying that ( of course!) to Sandy). Thank you for this beautifully perceptive post:)
Neat motion.
Hope you're OK, Marcie! Been thinking about everyone out there today as we sit in perfect sunshine here in California. Wonderful image and thoughts to reflect this moment.
The heron knows much. Wisdom, patience, perseverance, solitude is his. It was/is a big storm for sure--- I always find beauty in it. You certainly did.
thinking of you
hugs
I love the way the glide over the top of the water.
nice words for this capture of this bird in flight.. :)
What a wonderful feeling of movement in the instability. Thanks!
I think the animals do know, whether it's a change in the barometric pressure before a storm or some other instinct that gives them warning. Last week we had two days of Santa Ana winds - dry winds that come howling out of the desert northeast of here. The day before the predicted storm, the flock of mountain chickadees that's been here all through October suddenly disappeared, every single bird. A few days later, when all was calm again, there they were, feasting on the seed pods in my arbor vita.
Fleeting fall caught in a picture...