Passages : February 2026

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Liberation

Seasons come and go

Sun-kissed wintertide buoys heart

Spirit wears death well

Sun-kissed Wintertide

Timeworn stumps at Mary Holmes Park playground

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Embracing Life's Journey

As days get longer and warmer, woodlands near our home shake off impacts of recent arctic chills and rouse from winter slumber.

I cannot resist the call of the wild and before long find myself rambling down a favorite stretch of forest trails. Naturally, the excursion rekindles primal instincts, but also a longing to embark on a fresh journey of self-discovery—best served by solitude and unburdened mind. Forest secrets once shrouded by snows are now laid bare and encourage soul-searching—a personal journey to understand my reason for being.

Quietude makes woodlands a coveted playground for fertile imaginations. Simple treasures like a wisp of soft bird plumage buoyed by leaf litter turns into an ethereal breath, a sigh of an angel. A large stone bejeweled with blue oxidation surfacing through woodland debris stirs a sense of wonder and invites curiosity, akin a patch of the eternal blue sky after a storm-wracked day. Even tangled messes of deadfall covered by pine straw duff highlight the perfection of their intended design, as their unsung sacrifice completes the circle of life. And finally, what would theater on life’s grand stage be without an audience. Unbidden, fantastic stick figures emerge from shadowy hollows and materialize in sun drenched spaces. Once majestic branches in trees— adorned with colorful leafy lichen— and now earthbound after summer tempests, they stand in silent adulation of the broad strokes and fine details that are their woodland sanctuary.

Said vibrant tapestry of existence—woven from diverse threads, yet an interlocking narrative about life—begs reflection and invites mindful pauses to appreciate the beauty of the natural world. In the quietude of the wood on a sun-kissed late-winter afternoon, these unassuming envoys of divine providence reveal secrets that strike a chord in my heart and speak to my soul in whispers that gather momentum and swell to a profound crescendo…embrace life’s journey.

Unsung Sacrifice

Silent Adulation

Embracing Life's Journey

Divine Whisper

Sunday, February 15, 2026

Wracked Allure

After recent bone-chilling days, a welcome mid-February thaw provides a few days of respite. At Jordan Lake overwintering seagulls shed and replace winter garb with breeding plumage. For miles on end, feathers and down drift on lake waters and collect in wrack deposits along rugged eastern shorelines.

Wracked Allure

Ebenezer Church Point shore on Jordan Lake NC

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Primal Poetry

Large congregations of overwintering Ring-billed Gulls still gather on Jordan Lake beaches. Now and then they take flight, akin a whirlwind of feathered aerialists. It's a primal response to threats from predators or to mob a beach-combing human intruder.

Like ominous whispers of impending doom, said living cloud of aviators rising into hazy skies is a fearsome deterrent to those who trespass into their domain. Yet, the beauty of the swirling and tumbling spectacle of aerial acrobatics also tugs at heartstrings—it’s primal poetry in motion.