MarthaandSuziegoNature

Day 2 As I bicycle through the cool, Andalusian morning, the dry hills and Alhambra Palace tower above the wild, river Darro,,,,,the caves of the native gitanos riddle the mountains. People are just waking up, peering out through their cave doors....singing, watering the plants....life as normal goes on in these COVID 19 times. BIRDS During the strict, Spanish, 3 month quarantine, these woods had a rest. Birds seemed to flock in from Africa. Perhaps this is their normal migration, but the stillness offered them a quiet nesting place. The woods are full of birdsong, chickadees, woodpeckers, swallows and swifts....so many I can't identify, Now, they seem quite agitated from the increase movement in the woods, bicycles and hikers... BUTTERFLIES They love the water....here in these dry hills, mostly aromatic herbs grace the ground. Rosemary, thyme, marjoram,  sage....but once in a while a wild purple flower emerges. There you will find the monarchs, the...

June 23, 2020 Quarantine Granada, Spain So, who hasn't started a blog during the quarantine? The absolute gift of the silence and solitude of seclusion is realizing the rich inner life we have. We are not just humans walking around polluting the planet (although we are also that.) We are receptacles of magic: 5 senses, smell, touch, taste, sound and sight...AlGhazalli, the great Sufi 12th century, Iraqi philosopher, wrote eloquently about how we were given senses to interpret the world. Our senses lead us through this great mystery, that is much bigger than all of us. My sister and Co Blogger, Susan, has been studying to be a certified naturalist. She does not like to sleep on the ground..i.e. camping and backpacking (like me)..but is a great observer of the world around her..her background...the park down the street..and urban alley. She gave me the idea to start a nature journal..so..wa..la....here we are. Today is truly the second day of summer...it seems the summer so...