Where Have You Been?

Hello, it's me.

It's been one year, and fifty weeks since I last felt compelled to share my thoughts with you. My last post was on my Mother's birthday in 2013. I wrote about letting the light in. And then I went dark.
As an inveterate writer, communicator, viewer, sharer, and introvert, this method of being part of a group was an absolute blessing, allowing me to be me - from a distance, with complete control.
I am not really sure why I stopped...why my muse was no longer amused... But I just felt like I  had nothing more to say.

I did start writing a weekly column for Bird Canada  and I enjoyed being part of the greater birding community. However, I have never reacted well to having to submit something on a weekly basis,whether I felt like it or not. So I fulfilled the promise I made to myself to do it for one year, and then I stopped that too.

And then I wasn't writing anything.

The funny thing, or not so funny thing, is that when I stopped writing, I began to feel  angry and negative. I think I had unwittingly shut off the vent to my feelings, and I  found myself exploding inside. So here I am.
I certainly didn't think I would get this urge to call on my old friends in the blogosphere this evening, but  I did, and I think I will just roll with it.

Hello!
I have a new camera, and many shots to share ... So I think I will just post a few to provide some context and texture  to what I have seen in the past while. If you're out there, and seeing this, welcome back!

As "they" say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Here's a short little 43,000 word book.

Out on a Limb

Long Beach

Sea Lions in Tofino, BC

Roses in Victoria, BC

White Crowned Pigeon

Antiqua

Sigh.

Bird thoughts.

The Landing

Maine is awesome.

Birds' Eye View

I won a free copy of Richard Crossley's book with this!

Reading Market in Philadelphia

Sisters

The Two-rodded Fisherman

Roatan

Morning storytelling.

Roatan

Our new neighbour.

Haloomi and Tomatoes. If you haven't you should.

Homemade goodness.

It's never too cold for a Caesar.

First we feast with our eyes.

A huge flock of Snow buntings - REAL snowbirds

It's been almost two years, and during that time I have travelled throughout Canada, the States, the Caribbean and Honduras. I always keep my camera with me, and I took great pleasure in taking a good, long, look around at the things I enjoy most...a bird in song, a captured sigh, the wind in the water, 

food so good that you feast with your eyes, friends and family 

and all the little bits in between that make us who we are.

Bits, Bites, Books, and Birds

Dear Readers,

This bloggy thing has been bothering me for awhile.

Have I said everything I've had to say? I don't think so. And people who have heard me rant on occasion would likely agree.

Has my muse left? Maybe. At least She appears to have been taking a leisurely walk about my mind, scratching here, sniffing there. Looking under rocks, poking her nose in places she shouldn't, and generally being absent from the frontal lobes.

Though recently, in the past week or so, she's  come knocking. Gently tapping me awake in the middle of the night. Presenting ridiculous things to think about, that once I fall back to sleep, I immediately forget. I awake to a wisp.

I've been circling the computer lately. Looking at it. Bringing up the blog. Checking for visitors or comments. None recent.

I miss them both.

But unless you put it out there, there is no there for people to come and visit.

So where has my there to put out gone? Or perhaps, the better question is not where it has gone, but why has it gone?

There are times I can't shut my mind off. It's firing on 8 cylinders, rocking and rolling over the events of the day, a bit of a book I've read, a bird I've just seen, a bite I've just taken -and I want to talk about it all.

But I can't. At least, I have been telling myself I can't because my LABEL is not inclusive enough.

Good god. I can't believe I just wrote that!

My marketing gene is trying to make a pitch in the middle of a presentation to my public

MY point is, that having called this blog "Featherbrained" I have defined it as a blog primarily about nature. And as a result I have met all of these amazing naturalists.

And I am not sure if they want to hear about things like The Day I Stuck Out My Thumb in Banff , or  Biffy Buffing is Not For Old People or Aunt Ethel Made Amazing Jam Buns or A Child's Version of Old Mother Hubbard, or My Favourite Meal Ever This Week, or....See what I mean? Not a thing about birds, or birding, or nature.

After researching many blogs on line, looking for a template that would allow me to be more multi-dimensional I came up empty, unless I choose to go the website route.

No, I don't.

So, gentle reader. Here's the deal.

I'm going to change this blog up a bit. Mix up the storyline. And write about whatever I feel like. I'll still call it Featherbrained..but perhaps on the non nature days, I'll provide a spoiler alert,so if you're not so inclined to read about The Lesson of Bertha Archer or whatever I choose to share, well, then you can just click on over to something or someone else. I won't mind, and I'll no longer feel guilty!

When you see a feather, it's about nature. When you don't? It's not.

                                                                    Hope you  choose to linger a little longer,
                                                                                                                                   Susan