I was woken this morning by a magpie tapping on the window. Two noisy flocks of geese flew over while I was gardening just now. I’m lucky I can hear birdsong as soon as I open a door or window. And the Duolingo owl puts in an appearance every day!
What lovely bird friends Wendy. You are lucky. It is so calming to hear birdsong and especially nice to summer. In Dubai, there are not lots of birds, but I do see a few hopping about near my house. There are also a few random ones, you can see now and again, like peacocks and green parrots who have escaped from rich owners and made a life for themselves in the streets.
This made me smile, Catriona. I often see little signs, random blessings from beyond, little manifestations of magic to reassure me I’m not off my rocker, or maybe letting me know it’s ok to rock a little off center! I always say hello Nana when a feather floats by me, because I have always felt connected to my grandmother who left a long time ago. So, yes, birds leave me little presents all the time! I love listening to the hoopoe birds at night when I’m in Spain and to the nightingale and the owl when I’m in Switzerland. I’m sending you love and birdies, and all the best for this coming week 🙏💕
This is beautiful Francesca - love this. And love how the magic is proof you are not off your rocker - when so many 'logical' world narratives have argued the opposite. I really like the names of the birds you mention around you - hoopoe, nightingale, owl. I don't know the names of the birds here in Dubai - but I know there are not many and sometimes I see green parrots flying about who escaped from a cage after being imported then multiplied.
I was just writing an essay this week that I hope to publish and after sending it out to the editors, I went back later and added “magic” as one of the ingredients for making human connections. I believe in the serendipitous moments of life.
This is such a great magical moment Rachel. Thank you for sharing that with me. I always feel when life has got heavy and dull that this is one of the ways I can find energy again - by adding back in the magic.
I totally believe in that kind of magic but, it's always helpful to receive friendly reminders :) Thank you for writing this. I hope you're feeling better. The summers here can really be very demanding in more ways than one :/
Thank you Sanobar. I know you know how it feels right now. It is like walking in an outdoor soup or swimming pool - it is so weird. It is hot and wet - but it is the ground not water. I found some street cats today again - not all of them - but some. They looked like tough cats. Trying to survive the summer like us.
In all my years here I've never heard anyone compare the heat here to 'outdoor soup' LOL this will stay with me forever! Oh and the cats (heartbreak!). I'm glad you spotted some. I'm bringing home one more though ;)
Your title caught my attention and I’m so glad I read it! I start every summer morning on my deck, listening and watching the many birds in my garden. It’s a practice that helps keep me centered and grateful.
Thank you for passing by here Mary. Welcome. That sounds like such a perfect way to start the day and beautiful that the birds became part of that practice with you.
This is such a lovely idea! I have started reading a poem at the beginning of my lunch break to try to flip my brain out of logistical mode. I also saw a heron on my morning canal walk, which I was pretty excited about, but then, as I was staring at rippling tree reflections, there was a sudden flash of startling blue and a kingfisher darted by, shocking me with its speed, it’s song, it’s astonishing colour. The magic is there when we get a chance to notice it!
This is lovely Bonnie. How beautiful to see those little moments of magic with passing birds and by paying attention. I also find reading poems going to work really changes something deep in my subconscious and helps to waken up that magic. I reread Mary Oliver a lot on the metro in Dubai.
Love this. Made me remember when a bird slept in our room in Morocco, and we didn't realise until the morning, when s/he started chirping away from the ceiling lamp.
Beautifully inspiring piece, and so glad I managed to find your space. I often click my heals together and wonder what i can discover in Substack, and today it was your space. We are on holiday in Scotland at the moment and enjoying the people, places and scenery - Scotland is one of our most favourite places to explore, and I have been looking for some inspiration to get my creativity flying off from its branch somewhere high up in a tree. Just sitting amongst the hills covered in trees, clouds rolling over the mountains and reading your wonderful writing is food for my own endeavours. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to catching up on the August prompts. Gives me an idea of how i can find little daily acts of creativity myself.
Hi Dawud - wow you write such beautiful comments. So glad that Substack brought you in this direction today. And what great timing given you are in Scotland right now. Sounds like the country is being good to you which I am always glad to hear.
Sadly we need to return home at the weekend, but will have definitely taken a lot with me to unpack when we get home. Enjoying our two weeks here you can get a small sense of why so many artists, poets, writers and songwriters have been inspired by Scotland. It does that to you. As we breath in the air here, you can feel it touch every part of you. How can someone not be inspired by the pace and the people?
That is beautiful. I hope you have been able to take some of that inspiration with you. I have definitely been carrying back inspiration from my recent trip home.
I went for an early run on Saturday which was the morning of a close friend's wedding. I knew the day would be overwhelming and busy (in the best way). So the run was a chance for me to clear my head. I was gifted with so much birdlife including a Jay and a woodpecker. I could hear it pecking clear as day and after a slow rotate around a gnarled old tree I managed to sight the bird and watch it pecking. I just knew it was going to be an amazing day as it started with such beauty. (I was right)
Hello Janelle - lovely to connect with you here - thank you for taking the time to walk this way and sharing your bird story. How lovely to have some reassurance on the day of your friend’s wedding. That is beautiful.
The more stories I read on here, the more I think about how much we are supported by nature in big and little ways without always realising it.
What lovely bird coincidences, Catriona.
I was woken this morning by a magpie tapping on the window. Two noisy flocks of geese flew over while I was gardening just now. I’m lucky I can hear birdsong as soon as I open a door or window. And the Duolingo owl puts in an appearance every day!
What lovely bird friends Wendy. You are lucky. It is so calming to hear birdsong and especially nice to summer. In Dubai, there are not lots of birds, but I do see a few hopping about near my house. There are also a few random ones, you can see now and again, like peacocks and green parrots who have escaped from rich owners and made a life for themselves in the streets.
This made me smile, Catriona. I often see little signs, random blessings from beyond, little manifestations of magic to reassure me I’m not off my rocker, or maybe letting me know it’s ok to rock a little off center! I always say hello Nana when a feather floats by me, because I have always felt connected to my grandmother who left a long time ago. So, yes, birds leave me little presents all the time! I love listening to the hoopoe birds at night when I’m in Spain and to the nightingale and the owl when I’m in Switzerland. I’m sending you love and birdies, and all the best for this coming week 🙏💕
This is beautiful Francesca - love this. And love how the magic is proof you are not off your rocker - when so many 'logical' world narratives have argued the opposite. I really like the names of the birds you mention around you - hoopoe, nightingale, owl. I don't know the names of the birds here in Dubai - but I know there are not many and sometimes I see green parrots flying about who escaped from a cage after being imported then multiplied.
I was just writing an essay this week that I hope to publish and after sending it out to the editors, I went back later and added “magic” as one of the ingredients for making human connections. I believe in the serendipitous moments of life.
This is such a great magical moment Rachel. Thank you for sharing that with me. I always feel when life has got heavy and dull that this is one of the ways I can find energy again - by adding back in the magic.
I totally believe in that kind of magic but, it's always helpful to receive friendly reminders :) Thank you for writing this. I hope you're feeling better. The summers here can really be very demanding in more ways than one :/
Thank you Sanobar. I know you know how it feels right now. It is like walking in an outdoor soup or swimming pool - it is so weird. It is hot and wet - but it is the ground not water. I found some street cats today again - not all of them - but some. They looked like tough cats. Trying to survive the summer like us.
In all my years here I've never heard anyone compare the heat here to 'outdoor soup' LOL this will stay with me forever! Oh and the cats (heartbreak!). I'm glad you spotted some. I'm bringing home one more though ;)
Your title caught my attention and I’m so glad I read it! I start every summer morning on my deck, listening and watching the many birds in my garden. It’s a practice that helps keep me centered and grateful.
Thank you for passing by here Mary. Welcome. That sounds like such a perfect way to start the day and beautiful that the birds became part of that practice with you.
This is such a lovely idea! I have started reading a poem at the beginning of my lunch break to try to flip my brain out of logistical mode. I also saw a heron on my morning canal walk, which I was pretty excited about, but then, as I was staring at rippling tree reflections, there was a sudden flash of startling blue and a kingfisher darted by, shocking me with its speed, it’s song, it’s astonishing colour. The magic is there when we get a chance to notice it!
This is lovely Bonnie. How beautiful to see those little moments of magic with passing birds and by paying attention. I also find reading poems going to work really changes something deep in my subconscious and helps to waken up that magic. I reread Mary Oliver a lot on the metro in Dubai.
Mary Oliver is my current lunch time poem read!
Love this. Made me remember when a bird slept in our room in Morocco, and we didn't realise until the morning, when s/he started chirping away from the ceiling lamp.
Oh how beautiful Sascha! It found a little shelter with you.
Beautifully inspiring piece, and so glad I managed to find your space. I often click my heals together and wonder what i can discover in Substack, and today it was your space. We are on holiday in Scotland at the moment and enjoying the people, places and scenery - Scotland is one of our most favourite places to explore, and I have been looking for some inspiration to get my creativity flying off from its branch somewhere high up in a tree. Just sitting amongst the hills covered in trees, clouds rolling over the mountains and reading your wonderful writing is food for my own endeavours. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to catching up on the August prompts. Gives me an idea of how i can find little daily acts of creativity myself.
Hi Dawud - wow you write such beautiful comments. So glad that Substack brought you in this direction today. And what great timing given you are in Scotland right now. Sounds like the country is being good to you which I am always glad to hear.
Sadly we need to return home at the weekend, but will have definitely taken a lot with me to unpack when we get home. Enjoying our two weeks here you can get a small sense of why so many artists, poets, writers and songwriters have been inspired by Scotland. It does that to you. As we breath in the air here, you can feel it touch every part of you. How can someone not be inspired by the pace and the people?
That is beautiful. I hope you have been able to take some of that inspiration with you. I have definitely been carrying back inspiration from my recent trip home.
I adore this letter. Thanks Catriona.
I went for an early run on Saturday which was the morning of a close friend's wedding. I knew the day would be overwhelming and busy (in the best way). So the run was a chance for me to clear my head. I was gifted with so much birdlife including a Jay and a woodpecker. I could hear it pecking clear as day and after a slow rotate around a gnarled old tree I managed to sight the bird and watch it pecking. I just knew it was going to be an amazing day as it started with such beauty. (I was right)
Hello Janelle - lovely to connect with you here - thank you for taking the time to walk this way and sharing your bird story. How lovely to have some reassurance on the day of your friend’s wedding. That is beautiful.
The more stories I read on here, the more I think about how much we are supported by nature in big and little ways without always realising it.