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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Put a Bird on it: A Late Winter Give-Away

Over the course of this past winter, I've become a terrible hoarder of nests.
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When we trek along the river's edge, over knoll and under brush, I can not help but scan the boughs above.  I've plucked nests from the mud, carefully snapped twigs, then gingerly carried them miles back home.  I've made sure my nests were deserted, inhabitants long taken to the skies, then scattered them through the house, tucked into turquoise Ball jars, wedged in a goat's jaw bone, hung from fishing line like the finest art a home could hold.

 But now the robins are flying, and the jackrabbits kick up puffs of grass, and I know my time of collecting is dwindling to a close.
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I've looked through my collection and chosen this nest, a particularly lovely specimen, as one to give away to one of you lovely readers for your own natural colletions.  I found it in a thicket of brush along the south fork of the Eel River, here in the wilds of Northern California.  Why a give-away you ask?  Quite simply, I've received so much from the land here and it's time to pay that forward.  I take such delight in filling my home with pieces of nature, pieces of life, and want to give that joy away.  And I love birds, but really, who doesn't?

So this is the official "Put a Bird on it" give-away!
Along with this nest, I'll be giving away a copy of "Birds: The Art of Orinthology" - a truly delightful and tiny tome, filled with renditions and studies of birds throughout the ages (including some gorgeous aquatints from James Audubon!).  Additionally there will be a few other tidbits I've yet to decide upon, but rest assured, it will be a splendid little present from me to you!
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Ready for the Details?

Leave me a comment (only one please!) below telling me one way the earth has been generous with you.  It could be as simple as a sunny day outside, as growing the food you eat, as giving you one beautiful thing to stop you in your tracks and take note.  Think about it and tell me - You have from now until Saturday night!  I can't wait to hear!

I'll pick a number at random on Sunday March 4th and announce the winner here on my blog!
(and international friends - I'll be happy to ship your way too, so don't hesitate to comment!)
Good Luck and Happy Birding!
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46 comments:

madelyn said...

My Celtic soul would wither and perish without the wild of nature!

It is so powerful and poetic and has it's roots in fertility and belonging

I am a nature woman and I find my deepest belonging in nature, a true affinity that's for sure

my spirituality is hungry for this and especially my creativity which finds it's flint in nature's cycles



nature is divine!

and lovely Miss Dove ~ that beautiful little nest carries so many ancient rhythms ~ and a whole lot of love

xoxo

Maddie

Joyful said...

What a lovely giveaway.

The earth is often generous with me. I live to savour the beauty in a freshly covered snowy mountaintop or the brilliant colours of a sunset.

I feature these often on my blog. Have a look when you have time. If you come to my blog and don't see one, just scroll back to an older post. It doesn't take long to find such a photo of joy.

Blessings. xx

Cat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cat said...

love bringing into my house the outside when Nature allows me take one of her treasures home with me..(wow that was a long sentence)
we just watch "The Big Year" the other night
my youngest has now taken to counting birds...he would love this
everyday the Earth is generous to me...everyday....

♥♥♥...(just because I can : ))

Love and Light

ps glad you came by for a listen!

Good Girls Studio said...

The earth has blessed me with sunshine these past few weeks...a much needed respite of warm rays & birds chirping when my soul needed it most! As my life changes I look around and see the seasons changing...it's a heart warming journey we're on together. XoXo~Johanna

cheryl.mccann said...

there is so much about nature that i could write about. right now, i love what comes with each changing season, and the overlap - a bit of crisp air and crocuses peeking out of the ground; some snow mixed in with the sunshine; some trees still sleeping and others showing their morning colors.

amber said...

i am encouraged that this question has been asked. it makes so much sense to think in these terms.

the earth has been generous to me in my small yard of the universe, by yielding vegetables and herbs anew. crisp and brightly hued, they grow out front... reminding me hope and cycles and true things.

Valérie said...

let me count the ways...
trees and flowers, birds and chipmunks, wild blueberries to eat and pinecones to collect, sea glass and sea shells, sunny days and rainy ones, tomatoes in the garden...
it's also been generous enough to always stay firmly under my feet... even in tough times...

i love reading your posts...

and that nest is beautiful...

Valérie

Janet said...

My life has been shaped by my job. I'm a preschool teacher and being with 4-year-olds let's me see the world fresh through their eyes every day. Their wonder and curiosity are contagious. As we explore nature's bounty together I get this little window into remembering how it was to touch a pussy willow, smell a sea urchin, see a wet, jewel-toned stone from Big Lagoon, or taste a kiwi for the first time, and marvel at the beauty of it all. I won't ever be wealthy as a preschool teacher, but I'm stinking rich in joyous and delightful experiences.

veee said...

so much to share, but off the tip of my head and top of my tongue here are some gifts this good ole' earth has provided:
1. witnessing the flash of lightening yellow as a prothonotary warbler zips past my head
2. the incredibly swift and awesome pendulum flight of a ruby throated hummingbird...ladies? are you watching?
3. nestling, fluffing, primping, egrets
4. oh glossy ibis, how purple your cape, how graceful your wade,
how slender your bill
5.oh, noisy owl...how you keep me awake all of march with your hooting and your wooting...i am so happy for you, but i need to sleep
and, lastly...
6.the king...the queen...the raven...don't mess with a raven...they will win

MrsLittleJeans said...

we have learned to find beauty in the oddest places on our street and in the cement courtyard. Thankfully we are not far from the farmer's market, the sky above does a good job, not to mention some lovely gardens around us. I love your nest but not entering this lovely drawing because cats and nests = trouble. I love your sweater, what a hue! xx

dragon said...

Don't put me in the give-a-way. I have a treasured pair of your earrings and would feel greedy entering.
Today I was stopped dead in my tracks by a familiar call, my eyes quickly seeking out the source in a tall tree in my neighbor's yard. Then an answering call from a taller tree further away. Yes, that unmistakable head, that unmistakable call. The jays are back!!! My heart is full of welcome and joy and not a small amount of comfort at their return.
Keep on blogging, Dove. You remind me to seek out the world around me.

DJ said...

I found your blog recently and have fallen in love with your work; your paintings, your jewelry and your writing are fantastic! And now you're having a give-away? awesome :) Okay, back to the question, the earth has been generous to me in so many ways, but living amidst mountains has really made me appreciate the earth. Hiking up hills and mountains and then stopping to look around at everything you can see below....just amazing. Gets me every time. :)
(PS love that ring on your index finger)

Brenda McGowan said...

How fun! We recently moved to a new town with no mountains, kind of an adjustment. However, the sunsets here have been absolutely beautiful. The color combinations never cease to amaze me :).

Lindsey said...

This winter has been the most mild I have ever experienced and for someone who really dislikes the cold it's been an amazing blessing.

Thanks for the opportunity to win! I love nests too and collect them as well.

pencilfox said...

first off: thank you for hosting such a lovely giveaway!!

next: how has the earth been good to me?
the earth has much for me to learn when she lures me out the doors, into summer, into winter.
the earth blesses me with my favourite foods: salmon and garden greens.
most importantly: the earth has brought me into communion with creatives such as YOU!
xx

calamityjane(t) said...

the earth has given me a sense of place and belonging in the cycle of life. it's been almost fifteen years since i sat reading by a waterfall in the wilds of montana and as i watched the water tumble and roar past me i suddenly understood that i, too, am a part of nature and all her cycles and that all of our lives are a part of that glorious process that always has been and always will be. every day i am conscious of the wonder of it all.

Kokie Larson said...

Grass. The towers to ants and beetles give the best place to lay a weary head at the end of a busy day. The lawn is the perfect gift because when received it continues to give. It gives the best view of the sky. It gives a moment of reflection. It gives back childhood days.

Thank you nature-the grass is truly appreciated!

-Kokie

Lindy said...

The earth has been generous to me by giving me the sea and the bush near where I live. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful to God for my little house that nestles into the bush, and the sea that splashes on the shore ten minutes away.

Allisunny S. said...

Laying here awake I read your words and treasure your generosity - truly, you are a wonder!!
The earth, even here in a populated area is so lovely...
But if I had a gift of supreme importance it would be the 16 mile drive between point reyes and Petaluma - never has a place filled me with such wonder, such healing.
Thank goodness I can still visit :) xoxoxo

Cinder said...

I love this give away!

The natural world is so important to me and my family.

When my girls were growing up we had a nature shelf. Every time we played or hiked outside we came home with our treasures. Feathers, dragonfly wings, butterflies, beetles, bumble bees and nests.
Our treasures turned into drawings and "science projects".

Today my delight has been watching the bright flash of a cardinal fly from a grey winter tree to our feeder.
It always makes me pause and give thanks.

Thank you too for this thought provoking post.....

Lizzie Derksen said...

The earth has been generous with me by forgetting about winter almost entirely this year. The temperature has hovered around - 5 C (note - 30 C), the snow has been sparse, the sun has shone, and I've been able to ride my bike for the past month.

lulu said...

All the chickadees are chirping for that lil home!

The sun rising and falling each and every day is such a generous gift, that all the other moments wrapped around our connection with nature is spawned. though, each spring is a bit of magic for me, when the air is fresh and cool - transition and energy stirs...wandering the woods, inspecting budding life. but each season carries the light in my soul and roots our sense of being.

the gift of our little blue dot spinning away in space, a force, a 'freak of nature' it's a glorious gem that we must take care for, always.

"knowing" all you fine blogging- creatures is another gift! XOXO

reconstructing sarah said...

such a great and generous offer :)

let's see...
most recently...

i called my husband over to our front door today, because the view off our porch was just beautifully chilly. we had a heavy rain late this morning, so everything was silvery and thick...and the yellow grasses were wavering just slightly in the grey wind. so lovely.

i'm so thankful for moments like these.

Nymph711 said...

The snow on my backyard this morning, creating a quiet easy flow into my day <3 Its been awfully dreary here lately and it was a lovely change to wake up to a blanket of snow, calling me to sit quietly by the fire with my room mates and reflect with a bowl of piping hot soup... its morning like this that tell me i'm home, safe, and happy, that the world will never give me anything that I cannot fathom to handle... I'm so blessed! Your nest and bird book, (and for that matter your lovely bird paintings!) are wonderful, and I would take very good care of them <3 Morning!

Corinna said...

Oh boy! (I mean, Oh bird!)

In the simplest way, the earth is generous to me when I can grow something to eat in my very own backyard. How humble! How simple! How fantastic!

Even in this Northern place (Edmonton, AB), I can grow tomatoes in a little mound of dirt in my little plot of earth. It does get warm for three months of the year...

:)

Heidi said...

I really want to tell you about my bike ride to work on the northern trails of IL this morning. Snow still lay heavily amongst the tree-lined part of the trail, and the colors were that deep brown and black and gold of decaying weeds and leaves, their brilliance brought forth by a night-long rain-soak last night. Wherever the sun hadn't yet meandered through the trees, a pure fog rose about 4 feet off the ground, and I left a Heidi-sized trail through it, blinded by it's density. The fog-tendrils touched me and chilled me to the core, but pulled back as I pushed through on my bike. The colors were both so muted and so brilliant, I couldn't believe I spent the winter driving to work, and missed the changing hues of the land. It was hard to walk into a windowless office, to work for the next 8 hours on such a gorgeous day. Is it too late to become a park ranger?

Debra said...

I love being *in* nature, but I am especially touched by the nature that exists in my urban world. A flock of wild parrots passes over each day, a cloud of opalescent wing shimmer, gossiping tenors...

debra

Kica said...

Earth is so generous to me in every possible way. In every moment when i feel lost, it gives me everything i need. Fresh delicate breeze, green leafs, warm spring rain or peaceful falling snow:) Earth gives me peace i think:)Anyway love the book, and your art:)

Hollie said...

I just love walking along the fertile ground and feeling the wind blow through my hair as I collect up the earths daily offering of nourishment for my family. Sometimes as the wind is singing her song, I actually feel I can hear her words. That is when I pause and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin and listen with my open heart.

Cat said...

Oh the earth... It gives the wind that whips my hair as I speed up mountains; a place to stand to feel the sun on my winter skin. I love the crunch of frost, and miss it already. Though I'm already dreaming of summer tomatoes.

congamama2 said...

i think of the huge Ginko tree on our property! We have a big wooden table underneath it and we have had so many family parities under that tree. Beautiful tree...beautiful memories!

Beth said...

I love seeing how the earth is generous to all of us in so many ways. Thank you.
This month the earth has been generous with her fallen branches full of pinecones- one could say that I have become a hoarder of those! And this week on a neighborhood walk I found the tail feather of a cooper's hawk. That was a lovely and unexpected gift.

resolute twig said...

the last two days we have been getting SNOW!!!

I love it. And you. xo

Jenna said...

lToday, March is a sweet little lamb, and the earth gives me beach pottery & birdsong.

Later, they will be lions & snowshine.

Love the giveaway & all of these beautiful comments!

Carrie said...

i write about the earth and how she gives me hope on my blog. i have chronic and acute depression and anxiety and working on my allotment has got me out of the house (i am a virtual recluse). It got me blogging in the first place, got me talking openly about mental illness, got be backing from mental health charities who use my blog as a teaching aid for others.
Nature has allowed me to take photos of her and sell them, to talk to people at craft fairs.
She has battered and bruised me but she has made me stronger than i ever believed. Nature has given me too much already.
If i were to win - draw again xxx

AppaloosaMoon said...

oh the nesting...i've got that fever too!

Just yesterday, Leap Day, as I was walking along a crowded nyc street trying to get to my local lunch cafe, I needed to pause for a moment as the sidewalk traffic was coming to a standstill.

One lone, unhurried dog walker was standing 3 feet from a tree while her pup was sniffing about. 3 feet into a crowded sidewalk with an extended leash takes up A LOT of nyc space! Instead of pushing past, or bumping into, or even saying ex~CUSE me, I chose to stop for a moment & let the oncoming others pass first.

And in that standstill moment, I just happened to look UP...& perched in the top of that barren tree was a bird's nest!

I smiled, blessed the moment & made my way to that cafe!

oh natural beauty is a life necessity!
but dang! that I couldn't reach it,
to take it home with me!
XO

elly said...

Yay, nests! They're such lovely crafted little things. :)

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

I've resisted commenting for 3 days now - I guess that's my limit!

I already have a little collection of fantastic nests (including a hummingbird nest!); and I have many beautiful bird books (I am a bird watcher after all...) - but I just can't resist the siren call of your give-away!

The earth has really been incredibly generous with me - as my savior, my first love, my stress alleviator, my joy and my inspiration. Really that's just about everything!
Valerie
www.firepanjewellery.com

Footpather said...

So many gifts from nature, a kingfisher flashing past so fast you barely see it. A slow worm which wasn't slow it was motionless and not a worm either. A little owl that came to watch what we were doing. A lighting storm in the darkness. One of my favourites though is dew drops on a perfect cobweb on an Autumn morning!

nancycreations said...

Mother Nature is always had to choose a few things to brag about where she is concerned it would be on the following list: The sunrises here at the farm in Florida they are unbelievable, colors that would make a painter drool to recreate scenes that knock your socks off. The of course theirs the night, star filled skies that make you gaze in wonder, theres that cup of java first thing in the morning on the veranda watching the baby calves start to play like children and the smell of the earth in the air, one of my favs is after a rain how you can smell the earth , its in an fog where the mist puts a veil over everthing making is mysterious and how it makes your imagination go wild on the scary thoughts WOOOO she wakes every morning with a smile and rocks us to sleep everynight with her sounds, smells makes you take thought of your life and where you are in it.

Kelly Z. said...

What a delightful giveaway! Oh so many ways the earth has been generous, but of late, I would have to say in our overgrown, out of control jungle of a garden/yard, up until this week, I was overwhelmed and distraught about the amount of clearing we need to do and the work ahead, however, I came to see it in a new light when I could not seem to locate my wee ones but heard them and came upon them giggling in the tall (really tall) grass making dirt stew and leaf tacos, the yard has become a secret garden to them...lovely earth to once again open my eyes!

Sandra Dunn said...

earth is generous with her lovely seasons,,, particularly right now i anticipate the colors of spring - yellows are peeking from the ground. :)

Snailentina said...

Hello lady, thanks for always treating us to giveaways and having such a lovely way to make us participate.

About a week ago in Los Angeles, the hotel room I got had a huge balcony. I walked outside to breathe in the cool breeze and the sun was just setting. Over the course of my stay there were lots of blue skies, cloudless and so infinite I couldn't help to feel myself expand, it was a perfect time to be exposed to this as doubt has recently been visiting more than I'd care for.

jkaye said...

Where I live, way up north, it's been an unusually mild winter. Warmer temperatures and not a lot of snow. A week a go I left for a small vacation and when I returned my city was covered in beautiful blankets of white fluffy snow. As I walked along a path to the river valley the next morning, I had a view of the largest stretch of urban parkland in North America. The air was crisp and clean. The sun rose and everything sparkled in it's newly snow-covered splendour.

-Jody