by jessie voigts
Member since:
December 19, 2005

walking with grace - life lessons from our neighborhood heron

August 02, 2006 02:11 PM EDT (Updated: August 02, 2006 02:13 PM EDT)
views: 103 | rating: 9.2/10 (23 votes) | comments: 46
{13 photos, for those gathering on dial-up}


for mary c legg, a gather friend, to combat the plethora of (albeit beautiful) blues.

walking with grace

today, on such a hot day, the heron spent a bit of time with us. he is my very favorite bird. in watching him, i automatically straighten my posture, breathe a little deeper, and walk with grace. there are other things to learn from him...

walking slowly will get you there, in style.

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you've got to watch each step.

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with a fish in sight, be careful and quiet...and when you come up empty - try, try again.

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preening in public can look both majestic and silly (but you'll always look good, darling!).

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long strides, a la hepburn, cover more ground.

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if a fence puts itself in your path, trample it gently and push on.

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ignore the man-made mess and head for *your* home - there's nothing like nature to soothe, feed, and comfort.


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even on rainy days, you can fly, fly free.

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copyright 2006, jessica voigts
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Comments: 46

Cheryl W. Aug 2, 2006, 2:14pm EDT
ah....Jessica....I just loved this. It made me smile. How beautiful and what lessons to be learned in simple nature. Lovely photos!
Miz Lynn aka/BooBoo Aug 2, 2006, 2:15pm EDT
Very peaceful Jessie, I enjoyed this very much...:))
X Tabber Aug 2, 2006, 2:18pm EDT
That was terrific! Thanks for that.
Barbara S. Aug 2, 2006, 2:21pm EDT
Wonderful, wonderful lesson, Jessie. The photos are amazing. Thank you.
Cheryl C. Aug 2, 2006, 2:36pm EDT
I like to watch the courtship dance they do down here in the Fall.
sea gull l. Aug 2, 2006, 2:49pm EDT
just what i needed !! what is the difference between a crane and a heron?
it seems the bird i observe daily to be a crane is actually more like the one you have here a heron!!!
they are loners aren't they? always busy with themselves , they had so much elegance to whatever scene!
thanks for the great photos!
Genie H. Aug 2, 2006, 3:04pm EDT
Beautiful, gracefull creatures. Happy in their environment. enjoying their solitude, content with their lives. A lot to be learned from the from the silent heron.
mona d. Aug 2, 2006, 3:37pm EDT
beautiful heron and wonderous words...mary will love it. as do i. thanks, honey.
jessie voigts Aug 2, 2006, 3:41pm EDT
thank you, everyone! they are so beautiful. and don't like to be around people! i shot most of these from inside the house. your comments are wonderful.
Nancy S. Aug 2, 2006, 4:12pm EDT
Very, very pretty, both the pictures and the words. My favorite? "long strides, a la hepburn"
Now that is creative writing!
Webduck * Aug 2, 2006, 4:18pm EDT
Loved the pictures. Made me wish we could still go to Mule lake in MN. :)
Betty Dobson Aug 2, 2006, 4:27pm EDT
Very very nice. The photos add so much to enhance the words.
Cena W. Aug 2, 2006, 4:46pm EDT
I love the photos.
We get these birds during the winter. They are shy and stay on the other side of the river, where no houses are close.
Vicky P. Aug 2, 2006, 4:46pm EDT
The first time my granddaughter saw one flying she thought it was a Pteradactyl. They are very majestic thank you for sahring the pics I enjoyed it.
Mary C Legg Aug 2, 2006, 5:07pm EDT
really beautiful-- you remind me of the more important aspects of life which are outside the window and not inside the irascible box called a computer
Mona S. Svendsen Aug 2, 2006, 5:53pm EDT
Jessie, those are really beautiful shots, quite amazing! I love the whole series, but that first one is just so incredible ad it stand there majestic and strong!

Mary sure has inspired us to do better ;O))))

Thank you, jessie!
jessie voigts Aug 2, 2006, 6:09pm EDT
thank you, everyone!! your comments are so great. :) thank you!
Beryl Singleton Bissell Aug 2, 2006, 6:47pm EDT
How lovely. You must have stayed very quiet to have followed that heron on his excursion. Was lillie with you?
Carol Roach Aug 2, 2006, 6:51pm EDT
I love these wonderful photos.
Carol Voigts Aug 2, 2006, 7:13pm EDT
Just beautiful, this prehistoric reptilean bird.
Madame Donna C. Aug 2, 2006, 7:14pm EDT
jessie, this article is for the birds. (just kidding) Very nice job.
Nathan Schauer Aug 2, 2006, 8:31pm EDT
Great photos - that bird enjoyed his personal photo shoot.
I bet lillie was happy.
Mary M. Alward Aug 2, 2006, 9:54pm EDT
Jessie, I just dropped by for my nightly dose of balm for the soul. Thank you for sharing this beautiful photo essay. The photos are amazing. I love watching the heron that lives along the creek. There are several in the southern end of our city and they are definitely majestic birds.
Verie Sandborg Aug 2, 2006, 11:47pm EDT
Jessie, thank you for this slice of nature up close and personal. It soothes my eyes to look at the pictures.
Janet T. Aug 3, 2006, 1:57am EDT
What great photos of a beautiful bird... Good article too
J. Johannes Aug 3, 2006, 8:34am EDT
I've never seen a heron so close up and personal before. Great shots here and wonderful lessons (although I still feel a bit odd preening in public!)
Jim Ross Aug 3, 2006, 8:53am EDT
I enjoyed seeing the "a day in the life . . ." unfold, Jessie. And your pictures really help it along.
Ferrero R. Aug 3, 2006, 11:52am EDT
Beautiful Jessie, I always love your photos. You are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. Thanks so much for sharing a little bit with us :-)
Carl Neeld Aug 3, 2006, 2:04pm EDT
Great pics, Jessie.
La Lady Lisa Westerfield Aug 4, 2006, 11:02am EDT
I felt I was watching CBS Sunday Morning. Very nice pictures. In the one where his/her face is turned from the camera it looks like a bird with a long neck and no head.
Marcia T. Aug 4, 2006, 11:46am EDT
Jessie,
I love this! In addition to all your delightful photos, the metaphor here is beautiful! What a soulful woman you are!
jessie voigts Aug 4, 2006, 12:33pm EDT
thank you, everyone! i was inside the house, for the most part (i need to clean those windows. nah). lillie was right beside me. we've taught her to be super quiet and still when animals are around. the better to see you with, my dear! :)

thank you!!
0000-dashiell5-0000 Aug 4, 2006, 2:52pm EDT
To let you get THAT close, he must have been hard of heron...
Enoch Allen Aug 4, 2006, 10:24pm EDT
How very nice of you, to limit the display to just 13 for the dial-uppers. Myself, I would have taken it to the limit by posting 20--and slightly reducing the size of each in Photoshop Elements 4.

Watch out for those heron gangs, though. Heard they made some 19s scatter when they walked onto their turf.
Laura M. Aug 4, 2006, 11:18pm EDT
Wonderful photos...I felt like a was spending the morning with this wonderful heron and your charming commentary allowed me to stroll along with you, enjoying your gentle humor and love of nature. You two made for perfect daydreaming companions-thank you!
jessie voigts Aug 5, 2006, 10:23am EDT
KR and enoch - you 2 crack me up. thanks!!
laura - thank you!

much appreciated!
Serina Matteson Aug 5, 2006, 8:09pm EDT
Absolutely amazing jessie!! I loved the commentary that went along with the beautiful pictures that sent a feeling of peace over me. What a wonderful bird. Thanks!
Aileen F. Aug 5, 2006, 8:54pm EDT
Beautiful! There was a heron that lived in a pond near the country house I lived in for a while in MO. I used to try and steal a glance of him every time I passed. It was such a magical moment to see him standing there.
Leah G. Aug 5, 2006, 9:48pm EDT
Great job, Jessie!

P.S. For some reason these magestic birds love hotdogs!
jessie voigts Aug 6, 2006, 11:04am EDT
thank you, everyone! i do love these herons. lately, we've seen a very small one that looks sort of like the ones liz r-s posts. i need to get out my sibley and identify him!
Granny Janny H. Aug 6, 2006, 12:53pm EDT
I am envious of your environment. I also enjoy observing birds.
Lovely words and images as always.
Vic M. Aug 6, 2006, 6:15pm EDT
How grand! What does it take -- besides patience -- to get photos like those? I see herons fly and marvel at the way their necks balance their silly, trailing legs. Hard to believe they roost in trees.
Dawn M Aug 7, 2006, 10:50am EDT
Jessie, you live in a most beautiful area that seems to be full of nature. Thanks so much for sharing those wonderful pictures of the heron.
Kathryn E. Aug 26, 2006, 12:29pm EDT
You are very lucky, Jessie, to have your own heron. We here in Massachusetts do have quite a number of wildlife preserves, often with a heron, sometimes a wood duck, sometimes kingfishers, the Canada Goose, mallards, and many others, but we often have to drive 30 or 60 minutes to get to them.

These are very beautiful photos, Jessie.

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