24.02.2026 03:09
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Tiny black and white warbler walks down a tree trunk. Background is blurred and white and green.
Today's alt #BirdoftheDay theme is #BlackandWhite Here's a tiny Black and White Warbler. Seeing these little cuties in the spring are such a delight. #birds #nature #wildlifephotography 🪶
Another shot from yesterday's Misty morning hike on the Arbutus Ridge trail in Goldstream Park.
#yyj #nature #lush #forest #flowing #photography #vancouverisland #WestCoastBestCoast
Have a happy #waterfallWednesday.
Nature photo day 387
#peace #nature #photography #eastcoastkin #hiking #photographersofbluesky #photographersunited #pnw #creek
A Steller's jay that I saw this weekend at Salt Point State Park, California, USA.
#birds
“Mostly, what I have learned so far about aging, despite the creakiness of one’s bones and the cragginess of one’s once-silken skin, is this: do it. By all means, do it.”
— Maya Angelou
In an age of noise and certainty, curiosity becomes a spiritual discipline. It pauses before it pronounces, listens before it labels, and trusts that love remains larger than our conclusions.
Teresa of Ávila called prayer “frequent conversation with the One we know loves us.” (1/2)
Adjusted VE against influenza-associated outpatient visits and hospitalization was 50.4% and 49.7%, respectively, for any influenza virus, and 45.4% and 46.1%, respectively, for influenza A viruses. Adjusted VE against hospitalization with the predominant influenza subtype, A(H1N1)pdm09, was 41.6%. These interim estimates suggest that vaccination reduced medically attended influenza-associated illness by approximately one half in eight Southern Hemisphere countries. Health authorities should prioritize vaccination of all eligible persons ≥6 months to reduce incidence of influenza disease.
Flu vaccine this year shows average to above-average effectiveness #IDSky
Large red Madrone tree leaning in front on redwood trees.
I love the red skin of the Madrone tree. #thicktrunkThursday #trees #forest #nature #photography
What did I do for trees today? Adopted an ancient beech tree in Romania. The Forest of Immortal Stories is a tremendous organization fighting the good flight. May the trees live forever.
www.treeswithstories.com
Happy Caturday BlueSky #cats
Heavy Feather Review's Where to Submit resource (updated for July 2025) is invaluable and full of presses, journals, and sites open for submissions.
heavyfeatherreview.org/calls/
Agree!
Did you know, Cicadas don’t sting/bite. They don’t spread disease, they’re not toxic. They’re good for plants, loaded with nitrogen & feed the soil when they die. They aerate your lawn & improve water filtration. Let Nature do her thing. They’re our ROWDY friends who haven’t settled down❤️
Centaurus A. A glowing orange region shines at the upper left corner, with dark brown and black dust cascading diagonally down to the lower right. Distant stars dot the hazy background of space. Bright pink regions of star formation are interspersed throughout the dust.
Angled from the upper left corner to the lower right corner is a cone-shaped orange-red cloud known as Herbig-Haro 49/50. This feature takes up about three-fourths of the length of this angle. The upper left end of this feature has a translucent, rounded end. The conical feature widens slightly from the rounded end at the upper right down to the lower right. Along the cone there are additional rounded edges, like edges of a wave, and intricate foamy-like details, as well as a clearer view of the black background of space. In the upper left, overlapping with the rounded end of Herbig-Haro 49/50, is a background spiral galaxy with a concentrated blue center that fades outward to blend with red spiral arms. The background of space is speckled with some white stars and smaller, more numerous, fainter white galaxies throughout.
A massive spiral galaxy fills the image, with its bright yellow core seen near the upper left. Spiral arms whirl outward, laced through with dark brown dust and bright blue patches of star formation.
The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which, have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view.
concerned about the state of the world because of two powerful men fighting? doomscrolling again?
stop. breathe. enjoy the universe for a brief moment
#books
I’ve waited my whole life to see this bird. And he casually shows up on my backyard birdfeeder today. Do male painted buntings really belong to this earth? I wonder.
I wonder how many will get this, lol
Hybrid memoir. The followers responded to two essays from my book published by Al Jazeera International a couple of years ago. Thanks for your response, that’s encouraging.
How important is platform these days? It became an ethical dilemma for me. I had thousands of followers on X and Facebook and deleted both of those accounts. I realize that will hurt my chances in landing a publisher or agent when I start querying. But how much?
Zelensky is a hero.
And then he said,
"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
"Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.
"Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep."
Writer Beware has gotten complaints that Word Alliance Literary Agency (not really a lit agency) is contacting writers to offer editing jobs. The "jobs" are already-published books, w/ pmt on completion; scam then asks for writer's bank account info. Discussion here: www.reddit.com/r/writing/co...
Strongly dislike it.
Trees can remember past events and adapt their behaviour accordingly!
Research has shown that trees have a form of memory. For example, if a tree has experienced a drought, it can remember this stress and adjust its growth patterns in subsequent years to better withstand future water shortages. 1/2
I’m so sorry ❤️ sending you a virtual hug today ❤️
Thanks for posting!!