Closer

Going to sleep in a tent means muted voices, the crack of pitch leaking from a flaming log, nighthawks searching for the last meal of the day. Darkness seeps in, not at all once at the flick of a light switch.

Waking up in a tent means the first glow of day on the eastern horizon, seen by the birds, who then share their excitement to rouse the sleepyheads. Before the heat of day, life is.

Fully-Fledged Birder

I'm still on my way to becoming a fully-fledged birder. There's just too darn much out there to see. Look down at wildflowers and you completely miss what might be perched overhead. Look over there--aren't those pronghorn antelope? What, that shadow was a golden eagle? I missed it!

So, I've decided I'm an outdoors enthusiast. I love being out and looking at most anything that's there. It's surprising, when you really look, what is there. When I grow up, maybe I'll be a naturalist.

And okay, I'm not the greatest self-promoter in the world, either. I just realized that I should have posted this link when the article came out:

Becoming a Fully-Fledged Birder