Happy Earth Day!

We are an odd lot, we humans. I know. I am one.

We remember hallmark events in our lives, both good and bad. Some of these experiences help to shape who we grow into. I am grateful that I can honestly say that no matter how badly some events have affected me, the positive events won out.

Some of my life’s most treasured moments have been witnessing something beautiful in nature. Those chance events I’ve been fortunate enough to experience have instilled in me a primal connection with this spectacular planet I live on.

This video is a gift from nature straight to you. These murmuring Snow Geese practice for their long migration north after successfully raising their broods in the Skagit Valley of Washington State. I was in the right place at the right time to catch this phenomenal glimpse into their journey.

The parents must teach their young to keep in rhythm and pace with each other as it is vital for their daunting and impending journey and, ultimately, their survival.

This may not be the best video for any number of reasons, and like so much of what I have experienced creating and maintaining this website, it all falls under a learning process. At the time, I felt pure gratitude for having had my cell phone with me on the day we were fortunate enough to witness this miraculous dance of flight. What we saw is something I never want to forget. If I do, I hope a kind soul will play this for me so that I may experience it again.

There is more than enough for all of us to love about this planet. There is a bounty of desert flowers that bloom in spring and snow-covered peaks on magnificent mountain tops. There are lakes, rivers, oceans, and streams. Forests, savannahs, and valleys. It is up to us to do all we can to preserve the bounty of life we are surrounded by. Without all of it, we, too, will cease to exist.

The best gift we can give ourselves and this planet - is to be good stewards of this beautiful place that is our home.

I view every day as earth day. Good planets are too hard to find.

Watch this video and others at Tickling the Keyboard on YouTube

Enjoy

Snow Geese in the Skagit Valley of Washington State moments before practicing their murmuring formation