Zoo Birds, on Their Trainers' Arms

Hyacinth Macaw



Harris's Hawk

Memorial Day, 2008, With the Aid of Masking Tape

On an early morning walk, the day before the postal holiday in honor of Memorial Day, I came upon these crossed flags, secured to a neighbor's mailbox by masking tape.

A hurried improvisation or merely a humble salute to the memory of U.S. military veterans?

Cacti in Spring

Yucca



Prickly Pear

Mid-May Rose

Near a neighbor's walk, a rosebush offered fragrant blooms, alongside buds with their calyxes freshly uncurling.

Childhood Reminder

This scattering of buttercups, sometimes called primroses, near a utility pole that I passed on a morning walk, reminded me strongly of the fields in which they grew wild when I was very young.



The heavy pollen at the heart of this delicate blossom would butter your nose, if you happened to bring the flower close, hoping to catch its faint scent.

Peony with Raindrops

Ducks in the Park