Light begins to fill the sky on the rocky coast of Gloucester, Mass. on Sunday morning. Sometimes, to more fully appreciate a sunrise, you have to wait in the dark for a while.
“Every sunrise holds more promise. Every sunset, more peace.” – Anonymous
“Never let yesterday use up too much of today.” – Will Rogers
Yesterday, the nearby Bronx Zoo provided a wonderful respite from the latest news. For much of the time that I was there it seemed as if it was just me and the animals.
Burrowing Owls watched and listened while keeping a close watch over their dens. Having each other’s back is one of the keys to survival in the animal kingdom.
“Animals have a sense of justice and also display empathy, forgiveness, trust and reciprocity. We can learn a lot from them if we open our minds and hearts to who they really are.” – Marc Bekoff author of Animals Matter
We admired an American Oystercatcher on the beach at Little Water Cay in Turks and Caicos after taking a short boat ride that crossed the incredible, turquoise-colored water of Grace Bay.
When we departed, our taxi driver wished us well with a local blessing; “Traveling Mercies,” she said.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie
“Grace, growth, and gratitude. These are my highest aspirations.” — Gloria Arliss
“Never lose an opportunity to see anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Sometimes I get nature to pray when I don’t have the words – I let a rushing river say my prayer. I let the mountain wind be my whisper. I let the chirping birds be my song. A day in nature is never wasted.” – Jared Brock from his book A Year of Living Prayerfully
“Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.” – John O’Donohue
The 2010 Windland Smith Rice “Zoos and Aquariums” Category Winner was captured at the Bronx Zoo when a Western Lowland Gorilla became intrigued by a fearless Mallard duckling. It was displayed at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in 2011.
All photos © Tom Warren… With gratitude
