Well here we are. 2021 is not off to a start where hopes, dreams, accomplishments, and visions of a bright future are easily envisioned. 2020 surely had unexpected, and unpleasant, twists and turns that no one imagined or would have been prepared for. COVID-19 loomed large over all, believers with masks and non-believers fighting for their right to die and take others with them. A president hell-bent on destroying all that came before him with a cult of angry followers happy to do his bidding. Threats to the normal we knew and loved were many. The president and his cult became increasingly unhinged as many watched in horror. If you are on my site I imagine we are of like minds. If not please feel free to silently slip away as I’ve no consideration or patience for the hate, vindictiveness, racism, and so much more that you stand behind. We are what we associate with after all. Birds of a feather flock together.
The shutdown of 2020 left me far from bored. I managed to bird, hike, kayak, and take photographs in places that were less crowded. Rare plant surveys were done and wildlife rescue and transport was at times relentless. Gardens went untended, books unwritten, and photo exhibit plans set aside. I made face masks. Lots and lots of face masks. The majority of some 800 were donated and others sold to allow the donations to continue. It was my little part in doing something positive to help keep people well. Wildlife rescues were sometimes challenging and rewarding and, too often, heartbreaking. The lessons of the year were many. I was stronger, wiser, and more intuitive than I’d given myself credit for. Unexpected car issues left me with time to reflect on what had been set aside: Conservation Photography and Conservation Photojournalism.
I will never forget the takeover of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The day is etched in my memory with the horrors of 9/11, Sandy Hook, and Stoneman Douglas High School. This is who we are? The future is uncertain, although the President is Joe Biden and Vice President is Kamala Harris. They House and Senate are strong with Democratic winnings. There is hope and there is fear with the trump cult growing increasingly unhinged each day. All I can do is watch from the sidelines, pray for humanity to find a way to safety from COVID-19, and security of a country we once believed to be filled with less hate than we have now. The world is watching. At this moment, we are flailing and failing. God help us get through this with integrity and find ourselves morally and spiritually better. The opposite would be a nightmare of proportions known to those of that have seen the horrors that are unfathomable to many.
2021 brings a renewal of projects neglected. It is what I’ve labeled as The Year We Dear to Care. World Views has morphed into World Views: If we could see the world aa others do, would we dare to care? The addition of a White-fronted Amazon Parrot opened a door to Willow’s World: Life of a White-fronted Amazon Parrot as it is, as it was, as it should be.
Let the blog, exhibit planning, and books move forward into fruition at the end of 2021! Stay virulent well, and safe.
Today’s sentiment: We are tired. We are sick. We are horrified. Yet we must be vigilant. We are at a crossroads and we desperately need to follow the road with integrity to a resolution that will not leave us all in great peril. Too often I’m feeling like doomsday is before us! God help us.