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| While the camera exposure is deceiving, these two images were created within seconds of each other from the exact same location -- there were just too many birds to capture everything in the same frame! My rough count suggests approximately 85 Trumpeter Swans at ice level; I'll leave it up to you to count ducks and geese (above) |
The "mud months" trudge on . . . the last week has been pretty characteristic of the last couple months: four or five days of pretty seasonable temperatures with a bit of snow, interrupted by a couple days of upper 40s into the 50s with a half inch of rain. While we've definitely had our share of cold, this hasn't felt like winter -- at least from a Christmas Story nostalgic perspective.
My mid-day muse . . . I have found myself preoccupied by the topic of "climate change" lately. First off, let me be clear that commenting on the weather is NOT the same thing as commenting on meteorological trends that are being documented over decades (or even centuries). I'm trying to think big picture here. Somehow, as with so many other topics, this "issue" has become politicized. While I know I will alienate readers by saying this: GLOBAL CHANGES IN CLIMATE ARE ONLY POLITICAL IN SO FAR AS THE HUMAN RACE NEEDS A UNIFIED POLITICAL RESPONSE TO A CLIMATE THAT IS RESPONDING TO HOW WE UTILIZE RESOURCES. To me, it can be boiled down to a simple cause and effect.
I do as much reading as I can stomach on this subject. (I should do more.) I try to read from a variety of perspectives. But for me, the body of evidence is substantial and growing. It is difficult to argue that the way we live does have a profound impact on the natural world. And the way we live has changed substantially -- particularly over the last century or two. This isn't just a matter of some coastal communities getting their feet wet (while water level trends are plenty intimidating in their own right). Changes at this scale impact everything, everywhere, and everyone.
The good news is, the human race is intelligent and has proven to be capable of adaptation. It is high time for each of us to recognize that lots of little choices add up to big changes, and it's even higher time to start implementing more of those individual changes for the collective good.