per·i·pa·tet·ic
ˌperēpəˈtedik/
adjective
  1. 1.
    traveling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for relatively short periods.
    "the peripatetic nature of military life"
    synonyms:nomadic, itinerant, traveling, wandering, roving, roaming, migrant,migratory, unsettled
    "I could never get used to her peripatetic lifestyle"
  2. 2.
    Aristotelian.
noun
  1. 1.
    a person who travels from place to place.
  2. 2.
    an Aristotelian philosopher.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Nature Notes--'The World is Charged'--a Regal Sunset at Fort Pickens


Just before sunset on All Saints' Day, I found these monarchs, Danaus plexippus, settling in for the evening on a tree at Fort Pickens. They must have been taking a breather while enroute to Mexico. I wonder if they had to recalibrate for the coming calamity.





God's Grandeur






The world is charged with the grandeur of God.



It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;



It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil



Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?



Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;



And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;



And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil



Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.



And for all this, nature is never spent;



There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;



And though the last lights off the black West went



Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs--



Because the Holy Ghost over the bent



World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.



--Gerard Manley Hopkins, 1877--
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Please visit Ramblingwoods.com for more Nature Notes posts this week.

24 comments:

  1. The grandeur of God indeed. The world is such a wonderful place. Your photo is super nice.

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  2. Oh my gosh...You were able to see a monarch roost.. That is a really special treat for serious monarch watchers. People watch, count and report during migration because that helps to determine how the monarch population is doing.. Super post for Nature Notes...Michelle

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  3. That's a peaceful moment. Although here in Naples the sunsets on the beach can be quite crowded.

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  4. Thanks, Tina. I was really wanting to include a video of the butterflies, but Blogger had other plans.

    Michelle, I don't think I qualify as a serious monarch watcher--tried to sign up but deterred by request for TMI--so I'll just settle for intensely interested watcher. I wanted to return to the beach today and find out if they had left or managed to ride out the "storm." Other things intervened. I really enjoyed your latest post on the bat white nose syndrome.

    I can imagine, Mr. S. Fort Pickens is a bit more subdued than Pensacola Beach, probably because of an admission fee, which we pay on an annual basis. It's not much, but it makes all the difference!

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  5. I dream of seeing monarch's roosting. Lucky you!

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  6. what a wonderful post, I'd love to see a crowd of monarchs. Glorious sunset photo too and Gerald Manley Hopkins is one of my favourite poets...

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  7. Stunning pictures. Just stunning.

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  8. Great pictures - all of our butterflies have gone to rest for the winter. We have a few birds flying around, but most of what is flying are snowflakes. Great post. Thanks.

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  9. Super photos! You are fortunate to have seen the monarchs, and the sunset is glorious. I'm glad to have found your site via your comment on Bill S.'s

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  10. Stine, I have been very fortunate lately with glimpses of interesting wildlife. Thanks for stopping by!

    CGP, my camera isn't fancy or expensive, but it keeps me company and allows me to find details in life that I used to overlook.

    Thanks, TB! Your praise means a lot to me. I'm still chuckling about your Oregon Trail post and pics.

    Bill S, I'm glad you stopped by for a chat. You have my deepest sympathy about the snow and admiration for your bird shots. One of these days, I'll get the hang of those. By the way, I love the name of your former fly-tying business. You have a great sense of humor.

    Thanks, Mary! It's wonderful to see some new faces here, and the Florida crowd keeps growing. I've been giving some thought to hosting an event like yours for a friend of mine. She's shy and humble about her work and doesn't have a big enough place of her own to do it. She has so much enthusiasm for art that I would love to see her get recognition for her accomplishments. Thanks for a wonderful idea!

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  11. What a fantastic sight to see so many monarchs all at once! I've seen a group like this only on a PBS documentary about their migration. This really illustrates Hopkins' idea of God's grandeur!

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  12. I wonder if those are Maine butterflies? They flew south many weeks ago. I like to think of them enjoying a break with you on their way to Mexico. I’d stay to watch that sunset. Gorgeous shot!

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  13. You were definitely in the right place at the right time, I'm sure those butters WERE resting before crossing the big pond. Gotta love the sunsets at Ft P.

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  14. Rose, I think I was having heart palpitations when I found that tree. Daughter and I were tramping around in the brush behind one of the batteries--no signs but not sure we were really supposed to be back there since the door was padlocked--when I spotted the tree getting more fluttery by the minute. I was so excited that most of the pictures weren't well-focused. There was just a brief window of opportunity too since the light was fading fast. I agree, Hopkins' poetry is evocative of Nature's mysterious intimacy with humans' spiritual nature.

    Sarah, thanks! Wouldn't it be something if they had been in Maine? It amazes me that such delicate creatures can fly so many miles and somehow keep passing on the flight plan to their descendants.

    Paula, I've been shown so many amazing things lately I'm having difficulty processing everything, let alone being able to describe the wonder. Hopkins does a much better job of it.

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  15. What's more inspirational: words like that or sunsets. It's one or the other but not both at the same time. I never could read on the beach!

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  16. Mr. S, I know what you mean. I usually take a book with me to the beach. After about a page read and re-read, I have to give up and consign it to the tote bag. Too much input going on to read!

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  17. Isn't it "red in the mornin, sailor's warnin, red at night, sailor's delight?" If so, there would be no "coming calamity" for the monarchs. But then, what do I know, I'm no meteorologist. ;~P

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  18. I've heard that bit o' sailors' lore too, TC. If the monarchs were smart, they made a beeline for the border the next day because Ida was a-brewin' in the distance. She breezed by us the following week and left a mess of sand on the road to Fort Pickens. I think it's still closed.

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  19. It's a wonderful thing to be able to draw on poets and other brilliant writers. You always surprise me with the breadth of your choices.

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  20. I guess I should thank some fabulous English professors at UWF, Paula. They rekindled my interest in lit that had been relegated to the back burner for years. Dangerous thing to arouse an old geezer's interest!

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  21. It was certainly interesting for me to read the post. Thank author for it. I like such themes and anything that is connected to this matter. I would like to read a bit more on that blog soon.

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  22. How wonderful to see so many monarchs at one time! I think that's lucky! Loved going through the verse too.

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  23. Posts like this are what keeps me coming back to visit you, even when I'm neglecting other, more "meaningful" stuff like laundry.

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  24. Sorry, Kanak and WS! That procrastination thing has me in thrall lately and, yes, mundane things like laundry and other stuff. Thanks for stopping by.

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