Please join me at the Summer Shaddow Blogger page.

Formerly "All Things Ephemeral," my Summer Shaddow blog is the focal point now, the place where the fireflies also dream.  :)

Link address...
https://autumnwhisperstome.blogspot.com

Name of the blog, as mentioned, is "Summer Shaddow."

C'mon over and visit as it's my only active blog now.  See you there!

IMPORTANT: All blog posts will be posted in ONE blog here on Blogger.

IMPORTANT:  ALL of my blog posts will be in ONE blog (link below) from here forward.

Word Press has failed to impress me, and paying for something that isn't really quite hitting the mark for me is, well, just stupid.  I'm letting Word Press fade away, and I'm bringing my split blogs together into ONE blog, which I renamed from "All Things Ephemeral" to "Summer Shaddow."  Irony?  I'll refrain from going on about that irony and get on with the message here.

Bottom line:  All of my blogs are split, and from today forward ALL blog posts will go into ONE blog here on Blogger (link below).  All Things Ephemeral is a very old blog, the first one I ever created, and I've had it for so long that it just seems right to keep up with the original.

Link to "Summer Shaddow"....

Summer Shaddow 

https://autumnwhisperstome.blogspot.com

I realize some of you have gotten used to one of my blogs or the other, and I appreciate you taking the time to read, and even to send messages etc.  But it has come to a point now where having too many blogs is really taking up too much time, and it's wearing me out trying to keep up with them all.

I hope to see you at Summer Shaddow, formerly titled "All Things Ephemeral.

Change, and Long Overdue.

It was time.  As much as I love the pic of the birds dancing in the rain it was just time to change things up a bit here, to refreshen and start over again.  Seriously.  It was time.

I have to be honest here, both with you, and also with myself.  The time for consolidating my blogs is also LONG overdue.  For years now I've split everything up depending on topic or theme or subject (sort of), and it's not made things easier.  In fact, everything concerning my blogs at the moment, the multiple blogs for multiple topics is just driving me up a wall.  Why do you think I've been talking about it for so long?  Exactly!  Time to consolidate.  But WHERE, and what the hell do I do with my Word Press account?

It makes me tired, SO tired... just thinking about it.

Word Press may have to be reduced to something else, or completely abandoned, and I'll just have to come to terms with the fact that it was a good try that didn't work out.  So be it.  I mean, I have like 6 blogs!  What the hell was I thinking?  Yeah, okay.  I can laugh about it, but this needs resolved.  Dammit, but I've no idea where to start.

This decision is going to take a minute.....

NOTE: Deleted videos.

Having found that I need to clear out my blogs here, the video entries I made have been deleted.  NOT the blog posts but the videos.  My YouTube channel was just getting clogged with content, and I want to keep it focused on nature, eagles, creativity, etc.  It's what I need.

This 'house cleaning' of my blogs doesn't mean there won't be future posts.  There will definitely be future posts.  Now, about the location of such posts...  I paid for a year of Word Press and pointed my www.summershaddow.com domain to that blog.  I like it, but I became pretty accustomed to the look and feel of Blogger to the point where it feels a little more like home than at WP.  There is still time to consider the options, weigh the odds, and decide if I can keep up with so many blogs.  What was I thinking when I decided to split up topics and make a blog for each?  smh

Speaking of which, I should get back on-topic...

Video blog entries are there, but they lack the video.  Sorry for the mess and inconvenience this may cause anyone who's new and trying to catch up here, but I will discuss those topics again in the future, and I really did need to clean up my YouTube channel.

I guess that's all I need to say about the video blogs, and I will eventually (today, I hope) get to posting about all that's going on and has.

Till then....

PART III: SO much to talk about, but first...

RECAP:  I've been busy with a few projects, one is doing recap videos of the D.C. Eagle Cam eaglets, Honor and Glory.  Honor hasn't been seen since July 13, 2017, and while some think she simply has migrated, many of us think that's a little too soon.  But... the eagles do things on their time, so we really don't know.  I've included sound bites of her vocals, as well as Glory's vocals on his video (will post shortly).  They're two very different eagles with their own unique and distinct personalities.  Honor had to be rescued rather early on, which meant they did a DNA test and discovered she's a female.  This was no real surprise to me since she had overtly female traits (about 30% larger than her sibling, close to her mom's size, very large feet, larger, thicker beak, etc.).

I also made a video for both of them, which I will also post.

D.C. Eagle Cam, 2017:  Honor and Glory.  How do you tell the apart?  Honor is larger, has a larger beak, lighter colored feathers, bigger feet, and distinctly different vocals from Glory... who's vocals are higher pitched.  Going to miss these two.

PART II: SO much to talk about, but first....

RECAP:  I've been busy with a few projects, one is doing recap videos of the D.C. Eagle Cam eaglets, Honor and Glory.  Honor hasn't been seen since July 13, 2017, and while some think she simply has migrated, many of us think that's a little too soon.  But... the eagles do things on their time, so we really don't know.  I've included sound bites of her vocals, as well as Glory's vocals on his video (will post shortly).  They're two very different eagles with their own unique and distinct personalities.  Honor had to be rescued rather early on, which meant they did a DNA test and discovered she's a female.  This was no real surprise to me since she had overtly female traits (about 30% larger than her sibling, close to her mom's size, very large feet, larger, thicker beak, etc.).

I also made a video for both of them, which I will also post.

Glory....

SO much to talk about, but first....

I've been busy with a few projects, one is doing recap videos of the D.C. Eagle Cam eaglets, Honor and Glory.  Honor hasn't been seen since July 13, 2017, and while some think she simply has migrated, many of us think that's a little too soon.  But... the eagles do things on their time, so we really don't know.  I've included sound bites of her vocals, as well as Glory's vocals on his video (will post shortly).  They're two very different eagles with their own unique and distinct personalities.  Honor had to be rescued rather early on, which meant they did a DNA test and discovered she's a female.  This was no real surprise to me since she had overtly female traits (about 30% larger than her sibling, close to her mom's size, very large feet, larger, thicker beak, etc.).



Honor.... (I have to admit she's my favorite, though I adore Glory as well)....



Enjoy...

Why it's hard to leave Blogger.

Photo above is "Honor," one of this year's eaglets (now a fledgling/juvenile) from the D.C. eagle cam nest.  Screen capture by me, Copyright 2017 American Eagle Foundation www.eagles.org AEF-DC

Weeks ago I a decision to actually pay for a WordPress account, and while I don't think for even a moment that I made a bad decision, there are times when I miss using Blogger.  Nostalgia?  I've no idea the actual 'why' of this, but I believe that I'll be posting here from time to time despite the other account.

Will I continue with the Wordpress account once my year is up?  This remains to be seen and depends on how the year goes.  If I don't really feel comfortable still posting there, then I'll resume posting here.  HowEVER.... I may end up condensing my blogs down to one to save time.

Update on life:  There isn't honestly much to tell.  Life just continues on as it tends to do, and despite any changes the wheel continues to turn.  No improvement on the relationship situation AT ALL, which is a major disappointment and stressor in my life, but I believe I've let go enough to ease the anxiety and stress that arises from being in this relationship.  I have to do what's best for my health and sanity, and if it means disconnecting a bit and keeping T at arm's length, then so be it.

I'm going to separate this 'announcement' (for lack of a better word) from those that are about my life and situation, etc.

Hope I didn't bore you guys too much. ;p

Off to compose one of those 'relevant' posts...

New blog, new site, new home on the internet. Hope to see you there!

For some time now I've used Blogger, and it's been there for me when I've needed to laugh, cry, when I wanted to share something funny or sad or... well, just whatever.  There are a lot of memories embedded here.  But it's time to move this scattered book of memories to somewhere linear, clean, with a fresh, new start.  No worries, all here will remain.

www.summershaddow.com

What will it contain?  Well, just about everything.  I'll be posting the way I always have just within one place, one site, and one blog.  No more splitting content by topic or theme.  I'm simplifying things by just having a place to speak my mind without having people navigate from one blog to another.

Given time there will be pages added, because it's essentially a blog and site both, but my main focus will be on blogging and, at times, photography (when the body is willing).

At the moment the blog is fairly bare, but... you guys know me.  That will change pretty quickly as my health slowly improves.  The fireflies will still dream, this free spirit will still strive for that freedom, and Boo's Juicy Bits will find a page of its own for diet and overall health blogging.  And of course, me being me... there will always be the crap I spew from time to time. ;)  And the best part of all of that is that they may end up on their own page... but within ONE place on the web I now call home.

I do hope to see you all there!

SWFL Eagles ~ Fly Away 5.3.17

Oh my.... this was the last time E9 was seen before migrating.  Made me cry like a baby.  I watched this beautiful eagle since he hatched.... and wow, what an experience.  Beautiful to watch an eagle soar, and E9.... was no exception... absolutely beautiful.  Stay safe, E9....

A young eagle sets out on his life's journey....

When I first heard there was an eaglet hatching on a live cam.... I was more than a little intrigued.  In fact, I wondered how this could be.  NOW I wonder how I didn't know that wildlife 'live cams' where an actual thing.  I also didn't know how hooked I was going to get.  From the moment E9 hatched... I couldn't stop watching.  I was never far from my phone, iPad, or laptop.... and, if nothing else, would hear if something were going on.  The sound of the wind across the cam mic became eased me to sleep most nights.

The below is what I posted at our SWFEC forums today.

As I write this, it is 10:50am nest time. Do you hear that wind blowing across the cam mic?  It's a melancholy sound today.  I can't tell you how many times I've fallen asleep at night hearing that, seeing E9 as a tiny dust bunny that we saw only brief glimpses of at first, to seeing him sleep on a branch with or without mom and dad in the nest tree.  I'm so used to this sound that it's kind of become a normal sound in my own home and something that has made me fall asleep easily at night... a blessing for someone with insomnia the majority of the time.

But that sound makes me feel a little sad today.  Maybe E9 is just a short distance away exploring and trying to hunt, visiting other areas. Maybe he's set out on his life's journey and on his way to being exactly what he was meant to be. I suppose there's always a chance that we'll hear him fly in, squeeing loudly. But there's a chance we may not. I do imagine him, in those last moments before instinct urges him to go, spying something that calls him in the far distance and heading out, squeeing.....

That sound, the wind, it preceded his hatch... and it will be one of the last things we hear before the cams are shut down until next season.  Even with the sound of the wind the nest tree and area are infinitely more quiet in E9's wake.... and that quiet.... I can hear that too.

Hell---by any other definition.

This particular blog was supposed to be about dreams, wishes, passions, hope, future, life.  What the hell happened?  HELL happened, that's what happened.  Either way, I'm back on blogging again and likely going to open the flood gates over the next few days, etc.  Things have gotten sad and complicated.  But let me be very clear about that.... MY life has gotten sad and complicated.  For T, he sleeps like a baby and doesn't really give a crap about anything outside about 2 inches from his own skin.  I've been fighting tooth and nail to survive, to not completely give up.  SO hard at this point not to say screw it all.

Do I sound angry?  In a way I am.  But more than anything I'm hellaciously disappointed.  I'm disappointed in life (for the most part), my circumstances, disappointed in T, and terribly disappointed in myself in not recognizing the danger in my giving my heart to someone who would not just break it... but wreck it.  My fault.  I should've known better, especially when I saw the signs and convinced myself I was seeing and experiencing "Something else."  At least that's ONE thing I'm good at.

To me, I lost some of the best years of my life, wasted them away on men who were too lost in themselves to ever return actual love.  Those are years I will never get back, and I can't just 'make up' for the loss of them either.  I don't think anyone can do that, really.  6 years of abject hell.  Nice.

I miss my old life, my apartment, my pets.  Certainly there were things about my life I didn't like, but overall... on my own without anyone to inject their poison into me... I thrived.  Wish I would've recognized that then, because I may not be in the hell I'm in now.  And yes yes yes.. there are different kinds of hell.  I know this.  But this is hell nonetheless.

My absence from my blogs is due to the above, the lackluster in my life, the shiny parts of who I am dulled by careless digging and gouging from relationships past.  I feel like a dull, gray, lifeless thing left to do time on planet earth.  I never promised what I was going to say here would be pretty, but I sure hoped what I did say would speak more about the good things.  Screw it.

I'm avoiding specifics tonight.  Why?  Well, for the most part there's too damn many specifics to get into, and if I chose to get into the specifics.. it would go on forever.  Those darn flood gates, right?

I wish I could just let it all out, but what I always end up doing in the end is skirting around the details and spilling emotion to ease things.

Well, I guess I'll try again tomorrow.  You know, with the details.  We'll see.  I'm shooting for it anyway.

HAGN world.  Or a good day depending on where you are.

E9 and The Rain

Just popping in for a moment to say hello and that my computer will be going in to the shop today for possible repairs.  I'll be back to catch up once the issue's been addressed.  Till then, here's a photo compilation of one of the coolest events I've seen on SWFLEC.  Drought has been the name of the game in SW Florida, and when rain did come the other day, though brief, there was one bald eagle fledgling that took pure joy from that much-needed weather event.  :)

I may post the video captured by someone though not sure because I would've rather had the actual sound where he's flapping his wings, hovering, squeeing... and jumping from branch to branch in the nest tree.

Anyway, here ya go.  Enjoy.

My Tribute to E9

Note:  Blogger tends to cut off part of the video for some reason, so you may want to choose to watch on the YouTube channel instead.

American Bald Eagle E9 hatched Dec 31, 2016, fledged March 14, 2017, and stole my heart the day he hatched. He looked like a dust bunny with big feet, and who couldn't fall in love with that? Today is March 29, 2017 and E9 has not left the nest area and could be around a couple more weeks or so. Or, he could leave tomorrow. He lives on eagle time, so it really comes down to when he's ready. As for me being ready, well... that's a whole other story altogether.

This video is deeply personal one for me, so I'll spare everyone the details. But I will say that, yes, the quiet in that last minute and few seconds is intentional.

A huge thanks to the Pritchett family, moderators and ground support who made this amazing experience positively unforgettable, providing chat to answer a plethora of questions from watchers, educating us and making it so much fun to learn, and smoothing our ruffled feathers when we got worried... which we did a LOT. God willing, I will be watching again. Harriet, M15 and E9 have a permanent place in my heart.

Video and all SCAPs are ©Ella Wigginton

Delerium and Mimi Page - Angels

What happens when your GiveAShitter breaks.

I'm going to put some pretty flowers here to spruce up the dungheap known as my life.  It's okay, I promise it's not the kind of dungheap that smells bad (so you're safe there), but it is the kind of dungheap that makes the stinky one.... far far more appealing.  Trust me on this.

The waiting is ridiculously long, tedious, and stressful.  Waiting for your life to begin, or worse, waiting for people to get out of you way so you can LIVE your life is one of the longest waits ever.  It's definitely not something I enjoy and IS definitely something I try to avoid when possible.  I just don't get why people refuse to make their own lives their business and stay out of mine.  Honestly, I'm only speaking about one person right now, and the one person who has the most freaking control over my life at that.  There has to be a way to break through this.  There HAS to be.

I'm not happy.  Doesn't require a degree in rocket science to see this either.  As my health declined, as sleep became an unpleasant endeavor, as everything about my physical health hit bottom... so did my emotional health.  Who the hell can be happy in the midst of turmoil brought in, created and cultivated by ONE individual?  I have no control over what others do, and I don't have the time or the energy to deal with their control issues.  T has some serious control issues and it clashes heavily with my need for a vital, vibrant LIFE.  I'm fighting for what is good and healthy for me, while he fights directly against it.

The worst of the health issues I'm dealing with now is going to take about a YEAR to fix.  A YEAR.  Think about that for a moment.  I have to hold on, maintain until that year (which comes with stress as I've been warned) is complete and I'm on the other side of this problem.  Most people who have to deal with something, health wise, that takes so long to recover from or get to or complete treatment, etc.... have a support network helping them along the way.  Not me.  I'm stuck with someone who vacillates between abject indifference.... or complete and total opposition.  I'm doing this for my health, my life, my well-being, so why the hell would T do that?  I've no idea... but I did find out a few years back that I'm not the asshole whisperer.

So sick of fighting daily for my health, well-being....

When I Can't Find My Voice.

Many times I go silent when I 'believe' I've nothing to say.  It used to be I had other outlets for expression when I would fall into this uncharacteristic silence and would take full advantage of them.  Photography, OOAK doll art, web site, and so on.  But these days, in the midst of my current 'energy crisis,' those other outlets are out of reach.

In some ways, I don't mind the quiet days.  Mostly it's the nature of not being able to express myself that bothers me.  Yet, it's not like I have a lot of power over this.  I know I'm not as 'shut down' as I feel, and I realize wholly that inside... there's a great deal going on.

Maybe I just need another cup of coffee.

NOTE:  The above was written a few months ago, and in many ways I miss that 'me' that I was even then.  I'm tired beyond belief of people stepping into my life and thinking they can pull strings and I'll dance.  I'm nobody's puppet.

Soul Renewal.

Turning my focus in a new direction has made life a bit easier to bear.  I love animals, and my latest newfound love are Bald Eagles, and luckily for me I have the bald eagle live streams to turn to if I don't feel quite right, if I'm down or anxious, lonely, sad... doesn't matter.  Over the past year I've been awed and amazed by what I've witnessed, and I've been beyond amazed by the healing power of nature, once again.

Yesterday, March 6, 2017 at 6:29am EST E9, whom I've watched since he hatched, branched for the first time.  And, I was able to see it LIVE as it happened for the first time.  The photo above was from early this morning when he found his way to the veranda of the nest tree.

I haven't actually been 'lucky' as I keep one of my devices with the stream running at all times.. well, except when sleeping or driving.  But even if I'm not looking right at the screen I can hear if something is happening so miss very little.  I've seen and heard every milestone for this eaglet because I choose THIS, rather than staring at a television screen or spending a lot of time online doing mindless surfing.  And I've been amazed and awed by every moment.

He has a couple of weeks or so to go before he attempts fledging and will remain in the nest area for a few weeks afterwards to follow the adults and perfect his flying and learn to hunt.  It will be a sad day when he leaves the nest area for good, but there are other eagle cams with eaglets or eggs.  THIS particular nest with it's gorgeous couple Harriett and M15... has won my heart, and I will watch every season as long as they return to this nest.

For now I will just enjoy the laughs, the sometimes drama. the wonder and the life that is at this nest right now.

As an aside, E9 did something for the first time today and... I was watching and was able to catch a screen shot.  I had the stream running on both my computer and my iPhone, which there is always a delay from YouTube and the web site streaming from youtube... so I lucked out and had a chance to snag this.

What you're looking at is E9 mantling, which is using the wings and posture in a protective stance.  I've seen him do this when food is brought to the nest (and also when he THINKS food is brought), but this is a first for his mantling over the nest.  You can see him looking up at something, maybe one of the adults returning to the nest and he didn't see at first who it was so didn't recognize them, or maybe it was a visitor, aka an "Intruder" flying over the nest tree.  He's laying down, so when he realized something was overhead he rapidly stretched out his wings over the nest.  Mantling over food isn't done laying down but in a crouched position with wings arching over the food in order to keep anything else from getting it.

Never a dull moment in this nest, as is the case with most eagle nests.  There are a few out there, too, and I often use the Eagle Cam app since it has a list of several eagle cams, though not all of them.

So how is this 'soul renewal'?  Easy--anything that takes me away from the grind and humdrum of daily life stresses, etc... is a definite soul renewal.  It's relaxing, calming.. most of the time.  Unless there's a lot of flapping, hopping and squeeing going on.  Well, there are a lot of things that happen in and around the nest that can spike that adrenalin, but mostly... it's just uplifting to experience.

:)

Be brave for me....

Please use the menu on the side of the page to read my entries in my other blogs to catch up if you wish.  For now, and due to just feeling positively drained, shattered.... I'm going to just leave this here.  Music... makes everything better.  And Conjure One is one of my all time favorites.. I listen to them every single night.  Those playlists are the only things helping me fall asleep these days...

Southwest Florida Eagle Cam