Thistle Core

I wrote this over a week ago, lost my ability to think about anything except work, and am now trying to reunite with whatever mind I had before I go back and lose it all again tomorrow.

I am so happy that physicists have proved the existence of the Higgs boson. I can hardly wait to find out if it is in the key of G or the key of C.

Birds overwhelmingly prefer the key of G. But “C” is the “do” in “do-re-mi” so it’s important too.

House Wren in the Poke Weed

My own personal theory, which has no basis in anything except my lifelong musical orientation and this feeling in my gut that won’t go away, is that music precedes everything we know. I’ve often wondered if perhaps it even precedes the Big Bang, which can be compared to a cymbal crash. I don’t know the sound of atoms colliding but I wonder if it isn’t ever so slightly like yeast singing.

Green Darner

Rituals have been formed around music. Dance is everywhere. There is a lot of music we can’t hear because we’ve covered it up with our loud technological noise. Thus our music has gotten louder and louder, in large part because no one can hear quiet anymore. But if you ever get lucky enough to be away from some of that noise, just stop and listen. You will hear the music. Everywhere.

Female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird 9-5-11

I hope to be back next time with some music. I don’t know how to keep up with the blog at the moment, it might take cooler weather, longer nights and more rain, or less time spent during the day in front of a computer. On the bright side, after I came back from the slough and the Portage where I saw no hummers–the bird above was photographed last September at the Chicago Portage when all the jewel weed was in bloom, which it is not yet–I had a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird at one of my three hummer feeders today. I saw it a total of three times over the course of the afternoon. I have never seen a hummer drink from one of my feeders before, so to get repeat business is gratifying. Maybe eventually one will stay long enough for a publicity shot.

Swamp Rose Mallow