When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a scientist. I hoped to study wild wolves in the cold, unexplored reaches of the world. I’ve changed a lot since then, but I’ve never lost my fascination with nature. Living in Minnesota, on the banks of the Mississippi river, in a place where the wilderness runs right through civilization, where eagles soar over skyscrapers and foxes dash across highways, I’ve come to realize what nature study really is. Because nature study is not about noticing things that are out of the ordinary, and it is not about scrutinizing an object until you discover something new. It’s not even about asking questions and seeking answers. It’s about love. It’s about looking at something you’ve seen a hundred thousand times, and realizing how special it is. Nature study is allowing yourself to fall in love with the world all over again.
~ Song of the wolf
The picture above I took at Lake Itasca, fall 2011
Song of the Wolf 
I enjoyed your comments about the geese. As you know, we see them every day in the park and they do as you describe.
Also, we saw our first bluebird at our feeder yesterday. The are awesome!
I love “The Song of the Wolf” and we look forward to seeing you in a couple of days.