Dear Friend,
Think of a song. What is the first song that comes to mind? Is it one that makes you feel glad or are you now stuck with a never-ending ditty? I certainly hope that the song in your mind is a song that makes your heart sing, too.
We are camped in the Lost Dutchman State Park at the foot of the Superstition Mountains, Apache Junction, Arizona. I’m seated in the shade of a bushy manzanita. At 7:00 am and already sunny, it’s going to be a warm day! As I write this letter, Frank is quietly strumming his guitar, no real melody in mind, just creating as he goes. It’s a beautiful sound, gentle and happy. We are joined by a bunny and a few birds, some busy ants, a few flies and bees, a lizard doing pushups, and the distant clamor of other campers enjoying the morning. It will be a great day to explore and photograph more of this park.
Frank has been working every day. He is a photographer with a love of nature and a genuine desire to capture the spirit and emotions of his subjects – he listens to each, caring to tell their story truthfully. I’m proud and grateful to share his photos with you.
When I first met Frank, he had an indoor-rabbit that he’d acquired as part of a photoshoot. Technically, she had been a prop for a magazine cover. But when that photo session was over, he couldn’t just leave her there, so he took her home and named her, Isabella. She became a great teacher, friend and funk-meter. This bunny loved soul music and if she grooved on the tune, it was a good recording.
How could you tell? Well, when Izzy enjoyed, she would finish cleaning her ears and whiskers, and find a good spot on the rug to stretch out, then she’d yawn, close her eyes, and nod her head to the rhythm. If she didn’t enjoy the music, she wouldn’t relax. And if she sensed negativity, she would thump her foot and head for cover.
To address the elephant in the room, Izzy was cage-trained. She would run to the cage in the corner of the living room to take care of her business, get a drink of water from her bottle, nab a snack out of her bowl and then go about her day, free-roaming the house. Bunnies are cute, they thrive on happiness, gentleness, good vibes, daily proper nutrition, fresh water and a clean environment. But don’t go out and buy a bunny to have indoors just because they are adorable. For some reason, they enjoy chewing on wires, and left on their own, they are capable of unplugging your entire home; we learned this the hard way.
Indoor bunnies need attention and supervision. They also require their independence so it’s a balance. Izzy was a delicate, little, funk-loving bunny that left a giant, treasured, footprint on our lives and happy memories of her music in our hearts.
It’s always a beautiful thing to see bunnies and other creatures out in the wild. And now that we are living and working ‘on the road,’ we are afforded lots of opportunities to see all sorts of life in its natural environment.
Friends, we are grateful for your caring and thoughtful prayers and good wishes, please know that you are also in our daily Thanksgivings – it is such a lovely comfort to know that you are there!
Please contact me and let me know how you are doing, I am always happy to hear from you!
Gently Be,
Leslie
Visit Frank's website for more Nature Photos. fbphoto.com
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