I have my daily routine of studying Spanish when the sun is setting at Villa Migelita. I sit on my third floor in my sun room and I watch the every changing sky. It is magnificent. I have never enjoyed sunsets as much as I do here in Colombia at my own house. I have a clear view of Cali, Colombia which is an hour away and the Valle del Cauca. I watch the sky change while the lights of the city of Palmira and Cali slowly burst into my skyline. It is breathtaking. I also watch the 6 little bats that live in my basement come out and eat insects with the beauty of the sun going down. So enjoy some of my favorite photos of my sunsets over the years of living in the beauty of Colombia.
Sunset with my trees
A sunset rainbow
Ever changing views
Later in the day the sun was peaking through the clouds
A storm over the Valle del Cauca
The cloud formation with the sun setting is luscious
Last Monday I was on a road trip with friends and a Roadside Hawk hit my truck. The force of the impact was strong, a loud bang like a hammer hit the side of the truck. We looked back and could see this magnificent bird of prey in the middle of the highway. Immediately we pulled over, while we watched a motorcyclist stop to protect him from being hit by another car. Fortunately, one of my friends on this trip was a veterinarian! He and my business partner at Villa Migelita went to see if we could save him. He was in shock but fine. I will never forget looking at him up close. I have seen many hawks and have even photographed them, but in person there is no description of their beauty and splendor. The yellow color of the eyes, the talons which are so incredibly forceful. The cover photo is from yesterday on a hike locally by my Villa. This is what a Roadside Hawk looks like. They seem small, but they are not small at all. They are compact. For the rest of my life when I see one on a hike I will think of the life I saved. It wasn’t easy. I was worried until I could find a place for him. I realized the very first day I was not equipped to care for this bird. He needed specialists. Thank God for the group The Hummingbird Whisperer on Facebook!!!!
Hawk was scared and in shock
I was told the cage was too small and to put put him in a big dog crate . He calmed down and let his wings down after he was moved to the large crate.
a beautiful birdcage way to small
I was also told I needed to feed him live food and put a huge water bowl inside of his new and larger home. Rats or chickens. I had never seen rats at the local area here in Colombia that sells agricultural products, chickens, fruits, vegetables and anything you might need for farm living and is called the Galleria. I went to the Galleria with my business partner and we found rats, and we bought two to feed him. I hate rats. I have cats to keep them off my property at Villa Migelita. But it is different when you buy them to send to their death. But I did it because this bird needed to survive and thrive. Don’t look at this video if you are squeamish. My hawk was hungry and this was a rodent. I still hated every moment of feeding a live animal to this hawk, but we did it and the rat was gone in 10 minutes! All the while we were looking for a place to take him to rehabilitate.
We found out that our local company called the CVC which is the water agency here in Colombia also runs a foundation for endangered and illegal animal trafficking. We called them and they said to bring the hawk to them and they would transfer it to the foundation.
On his way to the foundation
On a side note to make you smile those damn rats ate through the box they were in and were running around on the bed where we set them. EWWWWW. We caught them and put them in glass jars with the lids that had holes. We had one left so we brought it with us to the CVC to feed this magnificent creature. When we got to the CVC they transferred him to another animal crate and I knew he was going to be fine.
This bird became a part of my soul. His eyes followed me whenever I would check on him. I thought it is no wonder they can see from so far away when flying free in the sky.
Some small part of me is in this hawk and whenever I see one again I will think of the life we saved.
This is a hard photo challenge for me because I want to say how fleeting life is, which is so cliché. How desperately short life can be, which is also so cliché. I want to wallow in the grief of my daughter’s death. How I search for memories now that it has been 7 years since she was murdered. What I go through every single day, when I open my eyes in the morning. How angry I am that the man who killed my daughter walks free due to a corrupt judge. I want to share to others how hard it is to accept a death of a child that was so senseless it leaves me weak with sadness. All the years that have disappeared like they never existed. I want others who have never had extreme grief to understand. It is difficult to let it go. I try, but I always have it there in my heart. So I just write my feelings down and I take photos of the this absolutely beautiful country that I live in now. Colombia. We have a lot in common. Death, senseless death, which is not something people can just let go of. We survive. We continue. But we remember. These photos are for my daughter, who fades ever so slowly from my memory. I still walk and meditate for her in all the beautiful areas right outside my door. It helps but it doesn’t keep me from missing the woman she could have become.
The rage of the riverLittle leaves capture my eyesThe cascade drips with my tearsThe stillness of the pathfinding peacewalking the natural poolletting go after meditation..my shoes in the water of life
I am always hiking near my Villa . I can’t give an exact amount of days per week. It depends on my hair. Yes it does. I am after all still a woman who likes my hair and nails to be perfect, even if I live in the Rainforest. Yes, I am revealing something about myself. I usually walk on days I have to wash my hair. OH, so you think why do we need to know this? Because you do. I live in the forest. I am not always interacting with others. I like being alone. I like reading, I love writing and I love my space. I really love being alone. I worked for years as a flight attendant. I don’t care if I hear a bunch of people complaining ever again!
“Worry less about what you want to be, and more about what you want to do.” – President Barack Obama in Chicago today. I love this quote because it describes me and my life to perfection. I want to be successful in my small business. But if I am not I can accept that. I want to be immersed in nature as an avid photographer. I love getting up early and going out on my own with one of my dogs to walk and photograph the beauty that surrounds me. Photography is part of me. I am part of the photos I take on my hikes. I see people and talk to them. There is no such thing as a Colombian who ignores someone they pass, whether in an office, or on the street. Even if they dislike you they acknowledge you. I find that a wonderful way to live. What is the use of hurting others? With that I share some photos of my life around and about as an avid photographer and the life I lead as an expat.
Earth day is April 22, a favorite day to me. The Earth is substantially more than just us humans. It is every little creature that surrounds us to bring our ecosystem in sync. Look at my cover photo carefully. You will see the tiniest little wasp.
The arrow points out the tiny wasp on the Canna Lily
Without bees, wasps and all insects we would not have flowers. We would not have pollination, we would not be alive on Earth. So when any of us use products from Monsanto, or any poisons we are killing the Earth. We are destroying the planet for future generations. These little insects that bother us are very important links to the salvation of the Earth. They are an important part of the chain of events that allow us to live on the planet Earth with water, air and food.
So when I take my photos of nature I always keep in mind that all of nature is intertwined. We humans are not superior to any animal or plant that lives in this Universe. Remember that when you see the ice melting, the water being polluted, and the fish dying in the oceans. We humans are the murderers. We are killing this planet with greed to make money. We are the ones who can stop this before it is too late.
Trees growing high into the sky while the forest is the backdropClouds descend upon my mountains surrounding Villa MigelitaThe condensed look of one sweet horse on a hikeFoliage captures the sun as a Chachalaca hides in the treesA butterfly sunning on leaves in the forestThe capture of an intense rainstorm coming towards Villa MigelitaThe sounds of silence of the forest captured in this one photo
Living in the forest makes for wonderful photo opportunities. The jungle is real in Colombia. The forest is dense, the trees seem impenetrable, the cloud cover comes and goes as I hike. A close-knit Eco-system of beauty that has to be seen in person to take in the three-dimensional quality. A step inside a real life painting. That is how I live. I am constantly amazed by the views I see when taking my tourists and adventurers out on hikes. It is like a Disney movie in 3D. Here are a few photos I have captured while on my hikes around Villa Migelita . They will never capture the beauty you can see when visiting Colombia, but hopefully you will be able to see how dense the forest is, how the clouds descend upon the mountains, and how I embrace my minimalist life. Nothing can compare to what I feel when I wander the mountains near my home and Bed and Breakfast Villa Migelita. I sense freedom from the hectic lifestyle of the Western world, I feel empowered as a woman who moved to a new country and often want to shout to the sky,”Look at what I have done! Look at how I live! Just look at this substantial life I have made for myself!” This is a tiny semblance of how I am touched when I roam the mountains near my Villa. Remember this: I spent many years wasting money on things that are not important to a meaningful life. Now I spend my time instead of money on things that are important: my quality of life and my love of nature. I just want to live surrounded by the clouds, trees, birds, butterflies, and the calling of nature to my soul.
Whenever I do these photo challenges I always look to my favorite subject. Nature. I can find magic every single day I step outside and look around. Sometimes, even in my house. The butterflies and hummingbirds have free rein in my house. In Colombia we leave our doors open in the main areas off the balconies. They enter sometimes, and I rescue them. The cover photo is the Owl Butterfly of Colombia on a wall in my kitchen. This video shows the encounter which was magical. Colombia has a slogan Magical Realism. The photos I am sharing will show this to be true. It is magical to live in this beauty.
A beautiful butterfly on a hike (there are two see if you can spot the other)
A full moon over the mountains is enchanting no matter where you live. But there is something mystical about this picture that is a bit eerie in a good way.
Full moon in Colombian mountainsThe light reflecting through the center of this flower is pure beauty and magic
Finally this photo of me on a trip to Bogotá is spiritual in a way that brings to mind otherworldly images. It was taken without any filters, nor did I use any photo shop. It just is one of those photos that when you go through your images you do a double take.
My cover image is an iguana that looks like it is an extension of a leaf from a plant. I believe it personifies how easily the light can change the way we see things. I only saw this iguana because my dog was barking. I went to look and there was this beautiful iguana.
When I hike the butterflies are everywhere. Sometimes you can miss them because they blend in with the nature around them.
This butterfly blends in with the rocks
A tree stump with the beautiful Blue Tanager of Colombia. The sun was setting and the flowers of Colombia are so brilliant, I could easily think this gorgeous bird was a bloom of a plant.
Azules pajaro de Colombia
Then there are the actual flowers on my farm and bed and breakfast Villa Migelita. The way they grow so beautifully reaching towards the sun.
A new sunflower opening to the sun
This photo of my dog Orion stretching is wonderful, you might focus on him and miss the landscape that is in the background, highlighted by the late afternoon sun.
The sun going down in the background highlights the foliage
Finally as the sun goes down at Villa Migelita itshines upon the ducklings, you have to look carefully or you could miss them in this picture of activity.
Loud sounds like scraping on metal, banging and then a huge creature flying over my bed, slamming into everything! The curtains, the walls, the ceiling, then dropping down to the ground in front of my divan. Confusion from waking suddenly to this unexpected appearance fogged my brain. I thought it was a bird. Rapidly I jumped from bed as my cat Franchesca had bounced straight up into the air: as I awoke she did too! I thought she would kill the flying creature and rushed to save it. No worries about that! She ran to the slight crack in the slider which she enters and exits..but it was closed. So she ran to hide under the coffee table in front of my divan. I exited my bed quickly as I still wasn’t thinking I had a bat visitor but a bird and wanted to keep my cat from attacking it. That wasn’t a problem as this bat had landed right on the ground in front of Franchesca, wings spread wide and they were staring at each other! She was up against the wall looking frightened. It was then I realized I had a bat in my room. It is interesting how the animal kingdom knows all. Franchesca has probably seen many bats on her nighttime escapades! My dog Marley was sleeping on his dog bed and watched everything unfold without moving. He appeared unaffected. Me, well I was unnerved, and that is because I have the same opinion of bats as most people: they carry disease, they look scary, and I sure wasn’t happy to have him in my room. I did some research because I love the bat rescues I see online: cute bats being fed by pacifiers and given fruit. This was different and this bat was large. He was not threatening, I want to make that clear. He was confused. They fly by sonar.
The bat was an adult male, black with his wings spread out looking quite large. Exactly like the image below. The TV light was on and I could see I had a bat in my bedroom not a bird. I opened the door and yelled for my partner, who came running inside the bedroom. I had no idea what to do. I was unnerved, I admit that. As a nature lover and advocate for all wildlife I knew I didn’t want to hurt it. But at the same time they are misunderstood creatures and they do carry disease: they are also timid and there is no need to fear a bat ever, unless you molest it. Even then they are not known to bite a human on purpose. Vampire bats feed on livestock, and some do carry rabies but hardly ever pass it on to their prey.
Stock image of a vampire bat from the internet
All bats are super-heroes. They control the insect population on this planet. They are as important as bees, and other creatures that interact within our eco-system that keep our world from dying off. They become confused when they fly at night and see light…a street light, a light like mine from the TV and it affects the radar that is their guidance. Their eyes are very sensitive to light, so if there is an open window or door with light inside, it may overcome their senses for a split second, and they may enter the house. That is what happened with the bat that entered my bedroom. A window had been left open and the screen not closed. The TV light was nothing but an image on Netflix..apparently this is all it took for the poor creature to become confused while flying by. He entered and was frightened. He flew and hung upside down on my curtains. He was not threatening at all. Just scared. He was beautiful, and I wish in that moment in time I could have comforted him.
My partner knew exactly what to do, he immediately turned off all the lights in the bedroom. I had turned on a bedside light which was harmful to my visitor. Then he opened both doors of entrance into the room. Lastly, he turned a light on outside of my room. He took a broom and just touched the wing and the bat flew around a bit as we ducked, and then flew outside to freedom. I learned something new in nature. I love to learn and experience new things, and this was no exception. An experience of a lifetime once I got over the image of that huge mammal flying above my bed in confusion.
So let us understand what bats represent in the spiritual world. They are revered in many cultures. “Bat’s wisdom includes shamanic death and rebirth, initiation, viewing past lives, pollination of new ideas, transition, understanding grief, the use of vibrational sound, camouflage, invisibility, ability to observe unseen, secrets.” They can also mean new and positive changes are coming in your life. ” A bat flying into your life signifies that transformation of the ego self is about to occur, the end of a way of life and the start of another. This transition can be very frightening for many, even just to think about. But you will not grow spiritually until you let go these old parts of you that are NOT NEEDED. Facing the darkness before you will help you find the light in rebirth. The bat gives you the wisdom required to make the appropriate changes for the birthing of your new identity.”
I will never forget the visit of this bat. One more thing, he was most likely a Vampire bat. I had never seen one like him anywhere ever here in Colombia. As they are nocturnal, and are only looking for food at night. Vampire bats are misunderstood and the myths and legends that portray them as blood sucking demons are false. Myths about Vampire bats are fueled by a lot of misconceptions. Bats are shy and gentle creatures.
I did learn I most likely have bats outside my Villa every night. They go about their business without bothering anything, and I have animals. They are just part of the animal kingdom of the Rainforest in Colombia. They are nature, and I love nature. Even if they appear frightening. Any part of nature is part of the world for a reason. I live in the Rainforest, I give respect to the animals. We have to stop over building in this world. We are losing nature, we are losing so much more than that, perhaps even civilization.
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Hummings from Paradise 