Drops of Beauty #438

“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” - Ram DassHello friends! It’s warming up this week and my mittens will probably be back in the closet for a bit. How are things where you are?Here are my photo choices for today:Sunrise, October 18, 2026I can hardly believe it, but my hummingbird is STILL here! (13 days past my previous latest date, and counting)Well, hello, big friend! I can only get close to egrets in the dark. I haven’t seen any since the last cold front, so they may have left.Bluebirds just keep getting more brilliantly colored as it gets colder. I notice this every fall.I’ve narrowed down my avocet photos to a few hundred…usually I’m good at culling photos but AVOCETS!I think the killdeer are jealous; they are lining up for their portraits.Two pied-billed grebes with a little early-morning fishing.Just missed the focus, but there was a fox sparrow! It disappeared into the bushes SO fast.I saw a leaf float upward - and it wasn’t a leaf. (katydid)I’ve seen fewer…