Welcome to the 6th issue of The Magic Heron Newsletter, a fortnightly newsletter with a focus on journaling, writing, and learning nature’s wisdom through midlife. Thanks for being here. I appreciate you.

North Carolina, April 25, 2021

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Hi there!

This week I’ve been thinking about strength and independence and looking at other women who emulate that beautifully in midlife. And a 2-part interview with Katharine Hepburn popped up on YouTube that I enjoyed watching.

When I was a kid, I only saw her in 2 different movies—”Rooster Cogburn” and “The African Queen”. I loved her strong character in “Rooster Cogburn” and it’s been years since I’ve seen the movie. I included her interview in the What I’m Watching section.

I’ve been invited as a guest speaker on Nature Journal Writing Workshop through The Nature Journal Club on Wednesday, April 28^th. These writing and nature journaling workshops are hosted by Rebecca Rolnick every Wednesday and she always has a new topic to explore. You can join the group on Facebookwhere she posts the upcoming events there. You can also find the events on John Muir Laws’ website.

Other than that, I have been out in my sit spot in the backyard, working on a sound map in my nature journal and focusing on listening to bird calls. There’s a link below to the blog post on this.

There has been this one bird call that is so LOUD. It would sit, hidden among the branches, and chirp so loud, that if I was on the phone, the person on the other end would tell me it was hurting their ears!

It took nearly 2 weeks before I could finally match the call to the bird. It was such a TINY little bird—the Carolina Wren. Learning to listen to the call first and focus on what I was hearing and then waiting to match up the bird has helped me to remember the bird call better than if I’d done it the other way around.

The hummingbirds are supposed to be here, but I haven’t seen one yet. I’m on the lookout and we are getting some feeders set up for them. So, this week’s newsletter spirit animal is Hummingbird. Look for the cute video below of the snoring hummingbird! And a link to their migration map, too.

This week’s newsletter Spirit Animal

Hummingbird is all about energy! For such tiny birds they expend huge amounts of energy. They can flap their wings 100 beats per second. And they have the highest metabolic rate of any bird—and mammals. They can burn a lot of energy, but also conserve it when necessary, by going into a type of hibernation, like when food resources are low.

Hummingbird Symbolism and Meanings:

What are you doing with your energy? Frittering it away? Expending too much on unimportant tasks? Using it wisely, and for positive things in your life? Hummingbird teaches you how to manage your energy.

-Energy

-Vitality

-Joy

-Renewal

-Sincerity

-Healing

-Persistence

-Peace

-Infinity

-Agility

-Playfulness

-Loyalty

-Affection

If hummingbird is peaking your interest, then take a few minutes to journal these keywords and what is going on in your life right now and see what comes up!

Recently Published . . .

I published this journal to prompt you to list 10 things that you observe in your surroundings every day.

Nature Day by Day—A 30 Day Guided Journal

Blog Posts . . .

Here are my latest blog posts:

1. Add sound mapping to your nature journaling to help you develop awareness and knowledge of the environment around you.

Journal Entry #8 — Sound Mapping In Nature Journaling

2. Carpenter bees, a poem, and bee notebooks! This week I journaled about the carpenter bees in the backyard.

Journal Entry #9– Carpenter Bees

Interesting links . . .

Here are some interesting links I came across on my ventures through Internet Land this week that I thought you might enjoy:

1. Spring 2021 Hummingbird Migration Map & Sightings

2. Snoring hummingbird – Super Cute Animals – BBC

3. Writing a Woman’s Life, Part 1

4. Toned Arm workout For Women Over 50 | Start Losing Those Flabby Bat Wing Arms Today!

5. YOU’VE BEEN DOING LAUNDRY WRONG YOUR WHOLE LIFE!!!

Articles on Journaling . . .

Have you heard of bullet journaling? Here are a few tutorials to get you started.

1. Keeping A Journal Can Make You Mentally Stronger, Science Explains Why

2. 7 Ways to Keep Your Journal Private

Random Nature Fact . . .

The only mammals to undergo menopause are elephants, humpback whales and human females.

Nature Journal video . . .

Having a sit spot (or several!) is a great way to connect with “place” in nature. I used to have one overlooking the river bottom, and one in the backyard. Each place has its own unique stories and vibe.

The Nature Journal Connection, Episode 22, Sitspot: Observing a Special Place Over Time

Nature Journal Prompt . . .

This week’s nature journal prompt is the hummingbird. Here are some fun facts!

Hummingbird facts:

Trochilidae family

Hummingbird family includes more than 300 species of hummingbirds

Lifespan: 3-5 years

Speed: average speed is 25-30 mph, can dive up to 50 mph and Anna’s hummingbird is 61 mph. Some hummingbirds will migrate over 2,000 miles twice a year

Scientific name: Trochilidae

Heart rate: 1,260 beats per minute

Weight: 0.141 ounce

Length: 3-5 inches

Habitat: temperate woodlands, mountain meadows, cloud forests, tropical rainforests, and deserts where there are abundant flowers

What it eats: nectar from flowers, small insects such as aphids and spiders, and sometimes pollen and sap.

What eats it: cats, hawks, kestrels, shrikes, roadrunners, kites, frogs, fish, snakes, lizards, larger birds, praying mantis, squirrels who raid bird feeders, and insects who invade hummingbird feeders. Squirrels, chipmunks, blue jays and crows eat hummingbird eggs and babies.

Did you know?

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can hover, fly backward, and even upside down—but they can’t hop or walk. Their short legs are not very strong.

What I’m watching . . .

1. This video of an interview with Katharine Hepburn came up randomly on YouTube one day while I was watching something else. I had only seen 2 movies of hers while growing up – “Rooster Cogburn” and “The African Queen” – and I loved her in those movies. I decided to watch the first one and what a funny wonderful woman she was. I love her independent and self-confident nature and I thought, what an inspiration she is for me right now going through midlife. Here are both parts of the interview. Part 2 is even funnier in her manner of standing firm in her boundaries with the interviewer!

KH on Cavett day 1

KH on Cavett day 2

2. The Natural Navigator with Tristan Gooley

Love this interview with Tristan Gooley. He shares small things in nature you can look at anywhere you are at and learn which way you are looking by reading the signs all around you.

3. I love going barefoot and have always known that bare feet on the dirt and grass made me feel good. This documentary reveals the science behind it.

The Earthing Movie: The Remarkable Science of Grounding (full documentary)

What I’m reading . . .

1. How to Read Water by Tristan Gooley. I’m still working my way through this as there is a lot to absorb. It’s fascinating to go out on our walks near the river or creeks and then suddenly ‘see’ these patterns he talks about in the book.

2. The Best of Brevity – Twenty Groundbreaking Years of Flash Nonfiction by Zoe Bossiere and Dinty W. Moore. I’m just starting this one as I’m learning how to write flash non-fiction.

3. Conscious Nature—The Art and Neuroscience of Meditating in Nature by Josh Lane

Quotes I’m pondering . . .

“Life is hard. After all, it kills you.”

and

“If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased.”

— Both quotes by Katharine Hepburn

Questions I’m considering journaling on . . .

What tasks are the most important for me to expend my energy on at this time?

Journal Prompt . . .

What do strength and independence look like for you in midlife? Is there a particular woman you have or would like to emulate that has or had those traits? Or do you envision different traits you’d like to develop in this phase of life?

Happy Journaling!

. . . Shanna

P.S. Is there something you like or would rather see in the newsletter? Hit reply and let me know!

I’ll be back on May 9th.

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