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On a terribly arid day in late August, a bird started hiding inside a hanging flower pot in the porch of our house. It stayed there for hours on end, completely still, and my sister and I were beginning to worry it was injured and simply couldn't get out of the dense foliage on its own. Not knowing if we were making a bigger problem out of the situation, we decided to leave the bird be and if it was still there the next day, we'd look into solutions to help the little guy out without touching him or spooking him. To our surprise, however, when I went to check on him the following day with my dad, the pot was birdless. That was until we took a closer look and found a single, small egg.
The bird wasn't injured or a dude; it was a MAMA BIRD taking care of her little egg!!!
My joy and exultation at learning this information is hard to encapsulate in written form, but it made me so happy to know this birdy thought it safe enough to take refuge in this flower pot in front of our house and use it as an improptu nest during those super hot summer days.
Over the following weeks, my dad, sister and I kept a close eye on the pot, making sure the flowers didn't wilt so the egg would remain protected whilst the mama bird went out to get food. We'd update each other on the bird and her egg's progress in our gc and literally felt like proud family members when the egg finally hatched.
Post-hatching, we watched from afar as the mama bird fed her little one and it got progressively bigger and stronger. We knew what would happen next, but it still came as a surprise when we came to check in on them one day and finally found the nest empty.
I'm regaling this tale not just to share the happiness I felt during those late summer weeks, but to recommend being respectful to and protecting our fellow animals with whom we share this planet with; especially the ones we encounter so often in our day-to-day lives and don't stop to think twice about.
Pictured below is one of the few hi-res pics I was able to take of the mama bird as she guarded her little egg (she was incredibly smart in picking this location– you legit couldn't even see there was a bird in there unless you were really looking).
Dec 4, 2024
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This little guy was chilling (literally) on the pavement of a street freezing to death. I’m assuming he fell out of a nest, but I took him to a safe and warm place. I hope he’s doing well now :(
Jan 20, 2025
i freaked out and called wildlife rescue but they said it’s a fledgling so its parents are probably nearby and feeding it while it gets strong enough to fly!
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I literally can’t stop thinking about it. This is a zoomed-in version so you can see the owl in all of its glory.
From the photographer:
“This picture shows a young barn owl confidently taking its first steps into the wide world. Its fluffy plumage, not yet fully developed, emphasises its youthful innocence. The contrast between the downy texture of his body and the sharp contours of his face gives the image a special balance. Pay particular attention to the subtle gold and brown highlights around his face, which give him a vibrant look. The way he lifts his claws is almost human and makes the scene extra disarming.
The inspiration for this work came from the beauty of young animals in their natural habitat. His open-mindedness was irresistible and needed to be captured.
The work exudes a warm, playful atmosphere. It exudes a sense of joy, hope and wonder, as if you are transported to a carefree summer day … For nature lovers or those with a passion for animals, it symbolises adventure and growth.”
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Top Recs from @verygoodvalentina
I adore finding a random video from like 2005 and reading through the comments the way a historian would examine an old manuscript from the 1700s. Are these people still active YouTube users? Or are they forgotten accounts? What did @jjlwis mean by "awww im gonna miss rob too!!!" ? Who even is Rob?? Anthropology in the digital age... so many questions... it's fascinating.
The important thing for me is not to add new comments. I feel like I'm disturbing an old archeological dig site and my sticky modern commentary will make the video crumble away into oblivion. More importantly, I don't want the algorithm to suggest the video to a bunch of people who will spam the comments section– major yuck 🤢
Jan 25, 2024
early 80s to early 2000s truck models are the perfect sizes imo. current trucks are transformer-sized behemoths that could easily crush normal vehicles into smithereens upon impact and i legit don’t know how those things are even street-legal. also, idk if it’s their design, reliability or the nostalgia factor per-se, but there’s a certain sazón those older trucks have that newer ones don’t.
2024 Ford F-150? 🤮🤢
1980 Ford F-150? 🫦🫦
Feb 9, 2025
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with social media being this pervasive entity that has weeded its way into our daily routines for the past 20ish years (plus a global pandemic that really solidified those habits), many young adults today have spent a large amount of their lives living online. it has become the new norm and i’m not gonna pretend i’m above any of this because it’s so easy to fall into it (i am literally writing this rec on my phone whilst it’s a perfectly sunny day that i should probably go out to enjoy).
with that being said, in the larger scheme of life, being in your 20s is still in a weird way the beginning stages of your life. it’s a period to try new things, make mistakes, learn from them and develop an identity that’s independent from the environment and people who raised you. though you can learn to do some of those things online, they don’t hold a candle to actually experiencing those things for yourself in real life.
all in all, the best way to not sleep thru your 20s is to prioritize in-person experiences that allow you to get a better understanding of yourself and your values. whether that be getting your first tattoo, moving to a new city or country, exploring your personal style or taking up hobbies you couldn’t or would‘ve never done as a kid, this is an important formative time to venture out and get a sense of who you truly are.
Sep 30, 2024