>>:::<<
a new chill on my skin
colors change before my eyes
autumn migration
>>:::<<
Yesterday was the start of my Mom’s second chemotherapy treatment. She will have 12 total treatments over the next six months, minimum. There are certainly side effects, but not to the extent we expected so far. She is not brutally ill like we anticipated. She is doing ok overall even though it is still a struggle for her, especially for the first week after the treatment. We are all well aware of the physical and mental power and strength needed to make our way through this journey, including all the other hurdles we have going on at the same time.
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Here is the third image in my hummingbird photomanipulation series I did last year. This is a male Rufous hummingbird. The Rufous is a later arriver at our feeders, first appearing in the middle of July, and is also the first of the hummingbird species to leave. Although a few hummingbirds are still here at our feeders, the Rufous in particular have already departed. I did not have the opportunity to enjoy seeing and photographing the hummingbirds as much this summer as in previous years, but I at least got a couple of photo sessions in this past spring.
Since autumn officially arrives here in the northern hemisphere in a few days, on September 22, I thought the beautiful coloring of the Rufous hummingbird was appropriate to welcome the new season.
A common symbolism of hummingbirds is powerful energy and the ability to accomplish the seemingly impossible. They are built for power, with about 30% of their weight consisting of flight muscles. Some migrate impressive distances – up to 500 miles nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico. Two behaviors separate the Rufous from other hummingbird: 1) It ventures farther north during the migration than any other, reaching the southeastern coast of Alaska, and 2) It has the longest known migration of any bird species, traveling over 3,000 miles between Mexico and Alaska.
Hummingbirds symbolize Powerful and Strength
(in Japanese, it is 強力 (きょうりょく), which is read kyouryoku
I also saw another translation of 強力 as “herculean strength.” I believe it, given the strength and stamina these little hummingbirds need for their long journey!
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Linking up with:
NATURE NOTES
Creativity Aroused 
Utterly beautiful! Best wishes, Georgia x
I’m glad your mother is responding well to treatment. She is definitely a brave woman. To help you with your heat.
The hummingbird is a bird that you really like!
Greetings
Thank you so much for the encouraging and kind words, Gian Paolo!
What a wonderful connection between the hummingbird and your mom – beautiful drawing … have you done it. I’m a cancer survivor (I hope) … and I done the tough and rough journey, but in a different way to your mom, but I know what it means … and my thoughts goes out to your mom. Wonderful that she response well to the treatment – fantastic news.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Viveka! I’m so sorry to hear about your rough journey with cancer. My thoughts go out to you also and hope that the cancer for you is gone for good.
Thank you so much … I hope so too, but they can promise anything – but so fare so good .. and the choices are very few, do go through the treatments or die – some times people go through the treatmenst a couple of times and still die. I’m so luck so fare. But I had never a thought of that I was going to die from cancer at the time. But I’m scare that it will ask for another dance .. because if you have danced with the demon you don’t want to be ask for another other one. *smile
A little creature like that being so powerful and strong!
I wish the same ‘Herculean’ strength, to your mom so that she comes out a winner, and to you and your family for taking care of eachother at these hard times. All will be well, FM!! 🙂 xx
Thank you so much, Marina! I appreciate your kind and encouraging words. We will keep the Herculean strength in our minds.
Hope you had a good weekend, and wishing you a good week ahead.
Your mother has shown her incredible 強力. It has been a long journey for her and for you too… It symbolizes strength and delivers hope. Thank you so much for the beautiful post!
Thank you so much, Amy! I appreciate your wonderful words!
Yes..I saw one today and marveled at how tenacious they are..I am wishing you and your Mom that strength… hugs..Michelle
Thank you very much, Michelle! I sure miss these beauties.
This is just so beautiful…what I can’t make out, is it a photo manipulated in photoshop or the like, or is this an actual painting.? Whichever it is truly beautiful…
I will be thinking of your Mom as she travels down the road of Chemo.. living with a cancer survivor (my Wife) that had a rather harsh chemo, that saw her hair disappear within weeks and suffering from all sorts of side effects without any complaints, I feel for you as a family. One wants to have it for them to save them the suffering, but can’t and I think positive support from family is all they need to get through the treatment… good luck to your Mom…
Hi Bulldog! Thank you so much for the kind compliment and encouraging words for my mother. The chemo is brutal, and because she is older, seems to have some harsher and longer lasting effects. It is gut wrenching to see her go through this. I’m so encouraged to know your wife is a cancer survivor.
This is a photo which has been manipulated in Photoshop Elements to look more like a watercolor.
First, I send healing light and love to your mom and hope she continues to get stronger and better. How are you doing? I love this image and the message with it. You write Haiku too! TY for checking in on me. 🙂
Eliz
Thank you so much, Eliz! I really appreciate the kind and encouraging words. It is so difficult, but we take it a day at a time.
How are you doing?
comme ci comme ça! It’s been a long while since my hiatus from blogging and I hope to return sometime… TY for checking in and love and hugs to you, your mom and family!
It is good hear from you again and I wish your mum all the strength she needs to deal with ths difficult treatment. And I wish you all the strength hou need too.
This is a gorgeous picture and haiku, andthe information that accompanies them leaves me in awe that such a small creature has the strength it needs to fulfil its life journey. I hope you find some of the hummingbird’s strength to help you through all that faces you xx
Thank you so much, Christine! These hummingbirds are incredible creatures. i’m inspired by their small size and amazing strength and perseverance.
I hope you are doing well.
Beautiful image and good to hear your Mother is coping ok with the chemo. Such a difficult and toxic treatment, but still necessary for many patients.
Thank you so much Vicki! Each treatment seems to bring on harsher and longer lasting side effects, but she is quite a trooper. I so admire her.
First off, I do hope and pray that your mom does well, and can heal without too much illness along the way. My neighbor just went through 16 weeks and she is doing so much better now and her first body scan showed a positive result.
Wow, I really like the photomanipulation you did, what program is this? It would be fun on a cold Winter day, to play with a few images and use this method.
Take care, stay strong, gentle hugs to your Mom~
Beautiful image and I so hope your mother does well through the chemo. It is wonderful she did not get “brutally ill” from it. I can not imagine what she is going through though. Best wishes.
Yes, 強力 means power and strength. I believe that the power will help your mom. 😀
Beautiful work. I wish your mom the same tenacity and strength that these little beauties possess.
It is like the bird is flying infront of me. Very beautiful
Beautiful!! I hope your mother continues to do well. 🙂 My mother may have to begin chemo again soon 😦
Wishing you and your mother powerful strength!
What a gorgeous little hummingbird. Great edit Fergie! I love it. 😀
Glad to hear you are all doing fine hon. Thinking of all of you. *big hugs*
Hope you mum goes well with the chemo – and seeing birds like this will be a help what ever happens.
Stewart M – Melbourne
A beautiful photo – really inspirational! Very best wishes to your Mum and yourself.
There is so much to connect us to nature, so much to be inspired by and even healed by. Our hummingbirds are, alas, gone. Thank you for the beautiful photo to remind one that resilience and fortitude knows no bounds. Blessings for your mother’s healing and comfort during her treatments. XO
A beautiful image, Fergie. Wishing all the very best to you and your mum.
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Sending your mum much strength – and you!
This is a lovely image.
Your art is astounding in its beauty – words and paintings!
500 miles nonstop. Oh to have that power and determination. Glad to hear your mom is reacting well to the chemo treatments. Sending positive thoughts and a hug.
sending you and your mom strength and moments of peace from a cancer survivor
Dearest Fergie,
I am most glad to hear that your mum is soldiering on through the chemotherapy treatments. Indeed, the warm support of family is the best sort of healing. Please send her all my loving wishes! May you and your family be surrounded by peace and blessings always. Sharon