Oh, To Be the Jim Brandenburg of West Chicago

That is my dream and it's going to stay a dream unless I put in the work to achieve it.

First, some background...I've known of Jim for many, many years. He was a National Geographic photographer for many years and lives in Northern Minnesota in the Boundary Waters area (Ely). In his retirement years from NatGeo, he's basically spent years hiking the land he loves and is THE photographer for all things wolf.

He's done some really wonderful projects along the way, including one that was set up in private, for himself, simply to help himself fall in love with photography again after having it be a job for so long. That project became the book, Chased by the Light, (with a documentary video you can view here). It has stayed with me for many years for a few reasons. First, the photos are absolutely stunning. Secondly, the video showed me I was looking at a kindred spirit. His choice of shooting a photo of a feather rather than the rainbow...the way he is always holding something in his hand, be it a stick, a feather, a rock...a habit I had long recognized in myself. I have no idea why he does that, or why I do. I just know that there is something in both of us that interacts with the world in the same way. Who knows? Maybe I'm not the only one to come home with a deer vertebra in my vest pocket.

Great horned owl feathers, found strewn over the forest floor.

But here is a key difference between Jim Brandenburg and I:

He followed that one passion of his...immersion in nature with camera in hand and made himself a life with it. I, on the other hand, have not.

Part of me likes to fantasize that I would have if only I lived where it was so beautiful. I love the sound of loons. And the call of wolves. I've been in that area many times (my husband is a Minnesotan) and have yet to feel like I've been able to fill up on the beauty and wildness there as much as I long to. (Family is the reason we visit there so the nature treks are very fleeting and brief if they occur at all.)

So, basically I have had a silent, wistful envy of Jim for decades. He's the only person on the planet I would want to trade places with if we could do a temporary life swap although I'm sure the reverse life-swap commute would have him collapsing at the thought.

In fact, there are times that I watch myself on days that might be too Facebook rich (now there is an oxymoron for you) and I'll think, "If Jim Brandenburg were doing this right now, I'd be furious with him!" Or, if he were an accountant. Or a retail manager. Or anything other than out in the woods. He's as close to a wolf pack in the wild as I will ever be and I want to have that closeness, if only through his lens.

And that brings me to this little acre my husband and I live on, and all the tracks of every animal that lives in our region pattered across it.

I live abutting a forest preserve...not really a pretty preserve because it is severely degraded (not to mention absolutely crawling with ticks) but, still, I've seen many a coyote there. I've found the remnants of kills. I've seen several skeletons of deer after a field underwent a prescription burn. I've seen great horned owls more times than I can count. We have foxes. Deer. A muskrat den in the far end of the wetland behind us.

Sure, they aren't wolves and loons, but still, we have some stunning creatures here.

Great Egrets visit our marsh regularly.

And that is what caused me to say to Scott one day, "Why couldn't I be the Jim Brandenburg of West Chicago?"

Sure, I'd have to up my photo skills. But in terms of my inclinations and innate ability to stay in one place, silent and observing and respectful...the thought of that immersion sounds like heaven to me. It's a matter of what I prioritize.

Okay, this isn't a wolf, but you have to admit, this is one good looking coyote.

Jim came back onto my radar screen when a friend informed me of a project he's been doing. Nature365 TV features short daily video clips of Jim's treks. They are stunning, and under a minute each so you have no excuse not to subscribe. Kate said she didn't know if I had heard of him, not realizing just how much of an (unacted upon) inspiration he has been for me.

And that little share by Kate led to me making this little clip of snow falling on our marsh.

I know it is a far cry from Jim's quality, but it was a step for me to even think to do it. And then I got a clip of a coyote loping across the snow...a lovely clip that I accidentally deleted because basically I am totally not Jim, but more of a dorky bumbling wannabe.

But still, I did take it and I won't delete another accidentally again, I promise you that.

AND, a neighbor with a different view on the marsh is giving me access to her vantage point so I have my first 'remote viewing camp' two doors down. Not exactly roughing it but the marsh is surrounded by our houses so there IS no roughing it to view what happens here. There is just devotion to watching. And to learning how to use your dang camera.

And maybe between dog visits, I'll protect my time better so I can get out into the woods in earnest. I hope I do.