Summer Blues

There are summers that quietly stay with you… and this was one of them.

When we were living on our acreage near Water Valley, the forest around us was never still. Every morning seemed to bring a new sound, a new movement, a new presence just beyond the trees. But that particular summer, it felt like the blue jays had claimed the space as their own.

They became our regular visitors.

We’d catch flashes of brilliant blue weaving through the spruce trees, their calls echoing through the stillness of the forest. Some days they were bold and curious, perching close as if to study us. Other days they stayed tucked deeper in the branches, their vibrant feathers flickering like pieces of sky caught between the needles.

It was impossible not to notice them.

There’s something about a blue jay… the contrast of that vivid blue against the deep green of spruce, the confidence in how they move, the way they seem to bring energy into even the quietest moments. They don’t just blend into the forest—they stand out, unapologetically.

This collage came from those repeated encounters. Not just one moment, but many… layered together the way that summer felt. A season where the same familiar flashes of blue kept appearing, reminding us to pause, to look up, and to take it all in.

Summer Blues isn’t about a single sighting.
It’s about a time when the forest felt alive with color…
and a simple, everyday visitor turned into something unforgettable.

-Stan Masters

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