i love treasure hunting. in my case, that treasure is often feathers.

last year, a friend mentioned that she was gifted an owl feather. for a second, i imagined how fun it would be to find one. months later, i was hiking with the pup at a nearby state park – 2000 miles away from my friend and her feather – when i glanced down and saw the most beautiful feather.

after a thorough review of the feather atlas, i determined that the feather belonged to a great horned owl. so, my wish-in-passing came true. i found an owl feather! i am still over-the-moon delighted by this.

i created a vignette with my owl feather and my other michigan treasures.

there is a shed antler, found by my dad years ago and given to me when i found it in a box in the basement, exclaimed over it, and asked for it. (atlas doesn’t care about antlers in the store, but he is fascinated by this antler.)

there is a circle of birch bark, found by me in the woods. (it’s around my favorite candle, which i bought in portland and which smells like a candy cane. exactly like a candy cane. i can sniff it for hours.)

and there is a heart in a walnut shell, found by me in my grandparents’ yard when i was raking this spring.

i thought nothing could top my owl feather.

until i found this.

i was sitting in the passenger seat, on my way to a camp in jacobsville with a sister, when a feather on a gravel road caught my eye as we drove by.

when i exclaimed over the size of the feather, my sister turned around and we drove back over the road slowly, looking for it. it wasn’t there. sadly, i told her she could turn around. but when she did, i saw the feather up ahead, and this time i jumped out and grabbed it.

after another thorough review of the feather atlas, i determined that this feather belonged to a wild turkey. coincidentally, two wild turkeys had crossed the road in front of us en route to jacobsville.

next, i would like to find a cardinal feather.

i saw a cardinal – in rhode island – so i think the feather must be on its way.

do you keep an eye out for treasures?

what are yours?