Receiving

Refreshing rain this morning.
Nourishing. 
Replenishing.
Sustaining. 
Life giving.

Through an open window this morning I reached with my lens to capture that rain.
My feeble attempt included looking at drops on the pavement and in puddles.

But the one that speaks to my heart the most is this, because there is an open, receiving gesture here. Grateful acceptance of what comes.  

I think there is a powerful lesson in that.

Scavenger Hunt 5-27

"Beneath Your Feet"

Sandals. Summer footwear. Great in this hot weather.  My favorite flip flops are on the right.  My second favorites are on the left.  

"Capturing Movement"

I took several shots of movement this week, but this first one I took became my favorite. It shows movement in my neighborhood, different than what I normally see.  A fireman flushing out the fire hydrant, and an elderly man pedaling away on the bike.  Then there's the movement of the water, the movement of the man's arm as he works on that hydrant. 

 "Texture"

Homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, made as a bar cookie instead of drop cookies. Either way they are yummy. I use the recipe on the oatmeal box.  No, there are none left. The lighting? I set this on a windowsill in my kitchen and used natural light.

 "Face Your Fears"

It's all about those gas prices. Listening to the news I heard the word "fears" in the context of a segment on gas prices this holiday weekend.  I don't live in fear of gas prices...but they certainly make a great impact on how much we do these days.  (A Lightroom preset was used to get the look you see here.)

 "Currently"

I just took this one a few minutes ago. Currently I am watering my little vegetable garden that is just outside my backdoor.  We have not had decent rainfall in at least two weeks, and I'm hoping that will change in the next couple of days. Meanwhile I bought a 'soaker' hose, pictured here, which slowly and efficiently drips the water onto the ground.  I'm looking forward to some green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and kale in a few weeks.

 

Sidewalks

Some days, when I'm motivated, I use the prompts for the upcoming Scavenger Hunt Sunday to explore subjects with my camera.  One of the words for this weekend is capturing movement.  I've experimented with slow shutter speeds, even tossing my camera up and down while it shoots multiple shots.  This sidewalk image is one of the results of my experiment...and, you know me...it got me to thinking.


Here is a blurred image of a path made smooth so that our feet won't get in the mud, a path that curves in a lovely way just for decoration, a path that is not required but exists anyway.  It leads from the street to my front door, and is probably only used by the postal delivery person... and the cats who live here.  


Life paths aren't always easy to find, at least not those that we think we are supposed to be on. It is so easy to think we should be here or there or where that person is, yet life has a way of putting us where we are for a reason.  There are lessons to be learned in this place, on this path, in this moment.  

If you were to imagine where this sidewalk could go, where would you like it to take you? Would you stay on this fixed path, or blaze your own trail?   What would it be like to just stay with this path and see what comes along?

Flower Art Friday 5

Day lilies are a favorite of mine, in any color. I saw these at the Children's Garden, next

to our public library. It was an overcast day, perfect for this kind of photography. 

Have you stopped to think about how precious our eye sight is? 

This image has made me think of that.

Not only am I grateful to have this time in my life to enjoy photography,

but on a more basic level I'm just glad I can see...bifocals and all.

If I could not see, I wonder how I could experience the beauty of this flower?

I know there are many other senses that come into play, so I'm not going to 

try to answer that here. I just invite us all to consider that.

And while you are feeling grateful for the gift of sight,

check out this article by Brene Brown.

Photos by LeAnne is one of my favorite blogs, and LeAnne is the host of

Flower Art Friday.  If you enjoy images of flowers (and who doesn't?) you will want to 

hop on over to her place and see the many beautiful images that are submitted for 

this project. 

Meanwhile, get out there and smell the flowers! 

Little birdie with the yellow bill....

When I was a little girl it was a real treat to get to spend the night at my Grandma and Grandpa's house.  My sister and I usually shared a double bed in the "spare bedroom", and often we giggled a little too loudly and a bit too long...when we should have been going to sleep. This resulted in Grandpa coming in to tell us to go to sleep, but I know he was grinning.  I just know it.

Morning would come and I would not want to get up.  Just let me stay under these warm covers, listening to Grandma cooking breakfast, smelling the bacon cooking, the coffee brewing, and let me just close my eyes for a few more minutes.  

Eventually Grandpa would come sit on the side of the bed, while I remained "asleep" (faking it, big time). He would say this little poem...

Little birdie with the yellow bill

Hopped upon the window sill,

Cocked his shining eye, and said,
"Ain't you 'shamed, you sleepy head?"

This was often accompanied by some gentle tickling, lots more giggles, and Grandpa grinning and softly laughing as I continued to try to play like I was asleep (a.k.a. "playing possum").  Grandpa always won this game, and I would have to get up and go to breakfast. 

Years later I used this same little poem on my own kids...often with the same effect.

Those who know me well know that I am really not much of a morning person.  Somehow the look in the eye of this robin seems to be taunting me, even standing on the bird bath with kind of an attitude.  That little birdie with the  yellow bill is still trying to wake me up.

P.S. I have updated my blog '"presence" on Facebook by creating a new page for it.  You can view my posts in Facebook simply by liking my page.  See the Facebook link on the right side of this post on my blog.

Lines in black and white

Small ripples in the water look like straight lines from a distance.

 A foot bridge created symmetrical but wavy lines in the reflection.

This field lays waiting for spring planting, displaying lines of stubble from last year's crop.

The feather from a goose showing perfectly spaced lines.

May 20th Scavenger Hunt

Rainbow

Yeah, maybe not all these colors are in a real rainbow. 
But according to a favorite child's song of mine, you do see "red and yellow and pink and green, purple and orange and blue".  You can listen to "I Can Sing A Rainbow" here.
 

  Fluffy

Yes, I may be stretching that one a bit. The two male cats here don't want to be called fluffy.
This fluffy snack is a favorite here.  With butter.

 Letters

I finished this sampler in 1984. Found the pattern in a magazine.
It's been almost that long since I have done any counted cross stitch.  Does anyone do that anymore?

  Metal

These buckets make great planters. They are from a farm supply store, and we drilled drainage holes in the bottom.  I have thyme in the front one, sage in the back one.

  Tree(s)

This old oak in the back yard of a neighbor's house is so majestic. It seems to tower above all the other trees, and holds stories I would love to hear. I would have been the kid at that house that climbed the tree as often as possible.  How about you? Were you a tree climber?


Be sure to click the link button and check out all the other interpretations for today's prompts.

There's a new kid in town...

I spied on the little sparrows outside my window this evening, and my patience paid off.  This little guy and his sibling were hungry and kept mommy and daddy pretty busy.  Mommy gave me The LOOK...as though she was offended that I'd be looking in on their feeding frenzy.  I'd say she's a pretty good little mommy.

The cutest part of this was seeing the little guy poke his head out the birdhouse when mommy left, after feeding him.  He has that look that says, "Hey! I'm still hungry!"   

Oh, the never ending work of being a parent....


This evening I'm sending loving thoughts and prayers to my niece and her husband in Tennessee who gave birth to a healthy little boy today, their second son.  My sister will be at her side soon and will be "melting" once again as she helps welcome her third grandchild into this big, wide, wonderful world.  

Ah, the joys of being a grandma....


 

The 4th Flower Art Friday

This flower, in it's final stages of bloom, pollen spilled on the petals, kept drawing my attention. So open, so brilliant and cheerful, still full of life, just in another stage of beauty.  Preparing seeds for the next time spring comes, when the warm days and refreshing rain will bring it to life once again.

Touching the earth

Running barefoot 
in grass damp with dew.

It's the simplicity of it.
Touching the earth.
Feeling the cool, soft dirt,
the fragile blades of grass,
Smelling the aroma of spring
and hearing the blue birds
in their morning song.

How could I have waited so long
to do this simple thing again?
And how could I shackle myself 
to the foolish thought
that this was not important, 
not worthy of my attention?    How could I?

Because the sensations
of walking barefoot in the wet grass
unleash that playful spirit, 
that part of my soul that longs to be free.

I have unshackled my Soul
simply by 
removing those shoes
and touching 
the earth.

--Deborah L. Tisch

Stopping

I set out this morning to go to a park and enjoy the morning light.  On the way there was this.  And that sign telling me to stop, which I did.  And while I was sitting in traffic I saw this...

 
....a lovely Robin going about his morning ritual.  Nothing was holding him back, not even this fence. Funny the little things, seemingly insignificant, that can just tell you what's important today.  Stop focusing on what's in the way, and just look around you.  

Traffic cleared. We all moved on. I found the sunlight...and this view.  

What did you see today? 

 

Decaying old house

 Front door's open, come on in...

 If those walls could talk, what would we hear?

Visual Weight - Exploring With A Camera

Once again, Kat Sloma has invited us to Explore a topic with our cameras, and this time is all about visual weight in images.  I like to think of this as "what-is-it-about-that-photo-that-gets-my-attention?"  She has another excellent article here that explains the topic, encouraging us to look at our archived images, challenging us to keep visual weight in mind as we take more images.  

From my archives I have found a few to share with you, some you have seen before, but I'm looking at them in a new light and invite you to do the same.

In photos with dull subdued colors as well as bright colors, the brighter colors carry more visual weight. In early spring there are still a lot of dull browns in the landscape, even though evidence of new growth is showing up everywhere.  This photo of yellow flowers against a drab background illustrates the visual weight of brighter colors.

Items that are brightly illuminated carry more visual weight in a photo than things that are in the shadows.  All the elements in this photo work together to tell the story of a place to play checkers in the corner of an old gas station.  The part that draws us in is that brightly lit checkerboard and the window filled with light.  

The objects around the edge of an image draw more attention than what is in the center, which is one of the reasons why it's good to place your subject off center.  When I look at this one I keep noticing the trees in the top edge of the image, as well as the team of horses plowing the ground.  There is also that expanse of plowed dirt, but the visual weight is in the team of horses.

We notice a break in a pattern more than we notice the pattern itself.  The opened mail box draws us in, making us wonder why it was left open when all the others appear to be closed.  

Then there are human faces.  They carry more visual weight than inanimate objects.  I'm sure you notice the cute little grin, the sparkle in those eyes... more than you notice the blueberry yogurt in the hair, on the hands and essentially everywhere else.  You don't really "see" the high chair or the background because how can you resist that cute little face????   

Oh, but I digress.  Sometimes looking through archives can be very distracting.

Be sure to visit Kat's blog and read more about visual weight.  As always, her posts are informative and worth your time.  

Scavenging yet again

Sidewalk

I just like the curve of our sidewalk, but Yeller thought it would look better this way.

Inspiring

This does it for me. 

Being outdoors, by the water, viewing scenes like this, with my hubby.

Pure bliss.

Time

Initials once carved on this tree have changed over time as the tree has grown.

I wonder where those lovers are now and what has become of them? How have they changed?

Close Up

A brightly colored tennis ball...that I recently used in the dryer as I dried my down jacket.
It's warm enough now that I don't have to wear it!  

With a Mirror

A simple three letter word, a title with immense responsibilities attached, 

and a priceless gift never to be taken for granted.

Happy Mom's Day!

My favorites

I'm wrapping up the week by sharing with you my favorite images from Magee Marsh last weekend.  A little post processing has enhanced each of these...and here is my red winged black bird image cropped and edited.  (previously posted, unedited, here)

This one of the marsh is one I keep coming back to.  The clear reflections, the bubbles in the water created by a school of very small fish, blades of green against the dull browns, and the messiness of nature.  


Life is that way, isn't it? 
Imperfect. Messy. Challenging. Tangled messes here and there, but amazing points of beauty scattered throughout.  


Overall, it's pretty awesome when you think about it.

Fragrant

This week I walked through my neighborhood and saw this beautiful peony.  These flowers have the most wonderful fragrance, and I had to take it in.  The home I grew up in had flower beds filled with several varieties of this flower.  As far as I know they still bloom there today.  That fragrance brought back some fun memories of playing in that yard as a kid.


Using Lightroom 3, I have cropped the image and added the vignetting.  The lovely colors and rain drops are compliments of Mother Nature.   I'm linking up today with LeAnne for Flower Art Friday (yes, a day early!). Click the link below to see the other amazing images.