Poetry of water

When the heat is on, there’s nothing like sitting next to a cool stream.

And a weekend is a fine time to do it.


Poetry is that art which selects and arranges the symbols of thought in such a manner as to excite the imagination the most powerfully and delightfully.
~ William Cullen Bryant

Sun spots

Dappled sunlight through wisteria vines.


A friend is someone who dances with you in the sunlight,
And walks with you in the shadows.
~ Anonymous

Touch seems to be as essential as sunlight.
~ Diane Ackerman

In early evening

The golden time of summer when the prime flowers around here are black-eyed susans, daisies, day lilies. Those that persist when the temperatures soar and heat radiates off the pavement in blistering waves.

But even they must have water to survive. Can’t store the moisture like the cactus. So in the early evening as we walk, the hissing of sprinklers echoes everywhere.

Summer sunset

I love how clouds swirl like this. Like dancers in long skirts.

Much calmer day at work than yesterday. (sigh of relief)

And yay! We’re back online; all the equipment works together now. So, I’ve been catching up this evening with my usual online visits and contacts...

…and took time to enjoy the beauty of a sunset.


When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator.
-Mahatma Gandhi

Halfway there

Well, we’re halfway in having the internet connection problem fixed. Hopefully we’ll be back in full force by tomorrow.

It’s been a bizarre Monday. Odd things happening at work (including having to call the police to get a drunk guy out of our building). And it was quite busy, too. On my way home, I discovered a curling crack in my windshield. Tonight, the new DSL modem and router would NOT communicate, no matter what I tried.

I could curse, write about how exasperating this has been. But my sweet husband fixed one of my favorite dishes for dinner and has been so supportive through all this. So, I’ll leave you with flowers instead.

Light!

We’ve been having serious tech difficulties with our DSL connection, which is why I haven't been posting lately. After multiple conversations with various tech support people (think Dilbert, tech support from Elbonia), the problem should be resolved with a new DSL modem, which should arrive within the next couple of days.

So, I think, we’re “beginning to see the light” and will be back online soon.

Stonehenge?

Saw this in someone’s yard.

Perhaps an old Spinal Tap fan lives there.

In honor of this infamous band, here's their version of the mystery surrounding the famous monument. All we need now are the dancing dwarfs.

A good friend

The guitar is a small orchestra. It is polyphonic. Every string is a different color, a different voice.
-Andre Segovia


I started playing guitar when I was 13, as relief from piano lessons. Bought the beginners’ books and diligently went through them. At that time I was playing a $40 nylon string acoustic guitar my mother ordered for my brother from a Sears catalog. (He didn’t take to guitar).

After getting the basic chords down and learning several folk and popular songs, I took the guitar wherever I might have a chance to play.

During all these years, through all the moves from place to place, my guitar has been a constant friend.


My guitar is not a thing. It is an extension of myself. It is who I am.
-Joan Jett

Time?

Time, as demonstrated by the position of the sun.


Time is a brisk wind, for each hour it brings something new... but who can understand and measure its sharp breath, its mystery and its design?
~Paracelsus

Who forces time is pushed back by time; who yields to time finds time on his side.
~The Talmud

How long a minute is, depends on which side of the bathroom door you're on.
~Zall's Second Law


What are your thoughts on time?

A little more garden...

A picturesque display of flowers and sculptures.

The Meditation garden is often used for weddings. In fact, there was a group rehearsing the day we went. High heels can be a problem, though.

They also have concerts at the garden during the summer.

More garden scenes

In the Meditation garden

A ceramic fountain

Small bamboo forest

Butterfly in the English rose garden

In the garden

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, we sauntered through the Idaho Botanical Garden between meals of wonderful food. The garden includes an English garden, meditation space, children’s garden, an arid garden (since we live in a desert), and a historical area about Lewis and Clark. It also includes several fountains, like the one above. Dragonflies, butterflies, birds, and bees were everywhere.

A walkway canopied with wisteria. The lavender blossoms still hung in many places and the fragrance was heavenly.

At the end of the walkway, another fountain and pool

Window of lavender from a stone gazebo.

To be continued...

Celebration!

Yesterday was my birthday. I took off from work and my sweet husband and I made a great day of it! Above are delectable desserts from Café de la Paris.

We ate lunch there. He had pesto and mozzarella Panini accompanied by home-style chips.

I had asparagus and tomato quiche with salad.

We couldn’t resist their outstanding chocolate mousse. It’s so popular they put it in “to go” dishes during the lunch hour, because people who work downtown often pop by and grab dessert or a baguette.

During the afternoon, we went to the Idaho Botanical Gardens. It was lovely weather and the gardens were gorgeous. I’ll post photos of the gardens in the next few days.

And we had sushi for dinner…

with glasses of plum wine.

Bon appetit!

Some feline friends

Some cats in the n’hood like to come out and greet us as we walk by.
This is Mallas, who prances as she walks, waving her tail like a tall flag. Contrary to her name, she does not bring bad luck. She’s a botanist, likes to roll amid grass and flowers.


And this is Gizmo, who leaps tall fences in a single bound as he explores the neighboring yards. He usually gallops to us, then immediately drops into a “shoulder roll”. He enjoys “assisting” people in their yards, and tries to slip inside doors so he can “check out” your house.

There is something about the presence of a cat...that seems to take the bite out of being alone.
~ Louis Camuti

“Photo” poetry

Poetry is a rich, full-bodied whistle, cracked ice crunching in pails, the night that numbs the leaf, the duel of two nightingales, the sweet pea that has run wild, Creation's tears in shoulder blades.
~ Boris Pasternak


I like the imagining of “the sweet pea that has run wild.” If left untamed, they do spread amazingly fast, curling their little tendrils around everything. And soon, pink blossoms appear in the most unexpected places. Often like bits of phrases, words that warm your tongue like a good wine.

Just ducky

At first, I thought there were just leaves and detritus in the pool. Then, I saw movement. And out of the shadows on the far bank came a mother and her ducklings, taking a swim, hunting for goodies.

After a bit of hunting, she led them back to the far bank, away from all of us watching from the bridge.

And now, a little humor for your day:

Q: What do you get if you cross a duck with fireworks?
A: A firequacker

Q: What's another name for a clever duck?
A: A wise quacker

Q: What do you call it when it rains chickens and ducks?
A: Foul (fowl) weather.

Wonder and possibility

Since I didn’t have an appropriate photo for the 4th, I’m borrowing one taken from the Spacecraft Hubble of these nebulae.

I love space photos. While looking through them I feel such a sense of awe at these creations. And although we’re only a tiny part of the universe, we ARE part of these creations. I admire those who designed and built Hubble, which has brought us so many wonders of the universe.

Happy July 4th weekend – let’s set our sites on possibility…

From whirled to world

In a neighbor’s yard. They have a lot of cool whirligigs as well as many marvelous flowers.

There’s also a famous dance club in London called Whirl-Y-Gig which sounds like a lot of fun.

From their website:

Whirl-y-Gig embodies the spirit of community in a carnival atmosphere. Bathed in rainbow rippling lights and wrapped in exotic décor, it is a festival of delights for people of all ages and places.

Have any of you ever been to this club? What did you think?