Twisted

The weather here continues to be restless; even the clouds are knotted. Maybe Spring has been affected by the insane political climate -- or vice versa....

Blooming surprise

With this being our first spring in this house, we've been watching to see what perennials are coming up. I don't know what kind of plant this is, but it's blooming now.  

The buds look like they are enmeshed in silky threads. It's mysterious; I hope we don't start hearing little lavender voices saying: "Feed meeeeeee...."

Willows

Warm, spring weather today. Willows shimmer as the breeze blows. They remind me of long sweeping skirts, gentle rain, pastel paintings.

In some stories, willows are a symbol of wisdom; people seek advice from Grandmother Willow or Willow-Father. But in some English folktales, willows are evil ones who uproot themselves and stalk strangers.

I think these willows are friendly and wise -- just don't mess with their roots....

Touch of spring

Love seeing the crocuses pop up and open! They are little buds of hope after a long winter.

When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other. 
~Chinese Proverb

Ripples

in a stream, sometimes clear, 
sometimes reflecting and distorting
as life always seems to do

Restless

Change of season creates a restless wind. People seem unsettled. Dramatic plays between clouds and light in the sky. Bring a raincoat and a camera. You never know what might happen next.

Rainy reflections

Sometimes a different perspective helps.

Rainbow show

A wonderfully dramatic sky tonight after wind and rain. If you look closely, you'll see a faint second rainbow.

Such vivid rainbow colors....

The sky changed hues.

And the trees blazed into twilight.

Art in the sky

Amazing clouds lately, with much temperamental weather. Mother Nature / God is a glorious artist.

Rosy ridges

Now, imagine the fragrance of red....

Light show

I needed something ethereal to put things in perspective today....

Shadow shot

Sometimes the shadows cast on a wall catch my eye....

A shadow cannot ignore
the sun that all day creates  
and moves it.
~Rumi

Sunset glow

A thick blanket of snow on the foothills above the City of Trees.

Dreamtime

It's too cold out for any flowers to bloom right now, let alone Orchidaceae. But I needed to dream of lavender orchids today....

Rowdy weather

First it was warm, partly sunny, nearly 60 degrees. A storm front approached in the late afternoon and the sky grew thick and black. A loud crack of thunder, and lightning struck a hill nearby, popped our power for a few seconds. Ice pellets (graupel) rained down. Suddenly the wind picked up, blew the graupel and snow sideways. Blizzard. Whiteout. Dried leaves, garbage, tumbleweeds raced along the street with the snow and ice. 

After a half  hour, the wind calmed, the snow and ice stopped, and the sun popped out.  And when the sun blazed from the clouds, the sudden glare caught drivers on the business route off guard. Temporarily blinded (while driving too fast and too close), they careened into each other, chain reaction, causing two 20-car pileups, and two 3-car accidents. Fortunately no one seems to have serious injuries. (And, luckily, I was not in that part of town). 

Such rowdy weather we've all been having -- makes me wonder if the gods are competing in the "weather olympics"....

Happy hearts day

 

 May Cupid bring you love's blessings :)

In the Pink

As seen during a walk. Just the thing to chase away the gray winter doldrums.

Ancient Egyptians believed flamingos were the living incarnation of the god Ra. Do you have any pink flamingo stories or beliefs?  :)

Cat's eyes

Cats are so intent when looking out windows; heads darting back and forth, eyes wide, twitching tails, not missing a thing. I like how alive and in the moment they are. Active through and through.

Around sunset

We've actually had some sunny weather the last couple of days, which is a nice change. 

But I feel for those of you dealing with the monster snowstorm in the U.S., and the horrific cyclone that hit Australia. I've never experienced a cyclone, but, growing up in the Midwest, I remember many times of freezing rain, ice, high snow drifts, closed roads. 

When I was a teen, an ice/snow storm blew in. The next day I walked outside into a crystalline landscape. Ice coated the trees, bushes, building, fences, and glistened in the overcast daylight. Snow covered the ground. Every so often the sun popped out, and everything sparkled like jewels. The boughs of our giant pine tree had been shaped by the ice into a strange bird. Sadly, a couple of our fruit trees had split down the center of their trunks from the weight of the ice; like they had been "quartered".  I crunched through the frozen crust of the back yard and took photos of the ice and light patterns. I don't have the photos anymore, but I do remember how icicles glistened in the sun as they hung from the wire fence.

Peaceful stream

A scene from the MK Nature Center, a lovely haven that's in the middle of the city.

A little fog and smog

Looking down Capitol Boulevard at the State Capitol where the legislators are currently in session. 

We often have disharmonious weather this time of year.... 

Design

Following curves
round and about
and wondering what's in the
dark
beyond  

Winter moon

It's 11:45 pm and the moon's 
a sharp disk casting 
green-silver shadow patterns through
the dining room windows

She rouses him from bed
"Come look!"
And they stand at the windows
awash in green-silver
holding hands
holding the magic for
as long as they can  

Morning

And what is for sale at this hour: coffee, donuts, Egg McMuffs, burritos from the 24-hour quick-stop. Newspapers, gasoline. 
And for lease? Another day?  More coffee please... 

The cat's meow

As seen one day during an outing. 

A few entertaining cat quotes:

Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this. 
- Anonymous 

I have noticed that what cats most appreciate in a human being is not the ability to produce food which they take for granted--but his or her entertainment value.  
- Geoffrey Household 

I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.  
- Hippolyte Taine 

Fun with words

Incognito   
Adjective:  in disguise, unknown, disguised, unrecognized, under an assumed name.
He preferred to travel incognito. She liked to paint incognito. During a trip to the Midwest, she took photos from duck blinds. He always disguised himself, wearing a coat, hat, and Groucho glasses whenever he left the apartment. 
She became bored and began doing bizarre and outrageous things incognito.

Like a drug?

Read an article today that says that as we listen to music we enjoy, our brains release dopamine, which enhances our feelings of pleasure. The same study also found that spending time looking at artwork does the same thing -- releases dopamine which makes us feel good.

Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.
~ Unknown

Vessels

Some sparkle for a winter's day.

Color

It's been kind of smoggy out lately with a little sun here and there. So, it's time for some color for the new year.

Here are some thoughts from others about colors.

Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing?  Can one really explain this?  No.
~Pablo Picasso

Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling.
~G.K. Chesterton

Coloring outside the lines is a fine art.
~Kim Nance

Happy New Year!

I'm borrowing a couple of amazing images from the Hubble Telescope to usher in the new year. "Fireworks displays" from the Universe.

Hope 2011 brings many blessings to you!
http://hubblesite.org/gallery/

A little weathered, but...

sturdy and strong. A resilient heart by any design.

If you love someone, put their name in a circle; because hearts can be broken, but circles never end.
~ Anonymous

Stretching it

We've seen the sun in and out for a few days. But the pros say a snow storm is on its way within the next couple of days. I'm already tired of nasty weather and winter has just begun. So, in the words of bluesman Jimmy McCracklin, "Lie, lie, lie lie, lie to me..."
(I'll forgive ya, just the same)

Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it.
~ Anonymous

Holiday spirit

Lights last night downtown Boise.

Good wishes and greetings from family and friends.

Happy holidays, everyone! :)

Sound of geese...

overhead, call and response,
as they swiftly flew by
and vanished

Holiday blur

How can time pass by so quickly -- and so slowly -- simultaneously?

Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in her own way, by going to the mall of her choice. 
~Author Unknown

At twilight

Pink clouds today around sunset, along with a half moon. Finally a little more color in the sky!

More light play

Tis the season for light and lights.

Other thoughts about light:

In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.
 ~Aaron Rose

Firelight will not let you read fine stories but it's warm and you won't see the dust on the floor.
 ~Irish Proverb

Trawling?

Can't hardly stand to read the news right now -- too much fishy stuff going on. But I guess it's "the same as it ever was," as the Talking Heads would say.

Here are more fishy observations:

"Carpe Diem" does not mean "fish of the day." 
~Author Unknown

It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming. 
~John Steinbeck

May the holes in your net be no larger than the fish in it. 
~Irish Blessing

A good sign

As seen at a garden earlier this year. Bill must be a real character....

Three, six, nine

"Cloud Nine", the Temptations
"Revolution 9", the Beatles (actually John and Yoko: "Number 9, number 9....")
Counting by threes
The retired jersey number for several famous athletes
The bottom of the ninth
Symphony No. 9, Beethoven (Ode to Joy) -- and superstitions

And a host of other associations -- what are yours?

Shadow play

Hand me a little sunshine....

 

to chase away the gray, winter blues....

Too much winter

The schools rarely close because of the weather. But today, nearly all the schools and colleges were closed due to hazardous roads.

Some people got the day off. But some of us had to drive to work --

At least it was beautiful with the snow clinging to trees and bushes; like a magic snowland.