Celebrate the Colors of Spring

Seven full days of sunshine!

That's all we've had since January 1st!

I'm not saying we haven't seen sunshine

on other days, we have, 

but those days were mostly cloudy or partly cloudy.

Only seven full days of sunshine in over two months . . . .

no wonder my Vitamin D level is low!!

I'm saying that to explain why my sister, sister-in-law and I made the trip to Garvan Woodland Gardens on a misty, overcast day. We wanted to see the daffodils before they were frozen by the way-below-normal-temperatures in the forecast.

There are several paths you can take through the garden. We came for the daffodils, so we headed that way first.

On our way we spotted some pretty red tulips that were just beginning to bloom. We'll need to go back in a few weeks to see all the tulips in full bloom.

On the way to Daffodil Hill we pasted by thousands of hyacinths. I don't remember ever seeing the darker purple ones before.

We ventured down the Camellia Trail to see if there were any blossoms left and there were! Some very pretty ones.

Finally we came to Daffodil Hill! This is only a very small portion of the daffodils scattered across the hill. No matter which way you turn on this small hill, you can see daffodils.

As I mentioned before there are several paths you can take through the garden. We didn't take this one. It looked much to slippery, not to mention very steep. We sure didn't want to chance a fall!

A new addition to the garden this year is the tree house in the Evans Children's Adventure Garden. This pictures doesn't begin to show how large it is. I should have asked my sister and sister-in-law to go up in the tree house and wave at me! The 500 square foot structure is 28 foot tall. Adults can stand on the first two levels with no problem at all! The third level, well we didn't go that far. You have to climb a rope net to the crow's nest. A small area that gives you a bird's-eye view of the woods. Josh Siebert, the architect, describes the idea behind this modern looking tree house by saying "Our concept was a tree house in the woods and amongst the woods. It floats, it's mysterious, but it's also modern." I'll admit when I first saw it, I wasn't impressed. I'm not real keen on modern architecture, but the beauty for me was on the inside.

  

I love the repetition of the yellow pine ribs and the spectacular views. 

As you leave the tree house, there are some really cool mirrors set in the railing. They reminded me of fun house mirrors at carnivals. They each made you look a little different and sometimes silly. I avoided the one that made me look short and rather plump!!

We wandered back to the front of the garden to eat lunch at the Chipmunk Cafe. As we waited for our food, we watched three very friendly, not-scared-of-people peacocks. Or I guess I should say one peacock and two peahens. Last year there was only the peacock. Maybe with the addition of two peahens, little pea chicks may be in the future.

You have to be patient, but they will eventually show off their feathers.

Despite the damp, chilly air we enjoyed our day out. This day was also a celebration for me. I am one year cancer free. It's been a long year, sometimes difficult, but I feel like I've passed a milestone! 

Silence and Stillness

I've been thinking a lot about silence and stillness. I live in a fairly quiet area, but I can still hear the sounds of traffic on the road below us, a neighbor mulching his leaves, an occasional jet passing high above, dogs barking, and children playing. 

When I really want silence and stillness I usually go somewhere and that somewhere always seems to involve water. There is something about the colors and rhythms of water that soothes my soul. Today I'm going to be silent and just show you the quiet, still places I found this past week. Enjoy!

'The world is quiet here."

~Lemony Snicket

Renewing The Journey - Part 1

It doesn't take much in nature to make my heart sing.

The tiniest little things, the surprises, and the treasures fascinate me.  I photograph these things.

As I wrote this a murder of crows were in the trees outside my window. Their silhouettes against the sky decorated the bare branches. They were never still. They were diving and soaring from tree to tree. Finally I could stand it no longer. I had to grab my camera and capture the antics of these loud, rambunctious creatures. As I ventured closer to the trees, their hoarse caws became instantly silent. It reminded me of an orchestra conductor whose baton silences the orchestra at the end note of a performance.  I wonder who is the conductor of the crows. I photograph things I wonder about.

I have always been drawn to nature; the beautiful, the not so beautiful, the quiet, the loud, the landscapes, the skies, and even the weather. If you take the time to look, really look, you can see something new in nature every day. Every sunrise and sunset is different. Every leaf, rock, or flower is different. The need to discover these unique differences is what motivates me; what keeps me outside exploring no matter the weather. I photograph these differences.

I am most happy with the tiny treasures that I discover when I don't rush, when I look closely. I've been know to walk around and around a tree looking for that special something like the small feather adorned with ice crystals above. There is always something magical to discover. I sometimes have to remind myself to step back and also look at the treasures to be found in the big picture. I photograph the tiny and the landscape.

I've found that my camera helps me to forget my anxieties, be braver, and more confidant. Nature and my camera are calming. When I first began taking pictures, other than the normal family/vacation/holiday pictures, I would take a small camera and wait until no one was looking to take a picture. Now, I rarely notice anyone is around and I carry my big girl camera. Now, I even stop and talk to people about what I'm photographing. I've been amazed at the kindness of people who want to share information about the places I visit or other paces to explore. I photograph my discoveries.

Some days and even weeks I loose my desire for photography. That's when photo trips, photo projects, classes, prompt groups, visiting flickr, and reading blogs, keep me inspired and motivated. Oh, I must not forget to mention the inspiration I get from reading two of my favorite magazines, Artful Blogging and Bella Grace. 

Photography has led me to a calmer and more peaceful life. Just the daily pleasure of being outside and observing nature has brought joy and gratitude to my life. 

I mentioned above that taking photography classes inspires and keeps me motivated. In these classes you sometimes find a small group of special ladies that share the same interests and a relationship develops. The connection remains long after the class is over through blogs, flickr, and emails. There is a small group of us that took a class several years ago that decided we'd like to review the class material again. We are interested in seeing if our thoughts about photography and our photography has changed over the years. We're calling this review "Renewing The Journey." In the first lesson we are answering these questions. Why do we take pictures? What draws us to photography?  What motivates us?  What keeps us excited and interested in photography? After I answered these questions I went back and read my responses from when I took the original class. I wasn't too surprised many of my answers are similar. One thing is for sure, I'm still in complete awe of nature!

Sunday Sundries - Edition 38

"In order to see birds

it is necessary to become a part of the silence."

~ Robert Lynd

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 22

I am grateful for autumn.

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it...and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
~ George Elliott

Friday Finds & Randomness

 

 

I found something really exciting this week. Well, I didn't really find them, but I found out about them.  My favorite park in the whole of central Arkansas is Wildwood Park for The Arts. Their website defines the park's vision "to provide opportunities for lifelong learning, engage the imagination and celebrate the human spirit through encounters with nature and a full spectrum of the arts: visual, performing, literary, horticultural, culinary and more."  The horticultural vision is what draws me. Wildwood contains Central Arkansas’ largest botanical gardens.  That's where I was and that's a little bit about it, now, I'll share what I found.  For the longest time only one swan has made the park its home and Buster is her name. After they named Buster, they found that Buster is actually a "she" so they're working on a new name for her.  Anyway, I was thrilled when I walked up to the lake and saw two more swans. One of the park workers said they had arrived this past weekend. They've named them Elizabeth and Alexander, quite proper names for such elegant creatures. I really hope they come up with an elegant name for Buster!  I also really hope these swans stay around. They seem to be a couple and since July is their mating month...maybe there'll be little ones the next time I visit the park.

Linking with Kim's Friday Finds.

 

 

Randomness

 

#1

Have you ever seen a Bottle Brush Buckeye shrub? Me neither!  Don't they have the prettiest most unusual flowers! Those flowers are called panicles. I had to look that word up. It means "any loose, diversely branching flower cluster." The shrub has white panicles in summer and yellow panicles in fall. Each panicle is about 4 inches wide and a foot long.  I guess I'll be making another trip to the garden to see the fall panicles. (I just like throwing that word in!)

#2

This guy was just too busy satisfying his sweet tooth to notice me and my camera.  I loved these unusual flowers. Anyone know what they are?

 

#3

Another pretty flower from Wildwood gardens. This is Sweet Azalea. Sweet?  Oh, yes!  Have you ever smelled honeysuckle?  This azalea smells just like that and it even resembles honeysuckle blooms!  Amazing smell!
 

 

 

#4

Enough from Wildwood Garden today; on to other randomness. This is my new favorite salad; baby spinach leaves, walnuts, and Craisins drizzled with Raspberry Hazelnut Vinaigrette Dressing. I also like to use Blueberry Craisins and almonds for a different flavor.  Pretty yummy!

 

 

 

#5

And lastly, let's talk about the weather. This is July...this is Arkansas...this is the south and yet, this has been the best summer in a long time. As you probably know I DON'T LIKE SUMMER! My mom always told me not to use the word "hate" but I can't help it!  I HATE SUMMER! Summer heat makes me sick, literally! But, this summer the weather has been wonderful.  Take today for instance...in the 70's...no humidity...breeze blowing...YES...my kind of summer! A great time to rest in the hammock and flip through some good magazines!

 

 

 As a bonus, since it is The Fourth of July,

I'm including one more image

and wishing you all a happy 4th!

 

Summertime on an Island Paradise

 

I've only been home about fourteen hours and I already miss the ocean. For the first time we took a vacation with our children, their spouses, and their children. It was absolutely wonderful. Many happy and fun memories were made. It's been 37 years since I've seen the ocean, so of course there were many hundreds of pictures taken.  Just let me say right now, this post is heavy on the pictures...light on words! I think when  you see the pictures below, you'll understand why I miss being there.

 

I miss the sound of the waves crashing right outside our bedroom window.

 

 

I miss the amazing colors.

 

 

I miss the birds.

 

 

 

I miss the morning walks I took along the beach.

 

 

 

 

I miss the sunrises.

 

 

 

 

I miss the sunsets.

 

 

I even miss the seaweed in the golden light of sunset.

 

 

I miss the details.

 

 

But, most of all, I miss seeing these guys each morning and hugging them goodnight.

 

 

 

I can think of only one thing I won't be missing...sand in my bed!

I'm sure you're going to see more pictures from our family vacation at Dauphin Island, Alabama.

"Don't cry because it's over.

Smile because it happened."

Dr. Seuss