The Mushrooms Come

From moss and loam

the mushrooms come.

From bark on trees, 

from crumbling logs,

from musty leaves,

the mushrooms come.

From vast pale networks

underground

they shoulder up

without a sound;

they spread their damp

umbrella tops

and loose their spores

with silent pops.

Unbuttoning the forest floor,

the mushrooms come,

the mushrooms come.

Like noses pink

in midnight air

like giants' ears,

like elfin hair,

 like ancient cities

built on cliffs,

the mushrooms come,

the mushrooms come.
                            ~ Joyce Sidman

* * * * *

I wandered through the children's section of the library recently and discovered a wonderful poetry book, Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Rick Allen. Together they've created a gorgeous book of poems and illustrations about nature. The poems are easy to understand and the illustrations are fascinating. Not only are her poems wonderful, but along with each poem she has nature facts that relate to the poem. I think any child would love this look about nature. I I know I do! It will be joining my library very soon.

Awake, Thou Wintry Earth

I'm going to say something that is going to shock you! I have not enjoyed this winter!!  Most of you know how much I love winter. I love the snow and the cold. This year we haven't really had a winter. What we had was cloudy skies and rain and cloudy skies and rain and repeat, repeat, repeat!!

Every thing is soggy! The only way I can walk in the woods and down my favorite path is with waterproof boots! 

Even though the days are dark and gloomy, beauty can be found. Tiny drops of water hang like diamonds in twisted vines. 

Mushrooms are beginning to work their way through the soft grown trying to find some sunshine I'm sure!

Winter has been so mild that many leaves never turned completely brown.

Officially spring has not arrived, but I'm seeing signs of it everywhere. Last year I bought a Lenten Rose, (Hellebore) to add to my garden. It quickly became one of my favorite plants. Not knowing a lot about it, I panicked when I saw it beginning to bloom a few weeks ago. I was so afraid a cold snap would ruin it. I was wrong. It was blooming right on time. Lenten Roses are one of the earliest flowers to bloom, usually around Lent which started on February 14.

And my jonquils are starting to bloom. Although I'm not ready for it, I think I need to start convincing myself that winter is over. It will be in the 70's today and Wednesday closer to 80. Spring is no longer hiding, it's shouting "ready or nor here I come!"

"Awake, thou wintry earth -

Fling off they sadness!

Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth

Your ancient gladness!"

~Thomas Blackburn

The Good, The Random, The Fun - No. 3

I can't believe how fast summer has past. Schools have already been in session for two weeks, the air is a little cooler, and leaves are starting to fall. I've almost survived another Arkansas summer. I'm grateful this one has not been extremely hot and there has been nice breezes and plenty of rain. I don't normally enjoy summers. In fact, summer is my least favorite time of the year, but I did enjoy this summer. Of course, part of that enjoyment was being able to get out with my camera and having some good, random fun!

The Good

I spend a much needed photography day with my sister and sister-in-law.

The Random

Mushrooms don't always grow vertically, sometimes they grow horizontally.

The Fun

I celebrated the Great American Eclipse with my cereal box pinhole projector and a special treat of Cosmic Brownies!

Linking with

Ordinary Summer Days

My days have fallen into a routine. Early each morning I go outside to do a little walking, water my plants, and take a few pictures while it’s still relatively cool! Cool meaning below 80. It doesn't take long for the sun to rise above the trees, the temperature to go up, the humidity to increase, and the dew sparkling on the grass to dry.

The last couple of weeks, it’s felt like I’m living in Florida. You know how along the coast those afternoon storms roll in with huge billowy clouds? We’ve had the same thing; storms rolling in each afternoon, heavy showers, and amazing lightening. The rain combined with warm nights has caused an abundance of mushroom to pop up across the yard. 

Each day I discover new ones, some tiny and some the size of a dinner plate. All unique with almost perfect symmetry, fascinating textures, and earthy colors. Each day they grow a little more, slowly opening like a beach umbrella. It’s fascinating to see what’s in the shade of those umbrellas. Sometimes there’s a little “baby” mushroom trying to find space to grow.

After the short morning walk around the yard, I lock myself inside where the air-conditioning and fans are running nonstop! So now what do I do with the rest of my day? I usually spend a little time catching up on the Internet; blogs, Facebook, and Flicker, then I turn to more productive things.

My project for the summer is deep cleaning my cluttered craft room. I started with the closet, pulled everything out, and began sorting; serious sorting. At this stage in my life I’m never going to do all those projects I thought I would do some day. There aren’t enough some days left, so I’ve filled boxes and boxes of stuff to take to a donation center. Here’s some things that made me wonder at my sanity: millions of wiggly eyes, a bag of styrofoam balls, remnants of very old fabric, articles I’ve ripped out of magazines, metal buttons that you cover, and 32 wood pieces. I'm sure I had good plans for these things once upon a time! The things I kept were scrapbooking supplies, cross stitch supplies, and a few quilt projects. This week I finished the closet and moved on to the cabinets and bookshelf. I’m feeling good about my craft room. I might even be able to find something in there now without a lot of searching!

In the evenings I have started cross stitching again. I’m working on a set of little bird pillows one for each month of the year. So far I’ve stitched seven and finished four pillows. I haven’t stitched seriously in a long time. I have forgotten how relaxing it can be to push the needle through the fabric in a slow, repetitious motion.

So that’s about it. That’s what my summer days are like. Except for going to church and to the grocery story, I’m home in the cool. That being the case, I’m not taking many pictures, only one a day. With no adventures in sight, I feel like now would be a good time to take a blogging break. I need it. I don’t think I’ve taken a break since I began my blog six years ago. I’ll still be around on Facebook, Flicker, and reading your blogs, I just won’t be posted here for the rest of August.

So, I’m wishing all of you a wonderful end of your summer. I’ll see you when the weather begins to cool, the leaves start to fall, and I’m back to wandering.

Happy August!

The Rest Of The Story

When I say I'm going to do something, I try very hard to do it. Only sometimes it takes me a while! Last month I posted about our family trip at Thanksgiving. At the end I said, "There's just so much I want to share about our week. I'll be back with a few more nature details as soon as I'm able."  Well, it seems it took me a long time to be able! I was honestly going to post a couple of days later, but it's been over 40 days! I'll just blame that on Christmas!

Each morning I would head out on the deck. taking in the beauty of the mountains and valleys. The sunrises were gorgeous, but so was the foggy, rainy morning. The weather didn't stop us, we headed out no matter what.

We had planned several hikes for the week. I was excited because a couple of the trails had waterfalls. There are several waterfalls in Arkansas, but many of them are difficult to reach or on private land. In this area of the Ozark Mountains there are a few that the inexperienced hiker can reach. The first waterfall we saw was "The Glory Hole." This waterfall is one of most famous waterfalls in Arkansas. Dismal Creek runs through the area and over time the water has worn a hole right through the top of a huge cave cascading to the cave floor.

You can walk into the cave behind the waterfall, sit on the rocks, and enjoy the beauty and sounds of nature.

The second waterfall we hiked to was on the Lost Valley Trail. The trail leads to Eden Falls, a 53-foot tall waterfall. Pictures don't do it justice. It's a long way down to the pool below.

The Buffalo River which runs through the area is a favorite spot for canoeing. It's a breathtaking area with massive towering bluffs that are so colorful.

The upper river valley is home to the Arkansas elk herd. The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission made an agreement with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources in 1980 to trade Arkansas large mouth bass for Rocky Mountain Elk. Now there is an estimated 650+ elk in this area.

They are massive animals, standing up to five feet high at the shoulder and weighing from 600 to 1000 pounds. We were fortunate to hear the bugle calls from a couple of big bucks. It's such a lonely, haunting sound. The bugle starts low and throaty, rising to a high whistle, then dropping to a grunt. It's not an easy sound to imitate. My grandsons and I tried. We weren't very good and our bugling was interrupted with giggles! If you'd like to hear an elk Yellowstone has a website where you can listen to their calls. It will really surprise you what they sound like! 

I'll move on quickly because this is getting rather long. There were some very old homesteads in the area that we were able to wander around. This homestead had a cabin, a root cellar,  a barn, and even an outhouse.

There's a sign by the outhouse which reads

Uncle Sam's Gift

The Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) came out to the Ozarks to improved daily living. Farmers asked for a new federally designed, pre-cast-concrete-floored privy." The advertisement read "Your home is not complete without a sanitary unit. Recommended by the State Department of Public Health."

I don't know how many of you have ever used an outhouse. I'm telling my age, but I have and I don't care if they have wood floors or concrete floors there's nothing sanitary about them!

We had such a great time wandering through the Ozarks and along the Buffalo River. I was reminded again just how beautiful Arkansas is.

Again forgive the delay in posting the rest of the story. I'll try to either not promise or be more prompt next time!

What Does The Word Mean?

WORDS

We speak them every day. We make a sound or a combination of sounds that communicates a meaning. We write them. We read them. WORDS carry immeasurable significance. The universe was created with WORDS.  "God spoke the world into being by the power of His words."  Hebrews 11:3.

I know how to read words, to write them, to speak them, but photographing the meaning of WORDS is a big challenge. A group organized by one of my favorite photographers and teachers, Kim Manley Ort, is trying to do just that. We're using the book Consolations, The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning Of Everyday Words, by David Whyte for our prompts. Whyte turns our attention to 52 ordinary words "each it's own particular doorway into the underlying currents of human life. Consolations invites readers into a poetic and thoughtful consideration of words whose meanings and interpretation influence the paths we choose and the way we traverse them throughout our lives." (from David Whyte website.)

This has been a very challenging experience for me. I have been known to say that I don't "philosify" about my photos. I take them for pure pleasure, but this gathering has taught me to look at things differently. To take the week's word, mull it over in my mind, decide how I could represent my feelings of the word in a picture, and then actually find and take the picture; as I said very challenging! I'd like to share these words, my thoughts or sometimes just a quote, and my photos with you.

ALONE

where I can hear my thoughts

where my mind can rest

where I can feel delight

"In solitude

the mind gains strength

and learns to lean upon itself."

~ Laurence Sterne

AMBITION

Ambition is the inner force needed to propel me to my goal even though there may be struggles and hardships. I've always been amazed at how a delicate mushroom can push through the hard ground as it seeks the light. Nature is a wonderful teacher.

ANGER

"Anger is like a storm

rising up from the bottom of your consciousness.

When you feel it coming,

turn your focus to your breath."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

BEAUTY

I am a seeker of nature's beauty.

I am in constant awe of God's creation.

"He who seeks beauty will find it."

~ Bill Cunningham

Beginning

"All glory comes from daring to begin."

~ Eugene F. Ware

Do I dare often enough?

"Words mean more than what is set down on paper.

It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning."

~ Maya Angelou

June Delights

It seems other than Sunday Sundries, I've abandoned this little corner. Life has changed once again. My mother came home from rehab ten days ago. The transition was not easy for her or us. There were things to buy, medications to have refilled, remodeling to allow for her wheelchair, groceries to buy, meals to cook, and schedules to set up. She has some brain damage from the stroke, short-term memory loss especially, so I was going to her house four times a day to give her medications and take her vital signs. Thankfully, it's in walking distance. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, this was a very rough week. There was very little time to even thing about picking up my camera and I missed it. I missed the time outside just wandering.

Knowing that this month of June would be hard and because it's my birth month, I challenged myself to find something delightful each day. I didn't always take pictures, but I wrote them in my journal each night.

I wanted to share the first fifteen days with you. It is a wonderful reminder that even in tough times, there's joy to be found.

Day 1 - strawberry, vanilla, and caramel colored mushrooms

Day 2 - seeing an old barn when traveling with my dad

Day 3 - highways lined with Queen Anne's Lace

Day 4 - a video my daughter posted on Facebook

Day 5 - new grocery carts at Walmart (it doesn't take much to make me happy)

Day 6 - cool refreshing snow cone

Day 7 - leaf with perfect bands of color: brown, tan, and green

Day 8 - dainty white hosta blooms

Day 9  - four delights today . . . eating my first wild blackberry of the season . . . Aaron and Isaac bringing me a delicious birthday cupcake . . . dinner with Mr. H . . . the Dickinsons singing Happy Birthday to me on the phone 

Day 10 - making a wrong turn and seing a small yard crammed with summer flowers

Day 11 - finding three feathers

Day 12 - a mimosa tree full of pink blooms

Day 13 - eating breakfast outside . . . cool and breezy

Day 14 - the coolest shopping cart ever!

Day 15 - a deer in our pasture . . . as long as I've lived here we've never seen a deer in our pasture

These little daily delights have kept me positive and smiling. I'm looking forward to what the next fifteen days brings!

"If you smile when no one else is around,

you really mean it."

~ Andy Rooney

A Little Of This and That

There doesn't seem to be a day that goes by without the storm clouds rolling in. They don't always bring rain, but this one sure did. Lots and lots of rain and very high winds. There was no damage to our place but there are a few broken trees in the area. With all the rains, I haven't been able to go on any photo walks and I miss them!  The only walking I get to do is around the yard. I'm desperately needing to get away with only my camera for some peace. In the meantime I keep telling myself that there's plenty of things around here to take pictures of, but it's just not the same. A day beside some moving water would be perfect!

As I've walked up the lane to check on my dad, I've noticed that the blackberries have begun to form. I can remember my mom making the most delicious blackberry cobbler. I don't know how she ever beat the birds to them, because I sure can't. Once they ripen, they're gone!

I don't have to walk far in the yard to see that the warm sun and the moisture has brought out the mushrooms.

This one reminds me of a tiny fairy house. There's a little door at the bottom, a couple of windows, and a jagged little roof.

  

I saw this small heart shape in the pavement which reminded me to love where I am and to be content. The rain will stop and things will settle down. I know they will. They have to!  

Maybe not this week or the next week, but someday, hopefully in the near future, I'll be going on a photo walk again; just me and my camera!

"Contentment has the ability

to squeeze out of every situation

all the good there is to get."

~ Shantidasa