You’ll find me in the garden!
Step back and look at the big picture
Every day even if it’s raining, you’ll find me in the garden. Busy taking photos of the flowers which have just bloomed, perhaps planting something, and of course doing some weeding. Today is no exception. As I wander outside the first thing in the morning assessing what’s new, coffee mug in hand, the garden begs for attention. Time slips away and so does stress since listening to birds chatter away and a little bee content with his daily task of feeding the queen. There is a sense of satisfaction. I gaze in bewilderment at such gifts, as a child on Christmas morning, giving me the sheer joy as explosions of colors appear before me. I can make a bouquet of wildflowers to cheer a friend or brighten a room. Choose me, they seem to scream out. Must be nice to know your purpose in life was for the instant pleasure you can give to someone else. Thank you God for providing me with eyes to see your beautiful creations, hands to pinch and pluck and a nose to smell their sweet scent. I try not to get overwhelmed with the mundane or the sometimes emotional roller-coaster ride but, as I stumble along the path, it’s good to have a place where things are quiet to reflect upon this journey. The sun sparkles in the water on the lake, there are a few ducks and geese about and a snapping turtle pops up from the deep while I stand at the edge of the garden pruning around my lilies. I have noticed Robins and Morning Doves finding plenty of maple seedlings to feast and multitudes of insects for treats, but just please leave my flowers be and not destroy the whole thing. Why they took the whole little seedling, off to its nest once early last spring, is just mind-boggling to me, and a little frustrating. You really have to put things in prospective assessing what is really important. Another lesson learned, you must protect the things that you love and let go of your troubles because somethings are just going to happen whether you like it or not. Deal with it like maintaining a garden, if it’s a weed then dig it out by the roots and throw it out; if it’s something that brings you happiness like flowers, then you must nurture them and give them room to grow. Don’t just let nature take its course, you must participate in order to have beautiful things in life. One of the hardest things to learn is there are somethings that are not going to turn out as you may have planned. No matter what you do there is going to be a time where you just have to take a step back and look at the big picture before you decide to get your hands dirty. Think about what is really important, with time and patience, everything changes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5A3Blt1Ipw
Here’s a little fuel for thought.
Photographic Journey: Butterflies are magical creatures
To my delight, I was able to see the metamorphosis of a caterpillar since it had been feeding on parsley in my garden. I decided to capture it and provide a few sprigs of parsley for food and water in a container with proper ventilation. Over the next few weeks, I watched as it transformed into a chrysalis and while in its cocoon, completely shut out the world only to emerge and take flight as a beautiful butterfly. I opened the container and set it free. As it immediately took to the sky, I was simply amazed as it fluttered about before settling down and feeding on Buddleja (commonly known as Butterfly Bush) and tall pink Phlox then going to work, polinating my garden. It has a short life of only 6-8 weeks if its lucky enough to survive the perilous spiders and birds of prey and finds a mate to be able to have its species thrive. A Blue Swallowtail appears magical as its colorful wings of yellow and blue reach nearly 5 inches in diameter as if its sole purpose was to put a smile on my face.
An escape artist, this magical little creature appeared and fluttered about, provided a moment of happiness, however, short-lived.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Welcome to my garden. An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail visiting Joe Pye Weed. Only a few minutes after it feeds and flutters about, off it goes into the sky, totally free.
Let me dream and when I wake let me be free to fly and color the sky, let me feed on the sweet nectar provided for me, in your garden of Day Lilies, Phlox and Joe Pye Weed.
There’s a magical moment captured with a smile.
Silver Spotted Skipper
Monarch
Small Town America: A photographic journey
Exploring around small town America, my view of a peaceful tranquil place, which is in it’s simplistic form of natural beauty found all around us and can be discovered through a photographic journey. Why not just look at beautiful things and forget all our troubles for a while?
So come and take a walk with me and let’s have a peaceful tranquil journey, shall we?
Let’s free ourselves from the confines of our self-imprisoned cell and go to another place that’s peaceful and not have any worries.
Make our footprints the first to touch this undiscovered land.
Let’s find out what’s over that hill.
Let’s escape!
Let’s fly away like a sweet little bird and see what the world looks like right outside my window. What do you say little mockingbird?
Would you like to spread your wings and fly away, far, far away?
What I have seen is that there is a lot of beautiful things that are within my reach, with my camera in tow wherever I go, there is a gem just waiting to be held. I’m just turning a corner to discover what I can find to capture and share. Like a butterfly in a child’s net, gaze and it and wonder at it’s miraculous form and then set it free again. As winter fades and spring has transformed the landscape with an artists palette of vivid colors to choose from, the first signs of life emerge once again.
Life goes on and I don’t want to miss a thing. Rhododendrons, azaleas and a variety of bulbs appear first on the scene with abundant vibrant flowers and magnificent burst of colors to quench your thirst for beautiful things to behold.
Incredible how so many flowers were hidden away all winter, explode in the spring and perform like a fireworks display. You cannot help but “oooh” and “ahhh” over this magnificent show.
Here we are back where life begins again. It’s spring once more.
The beautiful colors explode into view.
Daffodil
Like a ballerina in a tutu fluttering around the stage
- The Weeping Cherry Tree like a sweet little child in her first ballet recital, let the dance begin.
Small Town Girltalk
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Listening to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAXPpDihQMc
Here’s a virtual world where sharing information let’s you know how small this world really is and how much we all have in common living on the Earth. Here’s a way to express our thoughts which enables us to have a release of bottled up frustrations to voice our opinions.
Life is a learning experience and we need all the help we can get.
Lesson 1 –
No matter what anyone says you will not listen.
I’ve become very inspired to write poetry with photos I’ve taken.
Here’s a poem I wrote and a photo which I took after climbing to the top of a cliff overlooking Marigot Bay in St. Lucia.
There Wait
There’s nothing there in the blades of grass,
Nor the mulched beds of flowers that past,
Where upon did wear an invisible cloak,
Under the cold and harsh winter choke,
Waiting there until you could finally see,
It wasn’t time for me to be unveiled to thee,
I waited there and watched everyday,
For the spring in March, April and May,
Until the day when you would appear,
I’ll wait without having any fear,
Dawn til dusk I’ll wait I must,
The day is coming in this I trust,
There wait and for now continue to wait,
My bounty tied in your mysterious fate,
Wrong for me to ask whilst in mourning,
Free me from agonizing extended suffering,
Where is my gentle soul and kindred spirit,
That makes my heart soar within your light,
The delicate first flowers came out of hiding,
Crushed by the pounding and nearly dying,
Their remains lying anguished on the ground,
Have no strength to pick up and carry on,
But sleep like lazy sheep an immortal rest,
Their destiny and fate no one can guess,
Predetermined as light shined a new dawn,
Awakened from deep slumber tired yawn,
The blaze was strong and harsh as fire,
And the wind blew the last leaf I did admire,
Just as I thought before my life became anew,
The unbridled winter days were still but few,
Was there to be any more of the ice and cold,
Will I be lifted up before I get too tired and old,
There wait, and trust you will come to me,
I believe it is real nor was it not just a dream,
The angels spoke and heaven’s stars did glow,
The night was gone and the rain did flow,
Were they the tears from heaven which fell,
Freeing me from my self-imprisoned cell,
Softly spoken drops of rain whisper in my ear,
Why did you doubt me or have any fear,
The voice was clear wasn’t it I who came for you,
To fill your needs and desires as I set out to do,
That you should not want or suffer in vain,
I came with my coat of many colors again,
There wait, trust I’ll come to you I heard,
And then, singing softly by a little bird,
It is the rise of a new morning and spring is now,
The longing is over and I’ve made it somehow,
I called your name and you came to me,
Restored my life, my faith and letting me see.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Listening to: John Melloncamp – Small Town
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPgxay8p8TQ
Happy Valentine’s Day ❤
No date? Consider going through your closet and donate to your favorite charity for families that are less fortunate.
Lesson 2:
The only person whose behavior you can do anything about is your own.
It appears that nature takes its course, and really we lack control over anything that happens in our lives. The only thing we can do is change how we react to situations that arise. It’s comforting to me to express my feelings through poetry and photography. Hope you enjoy!
My Rose of Sharon
Their beauty, pain.
As flower petals in the rain,
Among hail and ice,
Cold, frozen over – twice.
Looking outside the door,
Whilst thou to be no more,
As the birch lay down,
Arms of pines cease to crest,
No flowers, no nest,
Sparrow, wren and crow,
Where to rest, they know,
Cultivar at best cannot,
Stand all that has given – not,
Save from the storm,
The flower I mourn,
‘Aphrodite’ my Rose of Sharon,
Deep rose-pink flowers,
Wink a dark eye no more,
Release me consequential universal powers,
Moonbeams and spring sun-showers,
Not thy endure, fail to undo,
The time pre-slated,
Only you knew and waited.
Photo: Rose of Sharon: Hibiscus syriacus
This particular variety was given to me by my best friend when I moved into this place and still grows in the same spot 20 years later. (Thanks bff!)
Lesson 3 –
The truth always comes out.
You better run, you lousy chicken, before someone makes you into chicken soup!
Small Town Girltalk 
