My favorite time of day...

The sun shines through the trees. The day is still bright but it has lost its warmth. The cool breeze of the afternoon rustles the leaves on the trees - one of my favorite sounds. The trees sway, the leaves chatter, and the robins call to one another - like a call to prayer.

I wonder what they sing about. Do they sing to bid the day farewell? Perhaps it is a song of gratitude...

Mister Lincoln...

I glance over at the petals from Mister Lincoln. I have anthromorphized him over the last few days. Posted his life progress in picture format on Instagram and Facebook.

From the moment his bright red petals caught my eye and my nose picked up the delicate scent - I knew this rose was a Mister Lincoln. The first of the season. And since catching my eye a week ago, I have been keeping company with Mister Lincoln.


Sitting in the vase next to me, I couldn't ignore him. His smell so sweet, his color so vibrant. I took in his beauty, I watched him change, and with each change came another level of beauty.


Each unfolding petal changed the shape of his silloutte. He grew bigger, fuller and more symetrical. The soft delicate fragrance deepened and filled the room with an unmistakeable scent of roses.


Yesterday, it was clear that Mister Lincoln had reached the end of his life cycle. I placed him outside to share his pollen with the bees and let the sun begin to dry his petals.


After the time we spent together I couldn't just place him in the yard waste bin. His initial beauty is gone - but his scent remains. I've decided to make a bead from his petals.


Our journey reminds me that life is about change, whether I like it or not, but in a gentler more beautiful way. I am left with a delicate rose bead, a pearl of wisdom, if you will.

A test...maybe an orange iris...

This is only a test... If it were easy I would have posted weeks ago with my new iPad, but it is not. The words were not the problem, but uploading pics was and might still be. And considering the title of my blog - pics are a must. So, I'll publish this and see what I get - it is a crap shoot really, because I can't see the pic I attached to this post - it should be a beautiful orange iris..

Coffee makes me happy...

April showers bring May flowers, 

but coffee makes me happy...

One gate. Red gate...

One gate... 

    Red gate...

Two gate...

Blue gate...

 I am drawn into the foyer of a front yard. 

A private entrace into the house.
A space to greet friends.
A place to remove shoes.
An outdoor room to revel in a summer nite.



A small book...

     

     

Paper rolls, sections of ribbon, and a piece of twine...



Immagination, scraps of paper, and a little time...

  

Leaves you with a small book of magical travel vignettes.



. 

Where's the post?

Where's the post been? In my dreams. A lack of dreamless sleep leads to a lack of creative thoughts. I am awake with Newton. Poor Newton. He was given his third strike last week (urinary blockage). After having surgery to remove the last external male attribute he had - he is restless. He seems more concerned about the shaved area on his front leg and his rear paw. I thought he would be looking for his lost member. Nope. I take the cone off so he can eat and do a little self-cleaning (above the waist). He goes after his leg and paw with vigor - to me he seems agitated as if he was given a bad haircut. He is a handsome cat - so everyone tells him. I think it went to his head. No worries Newton - the hair will grow back.

Meet Einstein...

Is there such thing as a cat model? Meet Einstein. Not only is he photogenic, he poses for the camera. I hold the camera to take a shot and I swear he cocks he head to one side as if to say - "I'm ready for my close up".

It is Spring...

 

   Beatiful tulip-like flowers, growing like groundcover.

  Delicate white blossoms falling like snow.

 Trees and bushes awash in a color.

The daytime temperatures have been in the 70s.

The air is warm and clear.  

Everywhere I go there is a splash of color.

I think to myself, it is Spring.



It must be Spring...

This bearded iris is striking.  Standing alone in a dormant flowerbed, it broke into bloom a day or so ago. It must have thought it was Spring, and I can't blame it. The sunny skies over the last few days seemed to echo Spring.  It is a vibrant reminder that Spring is on its way.

Ahh coffee...

I feel tired, a little sluggish. Ready or not, my morning starts without me. My moment comes in the form of a hot, dark, slightly bitter, hint of creamy vanilla goodness. Ahh coffee... I savor the moment with a warm cup in my hands. Breathing in warmth, breathing out calm. My morning meditation.

She looks like an angel...

In this moment of restful sleep - she looks like an angel. So serene and peaceful it is hard to stay mad at the dog who chewed on one of my "finds" from the library sale. As I look at the mangled book I am reminded of her most recent digressions: puling trash from  the waste basket in the bedroom; running away from me into the living room with muddy feet, opening and eating a bag of TJ's chicken wrapped rawhide treats, and going into the garage to eat the cat's food or waste (whichever she can find).

I realize she isn't doing these things to me. She is doing these things because of me.  Who left the book on the floor in the room she likes to nap in? Who left the bag of treats out in a place she could get to them? Who didn't make sure the garage door was fully closed? And finally, who hasn't been walking the dog on a regular basis?

I look at my faithful companion sleeping - it is a perfect moment - a teaching moment.

Books, books, & more books...

As I approached the door I could smell the books, not the offensive musty or mildew smell, but that distinctive smell of old print on paper in sturdy binding. I enter from the bright outdoors into this darkened basement filled with books, books, and more books. There are books on shelves, in stacks, on tables, in boxes, roughly separated by category. The exploration begins. I look around at the rows of used books - this picture was there waiting for me to capture it.

A few of my finds, which I happily carry home, include:  A Manual of Foreign Dialects for Radio, Stage, and Screen (1942); Good Night Sweetheart and several other music score sheets (~1940s); a beautifully illustrated book Year of the Horse; Naval Regulations as issued in 1802 (1970), and A Look at the 20th Century - stock photography ~historical selects vol. 3.

Brilliant blues...

Gray skies reveal brilliant colors. I know it has to do with the lack of reflected light but on an overcast day colors seem so bright. On our walk today the color blue seemed to jump out more than any other color. Through the misting rain I took this pic of these lone but apparently well used benches on a public access beach area.

Here comes Newton...

So here I am trying to set up a blog and create my first post - then here comes Newton. This is Newton. 

The house is quiet - everyone is asleep.  I sit down at the computer and here comes Newton. He jumps on the desk, precariously climbs on piles of paper nearly knocking down a small vase, steps behind the monitor and circles around to the keyboard. This is when I pick him up as gracefully as he will allow and get him to my lap. He is on my lap and in my face reaching up with his front paws to "knead" my neck; and purring loud enough to drown out the rhythmic sounds of Mike's vent in the next room.  Drooling he lifts his face up to mine to brush his nose across my face. This is our late night interlude.

Why do I participate in this awkward dance? Because the sheer joy on Newton's face warms my heart.

This leads me to the title of my blog: Life - one pic at a time. I live an ordinary life filled with snapshots of perfect moments.