A few pix

Yesterday's sunrise: 

I've been chauffeuring some Amish people to different places. Being the compulsive photographer I am, it's hard not to take pictures! Yesterday I transported a gentleman to a friend's new homestead out in the country. My kinda place! The home is being built with timber from the land and they had a sawmill right there. How cool is that?!  Especially on the heels of the Deforestation Debauchery that I wrote about earlier. I snapped a quick pic after the drop off when I was heading back down the driveway:

Here's Lady in her cat bed. You can just see a bit of the cat in the lower left corner of the photo:

Found a grasshopper:

Friend Teresa gave me these hydrangeas for eco-dying, but they were too pretty not to display:

And of course, ferns!

All is well.  :-)

Tree Shruggers

I love trees; for their beauty and variety and part in the delicate ecosystem of our world. They are the lungs of the planet and habitat for birds and squirrels and all manner of critters. I especially love a tree-lined country road . . . 

through different seasons and light and weather . . .

This particular road is to a friend's house. Here are some cows:

You can imagine my shock when I drove down this same lovely, shady stretch to see this:

Clear cutting everything. Some of those trees  are were 100+ years old. 

Are they going to use the wood for furniture, perhaps? Or at least the smaller trees for winter wood; fireplaces and woodstoves? 

NOPE.

Burning these HUGE piles of wood IN THE RAIN:

What a waste. The irony?  They put up a bird feeder. 

You know. For all the birds whose habitats they just destroyed.

You've heard of Tree Huggers?  

I'm calling these people Tree Shruggers.

"Trees?  Meh. Who needs 'em?"

Yeah. That's what I'm calling them--

which is nicer than what I was calling them before.

What Did You Like Doing As a Kid?

Naturey-Type Pix

Yeah, I know. Get my camera setting off that green rectangle! 

 Red bud leaves:

Love these trees with their heart-shaped leaves.

 See the toad?

Blending in.

 Butterfly!

Uh-oh!

It flew off before Tabby could get it. 

What's this?

See the 4-leaf clover?  Above the rock. 

Have a BEAUTIFUL day!  :-)

Beneficial

Yesterday was a rainy . . .

then not rainy day:

Chiro-sister & I went for a w-a-l-k with her dog down to:

I told Ruth about how Dave Dobson suggested replacing words like good & bad with words that had less of an emotional charge. We learn those words at a very young age, and they get reinforced particularly during the toilet training phase of our lives. This is Ruth's d-o-g:

Albus relaxing by the labyrinth

This is a doting and doted upon little guy. Ruth was giving him a treat, and she says, "Who's a good boy?" And then I hear, "Errr . . . who's beneficial?" Hahahahaha

Get ready to say "Awwww"

So I was having my morning convo with John Morgan, and I looked out at the woodshed and saw this:

See? Awww . . .

So I walked quietly onto the back porch. With John narrating into my headset: "She approaches the baby deer stealthily . . . quietly--what was that noise? The door? You need some WD-40. Is it still there or did the squeaking door scare the deer away?"

SO SWEET.

I said, "Oh, it's so CUTE . . . where is your mother????" Poor thing. I Reikied it and it trotted off down the road. Don't know if it'll be back, but I put some fresh carrots on the compost pile in case it comes back.

Wednesday Walk

Down by the river . . . a foggy walk . . .


This is my picnic pavillion. It's rather wasted on me, I don't really use it, but it has quite the set up: 2 fridges; one for beer, one for fish. Cooking pots, a grill, wired for phone--all the modern conveniences. There's even a sink with a line to the river. And an outhouse. Eeewww.

Spiderweb hammock. :-)

Have a BEAUTIFUL day!

Quote of the Day

The leaves look like ripples of water. Cool. See the heart?

Just learnt: tea made from birch leaves is gout remedy.

Those who dwell
among the beauties
and mysteries
of the earth
are never alone
or weary of life.
~Rachel Carson

Day of Rest: Down My Road

It's on the verge of spring. I can feel it, even tho we're in a final cold snap & had a dusting of snow. The birds are singing more to wake the trees from their slumber and all around we're waiting for the world to awaken once again.

Sometimes you'll see these cows standing in the river, drinking.

There's not a lot of colour going on, everything is muted shades of browns & grey. But the light this time of year is spectacular and it draws your attention more to all the textures going on. There's also a clarity and crispness to the air that's hard to describe.

Here's a study in negative space! And the sky was SO BLUE this day!

Final bend around my road.

I see hearts wherever I go. :-)

Day of Rest: Moon Rise

The moon rises for the past 2 nights have been gloriously spectacular. My photos have not captured their splendor. Here's the dot from last night:

I have a little Casio camera. For the most part it makes me a much better photographer than I am because I don't have to fuss with F-stops & stuff. It also has a feature where you can choose a setting (outdoor, candle light, night time, etc.) So I changed the setting:

Hmmmm . . . streaky. And I got a "J" for . . . Jesus? So then I moved the camera on purpose as I took the photo:

Kinda like a heart kite. :-) So then I changed the setting:

And that's the best I can do. If I ever get serious about photography, I'll get a real camera and go study with Holly or Nancy. For now, I like being able to slip it in my pocket and go.

I have had a rather philosophical week, and will post something about religion tomorrow. Yummy. In the meantime, these photos are a great metaphor for how we view the world. Same moon rise (stimulus), different filters (beliefs & patterns) to create a different outcome (response or reaction). Which one is "right?" All of them.

Sweetness

Last night I was sitting outside my labyrinth in between the sun set & total darkness. I was watching the deer settle into their beds in the field in front of my house. The night air was fresh (il fait tres frais!) and the crickets began their symphony. Glorious.

On Friday I was walking to my postbox and there was a dear in the field.

And then she followed me. I call her Sweetie (the generic name for all the wild life around here) altho--perhaps her name should be Dearest. Hahaha

I think this week's theme will be Animal Friends in My Backyard.

Nature Walk

Spring is springing, so I went for a walk yesterday. There's something about being out in nature that lends itself to reflection and stillness. It's v. easy to get into the present moment.

Have a BEAUTIFUL day! :-) H.