Category: Photography

Into the Wild

5/28/2015

I took a walk this weekend. After two days of rain we had a pleasant sunny day. Ideal for a walk in the woods.

Governor Dodge State Park - Stephen's Falls/Lost Canyon Trail.
Refreshing and inspiring.

Here are a few of the lovely wild flowers I saw along the way.

Columbine

Mayapple

False Solomon's Seal

A Day in the Sun

4/23/2015

Before the cold came again. Before the snow started to fly, I managed a day in the sun along with a few friends.

I was having one of those days. Walking home, feeling overwhelmed, it suddenly occurred to me that this was probably the most beautiful day we'd had all year. I made myself stop and take a moment, push the sadness aside enough to really see what was around me. A clear bright blue sky, a world flooded with sunshine, European starlings sitting on the telephone wire adding their unique voices to the others, robins out looking for an evening meal, blue and purple crocus buds ready to burst. One thought led to another. blue and purple spring flowers. As a girl I thought that maybe the flowers followed the same color progression as the rainbow. Well, the same but backwards. VIBGYOR. First the blue and purple flowers. Crocus, grape hyacinths, scilla. Then green as the trees begin to leaf out. Next yellow. Daffodils, forsythia, and iris. Finally orange and reds. Poppies, peonies, bleeding hearts, and tulips. Maybe even the seasons followed the pattern. Winter's blue tones, spring and summer awash in green, and fall's bright yellows, orange, and reds.

Of course it's not that simple. There are yellow crocus and peonies. Yellow and burgundy iris and a wide variation of tulips. But the idea of a overarching unity is irresistible. There is a rhythm to the blooming and it's worth the time to pay attention and enjoy the unfolding. It can change your day.

The Two Trees

2/5/2015

Last week I talked about two of my favorite trees, a shining white sycamore and a mysterious cottonwood (though, honestly, I'm not really sure it is a cottonwood). I didn't have many photos and no drawings of them. So after spending time thinking about them, I headed out for a visit.

This sycamore is magnificent in the winter, when there are no distractions from it's form and brilliant bark.

This one is more like a fortress. You can see a large bowl shaped hollow inside, but it's completely surrounded by thick trunks. The only way inside is to climb. It's easy to imagine creatures of all sorts making their homes in all the secret crevices, coming to life as the light fades and the people head home.

These were a few of the photos and sketches from the trip. In both what is most obvious is how hard it is to capture the size and gravitas of these trees. I was most successful when I focused on the details.

Tis the Season

12/25/2014

Christmas lights didn't exactly get put up, but they're just as pretty.

Red chile wreath brightening my front door

Growing up Christmas wasn't so much about church or religion. It was a time to celebrate with family and bring some brightness into the dark days of winter.

The last several years though I found myself lacking the Christmas spirit. This year was no exception. Looking back over the past years, I started to think about old traditions, so I wrapped up my presents, got out some Christmas lights (as you can see I didn't quite get them up on a tree, but they're still pretty), and brought out the red chile wreathes. I'm not sure how it came to be a tradition, but every Christmas Eve my mother made a big pot of beef vegetable soup. So I started a few days ahead making my own beef stock and starting on the soup. It's surprising how traditions can help. I began to feel a bit more Christmasy.

Thinking about old traditions, brought me back to the years I spent in New Mexico. The time of celebration started early there. I loved it! Fun from fall straight through to the end of the year. It started in late summer with the harvest of green chiles. The smell of roasting chiles permeated the air. Soon the aspens and cottonwoods were turning gold along the Rio Grande. They inspired Georgia O'Keeffe and always brought me joy too.

Cottonwoods III - Georgia O'Keeffe

Dead Cottonwood - Georgia O'Keeffe

Shortly after that the air was filled with color. Balloon Fiesta time! The sound of the balloons firing up, their glow in the chilly early morning air. It was a feast for the senses. Fall also brought bird migrations. Hummingbirds started to head south, cranes too could be seen and heard flying along Sandia mountain. One after the other was a celebration of the seasons. Halloween and Thanksgiving, followed by my birthday and Christmas. One of my favorite Christmas traditions there, was cooking for Christmas dinner. I'd put a fire in the fireplace heating my tiny house and filling the air with the scent of burning piñon and cedar. I'd pull the sofa between the fireplace and the kitchen as I cooked late into the night. Often with a glass of burgundy and my father's version of Boursin or maybe a fine chocolate. One last ritual for the year was going through all my things; closets, shelves, and everything stored away. I haven't done that in a number of years either.

Going forward in 2015, I'm going to try to pay attention to personal routines and rituals, and finding ways to celebrate the seasons. I've found some already; riding the bus for my early morning commute, drawing every day, taking walks in the woods or meadows, and seeking out the beautiful winter sunsets. I hope to reconnect to more as the new year plays out.