weeds & vines

02.02.15 = Urban Canvas "This world is but a canvas to our imagination." Henry David Thoreau

2.22.15 = Little Observations "Sometimes it's the little, special things in life that can make you feel significant all day." k dunlap

11.04.13 = Natures Canvas "Life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can." Danny Kaye

11.03.13 = Living Wall So fitting that this wall is on the side of a church. "May my mind come alive today To the invisible geography That invites me to new frontiers To break the dead shell of yesterdays To risk being disturbed and changed." John O'Donohue

11.06.13 = Obsession I know, I know, I'm obsessed with these vines and this wall, but the colors, textures and the sheer amazement of it, has it's hold on me. "Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment." Claude Monet

10.14.13 = Crimson Color "Magnificent Autumn! He comes not like a pilgrim, clad in russet weeds. He comes not like a hermit, clad in gray. But he comes like a warrior, with the stain of blood upon his brazen mail." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

11.06.14 = Color "Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this? no. Just as one can never learn how to paint it." Pablo Picasso

11.14.11 = Urban weeds What’s up with my fascination of weeds? I was driving by and saw this extraordinary vine growing across this urban retaining wall and had to turn around to photograph it. I was amazed by the variation and vibrant color. I thought it was just stunning. There I was standing in an empty gravel lot photographing a wall of weeds. People driving by must have thought I was crazy. Heck, maybe I am a little, but I don’t mind. “Weeds are just plants in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Kristan Dunlap

11.30.11 = To the end of vine With today being the last day of November, I thought I would get just one last Autumn shot in. I feel like Autumn and Thanksgiving made early way this year for Christmas. It feels like we went from Halloween to Christmas in just a few weeks. What happened to November? Does anyone else feel this way? It appears that Mother Nature herself, is in a rush for Christmas this year. We had a bit of icy snow here last night. I do love looking out the window in the early morning and seeing the white snow on all the black roof tops. So goodbye November. You came and went far too fast this year. “There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men; time.” Napoleon

02.08.12 = Snow! Wow, what is this white stuff? We had the tiniest bit of snow here this morning, so I thought I had better get a shot off quickly before it was gone. As I sit here now; it’s all gone. This has been the mildest of winters. The past two winters, we’ve had snow all through January and February. I know some of you would rather not have the snow, but I really like it. It’s winter after all and snow makes it much more interesting. I’m bit disappointed in Mother Nature, she’s being very stingy with the snow here this year. “When I no longer thrill to the first snow of the season, I’ll know I’m growing old.” Lady Bird Johnson

06.07.12 – I’m Lichen this Sorry, I couldn’t refuse the pun here. It’s amazing what you can find on a walk in the woods. I loved the colors and texture of this fungus growing on the side of a tree. It strange how it almost looks like an underwater plant… Just a little of life observations. “You can see a lot by just observing.” Yogi Berra (Thanks everyone for your kind words and prayers for my mother. It means so much.)

11.13.12. = Fences “Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.” Robert Frost

10.10.11 = Sunrise in the Meadow 6:14am and I’m up far too early for a Saturday morning, maybe I can go back to sleep. 6:35am, as I try to force my eyes closed and relax into my pillow. 6:58am and for 45 minutes now, I’ve been trying to clear my mind of all the things I need to do today. 7:02am, I’m thinking I should grab Baby, (my camera) and venture down to the meadow for a sunrise shoot. 7:05, As I search for my old jeans, boots and a much needed ball cap and some toothpaste, I’m quickly out the door. 7:28am, I arrive in the meadow, just before the sun rises above the tree tops. There’s a low fog hanging around with such stillness. As I venture down the path it seems I’ve interrupted Mr. & Mrs. Bunny having their breakfast of wild clover and grass. They must have heard the sound of my boots squeaking in the wet grass. The air is cool and a bit damp but smells so fresh and clean. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and in that split second, the sun showed up and skipped across the meadow, touching just the tips of the tallest weeds. It was a magical. As the light and the warmth grew, it burned off the low fog and all the dewy leaves glistened like little stars. Truly worth loosing an hour or two of sleep for. More images tomorrow. “Watching the clock is not the same as watching a sunrise.” Sophia Bedford Pierce

10.12.11 = Morning Light “Through the blackest night, morning gently tiptoes, feeling its way to dawn.” Robert Brault

10.03.13 = Natures Poetry "The poetry of the earth is never dead." John Keats

11.8.11 = Overhead and Underfoot Gracie and I went on a nature walk the other day. I just love this time of year when everything is changing into something new and strange. I collected a bag full of pinecones and various treasures that I will use in my holiday wreaths. Hey, free is me baby! I laughed when I saw a bag of pinecones for sale in the craft store. There were a half dozen laying under the trees along the parking lot. Really? Have we become so busy or so blind to all the wonder around us? It’s time to explore new frontiers and risk being disturbed and changed. “Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.” Standing Bear

09.04.10 = Morning in the Meadow Early yesterday morning, Gracie and I went for a walk through one of the local parks near my home. It’s really a wonderful park. You can walk on all the paved pathways that twist through the woods and around the lake or get off the paved paths and onto the trials. I like the trails. I put Gracie on her harness and hook a 35’ zip leach to my camera bag or belt loop and let her go. With her head down she is off sniffing out a trail where a rabbit or squirrel may have been. Yesterday, we walked all through the meadow. I was hoping to get some sunrise shots in the meadow, but the morning sun was sleepy behind the clouds, so that will have to wait for another day. This is one of the birdhouses they have in the meadow. I liked the low light of the morning in this shot. Hope you all have a great Holiday weekend!! “I’ll tell you how the sun rose a ribbon at a time.” Emily Dickinson

01.10.09 = Today was one of those strange foggy winter days. I grabbed the camera and Gracie and went for a nature walk. I loved the contrast between the weeds and the gray foggy background.

01.10.09 = Today was one of those strange foggy winter days. I grabbed the camera and Gracie and went for a nature walk. I loved the contrast between the weeds and the gray foggy background

01.10.09 = Today was one of those strange foggy winter days. I grabbed the camera and Gracie and went for a nature walk. I loved the contrast between the weeds and the gray foggy background.