Black eyes and goosenecks . . .

I am a collector

of vases

and vases need

flowers

so

I suppose

I am also

a collector 

of flowers.

At night

against a darkened window

they appear

so elegant

so graceful.

xx

The Not-so-brisk Walk

I'm going out to take a brisk walk

but

barely out the door

there is this:

(click to enlarge all photos)

(it helps)

Helloooo, cone flower

hellooooo, bee

Two more steps

and then:

I touch its wilted neighbor

and it dissolves

blood red

in my hand

Onward

going to walk

going to walk briskly

but

then

Hellooo, black-eyed Susan

and

giant hippo boulder

. . . 

Walk on, walk on

and then

Oh, mannnn!

Oh, mannnn!

Look at that!

That's it.

I wave the white flag.

I call a truce.

I'm not walking anywhere.

I'm just going to sit here

and 

drool.

xx

The Beauty of a Weed

Click to enlarge. 

 Put your face right in there.

  

Stunning, right?

Queen Anne's Lace

(species Daucus carota)

 is considered a 'noxious weed.'  

huh.

xx

Contrast

I am still 

swooning

in the garden

in this riot

of color

and fragrance

and texture:

rock and lichen

and moss and petals

and leaves

each offsets 

the other

as in a story

the smooth softens the rough

the muted balances the bold

the fragile offsets the strong

humor tames the serious

mm?

xx

Maine is Busting Out All Over

Four weeks ago

this was a leafless, bare, brown landscape

and now

what an explosion

of greenery

and flowery

so dense and lush

it knocks out

your eyeballs

you can't take it all in

at once

you have to focus

on small pieces

and even then

you can hardly believe

such bounty exists

so casually

so delicately

you could lie down here

and say

'ahhh. . .'

xx

And more orbs . . .

What does your eye see

how will I know

unless you show me

or tell me

?

For you, today,

more orbs

with a note beneath each

giving its origin:

Snow, mountains, sky

Tomatoes

Single flower

Watercolor of flower bouquet

Charm bracelet on wood table

Have a favorite?

xx

About those tomatoes . . .

Oops.

In the last blog post

a photo of tomatoes on the vine

prompted the recall of

a long-ago poem.

I thought the first two lines were:

clothes on the line

tomatoes on the vine

BUT!

Today I remembered the correct version:

flowers on the vine

bermudas on the line

summer came and 

summer went and 

no one fed the swine.

++

Ho! 

Flowers!
Bermudas!

No tomatoes!

Brains are amazing storehouses . . .

xx

Communing with Flowers

Summer:  Maine

The flowers have erupted

all the more appreciated

after the browns and grays of winter

the colors so rich and pure

the petals intricate and lush

or

pure and simple

Nothing we create is as perfect

but

we

keep 

attempting

. . .

in 

story

or

art

but

what a high bar

nature

sets

and

I'll bow

to that

xx

Writing Day

We've had a week of rain after a dry spell, and the roses in the garden are loving it.

In the shower this morning, the next two chapters of current work-in-progress revealed themselves to me.

Just like that.

All that pausing for paws (last blog) and flowers and what-not, watered by the shower, must have nurtured the story.

Why It Takes So Long to Write a Book

Sure, there are the normal things like cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands, doctors, dentists, children, spouses, friends, family that need attention.

But then, also: there is the pale moon framed by branches

and

the flowers waving

and 

beckoning

and so

you have to stop

and pay attention

right?

On the Desk, Part Two

More things on the desk . . .

Above, the essential computer plus a couple lucky turtles.

Dozens of family photos . . ..

Flowers from the yard (these are Rose of *Sharon*) 

in Ikebana vase

Mini-dark-chocolate Milky Way

Camera

And oh yes, the manuscript-in-progress:

66 pages of rough draft prose

And observing me and my desk is this squirrel

three feet in front of me

eye level.

Is your desk near a window? 

August Mishmash

It's nearing the end of August, and the giant hibiscus (above, about 7 inches in diameter) offer up their fragile blooms for a last bright burst.

Pears are nearly ripe:

A few plants are showing autumn colors:

This young chipmunk will soon be gathering nuts:

And I am returning to the work-in-progress, gathering my words, hunkering down.

How does your life change as the summer ends?

Hydrangeas

(Click to enlarge)

The hydrangeas are blooming: most bushes are putting out blue blooms, one offers pink, and one offers white. I've heard the ph of the soil determines the color. True? 

Go ahead, put your face right in there.  Mm, mmm.

Island on the Island

(Click on photo to enlarge)

I've shown this island before (see keyword island in list at right). It's a gathering of flowers and doo-dads that sits on the kitchen island, so we think of it as an island on an island.  Above are the last of the dogwoods and peonies and a few of the roses and herbs.

Just as in a book where I sometimes change point of view or perspective in order to highlight another aspect of the story, I thought it would be interesting to see the above rendered in black and white:

(Click to enlarge.)  

So different. The black and white feels more sculptural to me, with more emphasis on form.

Do you have a preference?