Magic of June
In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.
John Steinbeck
Heart of a Rose
nestled within her silky white petals
baby sunbeams reach
with tiny arms and fragile hearts
to their mother
June 5 fallen leaves caught by the petal of a Japanese dogwood blossom
June 7 Eastern Gray Squirrel chewing on a green pine cone
June 8 - A cluster of flowers on the mock orange tree, backlit by the rising sun in the front yard
June 8 - Robin building her nest in an old lilac bush by the driveway
June 10 - Cabbage White Butterfly settles on the wild herbs by the roadside
June 11 Tiny Pine Squirrel ate seeds fallen from the river birch outside the front door
June 12 - a bee sat, unmoving, near the eye of a wooden step
Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.
Al Bernstein
It’s been a quiet week of gardening, resting and getting ready for summer here. Seeing flowers bloom. Watching the little wild things emerge and come looking for food. Walking down to the lake in the early morning. Wandering around the neighborhood. Summer will be here soon with all its busy activity and social commitments, and that will be good too, but for now I’m really soaking up the quiet.
Thank you for letting me share a few of my favorite moments of this week. Hope your week was beautiful too.
June 12 - A rainbow fragment unexpectedly appeared across the lake as I was walking back up the bluff stairs
Up Close
Every particle of the world is a mirror. In each atom blazes forth the light of a thousand suns. Open the heart of a raindrop and you will find a hundred oceans. In a grain of sand lies the seed of a thousand beings.
Mahmud Shabistari
The Pine
A storm
blew through, leaving
its tiny tears twinkling
like jewels along the narrow
needles.
In a drop of rain, the entire tree reflects
Delicate beads of rain glisten on a tiny white flower
When trying to grasp the idea of infinity, consider the many tiny veins reaching across one small blossom in a single hydrangea cluster among a mass of hydrangea clusters on large hydrangea bush in a garden with many hydrangea bushes, in a neighborhood with many gardens, in a town with many neighborhoods…and you start to get the idea …
How does the velvety blossom feel beneath the feet of a flying ant?
Nature’s symmetry
The tip of a purple loosestrife blossom
Every little thing wants to be loved.
Sue Monk Kidd
When I feel anxious, I walk around with a macro lens exploring the world of insects, flowers, pine needles and raindrops. Intentional noticing of so-called little things feels like reverence and respect for something greater. It’s hard not to love a world that is so rich with color and life, and pretty soon I get caught up in it, forgetting my worries, even if it’s only temporary.
Thank you for allowing me to share these pictures and thoughts with you. I really appreciate you being here.