Love and Flowers

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.

Iris Murdoch

White London Phalaenopsis Orchid

Creeping-Oxeye

A little fly enjoying the Creeping-oxeye

Dwarf Morning Glory

Buttercup along the boardwalk

Great Bougainvillea against white stucco

I picked

flowers - silky

white, bright yellow

deep pink, pale blue - a few

flowers within flowers - and all

for you.

I am so glad you are here. It helps me realize how beautiful my world is.

Ranier Maria Rilke

These flowers are my Valentine’s Day gift to you. I hope your week was full of love.

I am humbled and grateful that you spend a few minutes every week to read this little blog. Thank you.

Weathering A Storm

Every storm runs out of rain, just like every dark night turns into day.

Gary Allan

Feathers blown and wet

A mockingbird stopped to rest

Safe - from one more storm.

There is no fundamental difference between man and animals in their ability to feel pleasure and pain, happiness, and misery.

Charles Darwin

The mockingbird is the state bird of Florida (where I am now). I hear them singing whenever I go for a walk. Their songs are beautiful- some borrowed from other birds or animals (and even occasionally, car horns and alarms), some their own. They’re known for singing pretty much all day long and even sometimes into the night if they’re looking for a mate.

Usually, they are very neat and orderly in appearance, but we had a violent wind and rainstorm one afternoon this week, and when it was over, I saw this one little rain-drenched bird on the wooden pole next to my apartment building. He looked cold, and was breathing heavily. I thought of the times I’ve been caught in a rainstorm unexpectedly and gotten soaked through my clothes to the skin. The bone deep shivering. The goosebumps. At least I have a place to come in out of the wind and rain -and dry things to change into. He just had to wait for his feathers to dry - out there on that pole in the wind. Brr. But I’m really glad he made it through the storm.

Thank you so much for being here. See you next week!

Two days before the storm, I took a picture of a dry mockingbird standing on a post near the beach. This is how they’re supposed to look.

Seagulls at Sunrise - a pictorial haiku

The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.

Richard Bach

Two lonely seagulls

landing at sunrise, stand, gazing-

and find - each other.

In the end there is no desire so deep as the simple desire for companionship.

Graham Greene

I saw one seagull standing alone first and took out my camera, liking the way the sun was illuminating his feathers. Then another one approached and began grooming itself. They both lifted their heads, turned in the same direction, and walked off together. It was an unexpectedly sweet moment, only caught because my camera was in continuous shooting mode. I use that a lot when I’m trying to capture animals, because unexpected things do happen, and I would hate to miss it just because I’m not fast enough to take the next few shots manually. Even if you aren’t taking a picture, it can be fun to watch individual animals for more than just a moment. Sometimes they do surprising things.

I have decided to continue blogging regularly - some may be a little shorter, but I really enjoy connecting with you this way, so I’m sticking with it. Thank you so much for being here. I will see you next week!