Photo Journal

Walking Into Winter

This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year's threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath.

Margaret Atwood

Winter Sun

Beneath heavy clouds

blazing brilliant light it dropped

then fell out of sight

Saturday -a beautiful expanse of dune grass blew gently in the wind. (Saugatuck Dunes)

Sunday over ripe berries hung from a bare branch…but those looked like tiny buds below them.

Monday, a dark-eyed Junco sat still for a moment looking right at the camera

Tuesday, a neighbors Hydrangeas; blossoms dried, faded and gone to seed…delicate as paper

Wednesday in the garden, a dried up rhododendron blossom that Dr. Seuss could have drawn.

And on the beach, a pair of pigeon’s prints in the sand by Lake Michigan - as if he just stood there, looking over the water and then flew off

Today - Winter Solstice, the sun was muted by cloud cover but still came through - looking more like the moon.

Movement is good for the body. Stillness is good for the mind.

Sakyong Mipham

This is a time of year that often gets me down, so I did a lot of walking and looking for little signs of light and life. A little color, a little sun, some flowering plants with seeds and buds waiting for spring, a couple of footprints in the sand, the stars in the morning, the cold crisp air and crunchy frost-covered grass under my feet - all these things get me outside of my mind as well as my house and those are both good things. And today the days begin to grow longer again! Happy winter solstice- and Merry Christmas if you celebrate!

Thank you so much for being here! I will see you next week!

The morning sky on the shortest day. Within the darkness, there is the promise of light to come.

Last Dance of Spring

And since all this loveliness can not be Heaven, I know in my heart it is June.

Abba Louisa Goold Woolson

These little gifts of spring

green leaf and flower gold

 

Purple spikes and tall grass

I often pass -

until today

when my feet were slow,

and white blossoms

filled my quiet heart

with the grace of a season;

departing.

What an unusual spring we had. Fires in the north making the skies hazy and defusing the sunlight, very little rain, a mix of really hot and surprisingly cold days, and, at least where I live, an unusual abundance of wildlife.

I’ve had a little running injury this spring (now nearly healed) that slowed me down a bit and, in a way, I’m grateful. It gave me a chance to go on longer walks with my camera and take closeups of flowering and budding things. Even with the drier conditions, spring did not disappoint. I was especially drawn to the wild growing things, like the vine twisting over the road at the beginning of this post, the tall grass flowering in an empty lot, or the black-eyed susan and daisy, growing by the guardrails. I think I love them for their tenacity; their beauty rising even in unfavorable conditions.

I hope you had a wonderful week and had a chance to mark the summer solstice in some way on Wednesday, even if just in an acknowledgement that it happened. As I’m writing this, I just realized that there are a couple of you that actually are on the other side of the planet, heading into winter. Either way, seasons are changing. I’m happy you’re here with me! Thank you for your time and attention.

See you next week!

Season of Quiet

Over the woodlands brown and bare, Over the harvest-fields forsaken, Silent, and soft, and slow Descends the snow. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

December 19, 2022 - Fennville, MI - Berries

In the silent woods

after a passing snowstorm -

how red berries gleam!

December 15, 2022 - Azle, Texas - Mistletoe

December 15, 2022. I saw this pretty mistletoe hanging from a tree on my mom’s property in Azle, Texas. Don’t think I’ve ever seen one with so many berries. I read that in an English tradition - you could kiss anyone standing under the mistletoe, as long as it still had berries on it. After you kissed the person, you were supposed to remove a berry. Once they’re all gone, the kissing stops. So, it’s a good idea to pick a branch with a lot of berries!

December 18, 2022 - Fennville, Michigan - Returned home to snow

December 18, 2022. Home again! Came home to a snowstorm. This snowfall caused delays and an uncomfortably long wait on the plane, but I got here safely and I’m loving it now. It feels like Christmas.

December 18, 2022 - Pier Cove Trust Trail - Maple Leaf

December 19, 2022 - Fennville, MI - Spray of Pine

December 20, 2022 - Lake Michigan- Icicle on fallen tree

December 21, 2022- Fennville, MI - Multicolored pine needle

December 21, 2022 - Fennville, MI - Pussy willow

December 21, 2022 - Fennville, MI - Grain

Winter solstice and the Christmas holiday make me want to slow down and appreciate every little thing. I tried to do that this past week. Noticing little things: a leaf in snow, an icicle, or a dried tip of ornamental grass. Just a pause to pay attention. To breathe in the cold air. To sleep a little longer, to listen to some holiday music, or just stare out the window daydreaming. Feel the sacredness of life and be grateful for mine.

I am grateful for you taking the time to read this! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate. Even if you don’t, I hope you can gather with your loved ones and cozy up. Enjoy a few minutes of quiet in a busy season.