Lacy Silhouettes!

   Earlier this week, I was out harvesting some crape myrtle leaves to make powder for tonics.  The trees need to be cut back anyway as they bloom much better after being pruned.  Long branches were cut and then the leaves stripped for drying.  Afterward, the leaves were ground to fine powder for storage.  This is all part of a foraging for tisanes for the winter months.

  It was while snipping the branches that I began to notice that I was not alone in my work.  Another harvester was busy at the same trees!  A Leafcutter Bee was working her way from leaf to leaf cutting the most perfectly round holes in each one.  As soon as she cut a circle, she was off to the "bee hotel" hanging on the arbor.  I had to stop and admire her work!  Once she moved on to another branch, I pruned the one she left and took photos.  

  As I was laying the branch on a board, I noticed the interesting silhouettes the sun was creating with the leaves.  The shadows had such an interesting pattern!  I was photographing the branch to show the bee's precision in cutting circles but her handiwork was better seen through the silhouettes.  I only wish I had the camera while the bee was in action.

  The Leafcutter Bee is a solitary bee that is non-aggressive and is about the size of a honeybee.  The female cuts circles from leaves to line her nest and then packs it full of pollen before laying a single egg in each "cell".  She will create another cell in front of the first and so on...sometimes up to a dozen cells.  There is some thought that the leaf-wrapping protects the pollen until the egg hatches.  Then larvae hatch and feed upon the pollen.  They do not eat the leaves, however.

  The holes in leaves bother some folks but to me, it shows that the garden is actually healthy.  If bees are busying themselves in the plants, they are pollinating each and every one as they go.  Besides!  All of those lacy leaves are sort of pretty, in their own right, and the plants are none the worse for wear. Let the bees enjoy the garden and their efforts do nothing but help us.  Save the bees!

Half-hearted Attempt

  So...Mr. Sun refused to make an appearance yet again today.  Well, he tried but the attempt was obviously not strong enough.  The morning started as heavily overcast and it set the tone for the day.  Drear!  Normally, I do not mind what the weather throws at me but, today, I had plans.  I wanted to get that lawnmower out for the first time this spring.  The place is starting to look a bit rough around the edges.  But...I cannot cut grass in the rain!

  Along about 10am, I ventured out to collect the cat.  She had wanted out at daybreak but with the ground being rather wet, it was not a good idea to leave her out.  Being a long haired cat, she manages to get the worst hair mats by dragging that fur around on the ground.  She was eager to come inside so there was no long search.  As I was turning to go back up the steps, I noticed that half-hearted attempt of Mr. Sun's.  It was interesting merely because of the position of the sun from my point of view.  The sun sat squarely atop of the old dying black gum tree.  With the grayness of the sky, the blackness of the tree's silhouette and the brightness of the feeble sun, this all gave me the impression that I had a new lamppost!  

  Maybe the sun's absence was needed today simply to give me a new perspective on things.  That "lamppost" made the drear all worthwhile.  From that point on, I could deal with the day.  So what if the yard resembles a rainforest at the moment...I could not mow.  Life got in the way.  I'll take it.

Is It Woody?

  Silhouettes fascinate me.  On the hikes about the hillside and down near the marsh edge, there are certain times of the day that silhouettes can be found at every turn.  The shadows under the canopy of treetops and the blank sky over the marsh makes for an amazing tapestry of images.  I photograph any that strike me as interesting.  Let one dead tree remind me of something in the past or let a cluster of leaves create a "face" and I am all over it!  The past few days have been perfect for imaging.

  The gray skies of winter coupled with the shadowy darkness of dawn are the perfect time for silhouetting!  This morning, I promise that I found Woody Woodpecker from the old cartoons.  Up on the side of a dead pine, the perfect outline of the crested creature came into view as I rounded the first curve in the path.  Why have I not seen this before???  There, about twenty feet from the ground, sat Woody in all his glory!  

  Agreeably, other folks will think my brain has been chilled beyond thinking by the recent cold snap.  Not many will see the famed cartoon character sitting in my dead pine.  It matters not.  Perhaps the vision is there for my own enjoyment.  Perhaps my active imagination is working overtime. Perhaps Mother Nature enjoys playing tricks on my mind.  Who cares!  Woody sure did not!

Be a Little Funky-Weird!

  You know, sometimes you just have to get a little (or a lot, in my case) funky-weird and not fret over what others think.  I have long been this way and, well, I as happy as a centipede in a rotten cantaloupe.  And, trust me on this, centipedes love their rotten cantaloupes!  As for worrying what others think?  Who cares?  I have lived long enough not to give a plug nickel about others' opinions of me.  I do what I want to do and feel as free as a bird.

  This morning, I awoke to no sunrise.  In fact, there was a torrential downpour happening complete with thunder, lightning and wind.  It is amazing how invigorating a good storm is!  But it was yesterday's rising that was rather unique.  After another nigh on sleepless night due to the old dog's yelping in pain and many trips to go out on walks with him in the middle of the night, I had no energy to hike to the pier.  The sunrise would have to be viewed from indoors.  I rolled over and was fully entranced by the sunlight coming through the windows.  Even though thick canvas curtains blocked out the full sunrise, the effect was pretty intriguing. 

  Behind that thick canvas curtain hangs dozens of crystals.  Had the curtain been open, the sunbeams would have had rainbows bouncing about the walls but, alas, the curtain was closed.  The silhouettes of the crystals were impressive enough but the fact that the crystals were still able to push a few tiny irises through the canvas showed determination (if, indeed, inanimate objects could have determination!).  It was that determination that kicked me out of bed with a renewed sense of being.  I figured its not what you see on the horizon that makes your day but how you look at what is in front of you.  

  Just like the sunrises when viewed from the pier, the silhouettes inspired me.  I had things to do! I had things to see!  I had to be a little bit funky-weird!  So, I jumped out of bed and decided today was the day that I would start my costume for the Sixth Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou!!  With the theme of a masquerade ball, this should be fun for all!  Time to get that ballgown sewn!  And, yes, it will be a bit funky-weird!

Always Learning

  Rising before the crack of dawn has its good points.  A hot mug of coffee and a hike in the brisk morning air helps me to face the day and whatever it brings.  This early morning rising also allows me to view things in a bit different perspective.  For instance, every day, I meander past the trees near the pier.   Every day, I hardly even notice them unless there is some bird or other critter clambering about the limbs.  The trees themselves have sort of blended in with the background.  I admit that I am one that tells folks to stop and take note of their surroundings but, as of late, I have been falling into the same trap that holds others' imaginations.  I had always hoped that I would never become ensnared by the busyness of the day.  It was in my grand scheme of things that I would be alert and observant enough to see hope in all things.  I suppose you could say I have failed.

  The other morning, I was out walking along the marsh edge when the eastern sky started to brighten a bit.  It was then that I spotted the bare Popcorn Tree sitting in the midst of a couple of dead pines.  The Popcorn Tree is still alive and well but has lost its leaves due to the winter's chill.  Still, the tree was breathtaking.  The inkiness of the early morn made the perfect silhouette.  The branches of black stood out sharply against the blues and purples of the pre-dawn sky.  How had I missed this before?  

  I have now made a vow to be far more observant than I have been in the past.  I will live what I have been trying to teach.  The beauty of the obscure will become a goal.  Lesson learned.

Dead Trees Are Beautiful, too!

  Years and years ago, a children's book was bought at a library sale. Mom purchased the book for my kids because it was full of interesting pictures. It centered around life in a dead tree. She thought that since the kids were so into "critter watching" (wonder who taught them a silly thing like that?), that the book might pique yet another angle to their pastime.  Needless to say, the book was a hit and from that time forward, we hunted for dead trees.  The book detailed all of the life that a dead tree harbors from birds nesting in holes to slugs in the mulch at the base of the tree.  It was great fun to find such a tree and scavenge among the peeling bark to see just how many critters we could find.  The kids found a bunch...far too many and too weird for me to agree to see as pets.  I insisted that the critters stay at home in the dead trees.

  I have to admit, however, that there is indeed something alluring about a dead tree.  My interest is more in the silhouette that the tree presents against the night sky.  Photographs of such are almost haunting in appearance.  The Black Gum tree that sits just outside the front door has succumbed to the onslaught of woodborers.  These critters gnaw away at the innards of the tree until the life-giving sap just cannot support the tree any longer.  The tree dies.  

  While it devastates me to lose yet another tree, I do find this one quite beautiful.  Tonight's sky was just bright enough for me to capture that beauty before the tree is no more.  Mark will have to remove the tree soon as it presents a hazard to the rooftop.  It makes me sad and will make the dozen or so flying squirrels equally sad as they will have to find new winter quarters.  Perhaps I can convince Mark to just somehow top out the tree and leave the trunk for the squirrels at least until warmer weather.  Poor babies will not find a cozy spot at least for a few days if the tree is cut.  Ahh, life in a dead tree....who knew?

When Boredom Strikes

  It has been a busy few days with the yard looking like a rain forest from the overgrowth of vines and bushes and the house beginning to resemble a flea market with boxes of stuff being packed to move to Darling Daughter's new home.  Even with all this busyness, I was beginning to feel a bit bored.  Little time has been allotted for crafts much less any sort of relaxation.  I knew this boredom was going to lead somewhere but I had no idea which direction.

  As my daughter is unpacking her belongings, she is also discarding things that do not match her decor.  Well, that is fine and dandy except that they get "discarded" to my house and I cannot leave well enough alone.  I wish I would have taken a "before" picture of the most awful looking hat rack that she so sweetly discarded my way.  It was one of those things that was popular back a few years when everything was coming up roses.  For some reason for a while, rose decor was all the rage.  I like roses...just not painted on everything from teapots to chairs...and surely not on hat racks. The hat rack was supposed to resemble a window frame that was repurposed into a useful item.  It had three "panes" (pains!) that were painted with some odd looking roses. That thing was, well for lack of a better word, ugly! That is when inspiration struck!  Halloween!

  Halloween is the time when you can take ugly, unwanted items and turn them into the most adorable decorations.  A little black paint does wonders on most anything!  It did on the hat rack.  What was once a weird creamy white "chippy" paint was smeared (literally smeared!) with a coat of flat black. I did not want this to look like some factory painted doodad.  The "panes" were then painted off white and Halloween inspired silhouettes were painted in each. I found the inspiration for these by doing a computer search for just that....Halloween silhouettes.  Since there is not a lot of detail in this type thing, I did not even draw the pictures...just painted.

Repurposing an old hat rack.  It once had pink roses painted on it but now..Halloween!!!

  I do think the hat rack is much improved.  So much so that I can now hardly wait until mid-September gets here!  Yep, I do decorate early for Halloween but it is just because of things like this hat rack...and boredom!  Moral of this tale...never throw away a good hat rack!  Turn it into a Halloween decoration!  You just cannot go wrong like that!  Ooooh!  Halloween!

Hiding the pain

  Sometimes darkness can bring fear and trepidation but then sometimes it can disguise a lot of ugliness and pain.  The hurt heron is a faithful visitor to the pier each day.  I try to catch it plenty to eat since it is nigh on impossible for it to catch fish without being able to wade. The ankle is healing over but will always be painful for the bird.  Since the leg bone was not set, the foot will always be lame.  The heron undoubtedly will live with horrendous pain for the rest of its life.  My goal is to help this bird in any way I can since it was spurned by the wildlife rescue people.

  Despite the obvious pain that the bird endures, it always seems to be willing to try.   This evening, it came to visit and fill up on fish that Mark and I caught in our nets as we were throwing for shrimp.  It would wait patiently until I called it to eat a fish.  It never attempted to snatch the shrimp unless I tossed them to it.  I kept thinking of what a beautiful bird this was and how it is such a shame that it will always have to endure this hardship. 

  After getting its belly full, the bird flew up to the top of one of the pier posts to spend the night.  If anyone not familiar with the circumstances had seen the bird, they would have never guessed it was hurt.  The darkness had blocked out the view of the ugliness.  It had masked the pain from everyone but the bird itself.  For all others, it was just a lovely silhouette of fine bird.  But the bird was well aware of the crippling effect that its injury would have on the entirety of its life.  As I photographed the bird, my heart was breaking.

  Mark and I decided that we should continue to feed our friend.  We are going to freeze packets of fish so we can continue to help the bird come this winter.  It will especially need food once the cold weather comes.  Hopefully, we can make life a bit easier for our fine, feathered friend.

Imaginations at Work!

It is a strange habit of mine..this seeing of faces in all sorts of things. Back when I was younger, my grandfather used to show me "faces" in everything from tree bark to flowers. There were faces in clouds and there were faces on buttons. There were faces in my oatmeal and faces in dead leaves. At first, I could not see them, but then he would patiently point out eyes, nose and mouth until the face came into view. Now I see faces! Everywhere! Today, a small piece of plastic wrap was crumpled up in a ball on the kitchen table. The sun beaming through the window made this plastic look just like Alfred Hitchcock! Oh my! I could not get a clear photograph of Mr. Hitchcock but it made me think of another face I had recently seen in my window. This one I did photograph! It started one day when I was out near the driveway, I stood absentmindedly looking at my house. Then I saw it..or rather him. There was a man in my house! I could perfectly see the profile of a giant through the window. My goodness! I know that I have a very active imagination but there he was as clear as day..in my window. Now curiosity will always get the best of me and cause me to investigate. I walked toward the house fully expecting whatever was causing the silhouette to become out of focus. It did not. I pressed my face against the window screen and had to start laughing! It was not just one thing that was causing the silhouette but a whole slew of items. From the position that I was standing, I was actually looking through one window, across the room and through the screen door. Beside the door stood an old hat rack that had accumulated all sorts of items. Among these items was a pair of binoculars, the binocular bag, several straw hats, one cap, and a short handled scoop net used for catching minnows. They were just haphazardly thrown onto the hat rack but at the right perspective and from a distance, formed a very distinct profile. The man in my window! A giant of a man to be sure, but still he was in my house! Oh, what would we do without vivid imaginations! The world would be so boring!

While speaking of imaginations..meet Belina. Belina is the second of a series of ragdolls that I am making. I introduced you to Agatha a few days ago and thought another introduction was in order. Where Agatha is quite the tall gal at thirty inches, Belina is rather petite. She is a mere fourteen inches tall, but what she lacks in size she makes up for with spunk. With her bright orange feather boa and gleaming gold headband and necklace, she appears to be ready to walk the Red Carpet! Yes..I admit..the imagination is soaring lately!

Light and Shadows

"Turn your face to the sun, and the shadows fall behind you." Maori Proverb

I love shadows! Early in the morning as I walk through the gardens, the most simplest of things turn extraordinary. Commonplace forms can be viewed with a new perspective. The imagination is turned loose to wander, creating all sorts of fanciful ideas that bounce around in the brain. I have never needed much to make my imagination kick into high gear, but shadows have fascinated me since I was a child. I remember making "shadow puppets" on the wall with any given light, a playtime activity not known to many children of today. Simple pleasures that allow us to while away the hours!

Silhouettes also fascinate me. Not the type seen framed hanging on the wall but rather those in nature. A bug's shape seen through a leaf or a leaf behind the window curtain..these silhouettes. The ones that you just happen along during the course of the day. Happy little occurrences that make the day brighter just because they are there.

Of shadows and silhouettes, I have also noticed there is a vast difference in those cast by the morning sun and those in the evening. As I see it, morning shadows seem full of hope, beckoning the new day with excitement and wonder. It is as though these are saying to come out to play, to greet the day, to breathe in this wonder. Those seen in the evening, speak of the coming night, a calming time. The time to sit idle and reflect on what has been, what was or what should have been accomplished.

In literature most shadows are representative of darkness, obscurity and angst. I have a tendency to think just the opposite. Somewhere there is the light that is needed to make these shadows. When you start looking in that direction, things do not seem so bleak. Take time to see shadows and you will always see brightness, a light showing the way. Sometimes it takes the dark to notice the Light.