Category Archives: Nature

Blue

I am not blue about the winter weather in Southern California. I am liking it after 6 years of drought. It is nice to have colder temperatures and rain for a welcome change. I am working on keeping an even keel and not feeling anxiety about this transition period in my country’s leadership. There have been other times during my life that there has been tumultuous and anxious times in my country. The country and its people survived. The featured image at the top is ‘The Umbrellas’ by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1881-86). He used a lot of blue in this painting. The pigments used for the blues were cobalt blue and ultramarine. I am wondering why he chose to use to so much blue . It was a popular fashion color in France at the time. Many artists use color to express a feeling. Could it be that the rainy weather calls for a subdued color pallette. Subdued is a good feeling right now. I would like to maintain that feeling, calm and subdued but not blue.

A short video about the painting by The Frick Collection on You Tube:

JustJotItJanuary is hosted by Linda G Hill. The prompt word for today is ” blue” suggested by John Holton at The Sound of One Hand Typing, https://thesoundofonehandtyping.wordpress.com/.

Redwood

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Sequoia sempervirens, Coastal Redwoods of California, can grow up to 367 ft (112m) tall, 22 ft wide ( 7m) at the base, the size of a 35 story building. Your kind has been on the earth for 22 million years, in the same location, from Big Sur to the Oregon Border. You receive moisture from the foggy ocean mists, you are resistant to insects and fire. You regularly live 600 years and can live up to 2000 years. You were around in the Jurassic Era, 160 million years ago. What did the dinosaurs call you? You ranged across 2 million acres and now your protected forests are down to 4% of that due to the logging that has occurred. I have walked among your groves and felt very small, felt like I walked in a prehistoric landscape of giant trees. What wisdom would you have to share? I will keep your secrets.

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Beautiful photos by National Park Service via Redwood National and State Parks, California, where you can find more great photos. Most of the Information for this post via the same website. I have visited these magnificent trees. 🙂

Stream of Consciousness Saturday and JusJotItJanuary hosted by Linda G Hill. Prompt words for today “wood/would.”

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Transcendent

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“We are now in the mountains and they are in us, kindling enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling every pore and cell of us. Our flesh-and-bone tabernacle seems transparent as glass to the beauty about us, as if truly an inseparable part of it, thrilling with the air and trees, streams and rocks, in the waves of the sun,—a part of all nature, neither old nor young, sick nor well, but immortal.” -John Muir

I have had my transcendent experiences in nature, or in listening to great opera, or even eating great food. How about eating great food in nature while listening to opera. But nature is pretty high on my list. Even enjoying the nature in my small backyard. I agree with John Muir that nature is essential to our well being and our very spirit/soul. It is where we find that we are truly connected to the earth and all its inhabitants and feel awestruck by its beauty.

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JustJotItJanuary blogging challenge hosted by Linda G Hill. Today’s prompt word “transcendent” was suggested by me. 🙂 The Featured Image at the top of the page is called ‘Transcendent Moment’ by Joel Penner on Flickr.

California Jewels

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Bangle, fandangle, spangle, sparkle,

Glisten, glimmer, glow,

Razzle, dazzle, bedazzle,

California Jewels.

California is pretty bedazzling. I am grateful to be a native and love so many of its beautiful natural sites and exciting cities. The LA Times is doing a Calfornia Bucket List series which covers many great places to see in California. Here’s a great little video on the San Francisco cable cars, “that climb halfway to the stars.”

And here’s a few more beautiful spots:

Big Sur Coast

Inspiration Point Anacapa Island

8273783340_94730e2374_z Point Lobos Headland Cove by Fred Moore on Flickr

Point Lobos Headlands Cove

Muir Woods Trail

El Matador Beach

California Coastal National Monument Point Arena by US Bureau of Land Managemnt

Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas, California

640px-CA_254_Avenue_of_the_Giants by Adbar

Coastal Redwoods

Peachy Canyon Vineyard at Sunrise near Paso Robles by Macolm Carlaw

‘Vineyard bathed in light’ (Sonoma) by torbakhopper

Big River Mendocino via Jar [o] on Flickr

Half Dome Yosemite via LA Times Postcards from The West:

California Dream Orange Crate Label photo courtesy of Orange County Archives

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The State Arms of the Union by Henry Mitchell 1876

This post is part of JustJotItJanuary guest hosted by Rosemary Carlson. The prompt word for today’s post was “spangly,” supplied by Judy B. Martin at Edwina’s Episodes.

Great Auks Are Awkwardly Gone

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Awkward bird on land

Small wings that deny you flight

Lost from earth forever

This post is for Stream of Consciousness Saturday hosted today by Joey. Today’s prompt is “awkward.”

Featured image from Wikimedia posted by Jim, the Photographer: Great Auk (the “Rivoli Auk”, specimen no. 77), Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA 19103 March 18, 2013

Goodbye Summer

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Today is the Autumn Equinox or the first day of Spring depending on which hemisphere you live in. Since I live in the Northern Hemisphere, it is our first day of Autumn or Fall. Today does feel a bit cooler here in Southern California, 74 degrees in my neck of the woods. We will probably have another heat wave soon so this may be our one true Fall day weather wise. Our trees still have green leaves but I am celebrating Fall in spirit.

I am reminded of another thing. Day light savings time will end soon. Remember “Fall Back.” Oh, joy! Another hour of sleep!

Featured image via Public Domain.

Rain Clouds

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As Cumulus clouds

accumulate in the sky

The picnic is moved indoors

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill. The word for today “accumulate.” Featured image of Cumulus cloud before rain by Joydeep on Wikimedia.

In My Garden

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Will this be me in winter? I kind of like the headdress. Mine would have to include Woolly Thyme, sage, and assorted cacti.

This photo is from a Senior Planet post The Mythical World of Eyes as Big as Plates a project of photographer Karoline Hjorth. Woolly Thyme image by Patrick Standish on Flickr.

There Be Whales in San Francisco Bay

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Amazing!

A Murmuration of Starlings

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The unique patterns that the birds form as they flock together is called a murmuration. Isn’t that a wonderful sounding word? I was inspired to write this post after seeing a photo story in the LA Times. I had never heard of a murmuration. Is it because it is like a soft whisper that can be lost in all the daily noise?

Sharing this with all my readers and Love Is In Da Blog hosted by Just Fooling Around with Bee

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