Category: Nature

Day 35 – Coyote

Coyote

Sweet Coyote

Don’t ask, don’t tell,
Sweet coyote, desert owl.
Cactus eyes, sand-dune skin
The warmth throughout, the heat within.

-Sarah Spang

I decided that I had invested enough time at the wildlife refuge yesterday to skate a little today. And there were so many good pictures that I hated to not share them. This coyote is marred by the bit of out of focus weed in front of his/her face but given that I had only a split second to get the shot before coyote moved I think it turned out pretty well. I was convinced that I had not held the camera steady enough but the eyes are sharp and that’s what counts.

Day 34 – Snow Geese

SnowGeese

Snow Geese

Oh, to love what is lovely, and will not last! 
What a task
to ask 
of anything, or anyone, 
yet it is ours, 
and not by the century or the year, but by the hours. 
One fall day I heard
above me, and above the sting of the wind, a sound
I did not know, and my look shot upward; it was 
a flock of snow geese, winging it
faster than the ones we usually see, 
and, being the color of snow, catching the sun 
so they were, in part at least, golden. I 
held my breath
as we do
sometimes
to stop time
when something wonderful
has touched us 
as with a match, 
which is lit, and bright, 
but does not hurt
in the common way, 
but delightfully, 
as if delight
were the most serious thing
you ever felt. 
The geese
flew on, 
I have never seen them again. 
Maybe I will, someday, somewhere.
Maybe I won’t.
It doesn’t matter.
What matters
is that, when I saw them, 
I saw them
as through the veil, secretly, joyfully, clearly.

-Mary Oliver

I’ ve been trying for months to find the time and right weather conditions for a trip over the mountain to the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuges. My calendar and the weather forecast finally aligned today so I said “I don’t care what else I have on my to do list. I’m going.” And I’m glad I did. I came home with over 300 images though I suppose most of them will have to go to the recycle bin. Those critters just refuse to sit still. But I was pleased to see some snow geese at Tule Lake and though I did see a few bald eagles and even got their portraits this image spoke to me most about the joy seeing the birds lift off in a flock as one. I thought about using Mary Oliver’s poem Wild Geese, which is my all time favorite but I thought “No, everyone has heard that one.” So when my google search turned up another Mary Oliver poem about snow geese, I was delighted, as I am delighted to share it with you.

Birch Trees

Birchesw

Eating Together

In the steamer is the trout   
seasoned with slivers of ginger, 
two sprigs of green onion, and sesame oil.   
We shall eat it with rice for lunch,   
brothers, sister, my mother who will    
taste the sweetest meat of the head,   
holding it between her fingers   
deftly, the way my father did   
weeks ago. Then he lay down   
to sleep like a snow-covered road   
winding through pines older than him,   
without any travelers, and lonely for no one.
-Li-Young Lee
So, today it was more important to visit my Mom than do photography. It was also more important to work on my photo book from New England. So I have selected a photo from the day I was working on. We traveled to Crawford Notch, of the premiere leaf peeping areas of New Hampshire. As you can see the leaves were not quite ready for peeping but there were a few reds showing through. I also had a hard time finding a poem today so when I found this companion poem to the one from yesterday I thought, “Well, why not, he’s a good poet.”

Day 30 – Fall Sunflower

FallSunflowerw

The Beautiful Changes

One wading a Fall meadow finds on all sides   
The Queen Anne’s Lace lying like lilies 
On water; it glides 
So from the walker, it turns 
Dry grass to a lake, as the slightest shade of you   
Valleys my mind in fabulous blue Lucernes. 
The beautiful changes as a forest is changed   
By a chameleon’s tuning his skin to it;   
As a mantis, arranged 
On a green leaf, grows 
Into it, makes the leaf leafier, and proves   
Any greenness is deeper than anyone knows. 
Your hands hold roses always in a way that says   
They are not only yours; the beautiful changes   
In such kind ways,   
Wishing ever to sunder 
Things and things’ selves for a second finding, to lose   
For a moment all that it touches back to wonder.

 

-Richard Wilbur

 

I stopped by the rose garden today, knowing that they also had sunflowers. I was looking for the beauty in the faded stalks and found a lot. This photo in particular tells the story with the shapes and colors of the sepals which are only enhanced by the bokah and the slight pop of purple from one of the roses which are still happily blooming away. And I didn’t even see the fine filaments of the spider web until I got it out of the camera. I so love it when the camera shows me something I did not see with my eye.  And I think Mr. Wilbur’s poem captures the same message I was going for. The beautiful changes as it ages but it still remains beautiful in a new way.

Day 29 – Maple Leaf

Maple_Leaf2w

Autumn Movement

I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.

The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman,
the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.

The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, new beautiful things
come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind, and the old things go,
not one lasts.

-Carl Sandburg

I have officially reached the point in the project where I just want to quit. I have better things to do, I’m still trying to get caught up from my vacation, there are too many demands on my time, etc. etc. Today I almost spaced it out my resistance was so high. But don’t worry, I’ll get over it. Many places I still want to go and photograph. I just have to carve out some time in my schedule. Maybe next week. This image by the way is from the archives of New England. I did the processing today and that counts. Just can’t get into the habit of doing it every day.

Day 26 – Blackberry Leaves

Blackberry Leaf

August

When the blackberries hang
swollen in the woods, in the brambles
nobody owns, I spend

all day among the high
branches, reaching
my ripped arms, thinking

of nothing, cramming
the black honey of summer
into my mouth; all day my body

accepts what it is.  In the dark
creeks that run by there is
this thick paw of my life darting among

the black bells, the leaves; there is
this happy tongue.

Mary Oliver

Today’s camera walk turned up these beautiful gold and russet blackberry leaves. I am beginning to despair of finding enough autumn poems to get me through the 100 days without boring myself to tears. So, I made an executive decision that the poems do not have to be about autumn. And after all don’t golden blackberry leaves in October evoke the joy of picking and eating ripe blackberries in August?

Day 19 – Waterfall

LowerFallsBW

Waterfall

The magical sound,
of the cascading water,
natural beauty,

-Alice Morris

I haven’t completely given up on finding fall color in New England but it is starting to look doubtful. There was actually a little yellow in this scene but I could not get the rocks to look the right color so I finally gave up and tried it in black and white and I like it much better.

Day 18 – Maple Leaf

Maple_Leafw

Tenacity

A tiny mottled maple leaf

appeared outside my window pane.

Its superficial veiny face

Clung wet glass precariously.

Its nemesis, the wind, blew strong

But yet the tiny thing held on.

Its struggle onset reverie

I saw self-similarities:

bygone years of bold contentions

underdog I need to mention;

but like this leaf I gave my all

I cared not where the chips might fall.

As this enlightenment gave way

The wind had whisked the leaf away.

– Albert Ahearn

As you can see, the leaves are still in the process of turning but we hope that cooler weather will help the process along. Reports of good color in southern Vermont are promising and we still have three days to get there. Tomorrow its the Kangcamagus Highway, one of New Hampshire’s great fall color routes.

Day 10 – Asters

Asterw

from  Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Beltane to Mabon

The Wheel rolls more, and Autumn returns.
Cooler the rain; the Sun lower burns.
The coloring leaves presage the Year:
All things move into harvest’s sphere.
I vow to savor fruits first picked;
nor into grief shall I be tricked.
I vow to offer what once I spurned,
and face the Turning reassured.

– Asleen O’Gaea

And now the Autumnal Equinox is upon us. I’m busy trying to get ready for my trip to New England which starts tomorrow so I decided to make a quick tour of my neighbors flower beds. I got some nice sunflower shots but what speaks of September more than Asters? I’m not sure what is going to happen tomorrow as I am boarding a plane before sunrise and don’t get to my destination until after sunset. Hoping to find something autumnal on display at one of the three airports I get to visit, otherwise I’ll be reaching into the archives of the past 10 days. In any case don’t look for an update until evening.

Day 9 – Oak Leaf

Oak_Leafw

Autumn

Earthy scented mornings
Thinly trailing mist
Acorns drop from weary trees
Yellow, red and russet frees
Leaves from branches, gently falling
Earth by coloured carpet kissed
Frosty, starlit evening
Palely shining moon

                   – Ann Shaw Griffiths

The current love of my life is this oak tree that stands near the Bear Creek Greenway off Suncrest Road in Talent. I walk by it nearly every day and occasionally I visit it with my camera. The acorns are still green as are most of it’s leaves but a few are beginning to drop, helped along by the wind we had the other day. I expect I will be visiting it regularly in the next 91 days.