“All the wooden path is broken
By warm tints along the way,
And the low and sunny slope
Is alive with sudden hope.
When there comes the silent token
Of an April day, —
Blue hepatica.”
Dora Read Goodale
(1866-1915)
Self-portrait with two rabbits
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| Feeling a little silly tonight! |
Pieces of home
So Beth in NYC came for a visit this past weekend. She’d wanted a break from “the big city” and, so, came to Atlanta.
; )
This is closer to “city-living” than I’ve ever known, so her idea made me chuckle, just a little. I’d last about five minutes living in Manhattan. Anyway, I was happy to show her a couple favorite pieces of home…
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| We visited Arabia Mountain and checked in with the Elf Orpine… still not blooming! I haven’t decided what those little white flowers are, yet. Maybe Sandwort? |
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| We checked in with the sunset… gorgeous! |
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| We checked in with each other… we’re all doing okay! |
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| We wandered around Oakland Cemetery… (where Beth had an unfortunate run-in with fire ants!) |
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and I got to observe a real photographer at work!
; ) |
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| I checked in with Spring… on its way! |
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| We wandered downtown for rainy views of some very tall buildings…
(Beth, of course, was particularly bored by this part.) |
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| We took against-the-rules photos of a sand mandala at Emory… |
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| And finished up at a favorite burger joint! |
The weekend went too fast, but I was so glad to see her friendly face here.
: )
Florida’s magic
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| The Anhinga, a silent bird who lives mainly in the silent places of the wildnerness… |
A weekend visit in late January to St. Marks and Wakulla Springs brought close looks at some of Florida’s most magical and strange birds. Most everything one sees in Florida feels exotic. It’s the setting, for sure… everything mist-laden and draped with Spanish moss…
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| Focus on the dagger-like bill, used to impale fish. Yikes! |
But there’s something, also, about the birds themselves that works on me. Many are new to me… “lifers” as birders would say. They’re also confiding for some reason… “tame” almost. The photographer in me enjoys this chance to get close without too much disturbance to the bird. Being able to ponder the ribbing on the outer tail feathers of an Anhinga, for example, or that acutely-pointed bill…
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| An apple snail specialist… |
The boat ride at Wakulla Springs was a treat… close-up views of manatees and my first-ever January Osprey. The Limpkin (above) was the best find, though… a cool looking bird that I’d heard described as a very large Rail with the habits of an Ibis. I mistook a juvenile White Ibis for a Limpkin the last time I was in Florida… so I need to get to know both species better.
There’s a visit to South Florida planned for late next month, which will require learning a couple new wading birds… I can’t wait!
Mid-week bunny fix
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| The perfect bunny hideout! |
Skyline
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| Downtown Atlanta skyline from the Jackson St. overpass |
Beth G. is coming for a visit later this month! And she wants to shoot the skyline, so I tried out a couple places for the best view. This spot downtown is nice, but standing on the overpass was a little scary and vertigo-inducing. Midtown has the prettiest buildings, but finding a spot to shoot from is a challenge.
3/29
It’s amazing how the world begins to change through the eyes of a cup of coffee.
~Donna A. Favors
The February photo challenge subject today is HANDS… mine are happiest around a cup of coffee.
The mug, by the way, was made by flockmate KatDoc!
Stones
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| Stone cairns that mark the trail up Arabia Mountain |
I have piled stones
on top of one another
for years now
stones of habit
stones of comfort
stones of refuge
stones to settle my heart
stones to mark the days of my journey…
It’s not uncommon to find stone cairns used as trail markers. These piles of stone help us find our way. They lead us somewhere and provide a tangible space to pause and recall. They offer a moment to get our bearings and seek direction. They hint for us to stop and listen for the whispering wind.
We may stand at a cairn and remember. We might dream or hope. Maybe we turn within to figure out the meaning behind this pile of stones. What does this place mean? What are its secrets? What are we meant to find here?
Tres leches
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| Today’s science experiment |
Something about baking, as opposed to cooking, makes it much less intimidating to me. And making cupcakes, well… they’re just plain fun!
While out and about yesterday (truthfully, I was lost at the time) I stumbled across a little bake shop that had tres leches (Spanish for three milk) cupcakes as their special of the day. I’d always wanted to try this Latin American specialty, so I forked over the $5.00 for two of them.
They were yummy enough (addictive, honestly) that I decided to try making them myself today. I followed the recipe I found here and… oh my goodness, these are so delicious! According to my taste tester, they’re even better than the ones I bought yesterday!
Tres leches is traditionally a cake, but it’s so super rich that I almost think it’s better suited to cupcake form… you know, just a couple bites. These aren’t your traditional cupcakes, either, because if they’re made right and drenched in milk, you’ll want a spoon for all the sweet goodness at the bottom.
: )
Elf orpine
I know you’re thinking, “Oh my God! What IS that? It’s red!”
If so, you may be a plant geek like me.
; )
I had the very same reaction when I saw photos of it in my copy of Favorite Wildflower Walks in Georgia after it was gifted to me on my very first weekend here. I couldn’t wait to see this unique little plant in person.
Elf Orpine or Small’s Stonecrop (Diamorpha smallii) is a succulent that grows on granite outcrops in the Southeastern US.
We first went looking for it back in late September… it’s a winter annual, so it was still dormant on that first try. The cool and moist weather of the Georgia “winter” allow it to germinate when conditions are most favorable for the seeds to survive.
The plants are getting ready, now, to shoot up and flower in the early Spring.
(I’m not too sure, yet, when Spring hits here, but I’m guessing they’ll flower in mid-March.)
I can only imagine how hot the rock on Arabia Mountain must get in summertime. It makes sense for these plants to sprout, grow, flower and set seed before the summer furnace comes on, I’d guess.
Elf Orpine grows here in shallow depressions in the granite, in very little soil. It’s part of a small community of specially adapted plants that grow in the hollows, in something like dish gardens on the rock surface. Fascinating and pretty spectacular to see when blooming, I bet.
Stay tuned.