A Walk in the Sun

It may be a weed, but it's a mighty happy weed, and it makes me smile!

I don't know what this is, but it is one of the first few blooms on a large bush. Good thing it waited until today. The early blooming trees got frostbitten the other night.

I think it is last year's nest, looking lovely in the sunlight.

Beauty

Saturday

Sure enough; the flowers are beginning to make their appearance!


This is an old cemetery with a rock wall--out in the middle of nowhere.


And late in the afternoon, I took a walk out at Latta Nature Preserve. Last weekend the wind was really kicking the waves up, but today all was calm and quiet.

Hang on....spring's around the corner!!

I took this photo as an example of the hope of spring. The branches are still bare and the sky gray, but we see the reminder of last year's spring and the assurance that it will come again.


Then, lo and behold....I had to stop the car at my apartment complex entrance and hike up the hill for this photo of the first flowers of spring. Even I think mid-February is early for spring, but when look back at last year's February photos, spring was busting out all over Atlanta! I think the nest in this photo is also leftover from last spring.

Can't get away from the shadows!

I love the straight vertical lines of the trees and the horizontal ones of the shadows.

A walk on the wild side

Today I walked in the woods and by the lake, with a strong wind and bright sunshine making it glorious. My ears were filled with the sounds of wind, the trees banging together, water slapping the shoreline, leaves tumbling through the underbrush, and a fishing pier creaking. Everywhere I looked was a tribute to earth's Creator. Perfect blue sky with scattered white clouds. Sunlight on the water. Sparkling wind whipped waves. Shadows of every shape and size. Trees-- stark and beautiful and bare.

And I thought about this season of barrenness. I saw lots of decay--fallen trees in various stages of decomposition, fungi, insects, water rotting leaves and branches. But it was beautiful. And life giving. And necessary. Lent is a good season.

More photos from my walk are here: Latta Walk

More Shadows

Wonder what they are all looking at?

The sun was too bright for a really good shot, but these gulls cracked me up as they flew overhead then lit in a line on the posts and along the water's edge.

That's sticky!

Shrove Tuesday

In the summer, this path can't really even be seen. I walk it, but I have no idea of its shape or where it is going. I just follow the glorious riot of color and shape and texture. Now, with only the skeletons left, I can see the path clearly. In fact, it is the first time I've even noticed the path itself at all. I now have a much better idea of the overall plan.



As I enter Lent, I am hoping this will be a time of focusing on my "path" without many of the (wonderful) "trappings" that are great, but which can obscure the big picture. I need to know the overall layout of my path, and need to see what kind of shape it is in. Where is it taking me? Am I even on it, or am I wandering aimlessly from "pretty flower to pretty flower?" Or maybe sometimes I feel that I'm wandering, when really I am on a very specific course. Lent will be a time of investigating the path, the underlying structure of my life.

Then will come spring, resurrection, and new life.

Seasons are good.

The ties that bind

I've been thinking about the ties that bind today... those relationships in my life, both healthy and unhealthy. Some are beautiful, some are strong, some are a bit frayed.

Water in the Garden

One very much like the one below won a prize in last year's photo contest, I discovered as I looked at the exhibition after touring the gardens. :-)

Botanical Garden

The new orchid conservatory just opened, so I went to the botanical garden today. These are a couple of my favorite shots, although I took a lot that I really like! There were a good many "light and shadow" opportunities in the conservatory.

The above is a large glass sculpture by Stephen Dee Edwards. I think it's named Rare Bird 2000, although I could be mistaken.


For more winter shots at the botanical garden, click here.