Jump

Though I haven't posted for several weeks I am still here...the earth has not swallowed me whole. Changes in my life are now well in play.

Soon I'll have it sorted...but for the time being thank you for checking in.

In the meantime the Goose and I are preparing for another Fall season. There's much to plan and even more to do...so until next time.

Today is a pic of the view I get every time I arrive home.

"Sometimes you have to just jump and build your parachute on the way down".

- Ray Bradbury

Mantra

I really wanted to post this pic. It's of a garden I cont-ributed to by installing all the stone walls surround-ing the garden beds. The client did most of their own planting.

I just really like this shot. It's one of a large group of pics I took when the garden finally matured which I then presented to the client in an album during the off-season.


Recently I came across the following words buried between the lines in one of my notebooks.

" Lord, grant that I may desire more than I can accomplish."

~ Michelangelo

Words to live by? You decide.

So It Goes

It's all very fleeting when you think about it.

Our favorite things blossom and peak and then retreat again. Building up momentum until the next time they flower. The downtime used to prune and channel the growth.

And so it could be said with everything in our lives.

This is a Clematis that has begun flowering in the garden.

A Truce

Unless you are fortunate enough to have the proverbial charmed life then there will inevitably be times you need a break...a truce with the world at large. I think life in general is unforgiving - not for the faint of heart.

Rarely are we given second chances to get it right. We wade into dangerous territory everyday believing our wits or savvy will keep us safe and sound. Seemingly unaware every new decision, good and bad, ultimately sculpts who we become and where we are headed.

Today I'm posting a pic I took at the Japanese Gardens in Springfield Missouri.

Temples

Sometimes words can escape us and summing up how you look at life is no easy task. For me personally I haven't yet decided how I look at life. I have many an idea but they seem to be forever evolving as new experiences continue to wash over me.

Luckily it's easy to find inspiration in the words of others. I read this following piece a little while ago and I've been playing it in my head ever since.

I really wanted to post it so here goes.

"There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; The philosophy is kindness."

~ Dalai Lama

Finding Treasure

I'm fascinated by the notion that as humans we are capable of tran-scending our primitive addictions and desires. I do believe it's simply the next stage of attainment and I also believe we are well on our way.

Not that you would ever notice outright since evolution is always in play like one big swirling soup.

This pic is of something I came across in a client's garden. It was hidden - out of the way.

It was apparent that I had stumbled upon something that was not created for exhibition or accolades and it felt like finding treasure.

I soon returned with a camera and took several shots. When I inquired about it I was told it was done by the client's young grandson during a visit.

Next Life

In my next life I think I'd like to come back as a rock. For one thing they get to exist every-where. They are used to build foundations that house generations of families.

Upon close observation they can tell stories of ages past. People of all cultures use them as places to sit or meet and even scratch artwork upon.

Rocks see and hear all and if you stop and think about it no-one dislikes a rock. In fact some people, myself included, are fascinated by rocks and study them endlessly.

This pic is a rock specimen I spotted at the Botanical Gardens in Hamilton Ontario co-existing beautifully with the surrounding gardens.

Destiny... Or Not

I'm not sure if I believe in destiny or not. After all it's too easy to give credit or assign blame to some unseen force. In fact I don't know much about anything except that we are all in the same boat. We all need to eat, sleep, laugh and feel safe. We all need to know we are not in this alone.

I think we have a responsibility to treat others well. To help out when and where we can. To be kind as much as possible. And to go out of our way to make sure others are free of fear. If we do all of that then the rest should fall into place.

Today I have a pic of sculpted planter heads I did a couple of years ago. I custom carve these and they range from two to three feet tall and have an open chamber in the headdress to install topical grasses or even a small palm.

Somewhat Unscathed

The new realities of my life are coming to light a little more each day. New situations bring new hopes and yes sometimes doubts. It's a balancing act worthy of The Walenda's...assuming I got their name right.

Again this week I was forced to face some new challenges of which I came through somewhat unscathed. But it seems every new week brings me yet another test.

Here's another pic from the backyard. Eventually I'm going to post some shots of the bistro patio and also of the shed. I just need to do some final touches when I'm able.

Pretty Insignificant Stuff

Every day now I seem to be looking around my surround-ings with a new set of eyes. As the clock runs down on my time here I notice new things everyday...or I should say appreciate new things everyday.

A couple of days ago I watched as a Chipmunk darted back and forth playing hide and seek with the rain and taking shelter under the large Hosta leaves on either side of the garden bed. Pretty insignificant stuff on the grand scale of things but a priceless memory nonetheless.

This shot depicts the Morning Glory Flowers (Heavenly Blue) that seem to now magically appear anywhere in the yard.