Lovely Pine Framed Beauty...

Color Me Amber

When the moon is huge on the mountain,
a glowing white orb thrust upon an amber night sky...
be sure to linger your gaze there upon it--
a celestial gift of wonder
on its course, passing by.

First Tulip

A Gift

I 'spied' the first tulip near our house all
alone, standing in the sun today.
What a lovely, welcome sight!
A flaming orange beauty!

(Just One...) of My Favorite Things...

An Old Book.
1841 (Pennsylvania): "Sigourney's Poems"

I have been wanting to write
this particular post
for awhile. And I am so
hope-hope-hoping that our good
'ol world never 'converts' to all electronic books.
If they do, (may God forbid this one thing...)
I will (would) be so hurt, annoyed, disappointed
and well-- betrayed, frankly.
This book, "Sigourney's Poems" was written in
1841 (I paid $3.00 for it at an old book-type
rummage shop in central Florida years ago
and gave it as a gift, to my hubby.)
Its contents are Victorian English-type
poems, many about death or the dying
(with titles like: "The First Morning of
Spring, 'Not Dead, but Sleepeth,' and
The Dying Mother's Prayer," for instance.
I have to be careful when I open it (I like it that way.)
The etchings (and there are many...)
are glorious both in detail and in subject matter,
such as the one above, simply entitled
"Hope." I love it so much that I
photographed and placed
it on my blog permanently,
as "If Hope Were a Person..."
[I was thrilled (today) to find that when
I enlarged this etching, the author's name,
W.G. Armstrong became (barely)
legible to me. I seriously dig etchings
...just think hard of the work--they took!]

I am having a lasting and an
on-going love affair
with this book!!
Now--its out there! If you hold it in your
hand, you can see what I mean.
It measures (just) 6 inches high
and 41/4 inches wide...and it fits perfectly
into the human hand. The cover is
a bumpy, nubby patterned texture
with a medallion centered on its cover.
It feels awesome in the hand to hold
because of its nifty texture and its
near perfect weight. The color is a
deep, strong navy gray-ish blue.
It is well worn. The binding (and all exterior
scroll work and the printed title)
is gilded in glorious, rich gold.
I mean the edge of each and every page shines.
When you hold it in your hand...its magic!
My imagination runs wild...just holding this book.
I guess that that is (just) the point here-
the one that I'm driving at.
[Will your book or my book be held---
years to come...
with love and tender care?
And will it-would it-could it-
evoke someone's imagination
to wonder (about me, us...our times?)]
I doubt if one could say that
about
a
cold,
a hard,
(larger) non-colored,
non-textured,
and a non-gilded
e-book.
Just let them try.

Hodge Podge

Another Kind of Treasure: Over Stuffed Pepper (to Die For) :-)

Cutie-pie (friend) "Who Me...What-ya want?"

Spring Trees Sprouting


Well, I visited my therapist friend,
Pam this morning (who gets paid to crank
away on my arm!) so...that makes me
late getting to my blog. I am 'in therapy'
for a recently injured shoulder.
I (suppose) that I am making slow progress!
I am learning that I am apparently a
'whoosie' when it comes to struggling
with getting a joint moving again
that doesn't 'want' to move!
A 'shout out' to Pam, though,
who is graciously putting up with the
likes of me! Top: Last nights dinner
(prepared by hubby;) too good!
Filled with rice [2 kinds, mushrooms
and cheese (he is a veggie.)]
Middle shot: 3 of these little beautiful
bright yellow and brown tiny and sweet
birds showed up at once to our sock feeder
in the back. Alas, when I retrieved
the camera, I could only capture one bird--
but he gave me a rather nice look,
don't you think so?!
Bottom: Here you can really see the
new growth on the trees along the
Blue Ridge Parkway...hey--
it's spring!!
Spring has sprung, indeedy.
Sweet.
lg

Scrumptious

'Gnarly Tree Against Sky'

'The Cloud Line'

'Obscured'

'Tender Spot'

I am obsessed by...where things meet.
Where the clouds meet the sky,
where the clouds meet the mountain peaks,
where clouds obscure villages,
and other things like where rocks
meet to kiss the water.
I wonder what this means? I seriously,
can stand and 'just stare' at a cloud
moving over the mountain peak and the
surrounding land line where the silhouette meets
the sky...for days. [Maybe (even) weeks...
but that could be problematic :-)]
Today's Offering: Photos from the
Blue Ridge Parkway (in spring)
of meeting places and new growth.
(and) For Today:
May the road rise up to meet you,
...friend :)

On Blooms

White blooming beauty
A tribute to thee
White blooming beauty
A treasure, now to see.

"Hi-Ho!"

Remember the old song
"Down in the valley
Valley so low-
Hang your head over...
Hear the wind blow."
We took a car trip this past Saturday and
this is a shot from a place called Elk River Road.
It is a winding (and I do mean radically winding)
road that drops about 2000 feet from the Blue Ridge
Parkway down to a valley in the foothills and to a gravel
road next to a small stream. Here is the view
from 'up above.' If you (double) click to enlarge, you
can get the feeling of being high above
that small, green valley. Oh, and
(do) let the wind ruffle your hair.
It is warming up here and right now,
it is just plain beautiful;
the temps are hovering in
the 40's, 50's and the 60's.
Have a great day!

Sending blue skies...car rides...
and a big wave 'Hi...' from the
small green valley~
"Hi-ho!"
lg

Foggy Views

We are experiencing wild fluctuations in our weather...
Like today, it was sunny and 69...Then, it began to cool off
and lightly rain. When the rain stopped, thick
(and I do mean thick here) fog rolled in.
I'm sure our mountain is invisible (from
lower down.) Its like we're not here. :)
The temperature dropped to 56 and we
now have thunder, fog and lightening.
It is amazing out for the moment!

Found items

Spring Mountain Daises (Close Up)

A Found Ball Jar

The Red Ball


Today's post, 'found items' in the woods,
is dedicated with love,
to my Dad,
Richard Warner,
whose birthday would have been today;
April 8th (1933.)
Happy Birthday Dad!
I love you
(as you watch over us, Dad.)
And a shout out to all my
relatives if they read this post.
:) lg

Residue

of a tangerine morning sunrise
to lift the spirit and to brighten the eyes...
mountain mango surprise.

A Tangerine Morning...

through backyard pines...
Lofty breezes lift and separate my thoughts,
such as they are and ruffle my hair,
assuring me of a warm day. Soon,
a parka won't be needed. A light blustery
day is on order. Tangerine sky through pines
decorate the early morning mountain sky bright.
(Even) The big dog seems to indicate
a change in both the wind and temperature,
her head held high; thinking, estimating...
She is probably calculating just how many
squirrels there remain to run off, as she has just
recently made this her new job.
Ahhh. Such is life. It's simple, here.
And that's O.K. surely...
I'm swept away (here) by a
'tangerine day' of a morning.
Let us rise then,
and greet the
morning.
Let us rise then,
again, and greet
the day.
And I ...must
away.

TreeTop Dreaming

Treetop dreams
interlaced among the
feathery tree fingers, woven
...of big giants;
I look
I see
a canopy
of original ideation
and of beauty in creation.
And the tree says "See me."
I drink in the forest floor through all my pores
and hear the wind as it sails up and up
through each stand
caught up in the canopy to beat the band.
Trees to me, are like giant friends.
"I bid you peace."
"...And peace to you, friend,"
they seem to answer back.
Yes, I am
a student of the tree.
A willing pupil in the forest's
tree meeting place
and a witness to the
treetop soliloquy
of the canopy;
a place where I have found the wind
alternating
between rest and play
and a zillion sweet variations therein.

Appalachian Views

Spring Deer "On the Run"

Mist Playing with a Mountain Top (1)

Mist Playing with a Mountain Top (2)

This past Saturday's car trip produced some
fabulous panoramic views
of wild clouds 'playing' with mountain top peaks. I especially
love when the clouds 'take over' a mountain top totally obscuring it...
and then gradually re-reveal it! I could watch the process all day...
On the way in to the gravel road excursion, we caught a bunch of lively
spring deer running and munching on new growth.
Note the grass is green! Click on the deer photo and do note
the intensity in the deer's eyes looking right at camera!
That shot is 'as is' aside from the color being bumped up a bit.
The look on that deer's face 'got to me!!' He's like..."Hello!"
Today (Tuesday) does not
permit photos :-(
It is gusting to 55 and wet with mixed snow and rain [although
I can say that by now (April) the snow does not stick on the
roads or even much of the ground (just pockets) as the ground is
too warm.] I cannot say that I do not mind the 'not sticking' part...
(at this point.)
Enjoy!!

Spring Mountain Beauty

Racing Clouds...

Snow Topped

Majestic in the Spring Sunlight


Saturday brought us temperatures of 44 degrees and snow!
We procured these shots from deep within
the Appalachians via a trip on a LONG gravel road.
I am not great at navigating so when we do go 'off road'
I am never really sure what mountain peak
I am photographing (unless my husband knows...)!
We are still hoping to photograph a BIG black bear
(or several) in the wild...and you will be the first to know...) :)
This is bear country. Today, (Monday) it is going to
about 70 degrees for a high but with winds gusting to 50 MPH.
I think that is odd. But the expression for the High Country's weather
is "Just as you get used to the weather (here)...it changes."
That is altogether true. Thunderstorms tonight and dropping
back down to 40 for a high tomorrow. The mountains
are caught up in changing weather patterns and
unpredictable temperatures here in
western North Carolina in the spring!
Enjoy, friends!
lg :)

Shades of Gray and Green

(Brush loaded
with a watery longing
to pick up any tones and tints-
secretive hints-
of color...)
But shades of gray
and mossy green
are all that the sky
and these ol' hills
have to offer
to the palette
of my minds eye,
April.