Small Stone - Flowing - 31

Life continues flowing.

Each moment precious.

Who knows what comes next?

I assume there will be One Good Thing...

Thank you for visiting the July Stones.

Stay happy and well.

Barb

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Small Stone - Deadly - 30

Some wildflowers can cause breathing difficulties, cardiac arrest, and nerve problems.

Death Camus

Monkshood

Don't ingest and don't touch.

Just admire with your eyes.

Beauty is sometimes deadly.

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Small Stone - Poem - 29

WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES
by Mary Oliver

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.

Go easy, be filled with light, and shine...

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Small Stone - Drenched - 28

dark clouds over peaks

heavy with moisture

tang of woodsmoke

forest sodden

five days of rain

vibrant green glory

drenched daisies bow 

wet heads heavy

walking quickly 

watching the sky

I beat the rain

back home

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Small Stone - Focus - 27

I want to ask,

"Just hold still for one second."

So I can focus!

I took 89 photos of the hummingbird in bursts of two over about four minutes.

The Calliope never stopped moving - a tiny helicopter on a mission.

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Small Stone - Elephant - 26

I spied the elephants by the stream, trunks raised and swaying gently in the breeze.

Little Pink Elephant Head Wildflower - what a perfect name!

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Small Stone - Hummingbird - 25

during a break in rain

Calliope whirls from bloom to bloom

sipping nectar for breakfast

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Small Stone - Mystery - 24

dark and drizzly

light the fire

brew the tea

open a book

escape

I always welcome a rainy day. Normally, I spend sunny hours outside. Rain encourages me to abandon other plans and hibernate for awhile. I'm reading a mystery series by Julia Spencer-Fleming (The Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries). The series was recommended by a blog friend. By book 4, the characters gather like old friends when I start reading. They're perfect company on a rainy day.

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Small Stone - Squirrel - 23

Sitting on the deck eating breakfast, I keep having the feeling I'm being watched.

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Small Stone - Angelica - 22

Do you remember Angelica?

She stood watch over my back garden for many, many years.

Finally, because of her increasing fragility, she retired.

This year, she felt ready to resume part-time work.

She stands propped against a tree in the rock garden.

She's protected from buffeting winds.

Waldo is nearby for company.

Bob says she resembles a scarecrow more than an angel.

(I told him not to speak this slur when close to Angelica.)

She's a bit weathered, but who of us isn't?

And her heart is in the right place.

She's both an angel and a star!

Angelica is very wabi-sabi.

I love her.

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Small Stone - Buckwheat - 21

common Buckwheat standing in the sun's spotlight
bowing shyly in the breeze

encore!


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Small Stone - Dawn - 20

Waking early, I wait for dawn to color the western peaks.

Giving thanks for a new day,

I begin again.

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Small Stone - Pansies - 19

sweet pansy faces

jeweled by raindrops

remind me of my mother

her gardens ablaze with color

velvety pansies in every hue at the borders

My mother died one hot and humid July 40 years ago. Her gardens were in full bloom. 

Every year since, I've planted pansies for her.

In remembrance.

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Small Stone - Rain - 18

since childhood, I've loved rain

pounding out a beat

drenching, quenching

watering wildflowers

showering the forest

discouraging wildfire

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Small Stone - Gratitude - 17

our back yard is a mass of wild Lupine

spreading like a lush purple carpet

the beauty overwhelms me

with gratitude

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Small Stone - Bear Trail - 16

Are we following a bear trail, or is the bear following our trail?

We keep seeing bear signs on our familiar trails behind the house.

Bears claw through decaying stumps to find food.

They feast on insects or small mammals hiding in the wood.

Today, while admiring forest wildflowers, I was hyper-alert for bears.

I'd prefer not to surprise one on the trail!

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Small Stone - Wild Blooming - 15

July is the time for blooming. 

I have no formal gardens, only gardens without borders.

Both wildflowers and perennials self-sow.

I never know what will come up or where.

My gardens and wildflower yard are prettily disheveled. 

.

These photos are from my front yard.

Hybrid Lupine and Shasta Daisies are the first to bloom.

Next will come Fireweed, Dianthus, and Maltese Cross.

I know people who keep formal gardens are appalled.
For me, the colors and disorganization are bliss.

I'm in love with each day's new discovery.

A "wild" yard doesn't mean I don't weed.

I spent several hours this morning pulling up Chamomile Daisies.

They're a noxious weed in Colorado - I've been battling them for 30 years.

They grow all around the neighborhood and seed onto my property.

They like to make believe they're Shasta Daisies, but they don't fool me!

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Small Stone - Hula Tree - 14

A Little Tree Story

About 5 years ago, a blue spruce at the very back of our property began to die. Over one winter, the entire top half of the tree turned brown. It looked unsightly, but I wasn't ready to part with it. So, I told Bob to saw off the dead part and leave the bottom. It was a comical sight - a squat bottom half of a spruce maybe 3' (.91 M) tall with one bough that extended above the rest. 

Well, that little disfigured tree grew and grew. Over the years, I started calling it my "Hula Tree" because when the wind blows, it sways gently. That upraised bough, like a graceful arm, beckons to me. 

"Thank you, Barb, for seeing my potential," it seems to say. 

It has grown substantially, especially in girth. It's now twice the size it was and a commanding presence. I'd be sad not to see it when I look out my kitchen window. The spruce is healthy now and perfectly happy as half a tree. 

It continues to dance for me.

Perhaps the tree is just a tree or possibly it's a metaphor - make of it what you want.

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Small Stone - Perspective - 13

it's all about perspective

in photography and in life

photos Olympus OMD - EM1 using 15-150 zoom

edited in Snapseed

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Small Stone - Poppy - 12

The poppy shucked its tight cap, raising its sunny face to warmth.

I used the zoom lens on the Olympus and had to relearn buttons and dials.

The poppy waited patiently.

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Small Stone - Little Bluebird - 11

little bluebird are you vain

or protecting yourself from yourself

the mirror telling a dual tale

let me assure you none is handsomer

and no need to fight the bird you see

which is yourself in all your glory

can you find the bluebird on the truck mirror?

We watched this Mountain Bluebird for several minutes. It sat atop the truck's mirror and flung itself down to get a glimpse of itself before landing and starting the process over again. It was either checking if its feathers were ruffled or deciding whether to fight the intruder.

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Small Stone - Hello Bear - 10

We had a bit of excitement this morning. We'd just returned from our hike and were still in our back yard. I was near the wooden swing, taking photos of all the lovely purple Lupine surrounding it. Bob was a few yards away, putting some water in the stream. I got up from a crouch and saw movement in front of me. A large male bear was walking up the side yard and just coming past me. I watched it a second or two to make sure it wasn't interested in me. I called to Bob in a normal voice, "Bob...bear..." I didn't want to startle it or draw undue attention to myself.

The bear obviously knew we were there but luckily paid no heed to either one of us. I videoed it as it continued walking out of our yard into the forest. Earlier, at the beginning of our hike, we noticed a bear had traveled the same trail we were on, using its claws to rip open stumps trying to find a meal of insects. So, we were on high alert in case we'd come upon it. By the time we got back to our house, we didn't give the bear a second thought. 

The video dips to the forest floor for a short bit because I enabled the zoom on my phone and had some trouble focusing on the moving bear. So, you can see the Lupine that we

have growing in abundance as well as Mr Bear!

I admit my heart did a little pitter pat when I saw it, and my adrenaline was a bit high for a little while. Luckily, the bear had no interest in us. It seemed to know where it wanted to go and moved steadily in that direction. 

Maybe it was going home for a nap.

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Small Stone - Solace - 9

Paths meander through ancient evergreen forests and lush alpine meadows.
Streams and rivers dance and sing down the mountainside.
I'm small in the scope of my surroundings.

a special place along Lehman Creek about a mile from my home

Since childhood, I've found solace in Nature.
I feel the forest's calm and the stream's energy.
I respect the dangers and accept Nature's healing gifts.

I hope you have a special place that's a balm to your spirit.

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Small Stone - New Normal - 8

Summit Medical Center

busy morning

up early and at Whole Foods by 7

(during old folk's hour)

busier than usual because of tourists

but clean and easy to navigate

then to an older grocery store nearby

isles narrow and shelves looking bare

fewer shoppers thank goodness

splitting our small list we quickly emerge

teamwork

next the medical center for Bob's blood work

in no time he emerges a smile on his face

the young phlebotomist is skilled

only one poke

at home again Bob disinfects groceries while I store them

clothes in the washer, ourselves in the shower

finally a cup of coffee and brunch on the deck

mission accomplished

feeling well we remain cautious

errands require more planning than usual

our new normal

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Small Stone - Take a Hike - 7

early morning stillness

hiking upward along the flank of Peak 10

wildflowers blooming and budding in profusion

a tiny bog orchid catches my eye

its creamy beauty glows in morning sunlight

purple Lupine and wild rose bud swaying in the breeze along the trail

in a wild landscape of lush beauty

watch carefully for small gifts

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