Family of Another Nature

A small family of Canada geese out for a swim. (Virginia Beach)

"Everywhere water is a thing of beauty, gleaming in the dewdrops; singing in the summer rain; shining in the ice-gems till the leaves all seem to turn to living jewels; spreading a golden veil over the setting sun; or a white gauze around the midnight moon." ~ John Ballantine Gough, A Glass of Water

We have a huge population of Canada geese, many of whom refuse to migrate south in the winter or north in the spring. It is often funny to see them in their migration "V" flying northwest in the fall. I often want to yell up at them, "Hey, guys, that is the WRONG WAY!"; but then they glide gracefully in a downward spiraling arch and land in the large pond behind the neighbor's house. Oh... just moving from one pond to another, I see.

I do believe that these (probably considered "native" by now) geese are the first to have families in the spring. Ours have developed a great community plan; the young goslings are shipped off to boarding school, at least for the daytime hours. Approximately ten to sixteen little fluff balls are shepherded by three or four adults and the day is full of lessons to be learned. They are taught to swim... in a long line with one adult at the head and one bringing up the rear and at least one to the side, to catch any strays. More importantly, they are taught to cross the road. I do believe that the first step is... start slowly but resolutely, the cars will stop; though the second must be...don't try this at night. More than once this spring, I had to come to a complete stop as the goose grade school practiced their crossing (as we all know, practice makes perfect). One adult stood on the destination golf course grass gathering the goslings around that had already navigated the street. One waited on the median to make sure everyone was in a line and on the march and a third was the traffic guard, standing right in the middle of the road. The babies hopped (fell) off the curb into the road and started their trek across. One was mesmerized by a rock in the road and stopped to investigate, causing a pile up behind. Adult guard quacked... baby ignored... adult walked over, bent his neck down and honked and nudged the little one along, flapping his wings as he chased the baby to the other side. This seemed to bring all the others back into order and the rest knew better than to cross this crossing guard again. The biggest obstacle is the curb on the far side as, yet unable to fly, they must jump their height to get back up to the grass. Many took several attempts before success. I have always wonder if these "teachers" send their pupils back to their parents at the end of the day.

This family was seen swimming in one of the inlets along the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Beach. It was late May and most of the other resident goslings had almost grown to the size of their parents. Perhaps, this family actually migrated from the south or maybe the later goslings don't get to go to kindergarten and are home schooled instead. I wonder.

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Carmi's Theme ~ "family"
World Bird Wednesday

Watery Wednesday

Lovely Lily After The Rain

Dwarf Asiatic lily, after the rain.
(Click picture to enlarge)

"Everywhere water is a thing of beauty gleaming in the dewdrop, singing in the summer rain." ~ John Ballantine Gough

All the lovely blooms on our dwarf asiatic lilies are gone now. I've left the foliage intact and now there are multiple seed pods at the tips and the leaves are turning yellow. They were lovely in pastel shades of pink, hot orange and deep red this year; but even in this monochrome sepia shot, the beauty comes through. I think the lily looks best just after a spring or early summer rain with the small droplets beading up on the thick petals. They seem to lift their heads as if to catch the rain and hold it close.

Even though it is still hot and humid here, the change in the seasons is real and is coming. It is not quite as hot... lower 90's to upper 80's rather than flirting with 100. And it is now quite as humid... there are days where the humidity hovers around 50% rather than 80%. And the nights dip into the 60's rather than remaining in the upper 70's. The plants know. The butterflies know. Even the birds and bees know. There is a major increase in bee activity after a small lull in August. The caryopteris with their clusters of bright blue blooms are open and a few of the re-blooming daylily are still in shape; but the lily is spent and waiting for winter.

This year I will attempt to collect the seed and see what we can come up with. Perhaps more beautiful lily to grace the garden and entice the butterfly to return even earlier next year.

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Sepia Scenes
Watery Wednesday

Water Out Of A Fish

In better taste than the typical... "water out of a boy" fountains.

"I still have a full deck; I just shuffle slower now." ~ Author Unknown

A minute ago the sun was shining and the large expanse of red and yellow and green on the radar had passed us by... again... and was headed off the eastern shore and into the ocean. I posted this picture with the title "A Fish Out of Water Or Water Out Of A Fish", but then something in the back of my mind kept saying... "you have already done this, you have already done this". I replied to myself, "No I don't think so. The picture didn't have an "x" under it and I always put an "x" under the picture when I use it, to avoid the double post." At this point, you know my day is falling into disarray when the best conversation I have had and second only to the one I had with the dog, is a conversation with myself. Well, my mind was right. I was wrong, sort of. I do have a previous post with the title... "A Fish Out Of Water" and it is a picture of this fountain... but at a different angle. So there... I was half right or half baked or half something. I still like this fountain and the patina and the old world look. I wish it were in my garden, but alas, it is too big... so I settle for the smaller, solar fountain with the "look" of bronze.

At this point, I was going to go take a picture of my bubbling little fountain sitting in the middle of the flower beds with the surrounding daylily and lantana; but, in the space of time I have typed this, the skies are dark and on the radar a blossoming patch of red and yellow and green has appeared just to our south and west and the sound of thunder is approaching. Alas, my little bubbling fountain does not bubble in this situation and I hear the rain on the roof.... so this will just have to do for my Watery Wednesday. Wow! It is really coming down out there... of course. I watered the plants yesterday!

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Waterdance Or Birds Of A Feather, Dance Together

Birds of a feather, dance together. Mt. Trashmore Park, Virginia Beach.
(Click picture to enlarge)

"Light quirks of music, broken and uneven,
Make the soul dance upon a jig to Heav'n."
~ Alexander Pope, Moral Essays

Sometimes, even the squawking, selfish, obnoxious seagulls fighting over a crust of bread thrown into the air by a child, can create a beautiful moment in time. Hovering just above the water, their wings and feet stir the water and throw tiny droplets into the air. They seem frozen in a crazy dance....a waterdance....more serenely beautiful from below than the fracas in progress above.

Watery Wednesday #96
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Everyone Needs A Cool Drink On A Hot Day.....

Even the bluejay. (Click to enlarge)

"You can never appreciate the shade of a tree unless you sweat in the sun." ~ Author Unknown

All the birds are taking advantage of the in-ground and pedestal birdbaths today. It is hot. Although my little meter on the side reports 89℉, my little weather station set up says 93℉ with 75% humidity. It isn't the heat so much as the humidity. Walk outside for five minutes and your shirt and slacks and every other piece of clothing is plastered to your body and damp... instant frizz of the hair, even with pre-treatment with a de-frizzing shampoo, conditioner, gel and hair spray. This is a day that makes a room temperature of 76℉ feel like an air conditioned dream. Even the birds are flying around with mouths open and not just to gather bugs.

My little in-ground bath next to the preserve is in full use... the black birds had five or six in their swimming party a few minutes ago. And the bluejay, finch and thrashers are taking a dip and a drink as well in this bath. I hope we can have a third birdbath out soon, perhaps with a solar powered recirculating fountain and a mister attachment... I've heard that the birds really love this. At least this picture looks cool even though it really isn't. Today is a day for inside work.... no gardening for me! I'll leave the heat to the birds.

Watery Wednesday, June 23rd.

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I Don't Think This Fellow Is Going To Catch Too Many Flies

Froggy fountain...Norfolk Botanical Garden
(Click to enlarge)

“A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.” ~ Washington Irving

The botanical garden is full of fountains, small ponds, a good sized lake and a meandering waterway that allows for quiet boat tours of the garden. This little fellow is tucked away in a section with a wide variety of evergreen, flowering trees and niches that pop up revealing statues of wildlife that inhabit the area of the gardens. I love the paths that wind and cross and on days when the garden is less populated by visitors, one can almost become lost in this world of nature with nothing but the sound of chirping birds and crickets, buzzing bees and the gurgling of water. Oh yes, occasionally the scream of the bald eagle family that currently nests in the tall loblolly pines. I have been to the gardens once this spring and plan another mid-week trip soon... almost time for the roses...

I thought this fellow would do nicely for both Moody Monday and Watery Wednesday.
Oh, yes... and since frogs are a favorite of Judy's... this frog is especially for her too.

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Spring Overflowing

Geneva, Switzerland. Picture by Stephen.
(Click picture to enlarge)

"The cistern contains: the fountain overflows." ~ William Blake (English Poet, 1757-1827)

My brother was in Geneva in the early spring, when days were just warm enough to stroll through the wide avenues under the budding green trees and when early flowers were shyly welcoming the climbing sun. It probably wasn't a day that would prompt me to jump in this fountain.... but today is... at least in Virginia. Projected high? 97F. But, no rain.... yeah... so the construction continues.

I have had one person suggest that we show you Stephen's winter garden room construction... I suppose it might be interesting and perhaps my cousins who designed it, might pick up some interest in their business. We will see. Right now though, it seems to be at that point where I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... I just can't tell if it is sunlight or an approaching train.

So, today I will have to try and remain calm and collected and cool; staring at this picture might help a little as will seeing what other folks are doing with their Watery Wednesdays.

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The Gems Of Morning

A bug's eye view of morning dew... (Click to enlarge)

"How cunningly nature hides every wrinkle of her inconceivable antiquity under roses and violets and morning dew!" ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

How intimidating is this dewdrop poised atop the blade of grass like a street light that magnifies the rays of the morning sun? What if you were the lowly ant.... and the giant sphere quivered, then dropped... on your head? The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

We, the giants in the land, tramp through the wet morning grass, scarcely thinking of what bustle of activity is happening beneath our feet. How our treading shakes the ground... earthquakes! Our wells and sprinkler systems soak the grass.... floods! Lawn mowers roar and rumble and large blades swish back and forth, ever closer to the ground... guillotines! What monsters the ants and beetles and other ground bugs must think we are!

I love taking the ground level view pictures. It reminds me of that old movie.. Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. At Universal Studios in Disneyworld, they have a playground that lets children and adults alike, feel like they are in this world where the miniature becomes the gigantic.... this picture reminds me of that park and oh, my!!!! Are those the eyes of a huge spider I see back in that jungle? Get me out of here!!!

"Dew-drops are the gems of morning,
But the tears of mournful eve!
~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Youth and Age

This little or huge droplet... depending on YOUR perspective... will do for Watery Wednesday this week... it also fits nicely with Macroday's "fluid" theme as well.

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From A Distance

... winter beach scenes. Virginia Beach.
(Click picture to enlarge)

"One may understand the cosmos, but never the ego; the self is more distant than any star." ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

Distant time. You would not see this specific scene in summer. No wind swept empty beaches. No bundled children atop plodding horses. No empty fishing pier or cold frothy waves finding not bathing bodies but simply the shore.

Distant space. Specks against the beach and ocean... they are dark, bobbing slowly up and down. Horses and humans... that is for sure but at this distance are they young or old, are the jackets plaid or plain, are they laughing or simply staring off into the distance.

But, even at this distance.. somehow I know they are having fun... I would be. It is one of many fantasies I have that will not ever be... to own horses and have a deserted beach on which to ride with the wind at my heart's content. Not practical or possible, but a dream nevertheless.

Carmi's theme this week has been "distant" and with the crashing surf of our Atlantic Ocean... Watery Wednesday comes to mind.

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Two Bumps On A Wall....

Two bumps on a wall, or is it four?
(Click picture to enlarge)

"Sleepy turtles never catch up with the sunrise." ~ Jamaican Proverb

Life is busy, going at breakneck speed... no time to slow down, stop or rest for most of us; but not the turtle. Collecting "stuff", most of which we don't need or use until it becomes overwhelming is a problem most of us face at some time in life; but not the turtle, he carries his possessions on his back. Sleeping in the sunshine, a recipe for disaster with most of us; but not the turtle.

Turtles know the value of pulling back, retreating into a safe place to ponder the next move. Still to get to the next pond or log or simply to the other side of the road... they have to stick their necks out. They are not afflicted with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, jumping here and there.. they plod along, proving the geometric premise, "the shortest distance between two points is a straight line." They know the value of fifteen minutes in the sun each day. We could learn a lesson or two from the turtle... hey, is there room for me on that log?

Watery Wednesday keeps us cool this summer so visit and enjoy!

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A Fountain Of Gladness

Rose Garden fountain... Norfolk Botanical Gardens
(Click picture to enlarge)

"A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles." ~ Washington Irving (1783 - 1859)

Well... the dog days of summer are here. Yes, these days between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs are the dog days of summer. Even my dog would rather be out only a few minutes and spend the rest of her day lounging... on the sofa, on the bed, on the pillow, on the rug... anywhere she can. And I would be down there with her.. sitting in the air conditioning or under the ceiling fan. It seems that everyone uses the "hot" words... sweltering, oppressive, scorching, blasting, burning... and these words, by themselves seem to send the mercury soaring even higher.

Come with me to another place with only natural air conditioning and no fans. It is still hot, still 95 degrees and the breeze is still missing in action. Now, I'll add a few "cooling" words such as.. shady, dark, refreshing, bubbling, clear, wet, ... and already I feel a slight chill. Feed your eyes with the smooth flowing of the fountain, rest your weary head in the shade of the overhanging tree and let your ears cool you with the sweet gurgling sound of the water here.... There, are you starting to feel better? I am.

Watery Wednesday has many wonderful ways to cool off.

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Free Floating

Water lily pad catching the rain. Norfolk Botanical Garden
(Click picture to enlarge)

"A life all turbulence and noise may seem
To him that leads it wise and to be praised,
But wisdom is a pearl with most success
Sought in still waters."
~ William Cowper, The Task

I have been saving this picture for the right moment and now the moment is here. The botanical garden here has a beautiful oriental garden section with rounded boulders and rock gardens, many flaming Japanese maple trees, bonsai, oriental evergreens and a beautiful koi pool with small flowing waterfall. Across the pool are strategically placed stepping stones that visitors may walk on, single file, although there is a path around the pool for any who have balance issues. On one visit in early spring I stood looking into this pool. The leaves on many of the trees had not yet emerged from their winter's rest and the lush green grasses that return each spring were absent. But here in the dark pool of water, floated a single leaf of the water lily, looking a bit anemic without its summer blush of green chlorophyll... but floating none the less. It had been raining as it does here in spring, and the lily "pad" collected the raindrops, consolidating many into few and now, almost reaching the tipping point where the weight of the water breaks the resistance of the leaf and the pooled drops roll back into the pond. Then the sun broke through the clouds and the water sparkled like diamonds. It was then when I saw the small details of the lily leaf... there.. under the magnifying glass of the water droplets... clear and beautiful. Forgetting that I was on a narrow walk of stones I pointed my camera straight down and clicked.

On a cool wet day, this moment brought warmth and smiles and a general feeling of well-being and gratitude. All we needed was a little green frog.

Watery Wednesday entries are up and this is mine for the week.

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Solitude And The Green Cloak

Friendship Pond... Norfolk Botanical Gardens.
(Click picture to enlarge)

"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises." ~ Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Water brings life to the trees and grass and flowers and they in turn take our gaseous waste...at least the carbon dioxide we breath out.... and turn it into usable food and give us oxygen in return. We have been blessed here this spring and early summer with rain... sometimes a bit too much at once, but most often the soft gentle rain that is so beneficial. Everything is green... at night the chorus of frogs sing echoing refrains at each other across the preserves, the gardens and the ponds. When I sit here surrounded on all sides, even above... with the lush greens of early summer, how can I help but feel relaxed and renewed. This is perfect on a cloudy day when few visitors are in the gardens or have sought out the exploding color of the roses or the new butterfly pavilion... it is then that this picture of solitude beckons me.

Carmi's weekly theme for this evening is "green" and Watery Wednesday is up too.

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Loving Life In A Ducky Sort Of Way

Like water off of a duck's back.
(Click pictures to enlarge)

"Man is not an aquatic animal, but from the time we stand in youthful wonder beside a Spring brook till we sit in old age and watch the endless roll of the sea, we feel a strong kinship with the waters of this world." ~ Hal Borland, Sundial of the Seasons

Little white duck... how do you keep your feathers so clean, so white and bright. Certainly, this water is fairly clear but the silt and sand on the shore is dirty. Do you have to bathe all day? How tiresome...but, perhaps it is your nature to bathe. You do spend more time swimming than flying... than sleeping with your head tucked under your wing. It always looks as if you are playing when you are out there in the water... diving for small fish... having more fun surviving than one would think possible. You bring laughter and light to those who watch.. who could help but smile as you wiggle to and fro and flap your wings spraying droplets on your neighbors; or dive bottoms up under the water.....

"I spy something yummy!"

It seems you suffer from the same ailment as many of we humans.... we are bottom heavy.. which paradoxically makes it difficult to effectively dive. We just bob around with our heads under the surface and our hind ends sticking out like the ostrich in a sand dune... I must say that your tail looks much nicer doing so than would mine. So, have a beautiful day of clear skies and smooth waters... to paddle around and splash and quack and have a wonderful time. Oh yes, thank you.. for being your silly duck self and for brightening my day.

Loving life...in a ducky sort of way.

Watery Wednesday gets wet every week here.

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A Fish Out Of Water

Jenkins Fountain, Brooklyn Botanical Garden
(Click picture to enlarge)

"A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles." ~ Washington Irving (1783 - 1859)

This is a simple but elegant fountain near the lily pools at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Four fish furnish the water falls into a round pool below. This fountain has been in place since 1930 and you can see the wonderful signs of age gracing the Indiana limestone and bronze piece; the green and brown stains of previous algae and the wonderful teal patina on the sculpted bronze fish. The water drops into a 24 foot pool below and adds musical sound effects to the hum of dancing dragonflies and the floating lotus and lilies in the larger lily pools on either side of the fountain. Flower and vine covered arches overhang several small benches along the walkway and here you can find refuge from the sun.

This was one of my favorite areas of the garden... and a memory I cherish. It is my Watery Wednesday post.

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Watery Wednesday: Peaceful Streams

A lovely winter stream... but, I still think a bit of snow would add much. (Sigh!)
(Click picture to enlarge)

"Water is the driver of Nature." ~ Leonardo da Vinci

A winter scene for our area... the background of mute greens and browns... still the water flows. In summer this will change... the background alive with color and the water taking on the hue of the sky... blue with dancing little white cloudlets. In between... in spring.. come the storms, the ping-pong temperatures.... and the beginning of new life in the pool... the koi are small, the lotus just starting to emerge. One small stream with so many different looks throughout the year...keeps life interesting, don't you think?

Other Watery Wednesday pictures are here.

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