joy!

Busy bees. I love the summer displays of flowers and insects that flock to feed, especially bees. Thankfully, the wasps built a nest elsewhere this summer and I wasn’t stung like last year. ~ summer days linger radiant flowers beckon insects pollinate ~ This sparkly flyer was resting on my front door screen. Having a pond on site means we have many mosquitoes. Thankfully, we also have a…

Our farmers market on the square. One of my local adventures. ~ adventure beckons beautiful places abound fellow bloggers post images and words torment the angst of blocked desire ~ will he or won’t he follow the call of the road indecision rules excuses and pressure build inertia deepens ~ Limestone bluffs abound in this region of Arkansas and the Ozarks. ~ The latest Lens…

Map from Reclaim Democracy and US PIRG showing largest corporate donor in each state. ~ freedom corrupted buy elections and favor democracy fails corporate over human people pawns, leaders bullies ~ “Democracies may die at the hands … of elected leaders … who subvert the very process that brought them to power. Some of these leaders dismantle democracy quickly. More often, though,…

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind.” ~ Ashley Smith ~ Bee on blossom. ~ bees busy feeding radiant flower blossoms making sweet honey ~ Bold blossom. ~ Beth invited us to share photos of subjects that begin with the letter B for the Lens-Artist challenge. This is an easy challenge for me…

“I am a mushroom: on whom the dew of heaven drops now and then.” ~ John Ford ~ splashes of color fungi blossom explosion magical mushrooms ~ ~ The wonders of mushrooms and fungi continue to amaze me. They magically appear overnight, springing from vast hidden mycelium networks. They can grow on the ground, trees, or almost any decaying organic matter. While 100,000 species of fungi have…

A rainbow sunset over the White River, outside Fayetteville, AR. ~ Wonder, and it’s cousin awe, is a state of being that can transform our lives. I remember when I was traveling through our US National Parks with wonder as a constant companion. The beauty of our parks made it easy to find wonder. Later, living in Boulder, CO, I was mostly able to sustain or at least routinely find wonder. But…

Our resident geese with dad getting ready to charge me. Apparently, I was too close to baby gosling. ~ fuzzy gosling walks parents dual protection intruder alert ~ Last week, Tina gave us a simple yet profound Lens Artists challenge called the Rule of Three. Images with three or more subjects, in odd numbers, are more appealing. Advertising takes full advantage of this rule with groups of…

Our community pond. Even with algae, it’s quite beautiful and soothing. ~ This week’s Lens-Artist challenge is perfect for me. I’ve been feeling stuck in my life, with the same boring routines repeated over and over. Egidio has invited us to pick one place and try to be creative in seeing things new. Maybe change your lenses, cameras, habits, or perspective. I chose to stay at home, finding…

A male Baltimore Oriole. Orange is a vibrant color that speaks to passion, warmth, and vitality. This gorgeous male Oriole caught my attention as I grabbed my cellphone and snapped a photo through my front window. The result is fun and shows off the orange nicely with the black car. ~ Ritva offered a fun Lens-Artist challenge this week and the responses have been inspiring. The goals is to…

Our pond has been sparkly this spring with enough rain to restrict the algae. ~ rain water recharging flowing freely lakes, rivers, oceans aquafers, filling wells feeding plants , trees, fish, humans nourishing our body and soul cycles of giving and receiving the miracle of nature continues ~ An early spring rain had Tanyard Creek roaring. ~ This week’s Lens-Artist challenge is…

Spring at Lake Wilson. ~ Four months after my post about the best and worst, I admit that my hope and engagement have diminished to near zero. There has been less blogging, less engagement, less socialization, and less hope. I know that gurus, spiritualists, and even Native American wisdom speak to the idea that what we focus on grows. As I’ve delved into the news, politics, economy, and world…

Tanyard Creek Falls downstream from the dam. ~ early spring rainfall creeks and waterfalls flowing nature’s healing mode ~ Further downstream on Tanyard Creek. ~ We had some much needed rain in early March. It brought a little relief to our parched creeks, lakes, and fields. We’ve had a much drier and warmer winter and early spring. I’ve never seen the grass and yards brown in early…

~ Reading this book was both hard and insightful. Zephyr Teachout’s premise is corporations have become too big and powerful, thereby dominating both our economic and political systems. Teachout argues that the consolidation of power in large corporations (monopolies) across sectors like agriculture, technology, and finance is a primary threat to American democracy, leading to economic…

“Where flowers bloom so does hope.” ~ Lady Bird Johnson Bradford pears have beautiful blossoms. Too bad they’re an invasive species, brittle, and smell bad. ~ Spring has been bursting forth the last few weeks with spring rains, daffodils, red buds, and a profusion of buds and green everywhere. Here are a few photos from around town with nature’s gift of renewal, reminding us that we can begin…

A shadow lurks over our country. ~ I wish that I had a clear plan and purpose like so many other people. Instead, I allow life circumstances and my emotions to toss me around like a ship on stormy waters. This has been exaggerated by the chaotic nature of this political administration who seem intent on retribution, undermining democracy, personal gain, and other agendas that are counter to the…

This post resonates with me deeply. It explains much of what I’m feeling. I also believe the chaos of our political and economic systems have pushed many of us into overwhelm and paralysis. Thankfully, there are steps we can take to acknowledge the feelings, ground in our bodies, find connections, and move to purposeful action. Eco-Anxiety Is a Signal, Not Something to Be Cured

A quick and blurry snap of the Lincoln Memorial while riding in a car. Not my best photo, but I love colors, contrasts, and fact my cellphone can even pull this off. ~ This has been a hard post to write. I find myself less motivated to write and blog lately. After taking a break and enjoying it, I realized once again that I’ve lost my passion for blogging. My blog and some others I follow seem…