4/28/2014

What the hedgerows had to say

18



Last evening, although it was getting late,
there was good sky


so the woofies and I went out for a walk.
Our land is surrounded by pastures to the south,
mixed Douglas fir forests to the north, east, west
and everywhere in between is the smell of the sea
and the wild scramble of the native understory.


Willows ... catching the late light in their freshly leafed out canopies.

Over time, mostly when I wasn't paying much attention,
I've built relationships with these plants & trees ...
they all serve an important purpose in our small ecosystem
and no matter how annoyed I might be with hauling another fallen branch
across the footpath or disentangling myself for the umpteenth time from the thorn-hold
of wayward blackberries,
I deeply believe everything residing here holds value.
Bitter berries for songbirds, rotting stumps for the tree frogs,
the mucky pond shallows for salamanders ...
the list is long
and diverse
and has become a great source of inspiration.



I'm often up late, with the owls, doing handwork ...
This bead weaving stitched to willow-dyed cloth became a personal story
about my Salix friends with branches.



On the trek home we spied this native elderberry [Sambucus caerulea]
setting off some frothy firecrackers.
If I'm very lucky this season
I may get to some of the gorgeous blue-black berries
well before the birds.
Must be quick - they always beat me to it.



I admit to being taken aback 
by the sheer size of her this year.
Why, she must have put on two more feet
upwards and sidewards
since last summer !

Me & my furry pals may head out again this evening for another ramble
for there's so much going on out there ...
and what the plants are saying now
is foretelling a fine future.


: : :


joining in with the folks over at
Our World Tuesday
[because it's Tuesday in Australia  ;>]
pop over & be transported around the globe ...




18 comments:

  1. Oh my I LOVE how you have edit these... so beautifully done

    Mollyxxx

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    Replies
    1. Molly, thank you so much - twas fun!
      And thanks so much for stopping by, too.

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  2. Taking a "Noticing Walk" with the woofies is very satisfying second hand... thanks!
    Free-form bead weaving suits you and your dyed cloth superbly! I'm so looking forward to seeing it in person (and in color).
    Robert always said one reason he loved B&W photography, is because it helps him to notice things he'd miss in color. When you take photos like this, do you have a hunch ahead of time that you'll be apping them into more or less B&W images?

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    Replies
    1. Very much looking forward to sharing the beady stuff with you, R!
      As for the B&W, I feel just the same as Robert. In this case however, I shot them in B&W
      knowing before I left the house that I did not want to get distracted with color. I used an app
      called Hispstamatic with a specific lens/film combo that records it like you see here - post-processing
      was minor with a tiny bit of sharpening & a tiny bit of tonal enhancement to bring out the chocolate/navy layers.

      Delete
  3. mmmm. I remember those kinda nights. I will NOT go into a funk about the weather. I'm sure Mother Nature has her own reasoning. Or not. :)

    Dyeing question ... what simple gatherings make the most bang for my buck. At this point I just want to be wow'd. Subtlety will have to wait. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HA! you're finally going for it, woooot wooooot!!
      Answer: onion skins + pieces of iron [they don't have to be rusty].
      Go to India's blog prophetofbloom.blogspot.com & do a search on those words ...
      should give ya a pretty good idea what might happen ;>D

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  4. a lovely peak into your world through images and words. I really like the "old photo" processing.
    Have a wonderful week. I am joining you through Our World Tuesday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heh, Jill, sweet of you to come on over. Thanx for the kind message!

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  5. Replies
    1. Indeed it is
      quite loudly at the moment ;>]]

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  6. How lovely of you to take us on your walk. I love the natural connections you make and the words you use to describe them.

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    Replies
    1. Very happy you came along, Penny. I suppose it's one of my fave things
      about our visits to each other via the *web* ... otherwise, how would we ever
      have the opportunity? many thanx.

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  7. what a beautiful post... words AND text... so much so I can't decide which I love more, words or pictures... Word-love started with "there was good sky" and continued with "setting off some frothy fire crackers"... and of course, the deep noticing and appreciating.

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    Replies
    1. gosh, thanx so much, dee, very kind of you.

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  8. We used to have paths like this to enjoy with our pooches. But that way 30+ years ago. Now houses have replaced them and walks on pavement don't bring the peace we once found. I love your pics. Your editing enhances their sense of serenity.
    xx, Carol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know just what you mean about the walking on pavement. Still, don't the woofies seem to love
      spending time together no matter what we do or where we are? Bless them for that beautiful
      uncomplicated simplicity.

      The neighborhood where I grew up is now a parking lot ... just like Joni Mitchell wrote ;>/

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  9. Love these. You always inspire me to play with my photos more. :)

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    Replies
    1. wow, Deb, your comment hit a soft corner of me ole heart because, thinking about it,
      if there's anything I might hope that folks would glean from the occasional visit here
      it would be some inspiration to *PLAY* with their pictures, too. It's been a door/window/attic/cellar
      opener for me ... and I'd wish that for others.

      THANK YOU. You have made my day.

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