LOL 6/8/17

My neighbors enjoy river rafting.  I enjoy taking photos in their yard. Their Buddha and flowers star in some of my portraits.

They have a vehicle that has petroglyph style decals.  I laughed today when I noticed a couple of decals that may be new (or I just noticed) and got a kick out of. One of my photos turned out clear and the other is so so. I have pretty petunias and decided to add pollen shots to my neighbors’ cute statements. They have a cat.
lurking in the yard
o mighty hunter of moths
here kitty kitty
~ Raven Ariana Simons ©2017

I imagine this represents those occasional moments when rafting.
moving with paddles
then river takes you away
heartbeat thundering
~ Raven Ariana Simons ©2017
Bright Petunia Pollen Blessings, Namaste, Namu Amida Butsu
Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
~ Raven

Moss Roses and Honeybees (10/7/15)

“Even if, at the moment, you can’t sit down and do the gruntwork of stringing verbs and nouns together, you are writing. It is a way of seeing, a way of being. The world is not only the world, but your personal filing cabinet. You lodge details of the world in your sparkling nerve-library that spirals through your brain and coils down your arms and legs, collects in your belly and your sex. You write, even if you can’t always “write.”
However, writers write. Active, not passive.”
― Luis Alberto Urrea, Six Kinds of Sky: A Collection of Short Fiction  via Goodreads
Wednesday, October 7, 2015 – Today was sunny and I am happy to share these photos of moss roses and a couple of honeybees taking a drink at the little feature I have to share water with the wildlife (and some of the neighbors’ wandering pets) that visit my place.  Day 7 of OcPoWriMo’s prompt is here and it asks us to consider a decision that we have made that we are happy with as we travel this road of life and come to a fork in the road.  One of my happy decisions was to extend the daily photo project that I began in January of 2012 longer than a year.  This has lead me to writing more words and exploring poetry when I found October Poetry Writing Month last year.  Yay!
“pollen paths for bees
beauty and color in fall
for all to enjoy”
~ Raven Ariana Simons
“One of the curanderas in Cuernavaca told me, “If you do not want to join us in Teresita’s work, then you must heal in the power of your own medicine.  You must heal them with words.  Literature is medicine too.”
~ Luis Alberto Urrea from a reading group guide about writing (in the book) “A Hummingbird’s Daughter”
“honeybees drinking
moss roses soaking up sun
a bright autumn day”
~ Raven Ariana Simons
Namaste, Bright Blessings, Namu Amida Butsu ~ Raven

Three Sunny Days in March – 3/7/15, 3/8/15, 3/9/15

“Now when the primrose makes a splendid show,
And lilies face the March-winds in full blow,
And humbler growths as moved with one desire
Put on, to welcome spring, their best attire…”
~ William Wordsworth

Cedar waxwing on 3/7/14.

Click here for post with photos from March 7, 2012, 2013, and more 2014.

Saturday, March 7, 2015 – Today was a day full of birds staking out territory and I even saw a tussle between a couple of male starlings, though I was only able to get the “sing off” before they went after each other.  I also have a cute blue jay who seemed to look on in an incredulous way.
“Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer. ”
~ Geoffrey B. Charlesworth
 “as the jay looks on
male starlings fall from the tree
engaged in battle”
~ Raven Ariana Simons

Crocus on 3/8/14.

Click here for post with photos from March 8, 2012, 2013, and more 2014.

Sunday, March 8, 2015 – I saw my first flower flies (hoverflies) today and the first mason bee (osmia) and a cute little honeybee gathering pollen.
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
“a fine sunny day
as pollinators emerge
from their winter’s sleep”
~ Raven Ariana Simons

Seagulls on March 9, 2014.

Click here for post with photos from March 9, 2012, 2013, and more 2014.

Monday, March 9, 2015 – The crocus are still in bloom, the aspen catkin buds lengthen, and the Oregon grape is also coming into bloom.  We also had a lovely sunset which is stars at the beginning of this post.
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
~ Rachel Carson
“cheerful spring flowers
food for the insect people
brings hope to my heart”
~ Raven Ariana Simons
Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Bright Bee Blessings and Namaste ~ Raven

 

Pollen for Grace 2/18/15

“Until it seems that the whole city (Venice/Venus)
will be covered with golden pollen shaken
from the bell towers, lilies plundered
with the weight of massive bees …”
~ H. D.

Flashback – Saturday, February 18, 2012 – Here are two female sparrows on an aspen.
Flashback – Monday, February 18, 2013 – I love this photo looking out in the Great Salt Lake. I think that this is Antelope Island, the farther shore.
Flashback – Tuesday, February 18, 2014 – The ducks have started their courtship and mating behavior at the pond 🙂
Wednesday, February 18, 2015 – A long time neighbor just sold his house. He is a professional photographer, horseman, beekeeper and all around nice person.  I had a very surprising experience a couple of days before he had to be gone when I asked when he was moving his bees.  He explained to me that a friend of his had taken most of his empty boxes but that his thriving hive was not welcome by the new owners of the property and that he was afraid that the bees would die if moved to his new house.  He wondered if I’d give them a home.  I asked when they needed to be moved and he said a couple of days.

Wowza!  I must give a big thank you to my hubby and son for scrambling to get them moved in time.  Last summer, my intuition was to leave all honey for YoMama Hive and my neighbor did the same for this one.  His hive has four deep boxes, so you can imagine how heavy they were.  I guess there were some tense moments when, despite heavy straps, the boxes started separating as they were trundled down the street and into my backyard and across bumpy places!  They’re here now and it looks like the ladies have settled in. I have named them Grace Hive 🙂  These ladies are Carniolans and have already been bringing in pollen!  The Italians of YoMama Hive have been pollen laden, too.
“Words were her plague and words were her redemption.”
~ H. D.
“would you like my bees
you’ll need to move them quickly
so Grace came to me”
~ Raven Ariana Simons
Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Bright Bee Blessings and Namaste ~ Raven

First Flowers 2/11/15

The temple bell stops but I still hear the sound coming out of the flowers.
~Basho
Flashback – Saturday, February 11, 2012 – Candle (candle light vigil), reflection and terracotta bowl for today.
Flashback – Monday, February 11, 2013 – Here are three icicles on my neighbor’s juniper.
Flashback – Tuesday, February 11, 2014 – It is lovely to see birds at dawn 🙂
Wednesday, February 11, 2015 – Today the sun was out and also the first of the crocus.  I spied the little jumping spider, some flies, a beetle and the ladies out gathering pollen.
‘Tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes!
~ William Wordsworth
“the crocus emerge
bees blessing a sunny day
gathering pollen”
~ Raven Ariana Simons

Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Bright Bee Blessings and Namaste ~ Raven

Queen of the Wee Hours 1/2/15

“I love the silent hour of night,
For blissful dreams may then arise,
Revealing to my charmed sight
What may not bless my waking eyes.”
~ Anne Bronte
Flashback, Monday, January 2, 2012 – On the fourth of January I’ll again have photos for 2012 because this is when I began the Walk In Beauty daily photo project on Facebook.  2012 was a leap year, which blessed us with an extra day for the month to February.  Just for fun, I’ve decided I will put the pick photo for February 29, 2012 in tomorrow’s place for the January 3rd, 2012 flashback photo.
Flashback Wednesday, January 2, 2013 – This is my pick photo of the day and it stars a lavender stalk showcasing the intense orange light from the sunset filtered through polluted (inversion) air.
Flashback Thursday, January 2, 2014 -This pick photo for today stars moss that grows on a tree a couple of blocks away from my home.
Friday, January 2nd 2015 – My second flower on my zigzag cactus opened as the sun set on New Year’s Day.  I also lost a dear friend to cancer.  I waited until midnight as the fragrance filled my entire room so that I could take photos of this amazing blossom and have them for today.  This is the first year that I’ve had this cactus/succulent and was delighted to have two blooms.  The first one I missed when it was at its peak and I was only able to take photos of it the next day and I didn’t have a helper to hold a light source.  Taking the pictures I was able to get was quite tricky as I either had to hold the flashlight with my teeth or hold the camera in one hand and the flashlight in the other (not too steady, sadly).  I gave t my best shot …. literally!  Today I have Hubby to thank for staying up and patiently holding this fab little flashlight that I got as a gift 🙂
Part of the process of taking my photos is lots of prayers and gratitude!

So far, I have never edited or changed the pictures in any way.  I left them the way that the camera saw the subject and then my computer took this information in to be shared.  I am revisiting this part of my project and I might consider some editing, special effects, or other artistic possibilities when Year Four officially begins, although anything that I do in the area of “artistic possibilities” will be in addition to my regular offerings.
I hope that anyone viewing these wonderful gifts from The Great Spirit might be blessed by a further opening of their hearts to the small beauties that surround them.
I also concentrate on subjects that I find beautiful and others might not know exist.  I have found out over time that this can be especially true of the insect people and small common birds and plants that many overlook or believe to be “weeds” and “pests”.  Truly “weeds” are plants growing in places where humans don’t want them and “pests” are plants or other living creatures that might compete with or inconvenience humans.  This flower is not one of the common and unappreciated plant people (at least where I live) that humans find annoying.  In fact, people pay money for these.
“in the still of night
I came, opened, and conquered
through total beauty”
~ Raven Ariana Simons
“The world rests in the night. Trees, mountains, fields, and faces are released from the prison of shape and the burden of exposure. Each thing creeps back into its own nature within the shelter of the dark. Darkness is the ancient womb. Nighttime is womb- time. Our souls come out to play. The darkness absolves everything; the struggle for identity and impression falls away. We rest in the night.”
~ John O’Donohue
“awake or asleep…
when do you dream I was asked
walking the Dreamtime”
~ Raven Ariana Simons
Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Namaste and Dreaming Blessings ~ Raven

Swarming For National Honeybee Day 8/16/14

Flashback Thursday, August 16, 2012 – My pick photo for today stars this evening’s sunset. These colors are super dramatic and while I don’t appreciate the forest fires and heavy smoke, I can see the beauty of the colors and play of light.
Flashback Friday, August 16, 2013 – This is my pick photo for today and it stars a closer shot of two native bees in the family melissodes (possibly melissodes agilis) resting in a sunflower 🙂
Saturday, August 16, 2014 – Today is National Honeybee Day (in the USA) and people swarmed the globe to bring awareness to the decline of pollinators.  They protested and handed out information to people so that they could decide whether or not to use poisons on their lawns and gardens.  I participated.  I only have two photos of sidewalk chalk messages because I don’t want to show the humans protesting and I have some bees, honeybees and a native bee, feeding on plants at Home Depot.  Sadly these plants have been treated with systemic poisons that hurt bees called neonicitinoids.
“How could intelligent beings seek to control a few unwanted species by a method that contaminated the entire environment and brought the threat of disease and death even to their own kind?”
~ Rachel Carson
“A corporation, essentially, is a pile of money to which a number of persons have sold their moral allegiance.”
~ Wendell Berry
“Truth and beauty can still win battles. We need more art, more passion, more wit in defense of the Earth.”
~ David Brower
Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Bright Bee Blessings and Namaste ~ Raven

Camo Spider 5/16/14

Flashback Wednesday, May 16, 2012 – This is my pick photo for today, May 16th, and stars a nice close-up of an ant doing its business on a peony.

Flashback Thursday, may 16, 2013 – This is my pick photo for today and it stars one of the prettiest irises in my yard.

Friday, May 16, 2014 – Today I saw a different spider and this one was camouflaged in comfrey.  We also have a little bumblebee loaded with pollen and my resident hummingbird.

“I’m simply saying that there is a way to be sane. I’m saying that you can get rid of all this insanity created by the past in you. Just by being a simple witness of your thought processes.

It is simply sitting silently, witnessing the thoughts, passing before you. Just witnessing, not interfering not even judging, because the moment you judge you have lost the pure witness. The moment you say “this is good, this is bad,” you have already jumped onto the thought process.

It takes a little time to create a gap between the witness and the mind. Once the gap is there, you are in for a great surprise, that you are not the mind, that you are the witness, a watcher.

And this process of watching is the very alchemy of real religion. Because as you become more and more deeply rooted in witnessing, thoughts start disappearing. You are, but the mind is utterly empty.

That’s the moment of enlightenment. That is the moment that you become for the first time an unconditioned, sane, really free human being.”
~ Osho

“We carry about us the burden of what thousands of people have said and the memories of all our misfortunes. To abandon all that is to be alone, and the mind that is alone is not only innocent but young — not in time or age, but young, innocent, alive at whatever age — and only such a mind can see that which is truth and that which is not measurable by words.”
~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

“Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.”
~ Voltaire

Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Bright Bee Blessings and Namaste ~ Raven

Blue Pollen and Moss 3/14/14

Flashback Wednesday, March 14, 2012 – I love this scrub jay and his/her attitude. Her/his colors go well with the beautiful sky that we had this morning.

Flashback Thursday, March 14, 2013 – This honeybee is my pick photo for today and she is drinking from snow melt water coming out of the raised bed my son, Trevor, built for me last year for Mother’s Day. I was happy to see her and get this photo. I have another place that is a water source for the bees and other creatures out by my front porch. This area seems popular, though.

Friday, March 14, 2014 – Today I visited a shop I love that has a beautiful garden and was able to get some lovely photos of honeybees gathering blue pollen from Siberian squill, one of the few sources of blue pollen for honeybees. I also took some of fruiting moss.  I wasn’t able to get close to the honeybees because they were shy, but if you click on the photos you should be able to see the blue pollen.

These are the flowers they were collecting from.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. ”
~ Henry David Thoreau

These are the best pollen photos!

Lovely flowers!

“Aye,” said Math, “let us seek, thou and I, by our magic and enchantment to conjure a wife for him out of flowers”…And then they took the flowers of the oak, and the flowers of the broom, and the flowers of the meadowsweet, and from those they called forth the very fairest and best endowed maiden that mortal ever saw, and baptized her with the baptism they used at that time, and named her Blodeuedd.
~”Math Son of Mathonwy“, Mabinogion (Jones and Jones, 1989, p. 68). via WikiQuotes

Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Namaste ~ Raven

Covered In Pollen 3/1/14

Flashback Thursday, March 1, 2012 – I baked this lovely loaf of bread today, March 1st, and you can see poblano chiles and tomatoes in the background ready for roasting.

Flashback, Friday, March 1, 2013 – This is my pick and only photo for today and it stars my neighbor’s Buddha in the sun.

Saturday, March 1, 2014 – March has roared in like a lion with wind, thunder and rain.   I’ve always enjoyed March and today the first flowers on my street opened.  These flowers live by the Buddha from the 2013 photo.

In the afternoon before it was raining, though the wind was blowing and the sun peeped out here and there, the bees came for pollen.

The wind did not deter them nor did grey skies when the clouds covered the sun. I was lucky that the sun came out here and there as they were flying around so busily while being buffeted by the wind.

Pretty flowers in the sun with fallen hawthorn berries.

Here’s someone enjoying berries left still on the tree.

Here’s a pollen face.

This one was so covered with pollen she was trying to take shelter (though still being blown around by the wind) to try and scrape pollen into her baskets.

“Earth laughs in flowers.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Namaste ~ Raven