Swirling Eddies - Rachel

Sometimes when life is in disarray, and the unexpected continues to pummeling you from both sides, it is important to remember that there is beauty to be found in the swirling eddies and a still and beautiful pond waiting to give you respite, just around the bend of the river.

Morning, Glorious Morning - Rachel

I just loved the way the sunlight was radiating from the center of this Morning Glory... how appropos a name! What a glorious bloom!

Butterfly Love - Rachel

Roar! - Rachel

We spent today at one of my favorite places, Adventure Playground, where the kids build, paint, create and have fun. I loved this find... looking into the maw of the ferocious beast and finding his lunch.

Brown Stalks - Rachel

There is simply something that appeals to me in this brown stalk. It reminds me a bit of a firework burst. What do you think?

Dare I Eat... -Rachel

Okay, so in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" it was a peach... these pears kept calling to me and oh, but for a single bite. Reluctantly I followed the rules and did not eat of this forbidden fruit... perhaps next time.

Noticing - Rachel

Has there ever been a time when something which you had never paid any significant attention to suddenly became relevant? Have you then had the experience of noticing it in abudance thereafter? This sage is my "noticed" object for the year: I first noticed it growing in the planters near my parking lot at work. It was an interesting form, and it really spoke to me. Now, I have been working at my job for 12 years, and for the past 6 of those years I have walked past this plant whenever I have traveled car-office-car at work, but it only peaked my notice in April of this year. Since that time I have purchased a plant and NOW I see them everywhere. Here I've gotten up close and personal with my friend the sage.

As a side note, a VERY dear friend of mine has just moved to Ohio, just outside Cleveland. Had you asked me 5 weeks ago to list everything I knew about Ohio I wouldn't have been able to fill a 3x5 card with facts (hmmm, their baseball team is the Indians, football is the Browns, Cleveland, Toledo, WKRP in Cincinnati - OUT), now that it's relevant Ohio, and more specifically Cleveland, shows up everywhere (tv, bumperstickers, ice cream postings on Facebook). Ohio has been made relevant and now I am noticing.

An interesting aside - at least to me - this is a Cleveland Sage, native to California. See, there they are again.

Seasons of the Windows - Rachel

When we visited Filoli in April we found this lovely window - I for one couldn't resist it with its elegant tulips filling its frame. I really like the image - the colors and shapes, that snaking vine. I also happen to know that if you look back to mid-April in this blog you will find Lori Singer's photo of this window, but taken from the interior of the room, a great capture. So upon our return this month I sought to photograph this window again. Now, midsummer, the graceful tulips have been replaced by impatiens, and upon further inspection (placing both photos in my view) I see that I have gotten the spring window's sibling, not simply its summer incarnation. Still, it's a nice window... I'll have to visit it again and see who graces it in fall.

Behold, Summer - Rachel

I adore summer with it's long, bright, lazy days and happy children. Marigolds, the bright orange of the blazing summer sun, warm me; I bask. Cool blue of the pool, it

beckons me to dive in, revitialize and refresh. I wish I could live the summer life all year.

Peace of Nature - Rachel

Oodles of time, here. :-0 Well, at the very least it's 1:25 am and I'm trying to keep a semi-regular posting going.

This weekend I had the pleasure of camping with my family; here's my darling daughter's creation. I am proud to say that she would like to spread a message of peace everywhere she goes.

Before and After - Rachel

Last evening was my daughter's promotion from 4th grade. A dear friend was kind enough to snap a family photo for us (thanks Mere!) and here's the before and after photoshop. I cropped it, removed some of the fencing and gave the background a gaussian blur. I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Eye to the Kaleidoscope - Rachel

I love Kaleidoscopes... they're such a unique and great way to view things. Simple buttons, rods and bits become magical when reflected upon themselves.

Drive By Dunbarton - Rachel

This commuter's day is never done until I've slogged across a bridge, often in stop and go traffic. Thankfully the view is sometimes enjoyable. Here's a view from the Dunbarton Bridge approach (eastbound). On days like this one I wish more than anything to be able to pull aside and explore the landscape. Oh, and those early mornings when the sun is cresting over Mt. Hamilton (or perhaps it's Mission Peak) and the bay and marshes are alive with golden light... oh to have the initiative to rise early on a day I DON'T have to commute, take my bike and my camera and ride across the bridge at dawn. Someday...

Spring Springs, At Last - Rachel

It was a fine warm spring weekend - heck, it might have even qualified as a summer weekend given the lovely warm weather of Saturday and Sunday. Just the kind of weather that inspires me to post a pretty flower and dream of basking in the sun and enjoying the breeze. I am guessing that this is a California native flower, but I couldn't tell you the name... Lori?

It's Always Darkest - Rachel

There's the old adage: "It's always darkest before the dawn", well, I've been thinking on this saying and wondering what it says about sunset. Sunsets are like a nightly lightshow, sometimes glamourous and full of color and othertimes subtle, a wan goodbye, but always the last hurrah of the dying light. On the evening that I took this photo I was compelled to pull off the freeway and seek a spot from which to shoot. I hesistated posting it because while the sky seemed inspired, I'm feeling anything but. I've not posted an image for a while and am not sure that the absence is noticed, I'm feeling a bit sunset-ish and hoping that the night isn't too long.

Bird Lamp - Rachel

I simply couldn't resist this robin, beak laden with a worm (prior to the photo) s/he landed atop this lamp and posed. Looking at the light it appears there may be a nest inside the lamp housing... perhaps s/he was heading home for the evening.

Spring Falls - Rachel

Corlieu Falls, Lewis Creek Trail, Oakhurst, CA.
I've been busy and I went hiking over the weekend and have missed several postings. This could be a slippery slope if I'm not cautious. For now I'll post a picture of the Corlieu Falls... more hiking shots to come.

Feeling Springy- Rachel

It's such a lovely spring day today that I couldn't help but post a flower. I'm not sure what flower she is, but I like her.

Birthday Bloom - Rachel

A dear friend is having a birthday tomorrow and so I was working on creating her card this evening. Here's what I came up with.

So Tired I Can't Even Think Of a Title - Rachel

I've just gotten home from work and am EXHAUSTED, so I'm revisiting my oil and water pictures. I've been looking at this one for a while now, playing with different crops and I notice that it becomes a different image depending on where I draw the lines. Okay, I can not think for a moment longer and my power to use the English language is slipping away, so I'll just allow the image to speak for me.