Branches

The snow is deep.  Above my knees when I venture into the yard to explore the snow, the ice, the branches.  Although I am a bit averse to getting snow all over my jeans, I couldn't resist investigating what was happening with the trees as the sun hit all those tenacious clumps of snow just hanging on.  So I waded in.  When I got back inside, I had fun just playing with the shapes, the light as it filtered through the maze of snowy tentacles and small ice crystals.  Yes, spring will come with all its flowers and green and vibrant colors.   For now we'll just have to settle for branches.  

Well, branches and a marble.

Don't Give Up

This has been a very challenging winter here in Minnesota.  And then, some hope.  Two days in a row over 40 degrees.  But wait, what is this?  A snowstorm brewing, the worst of the season?   Followed by a return of the vortex?  Yes, it's discouraging, but for today, a snow day, the world is so very beautiful.  Calming.  Quiet.  The brilliant clean white snow against dark tree bark.  I love the random patterns of the criss-crossing branches.  The gentle surrender of the overladen trees.  

The fairy crowns are drooping a bit today.  Not a judgment, just an observation.

I took this photo of the crows.  But the glowing branch at the top of the frame is a bit puzzling.  Enchantment at work?  I'll go with that.

Working title: Isolation

 

And today's new Jeopardy topic: Things You Find in a Cat Bowl

You might think that there are not enough different 

questions for the answer:  Things you find in a cat bowl.  

I can assure you, there are.

  

What is the discarded elastic band from the newspaper?

What is a fuzzy grey mouse?

What is a sock?  Umm, this might be a good question for the answer:  Places those missing socks go!

What is the coveted plastic ring from the milk bottle?

What is a fuzzy mouse and a plastic cap and a coveted ring?

What is:  Will someone please feed the cat????

What is a dinosaur?

 What is one mouse?

What are two mice?

What are two mice and one mouse that got away?

What are three mice?  

I wonder who is doing this!  Is it the pixies?  A house fairy?  What?

What are four mice?   A new record in the Cat Bowl.

What is a cap, a shoelace and a tongue?

Oh, and what is cat food?  

( All photos in this blog are real.  No cats or pixies were harmed in the making of this post.)

Great start to a creative year

Promised myself that this year I would spend more time working on creative ventures.  Designing and crafting things that would be around for a bit.  Making something original.  Something that is beautiful, fanciful, unique and hopefully a bit quirky. 

And lucky for me, here comes Valentine's Day.  Calling for lots of red and sparkles and romance.  Of course we have to keep things in perspective and not stray too far from enchantment.  Not all hearts and flowers.  Here there be dragons, but some hearts too.  

Sometimes it's fun just to play

Yesterday I took a few photos while visiting the conservatory.  Today I decided to take some time to go back with a camera instead of a phone, take my time, and really see what I could see.  Back home again looking at the hundred-plus photos I'd taken, I decided to just play with them.  I discovered that playing is a lot of fun.  Gotta try it more often.

The Fern Room:  A sauna with plants.  A wonderful start.

An orchid display.  Ribbons for the best.  I don't know how they chose.  All of them were magical.

Which way would you choose?  

I think the fish were trying to tell me something.  Unfortunately, it appears I can't hear at their frequency.  I hope there isn't anything sinister going on.  Colonel Mustard with a fish hook in the conservatory.

Some creatures just need no manipulation to make themselves interesting.

Careful cropping can often direct the eye to images of particular interest, like this little goblin who was turned into a flower.

Less can be more.

She said she wanted her ruffles accentuated.  I think it works.

The flower in the foreground is lovely, but whatever is happening in the back, I like that too.  

Wanted to get a photo of this turtle yesterday.  It was too crowded to really get a good shot.  Thank goodness he hadn't moved.  

Hmmm.  Not telling.

I  feel a very strong urge to get a pencil 

and try to get out of the maze.  

It's extremely peaceful watching fish.  Do they feel it too?  Could they zip around making sharp turns, sudden stops?  I think so.  Yet they choose to slide along, slipping past over and over again.  Eyeing me as they swim by.  We share a moment.  I walk on, thinking about getting back to the rest of my day.  And they just glide by again.