• Plants/Nature,  quotes

    Wild Columbine

    May 8, 2009
    Wild Columbine

    “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”

    Maya Angelou

    The above image of a Wild Columbine was taken at Blendon Woods Garden near the visitors information building. This beautiful woodland wildflower has showy, drooping, bell-like flowers equipped with distinctly backward-pointing tubes, similar to the garden Columbines. These tubes, or spurs, contain nectar that attracts long-tongued insects especially adapted for reaching the sweet secretion. European Columbine (A. vulgaris), with blue, violet, pink, or white short-spurred flowers, was introduced from Europe and has now become well established in many parts of the East. It is different from its cousin, the Colorado Blue Columbine, which I am familiar with in that it droops downward while the Colorado Blue Columbine  tips upward. It is a beautiful flower.

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  • National Parks,  quotes,  Religion/Spirituality

    Solitude is in the Present

    May 6, 2009
    Empty Bench in Shenandoah National Park

    “Solitude is not something you must hope for in the future. Rather, it is a deepening of the present, and unless you look for it in the present you will never find it.”

    Thomas Merton

    As time has move on and my age has increased I joyfully welcome my times of solitude. We can create a place in our homes to sit in quiet solitude to start and end our days. With our busy and noisy world I also seek to find places outside the community of cities and towns. I can find these places in our parks, both local and national. To some this bench may seem lonely while shrouded by fog but it is offering rest to anyone who wishes to sit. 

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  • Metro Parks,  People/Portraits

    Mother and Daughter

    May 5, 2009
    At Frog Pond

    I needed some space and quiet today so I headed for Inniswood Gardens. It wasn’t the quiet I wanted as they were busy working on some of the park.  A Bobcat was whirling around and a saw was whirring through timber. Not to be turned down I ventured deeper into the wooded area on the path to find the quiet. Ahhh! On the way back to the car I discovered this mother and daughter at the Frog Pond. They are looking a two turtles sun bathing on a log just below them. You can see the larger of the two turtles just to the left of the yellow flower and its reflection. I like how the young girl is telling her mom something and using her arms to add emphasis to her story. Yes, I know it’s pretty harsh light but I like the image.

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