following the bloom

There is so much happening in the garden and landscape right now that I hope you will indulge me in one more blog featuring flowers.  Despite the year's relative lack of precipitation, which to date is just above three inches, some of it fell at the perfect time for wildflowers to take note and make a grand appearance.  Along with the blue flax, gaillardia seeds were part of a wildflower mix used to recover areas along New Mexico highways.

The gaillardia are making quite the splash and butterflies have taken notice.

The spits and spats of rain that have fallen also helped the garden flowers, such as this bloom on a clematis vine.

Although the blue flax is on the wane, there are still some jewels in the mix.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

gentle

For much of the United States (and the world for that matter) last week was a wild ride, not only politically, but when it comes to weather.  Some areas had soaking and flooding rains as well as tornadoes and waterspouts, while others had scorching heat and relentless dust.  We had spits and spurts of rain, lightning and thunder.  The wind was our constant friend.  Despite it all, the lettuce and spinach in the raised beds are content and growing, and the tomatoes are doing their best, even with the low of 37 degrees Fahrenheit this morning.

This morning's blog is a reflection of the need to seek gentleness in nature.  I find these three images particularly easy on the eyes and soul.  The first is a shot of columbines near Taos Ski Valley.

I never tire of viewing grass collecting dew.

water lily at Sunrise Springs, south of Santa Fe

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

Valentine's Day, part deux

You know me well enough by now that you also are aware of the fact that almost anything you give me will often be photographed in some fashion, and that some of those photographs will appear on my Monday blog.  So this morning, I lift my glass to Cristina and Ben who brought a lovely flower arrangement when they came for brunch last week.

Despite their size and perhaps because of it, the Gerber daisies are the most delicate, and I knew they would need to be photographed first.  Here they are in all their glory.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

A rose is a rose

I am an avid collector of quotations.  Despite having one notebook and an exploding folder packed with sheets and pieces of paper full of depth and pith, I find more every day.  The brilliance and absurdity of human beings can both be found in the written equivalents of sound bites.  No one was better at structuring brevity than Gertrude Stein.  One of my favorites is ""There ain't no answer. There ain't gonna be any answer. There never has been answer. That's the answer."

She is also known for another snippet "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose" from Sacred Emily, written in 1913.  The problem with concise and absolute statements is they beg deeper analysis.  A rose is a rose and each is the same at its core, but like humans, each has many facets.
 

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image