Ducks and Cranes and Goslings … Oh My – a Sunday Stills Adventure

For Terri’s Sunday Stills let’s have a little feathery fun. My Grandmother called me her Little Feather when I was small, because I danced like a feather in the wind, everywhere I went so I’ve always rather had a thing for feathered friends. My apologies for any repeats, I am sans computer currently, my laptop bit the dust and we’re have trouble with the new replacement. So I’m working off of my cellphone. Yikes 😳

A sord of mallards make themselves right at home. We have a pair that are too old to fly and stay year round. These are younger, seasonal residents. At last count they numbered 23 drake’s. Yep the young whippersnappers are all boys. Figures 😉

It was cloudy for this shot, and I don’t seem to have much in the way of photo editing available at the moment, but this Great Blue Heron is a frequent visitor here and he was standing so majestically. Like he was saying “is this my best side”

Spring is all about life and renewal. We have a single breeding pair of Canadian geese who summer here at our tiny lake. For the past couple of years they have nested here and this year was no exception. I watched intently as they built their floating nest, then about a week ago, both parents started flapping and fussing at the nest site and shortly 7 little puffballs emerged. We watched as they took their first swim and the next day they had found their way to our tree, out of the sun. Sigh … I love little baby things.

A young Robin hopped by to say hello. I referred to them as South Dakota Roadrunners because we so seldom saw them fly. Mostly they just zip along on the grass, pausing to search for a juicy worm.

A bird sculpture at the Rapid City airport. Fitting isn’t it?

Also linking up today to John bo’s cellpicsunday since all of these were taken with my cellphone as I don’t have access to my archives. And Marsha’s #PPAC for the lovely airport sculpture.

Til next time — be kind to each other — JP

On a Spring morning

Staring out the window, watching the waning flower moon play peek-a-boo behind a marbled sky. A crane slowly drifts across the lake, the subtle grace of his flight belies the power in his wings.

Above a great blue heron who is a frequent visitor here at Castle Serenity. Til next time, be kind to each other –JP

Sunday Stills – some aquatic teal adventures

For Terri’s Sunday Stills where our monthly color challenge isTeal or Aqua. Hmmm … water seems to be a natural, and perhaps skies, but let’s start with some aquatic adventures from around the world.

Broad Bay, New Zealand on the Otago Harbour coast of the Otago Penninsula. The morning haze casts reflections on sky and water tinting everything teal and leaving only the green hillsides to separate the two.

An Australian Coot swims lazily in the brilliant teal waters of Lake Wakatipu, near Queenstown, NZ.

Some aqua-colored umbrellas on a rainy day at the Otowa Waterfalls at Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, Japan. The waters are said to have wish-granting powers and we were told that to drink from the “pure waters” for which the temple is named would ensure prosperity and long life. Obviously, we stood in line on this rainy day and partook with joy.

Aqua and teal colored sky and water combine into a beautiful seascape on a cloudy day in Kapaa, Island of Kauai, Hawaii. Why yes, I do have many, many (like hundreds) of shots of this particular piece of driftwood taken over the course of our seven trips. 😉

Drawing closer to home we find the breathtaking teal waters of Crater Lake, Oregon. Some 7,700 years ago a violent volcanic eruption caused the collapse of Mount Mazama in what is now southern Oregon. The ensuing lake is fed by rain and snow and is the deepest lake in the USA. It is also the cleanest and purest as there are no inlets or outlets for water from the lake. Here we looked out from a forested trail, you can see “Phantom Ship Island” rising up out of the lake.

Even though it’s not aquatic in nature this bit of Public Art captured my attention for the PPAC 46. A teal painted buffalo statue in Custer, SD. These painted buffalos appear in many places in the Black Hills, as well as the live ones.

That’s it from Castle Serenity for now. Til next time, remember “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” ~Frank Lloyd Wright

~Sending you good vibes ~JP

Sunday Stills – As Spring Emerges

For Terri’s Sunday Stills where our prompt is “Emerging”

If we were having coffee at Natalie’s weekend coffee share, I’d tell you that we’re spending May emerging from our winter hibernation mode into a much more active Spring mode. Lots of yard work to be done as I recover from a rather nasty autoimmune flare. 😉 Then we’d spend some time reminiscing about Springs past and I’d share some photos and memories. Let’s take a walk around Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota and see what emerges.

Waiting for the Cliff Swallows to emerge from their nests. They build mud nests under eaves and cliff faces. Here a couple of nests under the eaves at the Wildlife Loop Visitor Center in Custer State Park, Custer South Dakota.

Two humans emerging from a wooded trail are treated to a new perspective of fire damage. In December 2017, 50 mph wind gusts knocked over a telephone pole which sparked and started the Legion Lake Fire. Before it could be contained the fire burned over 54,000 acres of our beloved Custer State Park and sparked several minor fires in the area. This overlook above the once lush valley brought tears to the eye. But the forest will recover, as forests always do bringing more life and restoring balance.

An outstanding reminder that life will always find a way, tiny wild violets emerge from a crack in a huge boulder on Sylvan Lake, Custer, South Dakota.

As we prepare to depart Custer, a wee bitty bunny emerges from the cover of the shrubbery near the parking lot, another reminder that Spring is the season of birth and renewal.

Returning home, I came across this Allium just emerging from it’s bud ready to burst forth in welcome with it’s spectacular purple bloom.

Of course, we couldn’t really emerge from winter into spring without one of these spectacular South Dakota sunrises, taken at Hart Ranch, Rapid City, SD.

That’s it from Castle Serenity this week, til next time

~May the wind be always at your back ~JP

Thoughtful Thursday – May Activities

I am finally starting to feel a little more like myself an so there’s a flurry of activity here at Castle Serenity. I have finally admitted that after 2:30 pm I might just as well pack it in and do crafts or something else not strenuous as the afternoon fatigue bogey zaps me. I had this idea to get myself a surprise box subscription. One of my grandpuppies gets a bark box, the daughter gets a human bark box from FabFitFun and it seemed like a really cool idea. BUT, the thing is I’m not at all sure I’m willing to spend $20 – $75 per month on “stuff” no matter how cool the “stuff” is. I mean, really, I have enough “stuff” more than enough truth be told. So, I have began curating my own activities box where I pick a theme and toss stuff in from my craft stash, my “I’m gonna use this someday” stash and other various “stuff” that I want/need to use up. My challenge is to find something to do with all the items in the box by the end of the month. A peek at May’s activity box:

May color focus – Turquoise/Teal thanks to Terri’s Sunday Stills color challenge for this inspiration.

Floral rubber stamp
coloring pages, flowers and swirls
dream box from mint tin craft, lots of stickers and “Legend of the Dreambox” card
Self love card
“I am Beautiful” sigil card
Mountable photo print
misc. small scrapbook papers
lots of ephemera for journaling
culinary – dried thyme
breathwork exercise card
hair product samples
May treat – Candied Hibiscus Flowers
MP3 album Llewellyn – Moon Spells, several other MP3 songs courtesy of my local library via Freegal
E-books – The Vintage Housekeeper’s Circle by Alison May — from my Kindle Collection

So those are the goodies I’m working with this month. I’ll be working on my reading list, playlist, menu plans, outings and nature based activities soon. So what are your big plans for May? Do you post regular monthly activities? If so leave me a link in the comments and I’ll be sure to check them out.

Til next time ~May your spoons be plentiful ~JP

Sunday Stills and PPAC – Diamond and Quartz

Terri’s wonderful Sunday Stills prompt for this week is “quarts, diamonds.” I admit, I had a bit of a time coming up with something. I’m just NOT a diamonds kind of girl and ironically although I’m a rock hound, clear quartz does not exactly abound in my collections.

I’m cutting it fine on this deadline, but I really, really worked on the quartz/diamond theme. I’ve been sick since returning from the mad dash to South Dakota. I’ve rebounded somewhat from the virus, but am still on steroids and nebulizers for the breathing part of it. But hey, I’m out of bed and awake. I even went outside for a bit today. 🙂 I’m also including some public art works so I’m gonna link up to Marsha’s PPAC. First the art

Opaque quartz happy cats greet us in Taipei, Taiwan in the underground mall near the train station. They’re actually carved of marble but the milky color lends them a quartz feel to me.

Because I always ask myself the question “what constitutes public art?” I fell in love this the side of this building in Christ Church, NZ. Architecture can also be art and I adore the diamond shaped window vent coverings.

This tiny fairy house lies in a stone retaining wall of someone’s home in Queenstown, NZ and to me, that is the epitome of public art, the artistic bits of our selves we sneak into public life for the attentive passerby to enjoy. Love those diamond windows.

Now, the not precisely art but still really cool quartzy diamondy shots:

Milky quartz Koi greedily feeding on tourist tidbits in Kyoto Japan. They will come completely out of the water for a pellet of fish food from the local vendor.

A tiny quartz-colored sand crab on a beach of tiny sparkling stones in Kapaa, Hawaii. He is about the size of my thumbnail.

The sun beat down casting a million diamond glints on the snow and the tiny diamond ripples of the Yampa River near Steamboat Springs, CO.

The diamond peak of Chimney Rock towers 480 feet above the North Platte River Valley. This massive natural monument guided the followers of the Oregon Trail during the westward expansion of the 19th century.

“Stars shine like diamonds on the black-velvet throat of the night sky.”

Finally, from my collection, a couple of beautiful crystalline quartz points on black velvet. I’m off to make a cup of mullein tea.

Til next time ~Sparkle darling, sparkle ~JP

Monday Musings – Spoon deficit and women in art

It’s been a week dear friends and my bones are feeling every hour of it. Most of it was spent traveling. Now I’d like to tell you that it was a fun little spring break trip, I’d really, really like to tell you that. Buttttt… it was a “quick” trip to take care of final business transferring our remaining South Dakota property.

We spent six of seven days traversing 2700 miles of misery known as “Interstate across the Great Plains States”. We battled scenic boredom, road fatigue, rain, sleet, snow, and 70 mph wind gusts. I ran out of spoons on day 2 and have been running on spoon deficit ever since.

Make no mistake, spoon deficit is real, and it’s ugly, sleep is no cure and the effects can stretch on for weeks or months. For me, it involves flu-like symptoms including muscle aches, joint pain, fever, chills, and a wracking cough that puts childhood croup to shame. Ahhh well, eventually my immune system will stop it’s current tantrum. In the meantime, I’ve put together a few bits of Public Art for Marsha’s PPAC. I loved Marsha’s review last week of “Women in Public Art” and thought I’d follow suit. So here are a few shots I’ve collected of women in public art.

Advantages of Being a Woman Artist – Guerilla Girls Poster Art 1988

Here a crappy shot of a piece of paper art from the Te Papa museum in Wellington, NZ. The poor focus is a result of incredibly brilliant lighting, smudgy glass overlay and a seriously old cell phone camera. My apologies but it still makes the point. I think my favorite is the first reason “working without the pressure of success.” 😉

Lady Octopus Queens Garden Invercargill, NZ

Here “Lady Octopus” in Invercargill, NZ an interesting interpretation of feminine form. I have always found it fascinating that less than 11% of art in US museums comes from female artists, yet over 85% of human “nudes” art are female in form. Not sure if that’s a compliment to the divine feminine or just gender bias. Ah well, a topic for another post.

Lady of the Woods, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon US

Here’s another interpretation of feminine form in the “Lady of the Woods” sculpture at Crater Lake, Oregon, US. Carved by Dr. Earl Russell Bush in October 1918. It took Dr. Bush just 11 days to create his homage to the beauty of the forest around him out of the huge volcanic boulder using tools he convinced a Corps of Engineers blacksmith to make for him. “This statue represents my offering to the forest, my interpretation of its awful stillness and repose, its beauty, fascination, and unseen life. A deep love of this virgin wilderness has fastened itself upon me and remains today. It seemed that I must leave something behind …. if it arouses thought in those who see it, I shall be amply repaid.”

Wouldst that “Dignity” were that easy to find. 😉

And finally, “Dignity” a 50-foot tall stainless steel sculpture by Dale Claude Lamphere depicts an Indigenous woman in plains-style dress receiving a star quilt. According to Lamphere, “Dignity represents the courage, perseverance and wisdom of the Lakota and Dakota culture in South Dakota. My hope is that the sculpture might serve as a symbol of respect and promise for the future.”

Many thanks to Marsha for the challenge and her inspiration that got me off my spoonie butt today. And, even though it’s not Sunday, I’m gonna link up to Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday since “Dignity” and “Women Artists” were both shot with various cell phones. 😉

Til next time ~Stay rooted in the ground but keep reaching for the stars ~JP

Talk to the Hand – a Fandango Friday Flashback Challenge

Time for Fandango’s Friday Flashback challenge with a glance back at April 1, 2020 during the lockdown/self quarantine phase of the pandemic. Just as an aside, yeah that’s still oh so me. 🙂

Me grocery shopping

Til next time ~Stay safe, stay sane, stay sanitized ~JP

Urban Beauty – a Sunday Stills Perspective

For Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge where our prompt this week is “urban.” OK, wow, this is interesting. I’m kind of the anti-urbanite. I don’t really like cities and as much as I do love theater, symphony and ballet, I abhor traffic, light pollution, asphalt and crowds. I don’t even like going into “town” to Lexington, Kentucky. A small city of approximately 320,000. Still, I have visited many, many urban areas in several countries. One thing I have found the world over is that beauty is there, you just have to look for it.

Here Penny Alley in Mountain Home, ID. The alley walls run for about three blocks and are covered by various forms of art from this hand print exhibition to:

this more intricate reminder that adventure is out there, and so is beauty.

Here in Kyoto Japan, a mural discreetly conceals a pedestrian walk way between stores.

In Osaka Japan, I simply looked down to find these beautifully cast decorative manhole covers.

Here in Tianmu Taiwan the Little Free Library makes for an adorable and friendly bit of urban art.

Here a fabulous bit of storefront art in Christ Church, NZ. I couldn’t quite get a shot of the home next door but if you look behind the gate to the left of the screen, you’ll see some fanciful graffiti art.

And finally, I’m going to close with a small excerpt from one of the few cities in the world that I have ever truly enjoyed every minute of my stay in. Wellington, NZ. The blend of old and modern architecture, the ethnic diversity, the art, the ocean, the public transportation, the people, combined to put it on the very short list of “cities” I would consider living in.

Also linking up to Marsha’s PPAC Public Art Challenge

Hope you enjoyed this mini world tour of urban art, that’s all from Castle Serenity for this week.

Til next time ~ There is beauty everywhere for those who are willing to look for it ~JP