SHARED MUSING

Orchids

2012-02-06T13:34:00.003-05:00

I have always found orchids to be fascinating and beautiful, and every year during the long drab months of winter they call to me. Since they are a bit expensive, I have indulged in their purchase sparingly. The first couple of years I managed to kill them a few months after they bloomed. I have limited display areas in my house and either they get too much sun or not enough sun, or too much water or not enough water. In 2010 I purchased one large and two small orchids. They bloomed nicely that year and I managed to keep them alive into 2011. When more than a year had passed I assumed they would not bloom again and put them out in a sheltered place on the deck late summer. I have a hard time discarding plants that are living although unattractive, and so I brought them in when the weather turned cold. To my surprise in November they started to produce flower stalks and started blooming in December and the large one is still blooming.

I am now an orchid grower.

Snow in October

2011-10-30T12:03:00.004-04:00

I have been trying to avoid weather blogs, but sometimes Mother Nature will not allow me to ignore her. I expected a wet, fast disappearing snow fall. Instead we got this whopper of a snow storm that buried us as well as any February offering. Now as I watch outside the snow is falling off the trees and the sun is shining brightly.

The mound in the middle is a fifteen foot pear tree. I hope it comes back.

I was just not ready for this.

Photoshop Art

2011-10-27T14:09:00.014-04:00

I find creating a scene with a photoshop type program is much like painting a picture. While I have by no means mastered all its facets, it is still fun to create on the computer what I could not with just the camera. My latest panorama will illustrate the point. Due to poor near eyesight, shaky hands, somewhat less than ideal natural lighting, etc., I was unable to capture the panoramic view of the Moodna Trestle that I was after. So first I choose these two photos and adjusted them so that the approximate angle of the trestle corresponded.

I let photoshop magically merge the two photos into one panorama and adjusted the color somewhat.

I thought the dead tree limbs, etc. detracted from the composition and the sky needed more color. So I eliminated, changed and beefed up aspects of the scene until it looked right to me. I would have preferred a more interesting autumn sky, but have not yet mastered changing that.Voila! Here is my panorama of the Moodna Trestle. One thing to remember my picture will not stand up to close scrutiny when enlarged, unlike the art of a fine photographer which is not a manipulation. Perhaps someday I will master the art of composition, exposure and the myriad of other skills that go into creating a fine photograph, but for now I will create with photoshop.

Another Visit to Stonybrook

2011-10-23T18:43:00.005-04:00

Carl and I visited Stonybrook in Harriman State Park again this morning. In the short time since we were last there the trees had lost more of their leaves, the stream was running even more and had overtaken its banks in more places,and there seemed to be more trees and branches down and in the way. In general it was difficult to get pictures without extraneous trees and branches. That being said it was great to be out hiking and photographing with my son. These treks have inspired me to get in better condition for walking and climbing over rocks, and learning more about my camera and photoshop.

More Stonybrook Photos

2011-10-15T11:09:00.004-04:00

I thought I would include a few more photos from last week at Stonybrook.

Relearning Photography

2011-10-14T11:25:00.007-04:00

My son, Carl, is a fine photographer. His photographs are truly art and the ones that most fill me with awe are of our natural surroundings. Lately, he has been including me in his hikes to some of the locations I have admired, and patiently trying to teach me the mechanics that help produce good photographs. Armed with my Fuji which is nowhere as fine a camera as he uses, I have been trying to master settings, and then photoshop techniques.

We have been to Skylands, The Stone Church, Indian Falls, and last week we went to Stonybrook at Harriman State Park. I have discovered that to get some of the photos I so much admire involves climbing, balancing on rocks, and sometimes wet feet. I am not sure I am up to that yet, so my shots are from the safety of somewhat dry level ground. At Carl's urging, I am posting some of the product of our adventures.

My Summer Place

2009-08-19T14:18:00.009-04:00

My favorite place in the summer is my backyard. It is my retreat to meditate in, my wildlife preserve for bird and animal watching, my creative outlet when I am designing new beds for planting, and my exercise gym when I actually do some work.

After retiring, I (with help) built my long wished for pond. I'm sure it would be bigger and better if money were no object and the pond people had built it, but it is mine. In the spring I watch the fish emerge from their winter rest and bring life to a plain rock pond. Then gradually the plants start to grow and add more interest to the pond. I fuss with their arrangement, tweak the waterfall, and marvel at how much the fish have grown. From my perch on the deck I envision new landscaping and when in the mood I actually start new planters and borders.

When it is cool enough to forgo air conditioning, we sleep to the sound of the waterfall. In the daytime, we enjoy the antics of the fish from the shade of the umbrella on the deck, and sit by the pond during the shady morning and evening times to feed the hungry hoard. My pond is far from perfect and sometimes I plan how to enlarge it or how to add a bigger waterfall, but for now it is the center of my favorite summer place.

2009-07-26T12:35:00.009-04:00

I know I had written several blogs complaining about our winter weather, but then not much from me on this summer. That is because, contrary to most people in our area, I have thoroughly enjoyed the Seattle-like summer we have been having. It has extended my planting time well into July. The ground is usually rock-hard clay by now. The drawback of course, is the ever growing crop of weeds. I look in areas recently weeded and see those green things growing through the mulch, again! Now, I know you people with pools are not happy with the coolness of our days, but the mornings have been so cool I can sit by the pond or on the deck wearing a light jacket, then by mid-afternoon the sun's warmth takes over for a little baking between rain showers. If I knew a place with the weather like this year round, it would definitely be on my list of places I'd like to live. The weather appears to be changing to a more normal pattern of warmer, humid days and some thunderstorms, but I have definitely enjoyed our extended spring.

Watercolor #2 Revised

2009-05-12T18:56:00.004-04:00

Every time I pick up my brush I learn something new about how watercolors work. It is usually a positive experience, but sometimes an attempt at revision has an unexpected result and I need to work around the "mess" I made. On the whole I am totally enjoying this new-to-me medium.
Here, I darkened the water, ground color and shadows. I am leery of changing the sky color, as much as I'd like to, after some negative experiences putting washes over washes. I'm going to work on that on a practice sheet. If you are returnee or a beginner to making art, I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.

Second Watercolor

2009-04-10T10:55:00.007-04:00

In a marathon of creative activity I painted my picture. I was somewhat pleased with the results and set it aside to thoroughly dry. Then I scanned it into the computer to share it with you. I am quite used to editing my photos, tweaking the colors and cropping them to my liking, so looking at the painting on the computer screen was revealing. I thought the lighthouse and building were pretty good. There is a spot where the shadow should be darker on the lighthouse and another where the color of the roof should be darker, but over all it was okay. I don't know if placing the building on a lower level works for the viewer. It worked for me, but then I put it there on the "ground" below the lighthouse. The fence needs something, and I should have put it in further. I forgot about matting the picture. What I don't like most are the colors of the sky, the ground and the ocean. I would appreciate any suggestions that would improve this painting. or that I can apply to future paintings.

P.S.: I kind of like the seagulls.

Learning to Watercolor

2009-04-07T11:34:00.006-04:00

After two weeks I had borrowed and bought 10 how to watercolor books, read half of four of them and scanned the others, but still I was hesitant to try again. I know deep down that you have to use the paints to learn to watercolor, but that didn't help. Along came my favorite water colorist (and photographer), Carl at Artistic Balance, offering inspiration and challenge to join him in painting a lighthouse. He offered a lighthouse photo presized including partition lines for drawing our own version. However, this is not a simple lighthouse. It is also a large building with shadows, angles and windows, but after taking a deep breath I decided it was offered as a personal inspiration and I needed to do this. He had said a painting should not be a copy of a photo, but more our creative interpretation of it. With that in mind, in my drawing I totally changed the position of the additional building to avoid some windows and lines as I tend to have shaky hands, and the white lighthouse alone looked a little strange. I am learning a lot as I attempt my second watercolor.

1. As a former (35 years ago) painter in oils, I have trouble adjusting to the fact that you don't paint white (usually). White is the paper showing through. In oils you wouldn't leave any canvas unpainted. It is difficult to totally remove mistakes that encroach on white, shaky lines especially, without leaving marks or moving the line in a little, then a little more (the incredibly shrinking window).

2. It is best not to draw in clouds. Should you have to change their position (see #1), it is difficult to remove the pencil lines from light blue sky. Also, if using light colors draw as lightly as possible and erase thoroughly unneeded lines. They will show.

3. You should probably mix a little more of a color than you think you will need. It is difficult to get the exact same color for the other side of the picture if you run out.

4. If you are right-handed and are wearing long puffy sleeves, you should paint the lower half of the picture from left to right, not right to left. I am sure the opposite is true for you lefties.

5. I have difficulty not trying to finish a painting in one sitting (I have the same problem when reading novels). Sometimes you have to let the paint dry before you can go on. It's a good thing I'm not painting in oils, now.

6. Finally, be careful not to spatter after dipping a brush in water. You will find yourself adding seagulls all over the place.

I'll keep you informed of my learning progress and share my second painting, maybe.

FIRST WATERCOLOR

2009-03-22T21:21:00.004-04:00

Okay! Here goes! This is my first watercolor. I found it is not as easy as it looks, but it was fun. I think I should have bought better brushes and paints. I have a lot to learn about how to apply the paint and blend the colors. I'll have to read up on it more.

First Crocus

2009-03-19T11:21:00.003-04:00

I have hope.

Yesterday, the first crocus suddenly was there in full bloom. I wasn't expecting it yet, and I was distressed over the state of our yard after removing large trees damaged by the ice storm. Such a joyful moment of discovery. You know it is inevitable that spring will come, but when it appears unexpectedly it revives the spirit.

San Francisco

2009-01-27T15:45:00.007-05:00

It wouldn't be a trip to SF without driving down steep hills like this,
or walking on the beach to check out the tide pools, the seals and the surfers.

This year the weather was beautifully warm, but the water was cold.

I had trouble returning home to the frigid temperatures and the snow.

OUR GRANDDAUGHTER'S BAT MITZVAH

This trip was for a very special occasion, our granddaughter's Bat Mitzvah.

MK was wonderful. She demonstrated how well she had learned Hebrew and the Torah with poise and confidence. We were all very proud of her.

The service was followed with a luncheon and a more formal party that evening for many adults, as well as, MK's friends.

More snow

2008-12-21T17:06:00.002-05:00

Today we shoveled snow and cleaned off the car. I've had enough home time and I'm ready to go. This is the snowiest and coldest December in a while. Nature's icicles helped decorate the house.

First snow

2008-12-19T14:51:00.003-05:00

Today we are having our first significant snow fall. We expect about a foot by tonight. It may put a damper on plans for early tomorrow, but for now we are enjoying our "snow day". Once having been a teacher, a snow day the Friday before Christmas still maintains the special magic of a gift of home time and possibilities. I hope all the area's loved ones will arrive safely home and enjoy the lights and warmth of home, too.

The night the trees fell

2008-12-12T08:59:00.007-05:00

Last night we were under siege. The bombs gradually began hitting the roof around 11 PM and continued intermittently almost all night. Ice had formed too slick on the paths to walk around the house and assess what was going on. We only knew the trees were covered by thick ice and it continued to rain hard. Try as we might we could not pierce the darkness through the windows. When we opened the doors we made quick retreats from the ominous cracking sounds. Most of the bombardment of the house was from the large maple near the back corner of the house over our bedroom. After several terrifying hours we retreated to the sleep sofa in the living room, but it sounded like the trees on that side were moving in, also. So it continued until exhausted we fell asleep for an hour until the dawn exposed the battlefield.

The big tree by the house is still standing notwithstanding the loss of many branches and limbs. A section of our neighbors fence has been damaged. A large limb of my loved Magnolia has been ripped off and thrown against the front of the house. The small woods to the rear of the house seems to have many trees down, but I need to wait for the ice to melt to make that body count and see if they can untangle themselves from their grotesque shapes.

This has been a long night. I am thankful the house and it's occupants seem to have survived intact.

Ice storm addendum

2008-12-12T08:50:00.000-05:00

The sun came out for brief moments after 10 AM and gave us glorious ice pictures .

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T11:34:00.005-05:00

OUR HOST AND HOSTESS

We had a lovely Thanksgiving, satisfying in every sense of the word. Our son married a wonderful woman. On top of that, she has family to share for the holiday. I'm thankful for them. We love them as our own (maybe more). The rest of our family are either across the country or unable to travel long distances. We have so much to be thankful for. This season reminds me of this.

Now that we ate our fill, it is time to look towards Christmas: decorate, send those cards, shop, wrap and share the joy of the season.

More Fractals

2008-11-24T20:35:00.005-05:00

Peacock

Ducky

What does it say about me if I always see people, animals or things in my fractals?

Another Sunset

2008-11-22T11:02:00.001-05:00

How could I have forgotten to include the most spectacular sunset I've ever experienced. I'm not sure one photo does it justice. Each phase of this sunset was infused with a different vibrancy until nothing was left but the moon, stars and awe.

Oahu

Skies

2008-11-21T12:58:00.014-05:00

From the time of my first painting class as an adult I have become fascinated with skies. I would be driving along and be enthralled by the sky ahead. Often thinking it would look unreal if painted. Of course, the most dramatic, memorable and most often photographed are usually sunsets. I love them for their rich colors and beauty, so I thought I would share a few of my favorite sunsets

Upstate New York

New York City

San Francisco

Puerto Nuevo

Autumn's Farewell

2008-11-15T16:31:00.028-05:00

Today is a dreary, November day and it is supposed to go below freezing at night for the week. I'm mourning the ending of autumn and the inevitable approach of winter. My pond fish are taking one last exploratory swim and will soon be tucked under the ice for most of the next four months. I decided to take a lesson from Carl and see what I could find to photograph in my own backyard.

POND WITH 2 KOI - STAR AND TANGO

THE LAST OF THE AUTUMN LEAVES

Bright yellow memories

Shining through a grey day

DANCERS

2008-11-12T19:59:00.002-05:00

My Life with Computers

2008-11-12T11:19:00.005-05:00

I have a love-hate relationship with computers. When I took my first computer course there were only main frames, and so we learned flow charts and keypunch. I excelled at flow charts since I am naturally logical. Although, my husband would insist that I have many irrational moments. When my classroom acquired one of the first personal computers, a TRS-80, I was in my glory. You see, you could write programs. By today's standards, they were very simplistic. You could have little stick figures ski downhill in a race as a reward for answering questions correctly, and you could develop timed reading programs, etc. It was great! If something hung up, you could look at your little flow chart, pinpoint what the problem was and change a symbol or number so all was right again.
Somewhere along the way everything changed. We now have more working computers than people in our household. I can no longer comprehend the inner workings of my computers. They have many professionally written programs and I use most of them. I have difficulty weeding out the ones I don't need because I like the way one does this and the other does that. Every once in a while a newly acquired program will cause a glitch in another program. I am faced with choosing the one to keep since I can no longer find the conflict by looking at my flow charts. Even if I could, I would not understand the language they are written in.
My logical nature which makes me a big Sudoku fan, still takes control and makes me wrestle with a problem for days until it is solved or I give up. The other day I decided I wanted to network some of my files on all of my computers. I would get one set up, but not the other. Then, all of a sudden, one of the programs would no longer work. I tweaked, poked and deleted for many hours. Did I mention I am stubborn? Finally, by late last night I no longer had to put a picture on a flash drive and carry it down stairs to photoshop it. I could view my recorded TV programs on any computer. Most of all, everything worked! I went peacefully to sleep. Of course, I haven't tried it this morning just in case those computer gremlins invaded my computers again.

P.S. In which case I will probably break down and call my very talented son.

Fractals

2008-11-08T23:03:00.004-05:00

What fun!! Fractals are computerized abstract art. I will be trying this again.
Thanks Carl and Janice for the "how to" info.

Mothers and Daughters

2008-11-06T16:01:00.026-05:00

My friend leaned close and asked, "Do you have trouble sleeping through the night?"

I answered, "Of course. I wake up between 1 and 3 and have trouble getting back to sleep."

(I'm not sure whether or not this is an affect of not having to get up at six A.M. since retiring.)

My friend said, "I keep thinking about my mother. I wish I had known what she was going through."

This spoke to my own sadness over my mother. My mother is still alive in a nursing home, but her mind is no longer clear. I recently delved into her life while making sense of those accumulated family photos without names and dates. I realized there was much disappointment in her life. I did not feel particularly close to my mother, even though we spent many family weekends and vacations together. Today she gives me a smile that lights up her face and says, "I love you." I am grateful even for this. I remember mostly criticism as a youngster, although I assume she must have loved me as her child. We rarely had meaningful conversations or shared our thoughts. We didn't even have real arguments.

My friend said, "If I had known maybe we could have helped."

I related a time in my mother's life when in retrospect she had said she had barely enough to get by. Although she joined us every Sunday for dinner, I had no idea.

My friend said, "It must have been a generational thing that our mother's didn't share their lives."

I am reminded of my mother, in one of her lucid moments, saying of her mother, "She didn't deserve the troubles in her life." I wasn't aware of these either. Some came to light only years after my grandmother passed away. If my mother and grandmother discussed their lives, I was not included.
********************* I GUESS IT WAS A GENERATIONAL THING ********************

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN

2008-11-05T16:12:00.002-05:00

Congratulations America! Yesterday, individually we cast our votes, and together we elected the first black president of the United States. This accomplishment is most outstanding because he could not have been elected by only one race. It took Americans of all races to see the worth of the man and respond to the hope he offers for a brighter future.

Fall Back

2008-11-02T14:47:00.000-05:00

This is the day when we turn the clocks back or, rather, we are given the gift of an hour to do what pleases us. When I was working and much busier or would socialize to whee hours, the hour would be cherished for extra sleep, but now I enjoy thinking of the possibilities that an uncommitted hour holds and cherish the possibilities. I could enjoy hot coffee on the deck and listen to the birds announce the dawn and watch as the darkness disappears slowly into light, or I could enjoy the sweet stillness of the house and, perhaps, meditate. I could write, or work on my photography, or even read. There are so many enjoyable possibilities that I think I will consciously give myself an hour every day just to be me.

Fleeting Moments

2008-10-29T09:51:00.000-04:00

OCTOBER SNOW

The weather here yesterday was awful. The wind blew in strong gusts. The rain drummed against the windows, and we even had some snow showers. Areas further north had some accumulating snow. October is much too early for snow here. I haven't even dug up the dahlia bulbs to be stored until spring. There is a lesson in nature's unexpected turns. That scene I drove by and said I'd capture tomorrow is not the same. The rich colors are faded yellow and brown. The beauty of some moments must be captured and felt as they present themselves. Their ethereal quality makes them impossible to preserve forever except in our minds or hearts. Store up moments of beauty, really see and feel them. They change by tomorrow.

Autumn's Paradox

2008-10-26T11:04:00.001-04:00

When Autumn arrives I can feel my innards cringing with dread, but at the same time my eyes are dazzled by the fleetingly vibrant world. Sadness and joy grip me in painful confusion. I run outside with camera in hand hoping to capture the dazzling sights before they fade and bemoan the wind that carried so many leaves from their perch. Cold comes creeping in putting garden plants to rest and taking my pond from friend to icy harbor of my almost still koi. No longer do they gather at my feet splashing and dancing for the food I bring. I, too, begin the pulling back from my outer world and seek the warmth and comfort of fire and home.

FIRST POST

2008-10-25T20:03:00.000-04:00

This is my first post on my first blog. Since I'm not sure where I'm going with this, it may not be indicative of future blogs. As an artist I dabbled in oils and photography over the years, but today my medium is digital photography. I will be posting some of the photographs that particularly speak to me and I may, also, share those snapshots that illustrate a post. I did some writing in my college years and have the rejection slips to prove it. I know many people say they have at least one novel in them waiting to be written, but mine are more vignettes or short stories. I doubt I will ever write THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL. Many of the blogs I have visited have blown me away with the talent and wit they display. I hope in time to achieve their status as a blogger.