Monday, May 25, 2009

Shades of Spring

Below are a few random photos taken over the last couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy them.


Now every field is clothed with grass, and every tree with leaves; now the woods put forth their blossoms, and the year assumes its gay attire. ~ Virgil
Crab Apple trees are in full bloom at my neighbourhood park. (please click to enlarge)





"There'll be trains of blossoms.
There'll be trains of music.
There'll be trains of trust, trains of golden dust.
Come along and surry on sweet trains of thought.
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic."
~ Laura Nyro (The 5th Dimension)
A picnic table, bathed in late afternoon sunlight, sits under a canopy of blossoms. (please click to enlarge)





"There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more." ~ George Byron
One of the many pretty sights along the shoreline of my local pond. (please click to enlarge)





"The blue and bright-eyed floweret of the brook,
Hope's gentle gem, the sweet Forget-me-not." ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The Forget-me-not -tiny, blue wild flowers with memories. (please click to enlarge)





"A barrel full of certainties won't roll very far." ~ Gerd de Ley
We looked around at a vintage market situated in an old mill. At least one dozen large rooms housed collectibles, antiques, jewelery and crafts. (please click to enlarge)





"Just an old stone house by a river, and the door without any key.
Just a friendly place for a friendly face. Just an old stone house and me."
~ Alec Wilder
I liked the colours of this weathered boat in front of the blue window frames of the old stone mill. (please click to enlarge)





"And then, looking down into reflection, I would see my own round face and frizzled hair against a featureless blue sweep, and think instead that the puddle was the entrance to another sky. If I stepped in there, I would drop at once, and keep on falling, on and on, into blue space." ~ Diana Gabaldon (Voyager)
Looking down into a puddle, the trees were growing tall and deep. (please click to enlarge)





“Cedars are terribly sensitive to change of time and light - sometimes they are bluish cold-green, then they turn yellow warm-green - sometimes their boughs flop heavy and sometimes float, then they are fairy as ferns and then they droop, heavy as heartaches.” ~ Emily Carr
Just one week earlier, this greenery gave us Fiddleheads as a side dish for dinner one night. It didn't take them long to unfurl and grow tall beside the cedars. (please click to enlarge)





“I knew, of course, that trees and plants had roots, stems, bark, branches and foliage that reached up toward the light. But I was coming to realize that the real magician was light itself.” ~ Edward Steichen
Take a closer look at how beautiful they are in the late day sunshine. (please click to enlarge)





"Wish that I were a yellow bird.
I'd fly away with you.
But I am not a yellow bird.
So here I sit, nothin' else to do."
~ Marilyn (Keith) Bergman
A little Goldfinch watches us from the branches of a tree. (please click to enlarge)





“It gives one a sudden start in going down a barren, stony street, to see upon a narrow strip of grass, just within the iron fence, the radiant dandelion, shining in the grass, like a spark dropped from the sun” ~ Henry Ward Beecher
Dandelions are much more attractive when they're not taking over our lawns. (please click to enlarge)





"Light up your face with gladness.
Hide every trace of sadness,
Although a tear maybe ever so near.
That's the time you must keep on trying.
Smile - what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile,
If you'll just smile.
~ Charlie Chaplin
The last time we went fishing, the sun shone brightly in my eyes, so Frank bought this hat for me to wear this time. I couldn't help but notice that it had a really happy face. (please click to enlarge)






We weren't the only one's fishing either. Click on this very short video and you'll see this Common Tern take a nosedive upon sighting a fish. It wasn't his only catch for the day. After all, one good tern deserves another...





“We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not yet learned the simple art of living together as brothers.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
And here's this lovely bird with its catch. (please click to enlarge)





"That golden sky, which was the doubly blessed symbol of advancing day and of approaching rest." ~ George Eliot (pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans Cross)
A lovely golden sky to end a perfect day. (please click to enlarge)


58 comments:

Rajesh said...

Once again lovely snaps. The last two the bird flying with the catch and the yellow sky are excellent. The last snap looks like as if there is fire.

Maggie May said...

Wow, that tern was great to watch and what clever photography!
I loved your lovely photos and the one with the yellow upturned boat against the blue doors and the barrels against the old wall stand out in my mind. As does the one looking through the trees into the water.
I also love forget me nots. I love the way they just seed them selves anywhere & look so natural when they grow.

Jinksy said...

A smiley hat - Yeah! And I loved that old barrel photo - the textures are incredible. Your capacity to 'see' things never fails to amaze.

Zuzana said...

The clip is amazing; I can not believe that you managed to catch the bird when it dived.
Your pictures are beautiful and they really signify the late spring. I love the one of the dandelion, they are such lovely flowers. I love when the meadows are covered with them in spring .;)

CrazyCris said...

Those are forget-me-nots?! I don't think I've ever seen them before! thx!

Such lovely photos... you've got a great eye and a great camera!

Tabor said...

Wonderful photos. I had to read the post twice to catch each shot again. I really like the reflection of the tree tops and that tern with the fish!

Frank Baron said...

Well, you know I'm happy you got the tern shot/vid. Love the dandelion. The black background really lets the plant stand out.

I'm sure folks would LOVE to see a picture of you wearing the fishing hat. :)

Crabby McSlacker said...

What a lovely spring gallery! You really do have an eye. Always puts me in a good mood to go on a virtual walk with you.

the Bag Lady said...

Hilary - you are a true master with a camera!
The shot of the tern with the fish in it's mouth is fabulous!
And your spring is further advanced than ours - no blossoms on our crabapples yet!

Country Girl said...

Oh, how do you that Hilary? How do you find the perfect words to go with every beautiful photo? That was a treat this morning!
And the hat made me chuckle. Have a wonderful day. It's Memorial Day here and I've got off so it's already wonderful.

Mental P Mama said...

Another beautiful adventure with you...I love the hat;)

Leah J. Utas said...

Excellent pic of the bird with the fish.
And I am so very taken with the pic of the antique market. That's wonderfully executed.

Indrani said...

Fantabulous, Hilary!
You always have the loveliest shots to present. I liked the quotes that went with them. :)
The old barrel shot did hold my attention for a while.

Anonymous said...

Another wonderful photo essay of your world!

The Goldfinch is gorgeous - we had our only for a few weeks in their winter garb, but left for the northern climes before they morphed.

Anonymous said...

Oh I love the hat photo! Ha ha! Loved it. You have such a great eye, every single photo you post is a gorgeous one! I saw a little yellow goldfinch in the woods for the first time yesterday coincidentally enough!

Pat - Arkansas said...

You have a most remarkable (and appreciated) ability to find lovely quotes to accompany your wonderful photos. I would say that you've outdone yourself on this post, but I know that the next one will be as good, or better.

Love the dandelion!

Wishing you a wonderful week, Hilary.

The Merry said...

I love all the pictures, but I have a question: what on earth was Laura Nyro talking about when she sang "surry down" Google is no help whatsoever on this issue :(

steviewren said...

The crab apple trees are incredible! I don't think I've ever seen them so pretty here. I love the shot of the old boat. The colors are great.

Silver said...

ah... breath-taking pics. i like especially the second last one with the Martin Luther King's quote. It's perfect.

Hey, you're really so good with this!

~Silver

Susan English Mason said...

I didn't want it to end. I'm going to go back and re-read because it was so good.

Nicole said...

your pictures are beautiful !!! and they go sooo beautifully with the words :) forget me nots are my favourite :) such a pretty shot !!!

Daryl said...

That was just perfect .. boat is my fav

Redbush said...

Gorgeous photos again, Hilary! Send some of those blossoms my way! I marvel at how you always seem to be able to fit poets quotes with your photos. I love the antiques, especially the old barrel. It brings back memories.

Reb said...

Such wonderful shots and quotes. I love the tern video and the shot of him with his catch.

Travis Erwin said...

That's one spiffy hat.

NJ said...

Everything is so beautifully green right now! I find it kind of interesting to see shots that you took in the winter taken now at this time of year. Nice to see the seasons change!

Shammickite said...

The little forget-me-nots are lovely, except when they start to take over my garden! I allow them to flower then I pull them all out, but I know they've already spread their seeds and they'll be back next year!
And Frank's right, let's see if the hat fits!
P.S. no baby yet.
P.P.S. great pics as always
P.P.P.S. yes, coffee (or tea) in B'ville one day would be super! I'll be in touch. :-)

Gary's third pottery blog said...

Just beautiful.

Sagey said...

You take such lovely and amazing pictures!

Woman in a Window said...

OK, now I'm excited! That's what I saw yesterday, the tern. I thought it was a seagull but I had never seen a seagull act like that. The one we saw would loft up and then bombard in an absolute straight line down. Was the most amazing thing ever!

Love that shot of the canoe, too.

Sandi McBride said...

Such wonderful photos...the Gold Finch is so mystical he must be my favorite! If I had to choose a favorite, that is...
Sandi

SandyCarlson said...

You have a way of capturing sunlight that is true and natural and palpable and places me right there in the moment.

Thank you, talented and magical lady.

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

I think the goldfinch was my favorite... no, the old stone mill... no, the ferns... no, the DANDELION!... oh, but then there is that spectacular shot with the tern and his (her?) fish!
I can't decide. They are all wonderful, but those are my 5 favorites. I can't choose just one. :)

Forget-me-nots always remind me of Alaska. For a long time, they were my favorite flower. The ones in Ketchikan were such a brilliant blue. *sigh*

Hilary said...

✿ Thanks very much Rajesh. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. :)

✿ Thank you, Maggie May. I really just lucked out with the tern photo. It was flying by, I focused on him but couldn't tell through the viewfinder that it had a fish in its mouth. It was a pleasant surprise when I reviewed the images. Thanks for all of your kind words. :)

✿ Thanks so much, Jinsky. Very much appreciated. I couldn't resist the hat. ;)

✿ Thanks Protege. The clip wasn't quite as amazing as you might think. The tern was busy fishing alongside of us for quite some time. I missed most of the dives. ;) I like dandelions too as long as they're not all over my lawn. ;) Thanks so much for your always kind words. :)

✿ Thanks very much, Cris, and I'm glad I could introduce you to Forget-me-nots. :)

✿ Thanks kindly, Tabor. I'm glad you liked the images. That means a lot to me. :)

✿ Thank you, Frank. I'm glad I was able to capture the tern too. It was a very cool and entertaining afternoon watching it fish like that. The problem with a photo of me wearing the hat, is that it would put me on the wrong end of the camera. ;)

✿ Thanks so much, Crabby. I always enjoy having you along. Thanks for joining me. :)

✿ Thanks so much, Baggie. Such kind words. :) Our spring is very advanced now.. it almost looks like summer is about to happen. I hope yours catches up soon. Thanks always for stopping by. :)

✿ Good to see you here, Country Girl. Thanks so much for the kind words. I enjoy finding lyrics or quotes that work with the images. Though it's usually when I haven't much else to write. ;) Enjoy your day off. :)

✿ Thanks kindly, MPM. I look goofy in it, but i like it too. ;)

✿ Thanks very much, Leah. I'm glad you like the photos. Your very kind words always touch me. :)

✿ Thanks so much, Indrani. That means so much to me coming from a fine photographer as yourself. Thanks always for the visit. :)

✿ Thanks very kindly, Seamus. I guess, we benefit from your transient, less golden finches. You sure do have your fine share of wonderful critters to share though. Thanks for stopping by. :)

✿ Thanks very much, Rain. I'm glad the hat gave you a laugh and that you saw your first goldfinch of the season. :)

✿ Thank you so much, Pat. You never fail to make my day with your warm and kind words. Much appreciated. I hope you had a wonderful long weekend. :)

✿ Ha! Merry, your comment made me laugh because I wondered the same thing when I opted to use these lyrics. A combination of Google and Urban Dicitonary worked for me though. I'm not so sure about the validity of that definition, because it only references the song lyric,but it's the best I could find. :) Thanks for the visit. :)

✿ Thanks very much Steviewren. From someone who knows colours so well, that means a lot to me. :)

✿ Thanks very much for the kind words, Silver. Much appreciated. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)

✿ Thanks so much, Pouty. Your always-kind words are very much appreciated. Thanks for stopping by. :)

✿ Thanks kindly, Nikina. I'm glad I could oblige you with a photo of your favourite flowers. Thanks for the visit. :)

✿ Thanks very much, Daryl. Much apprciated. :)

Hilary said...

✿ Thanks so much, Rebrush. I'm glad you enjoyed the post, and that the barrel shot evoked memories for you. :)

✿ Thank you kindly, Reb. I was happy to find that photo turned out (terned out?) as it did. I'm glad you enjoyed it too. :)

✿ Thanks, Travis. :)

✿ I totally agree, NJ. Where would we be without such change? I'm impressed that you noticed some of the locations from my winter shots. You have a very keen eye. Thanks for stopping by. :)

✿ Thanks very much, Shammie. The Forget-me-nots are indeed hearty. I have one growing up between my patio tiles and that's on the opposite side of the house from these. And you'll have to take my word for it that the hat does fit. ;) Looking forward to hearing more from you about that baby-to-be - hopefully over a cup of something. :)

✿ Thank you, Gary. :)

✿ Thanks very much for the kind words, Mrs. Sagey Blunoz. :)

✿ Thanks kindly, Erin. I'm glad you were able to identify your tern from the video. They're such cool birds, eh? Thanks for the visit. :)

✿ Thanks very much, Sandi. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. I'm kind of partial to the Gold finch too. Thanks for stopping by. :)

✿ Thank you so much, Sandy. Your lovely comment just made my day. Thanks for that. :)

✿ Thanks kindly, KC. I'm glad you liked so many of these photos. I've seen Forget-me-not in varying shades of blue. My own are rather pale compared to some. I'm glad though that they could evoke a pleasant memory. That is, after all, what they're meant to do. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Angie Ledbetter said...

These are some of the best yet!

Anonymous said...

Such beautiful photos and just the right words.

Thank you!

Jo said...

I love the picture of the boat. Oh ... and the hat. And the video of the bird.

They're all fabulous. :-)

Andrea said...

The light in that second photos is amazing! And I love the bird with the catch of the day! Simply wonderful shots, Hilary...I love seeing our city through your eyes! :)

Natalie said...

Wow. Beautiful shots. :D

Anonymous said...

Beautiful! The first one is my favorite.

I'm really impressed with the video. I have found that my eye-hand coordination isn't quite as good as I thought it was -- I have trouble following a moving object with a lens.

Good job!

Dianne said...

the light and the color of the trees in 'Stone Cold Picnic' is stunning

love the happy yellow bird

and the hat!! priceless - who could resist a hat with a sunny disposition ;)

lime said...

i think the forget-me-nots and the old boat by the house are my favorites from this set, which is lovely as always.

Pseudo said...

Wow. Beatuful, amazing shots. I enjoyed your matching them up with the quotes. Well done.

scarlethue said...

Some beautiful photos! I love the bird and the old barrels.

I do take Imitrex for my hormone-related migraines. I just don't want to take them all the time. They're VERY expensive (like $28 a pill, thank goodness for insurance), plus they make me really numb and vacant. Which I suppose is better than being in pain, but still not fun!

Cheffie-Mom said...

Lovely as always!! Love the quotes!!

photowannabe said...

Delightful pictures Hilary. I love them all and the poems and thoughts that go with them. You put so much time and thought into each post.
Love one good tern deserves another...clever and the Happy hat...too cute.
This blog site is a breath of fresh air.

MaggieGem said...

Once again, thanks for sharing. I feel like a just took a nice little vacation!

ds said...

Spectacular! And the quotes were perfect, too (as always). Quite an arsenal you have--everybody from Coleridge to Diana Gabaldon. I can't pick a favorite; to me, they were each perfect in their own way.

SandyCarlson said...

I've come back to appreciate anew your dandelion. Each of your photos is a treat.

Hilary said...

✿ Thanks very much, Angie. :)

✿ Thank you kindly, NW. :)

✿ Thanks so much, Jo. I'm glad you liked the photos. :)

✿ Thank you, Andrea. I have to admit that not all of these shots were taken in our area.. like the Tern. That was taken out Frank's way as were the ferns. The market place was in Glen Williams near Georgetown. The rest were around here. :) Thanks always for stopping by. :)

✿ Thanks very kindly, Natalie. Much appreciated. :)

✿ Thank you, Sandra. My video skills leave much to be desired too. I hit the delete button on many previous attempts and edited out about 75% of this video before I posted it. I got lucky for the dive. Thanks always for stopping by. :)

✿ Thanks very much, Dianne. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. Your kind comments always make me smile like that hat. ;)

✿ Thanks kindly, Lime. Much appreciated. :)

✿ Welcome, PHST and thanks very much for the kind words.

✿ Thanks very much, Scarlethue. I hope your headaches ease for you soon. And I think you've just explained my vacancy. ;)

✿ Thank you, Cheffie. I'm glad you stopped by. :)

✿ Thanks so much, Sue. You always say the kindest things. Thanks always for the visit. :)

✿ Thank you, Maggie Gem. I'm glad you could join me. :)

✿ Thanks very kindly, DS. Google is my arsenal for the most part. I'm glad you appreciated the effort. Thanks for stopping by. :)

✿ Thank you, Sandy. You're too sweet. :)

Swetha said...

wonderful pictures.. i loved the birds especially! lovely post!

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Isn't spring just so inspiring? From its' blooms to its' color, I love these all.

Anonymous said...

Hilary,

You have the perfect quotes for your photos! Virgil is my fave today, but the trunk photo...That is fabulous. I see it framed in black, matted with white, and hanging in a home decorated in French Country. Lovely!

Bogey said...

Hello Hilary, thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving your very warm comment. Truly appreciated. I see you have a talented eye with the camera and an appreciation for some lyrically descriptive words!

Suldog said...

I'm so glad you said that the hat had a smiley face. I saw it immediately, but I thought maybe it was just my diseased mind. Oh, and love the way you caught the light in the shot of the picnic table. Lovely!

Deb said...

I love all of your photos. You have a great eye for the subject.

Hilary said...

✿ Welcome, Pranksy and thanks very much for your kind words. Much appreciated. I hope you'll be back again soon. :)

✿ Thanks, MamaGeek. I totally agree with you about how inspiring Spring is. It's new life, and there's something to see everywhere you look. Thanks always for stopping by. :)

✿ Thanks so much, MT. I like the way you see how and where a framed image appears. I really need to work on printing some shots. Thanks for that nudge. :)

✿ Welcome, Bogey and thanks very much for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the post and hope you'll be back again sometime soon. :)

✿ Thanks so much, Sully. I'm glad that the smiling hat grabbed you too. I know it's easily seen when pointed out but I wasn't sure if it would be noticed otherwise. Thanks always for your kind words. :)

✿ Thank you, Deb. Very much appreciated. :)