Wishes

Sweater verboten, long sleeves optional, garden weeded. Daydreams and hopes playing tag in my head. And now to start seeds for the spring & summer garden.

Pac-Man

Moon and Venus have been chasing each other across the sky like Pac-Man and Pac-Dots (inelegant as that sounds). Another warm day but a cold night sans clouds. The weekend awaits.

Veins

It's a simple cabbage leaf. It's the plant's lungs. I shall take it as a reminder to breathe deeply and try not to stress.

Harbinger

Flowering quince already. And brilliant sun and a warm(ish) afternoon. Spring is just around the corner.

Insalata Mista

Finally, our garden in daylight on a work night: bliss. The light-tide is turning but I feel like chewing nails. Here's part of dinner instead.

Fallen

Wind and more wind. My favorite kind of winter day: clear, cold, and windy. Palm fronds falling.

Hawkeye

This hawk was watching crows like, well, itself. Cloudy morning, spitting rain, then blue afternoon with puffs of white. Could use some of that liquid now since the water line broke.

More Fire in the Sky

All day I thought it would rain but nope, just wind so far. All the clouds led to another smashing sunset. Now I need to watch a sunrise for a change.

Raindrops

Raindrops fell off and on all day. And here are more on the small tree branch that's already starting to bud. Gloom and cheer together.

Waspish

First wasp sighting of the season on the camellias. I did a doubletake. They must like the rain.

Wisps

Rain showers in the afternoon scrubbed the air and damped the dust. These grass seeds were undaunted and awaiting a stiff gust to launch them on their way. Delicate feathers blending into a misty day.

A New Leaf

For both the vivid chard in our garden (which is taking winter well) and our country. A new start under the sun. Bright and colorful possibility.

Gialli Holiday

Yellow architectural branches all along the river where we stopped and watched the ducks dive. No leaves yet but the hummingbirds were out it force singing in their creaking way. Sun and squirrels in abundance.

Confused

The wildflowers are starting to bloom because it's been so incredibly warm. Don't think there are any pollinators out yet so I'm not sure this is a good strategy. Gorgeous day out no matter how you slice it but it feels like March.

Unsettled

Nightmares last night lead to a headache today but I trudged out to take in the continued mild weather. Little solitude to be found as I encountered the like-minded around every bend. I could hear the woodpeckers pounding away and the quail calling my name (it really does sound that way).

Little Apple

Buds cluster on the manzanita. The clear sky peeped through the canopy. I frolicked under the sun and now I can sleep.

Lemon Rising

I only saw the sun through the windows and I am tired. This blurry lemon glowing in the moonlight will have to suffice for today's RDA of yellow. Tomorrow should be better.

Spectacular

I'm so glad I didn't miss this fiery sunset and managed to take a break at work for a photo shoot. Maybe the world is going crazy and the weather's out of whack (2nd day of record-breaking temps) but there's beauty every day if you look hard enough. Note to self: keep looking.

Eye of the Day

This marguerite daisy blooms its heart out all year long in a corner of our garden. It's encircled by seedlings that will be finding new homes soon. I wanted to make daisy chains and bask in the spring-like weather.

La Luna

I had little opportunity to take pictures until after dark so I was lucky the night sky was putting on a display. One day I will hook my camera up to my telescope but until then the waning moon will have this mystical fuzzy quality and I'll be unable to capture my friends Orion and Ursa Major. No clouds (it was an unseasonable near-70 degree F day) so I could pick my star and make a wish.

Eventide

One more day keeping my foot elevated. It was most glorious outside and I had my windows open soaking in the fresh air even if I wasn't right out in it. A mellow sunset shot taken from my front porch with almost too many trees in the way.

All Bark (No Bite)

Sort of hobbled by the foot injury so no extended walk today. Thankfully my house is surrounded by trees. Sycamores are fascinating upon close inspection--they have puzzle bark--and this example has all the wintry shades.

Lesson Learned

The air was sweet, the sky was clear, and I was ambling along the river looking at the lazy goose couple honking above, the acrobatic phoebes catching supper, and the almost full moon. Alas, I fell and went splat. No harm done beyond a mildly swollen foot but I think I'll look down a little more often in future.

A Murder

Not enough blue in the sky to make a dutchman a pair of overalls. The crows have changed their roosting trees. A vacant lot was Piazza San Marco with a species swap.

Rose Red

There is more vibrant color if one looks. These frost-kissed leaves jumped out during a fog-filled day. I do prefer the sun.

Ghost of Flowers Past

The gray fog of this morning made way for the blue of the afternoon as the light slowly returns. Green is a winter color here but so are browns and grays, creams and blues--a soothing palette for my wandering eye. This architectural beauty, faded to winter hues, appeared more striking than its past self.

The Watcher in the Wood

The sky dripped and I could almost fancy myself at the shore had the wind but held a salty tang. A hurried jaunt through the urban forest was my brief respite from the workaday. Textures and images in the bark of trees caught my eye and held it.

Coyote Creepy

The below freezing temps of this morning warmed nicely without the crystalline quality of yesterday. I still got a creeping chill when I ran across this creature. The kingfisher, quail, and other assorted birds fled from me but the coyote stopped a moment first.

Winter on the River

Clear, brisk, and dazzlingly bright after days of gloom. I scrambled up and down banks and over rocks. Color in my cheeks; a smile on my face.

Looking Up after Looking Down

Rain this morning then clouds. Mushrooms surprisingly luminous in the filtered light and somehow cheerful. Looking down: a pleasure.

A New Year

No sun breaking through the high fog today and the damp cold sinks into my bones. But, I am hopeful for a fabulous new year (though I doubt it will be an easy one). Happy 2009.