Dry Spring

tired again
though winter’s rest is over
sun dried chill blows
through a honeysuckle covered
briar patch

Respite cut short
by an early drought

balmy aroma settles sluggishly
among prickles and poison ivy
like artificially flavored syrup
on bleached, deep fried bread

stripped of nutritional purpose
sweet intoxication deteriorates




I don't know what happened to our April showers here in Texas. It's been over a month since we've seen rain, which is unusual for Houston.

Yea Spring!

I can sit out on my front porch...



without being attacked by mosquitoes.



or in the grass next to Ilma's Garden,...



enjoy a cool breeze,...



and get excited about all my little seedlings that are sprouting. These will be sunflowers pretty soon. I posted more pics here on my blog.

Fall Color in Tennessee

These are from my trip to Tennessee last year.







This one is actually at Hot Springs North Carolina when were hiking the Appalachian Trail along the French Broad River.

Yellow Lady's Slipper

done in gouache by Mary Stebbins Taitt

Haiku

I've been trying my hand at Haiku. Ok, I know it's the wrong time of year for this one, but it's still 85 degrees here, and I have many more photos from my summer vacation to play with.

Summer Flowers '08

These were taken on my trip to Wisconsin last summer. To see more click here.

Prickly Pear and Gardenia

I forgot I said I would post these. They're in bloom right now, and smell wonderful.

Just Because

Lynda's Garden the Second Trip

For the story behind this garden, click here. This time, the weeds were blooming. I almost hated to dig them up.



Lynda planted 3 beds with vegetables and herbs, while I fought with the garden tiller to clear 2 more. We have 4 more beds left to clear. We were both so tired and sore after this episode. By the time I got home, I was covered with bruises and poison ivy. Makes me wonder why I love gardening so much. It's going to be ok though, Lynda planted okra just for me. Yea!



We had to transfer these two to a new home.

Tulips at the Village Market III, a present for Jacob

Tulips at the Village Market III, a present for Jacob, by Mary
Stebbins Taitt. I painted this picture for Jacob for his birthday
with acrylics on paper (that is, not Photoshop) from a photo I posted
earlier. I may also attempt one in water colors. We'll see.

Signs of Spring

The Cypress trees are getting new leaves, and the wild flowers are in bloom at Mercer Arboretum.









I just noticed the box with the monthly themes box on the side bar. I really should be more observant. I have an idea for April... April Showers.

Spring Time In Picasa

I've been experimenting in Picasa, thanks to Michael's instructions on this post. Below is the original.

st





I had been feeling a little down this week, and tired. On Friday, all my clients cancelled, so I decided to go to the arboretum. The warm sun and all the new blooms completely changed my mood. The awakening forest was so full of energy. I wandered for about four or five hours, and left feeling energized. I also left with over 300 pictures, so you'll probably be seeing more of my walk in the woods.



Unfortunately, my little friends here were awakening as well. Actually, I don't think they ever went dormant this year. We didn't have a hard enough freeze, so I'll probably be seeing hoards of these things this summeer. They really love me :[.

Garden

This photo was taken a year ago almost to the day of some flowers in my garden. Every year at this time, I start working in my gardens. Last year I didn't. I took it for granted. This year I don't have a garden to work in. Funny how much we appreciate things more when they're gone. I wrote the poem a few months after the photo, because I was feeling guilty about neglecting my garden. There's a bond, or spiritual connection, that grows with gardening. My aunt, who is a master gardener, gave me a book called "Tending the Earth Mending the Spirit" at the time I wrote this poem. It's by Connie Goldman and Richard Mahler. It's very inspiring.



Though she can't speak
She cries out very much.
Velvet petals of red and pink
Reach out for my touch.

Tender seedlings struggle
For their place in my garden.
Against a weeded jungle
My heart has hardened.

She senses my presence;
Flourishes when I'm there.
I'm quieted by her essence
In return for her care.

Pushing fingers through soil,
My cells will rejuvenate.
It's for love I should toil;
A spiritual connection to cultivate.

But I have neglected her,
And myself likewise.
Physically we need each other.
It's our Life Source we recognize.

Wisconsin Snow

A few days after my arrival here in Milwaukee, there were 60 degree temperatures, a 100 car pile up on the freeway due to unseasonal fog, and tornadoes in January. I thought to myself,"gee, this is just like home." Actually the weather back home was in the 70's at the time.

Now it's snowing here again. Yea! I'm acting like a little kid that's seeing snow for the first time. This allium, however, I think is a little confused. He looks like he thought spring was coming a little early. I guess the 60 degree weather here has confused a lot of things.

Not Much of a Fall This Year

So I photographed flowers instead.







These are the last of my pictures taken before my camera broke, again :[. It broke Thanksgiving, right before my drive west to the Texas Hill Country. I was so disappointed. I was really looking forward to photographing the fall color.

There wasn't much color to see, though. The trees that still had leaves on them, had brown leaves. No oranges, yellows, or reds. It's sad. I heard on the news that it was like that for most of the country. While driving, I thought about how when we are ill, we lose color in our complexion, and when were under extreme stress, our hair turns gray. I wondered if the same was true for this place where we live. Is this a sign that the earth is ill?

Like an auto-immune disorder, Earth's weather patterns seem to be on a path of self destruction. There seems to be a parallel between the way we pollute our environment and the way we pollute our own bodies. Saccharine, aspartame, acetaminophen, and MSG runs through our veins, like pesticides and heavy metals run through our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Toxic waste sites permeate through the layers of earth, like malignant tumors that contaminate our insides. Crime, violence, and hatred have affected every community, along with our planet's violent reaction to global warming. There's a profound connection between us and this place we call home. The sicker we get, the sicker our planet gets, and vice versa.

Herb Robert; Spring Wildflowers in Autumn

Herb Robert; Spring Wildflowers in Autumn, by Mary Stebbins Taitt.
Click image to view larger.

We're headed for Hamilton later today. Last time we were there we saw
spring wildflowers blooming in November! Maybe we will see some
again this year. Whatever we see, I hope to post it here at some
point. :-D Have agood weekend. :-D

We are leaving today and will be back Tuesday. I may be incommunicado
the whole time or I mapy be ble to get on briefly, but no commenting
for sure.

Today's Pics

Slow work through tall weeds

Takes a long time for me to paint a picture. Still working on this one. Mary

in the greenhouse

#3109-1-567, originally uploaded by silkcreekthree.

OK, I admit it, this are just too tropical for silk creek--but hey, they carry some of the feeling of being on the creek! (Photo by Mary Stebbins Taitt.)

Orange Butterfly with black

Orange Butterfly with black, originally uploaded by silkcreekthree.

Even though it's October, it is WARM verging on hot and the cicadas are still singing and the butterflies still flying. Hope it's not global warming! Photo by Mary Taitt.