Sharing a Sunny Low Tide Otter Kind of Morning

It's been a busy time at the house, spring brings so many outdoor clean up projects and the alternating days of rain and sun make for lots of weeds.  This Monday morning, after a weekend of rain, the sun was out, the tide was low, the water still and there were otters in the cove.

                                          

                        In the center of the kelp bed lay a mother otter 

and her nursing pup.

Further out in the cove several otter were diving for breakfast.

The kelp itself was a lovely sight.

 Here is my very zoomed in close up.... I'll try to tuck my camera in a pocket and  try again soon to share the glimpses  I get of my western neighbors and their dynamic abode.

                      

Garlands of Flowers and the Sacred Charges of Memorial Day

         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“..gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime...let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the nation’s gratitude, the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan.”  -General John Logan, General Order No 11, 5 May 1868

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday early afternoon in the sun out  front of the cottage at Searock, Mark is learning a Tommy Emmanuel song on his guitar called “Half Way Home.”  The flowers I’ve tended here make me feel half way home myself.  When we were in town earlier it was very busy, busy enough to remind us how good it is to just sit still.  

 It's “Memorial Day Weekend,”  and for many it is a three day chance to travel and party.  Perhaps those for whom the day was originally set aside to honor, those who served our country and sacrificed their very lives, would understand the nation’s search for freedom, joy and adventure when three days without work or school are joined together.

 This sun is more than the meteorologist predicted for today but the sky is not all blue; the horizon is milky layers of gray and cream white and the waters of the Pacific are shimmering with light and  shadows. We  have another Saturday errand to do, but as this sun is but a passing hour  we'll wait until the rain is closer.


 I’m encircled with flowers. There are small low blooms, tall fragrant iris, the columbine- each orange petal distinct in shape and curl- and white roses open and clustered so thickly I almost can’t see them as single flowers.  There are peach and golden rose buds and lavender, squat and purple blue in its prime.  One lone poppy gleams in front of the velvet violet salvia that the hummingbirds are so drawn to. 


I am reminded of times I've  bought little red poppies from veterans to commemorate this day. Anymore it seems as if this weekend is generally treated as simply a herald of the coming  summer and with all the harsh weather the country has endured, such a herald is a welcome call.  I've had my own heralds of late.  Yesterday a silver jumping of light alerted me to a school of dolphins moving north, and I’ve lost  count of the pelicans who’ve returned and made my heart leap.  

Earlier  this morning, I watched a woodpecker, quite well dressed with snowy white bib, handsome dark wings and red cap, drink and bathe in the deeper of the two bird baths.  As soon as  I moved behind my window in stealthy attempt to get my camera, he flew.

I look up from the page  where I am scribbling these thoughts and see the blooming maple blossoms bobbing with the breath of the waters below.  

The redwoods are tipped with the tender green of new growth and the limbs hang long and layered like a skirt over strong brown legs.  Lobelia and Santa Barbara Daisies push their way out of the beds and tangle in the amongst the ferns and foxgloves.  Many are the heralds of the new season.

The sounds of  traffic on the coastal route,  heavier  due to the three day weekend, remind us again that Monday is Memorial Day.  We both try to remember when Memorial Day was changed to a three day Federal Holiday?  Is it Memorial day that was originally called Decoration Day?  Neither of us were confident that  we knew or rightly remembered the origin and history of the holiday. I went inside to my computer to research the history and meaning of this day set aside.  I found this page on ways to  observe Memorial Day and on the banner was this quote : 

“..gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime...let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the nation’s gratitude, the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan.”  -General John Logan, General Order No 11, 5 May 1868

I stepped back outside  to tell Mark what I had learned.  We had already planned to fly the flag, but I didn't know it was protocol to fly it at half mast until noon on Memorial Day.  I also learned about the  origin of the red poppies I  had remembered  buying from disabled veterans.  

It's been a sweet Saturday reprieve.  The rain  has held off.  The air is warm and wafts with  many mingled scents; peppermint and lavender, the big bay laurel leaves I pluck to flavor sauces and soups, and there's the cypress and roses, iris and salt breeze too. The air is good.  The earth is waking from her slumber and those that may are eager to venture out. 

 I pray  safe journeys for  Memorial weekend  travelers and hope that we as people do continue to commemorate the dead who have served not only with the choicest  flowers of spring but by keeping all our sacred charges...and may those who sacrificed be much more than half way home....

                                                          ~~~~~

May Garden Notes

                      

  The day started with two of my helpers discussing who should do what first.

My theory on weather lately has been very scientific.  That is to say, I have a theory and in repeated experiments I prove that if I dress for chill mornings, it makes the sun come out with penetrating rays that drive me in for  shorter sleeves and  sock-less shoes and when I re-emerge, the air has cooled, the sun hidden itself, the sky has darkened and I soon want my layers back.  But rain and fickle sun and all, look what has ripened in the garden.

               And look at some of the bloomings.... a Julia Child rose bud

                                    the tall  Matilija Poppies  genus: ROMNEYA, species: coulteri.

I have never seen a California Poppy I didn't like...

This rose is called Double Delight and has a wonderful fragrance.

And speaking of pretty flowers and pictures, I got a two cool postcards this week....one from a friend ( whose nearby presence I miss) visiting her childhood home on the Isle of  Wight and one from my dentist reminding me to come in for a cleaning....my dental reminder was so pretty I left it sitting out on my desk all week.   I wish the card had a location name or a map on the back; it would be a lovely place to walk among what looks to be at least knee high, perhaps hip high wild flowers.  

Hope you have a chance to get out of doors this week.

Seal Pups and Poppies at Point Lobos State Reserve

On Wednesday afternoon a very kind friend reminded me that all work and no play makes for a dull Jeannette and she took me to the neighborhood state reserve to walk and spy upon the springtime bird and bee energy of nature.

  I was snap happy with my camera and it was such a pretty day lots of my pictures came out plenty pretty.  The distant curve of land is  Pebble Beach and Carmel.  Beds of kelp float near the shore.

Momma seals and their pups are taking a little afternoon snooze on the protected beach.   It is important that visitors  stay back from the areas where the seals rest and sun, so this photo was taken with zoom aplenty.

  The poppies ( Eschscholtzia californica) smell spicey to beetles which, once attracted, help pollinate the poppies.  Did I learn this by sticking my nose down in the blooms?  No, I was checking on the spelling of  "Eschscholtzia" and learned about the fragrance and the dutiful beetles.

Even from a distance the golden blossoms glow.

We have a lovely state flower, and the state metal is gold...but do you know what our official state mollusk is?

Do I have a picture of one?  Hmmm...some recent children visiting saw several in our forest and they said regarding the official native... "gross!"  Apparently the abalone competed for the title, but the state mollusk title belongs to the land loving frequently visible banana slug.  Here is a short movie on youtube starring two children and three banana slugs...it isn't my movie, but the children remind me of two little girls I used to know, and it is charming whereas I don't know where  the photos are of  the banana slugs that have posed for me. Slugs are actually a good subject for new nature photographers; it's not  like trying to capture the image of a hummingbird.  At top speed a mature slug can travel 6.5 inches in a minute. It gives you time to compose your picture and focus without rushing.

The other thing I learned, ( I know you are just longing to know all about them, aren't you? )

is that slugs like to eat mushrooms.   They are an important part of spreading nutrients and spores around the forest floor.  Now that you know they are official and functional maybe you will treat them with more respect than a "blick" or a "gross" next time you see one.  Or maybe not;  visceral responses are pretty hard wired.

So...pictures and silly words tonight... but as I walked in these pretty places with my kind friend, I thought especially

 of people I would love to walk there with...

like Beth...and Sarah Beth and  Rosannah...to name just a few, so this blog is for you. Love, Jeannette

Passion Friday

Precious in the Light

Yesterday, in the afternoon, the light was so stunning I took my camera out and snapped away at almost everything that delighted me.   I did, I took seventy-six pictures.   In part it was possible because a friend had come over to make dinner for us.  With fresh strawberries, cilantro, feta cheese and young green onions  as a pre-walk appetizer...and knowing dinner was merrily cooking away, we wandered down to the rocks on the water.

There are many jokes with groanings in them about people sharing their home movies.  What brought that to mind?  I won't show you all seventy-six.  I haven't decided which ones I will post...but here I go wandering into the visual archive of yesterday.

   This was my first peek at an artichoke on its way.

 And although I was taking a macro photo of this  Julia Child rosebud, a little green bug was getting a much closer view.

Kitty Bumpkins knew about the artichoke already before I did, I am sure.



Back to the archives...but not before popping out the front door to take a sunset  picture.  " What will you do with all those pictures of the sunset?"  I've been asked.  What do we do with all the sunsets?  Stop and feel, marvel and thank, praise and reflect and tonight, hurry back in because it isn't quite as warm as the day we had yesterday.

The Pride of Madeira was buzzing with bees and hummingbirds again.  My attempts to capture the birds did not result in any good photos, but trying was good watching.

~spiraling umbels of color~

dizzy with close up close up beauty...

 I look up

                           and down below my feet...

every direction is ....well...remarkable

  I want to say something about the foot inside this boot...and it's mate too...these feet have trod many miles, stood and walked by me and for me.  Not my feet..."his" feet.   I love these feet.

~our contemplative artist chef ~                                   

 

remarkable....                                                     remark as you will!

Do you remember the sound of home movies?  My father had a little snippet of film where I, four years old or so and naughty, turned the garden hose toward him.  He liked to show that bit of film backwards.

Oh, just a few more pictures...there is one of the light coming through the trees...maybe I can find that one without too much delay and then I will do whatever else I am supposed to be doing....and hope you will be glad that  you stayed to the end of the movie.

 Gideon wants to be in the picture show too...

And one more close up to end ...the wild iris have been lovely this week.  They are one of those delicate realities, so true to life....appreciate them when  you see them...you can't take them for granted.  Their time is short, they bloom and they wither and their season  passes quickly.

~that's all~ and yes, dinner was lovely too.

They speak for themselves...

                     The flowers...the bees. the butterflies, the hummingbirds

the evergreens, the rocky cliffs

 the fragile wings

 the crashing waves, the vapor skies,

the shining sun

the golden poppies...they all speak for themselves and their Creator.