Camouflage

No official One Word Sunday this week but I’m in the habit so why stop now? The obvious would be “It’s (not) easy being green” but that’s more than one word. But…so is this. 🙂 A happy, blessed Sunday.

WQW #11: St. Patrick’s Day Green

Although green is my favorite color, I didn’t wear it today and I’m happy to report I didn’t get pinched, although I wouldn’t expect to in Aldi or Trader Joe’s. 🙂 We moved here from the Chicago area and today (yesterday as you read this) the river will be run green. We stayed far away from downtown on St. Patrick’s Day as being around huge crowds is bad enough but when alcohol is involved, no thanks. However, Guinness was my entry-level dark beer so I have a fond spot in my heart for it. We did have corned beef and potatoes for dinner sans cabbage because I don’t care for boiled cabbage. Salad and good bread filled in nicely and tomorrow will be even better when the leftover corned beef and potatoes become corned beef hash. So good and I think even better than the separate ingredients the first day.

But green isn’t just for St. Patrick’s, it’s the color of spring, which is often how I think of it having lived in the Midwest for almost my entire life. When my parents used to come from Arizona to visit us in Ohio, they always commented on all the trees and how green everything was. I always felt that was a bit like the relatives who saw you infrequently starting by declaring, “My, how you’ve grown!” What had they expected?

“I just need green. I need to wake up and see grass and squirrels. I don’t want to see skyscrapers.” – Andre Leon Talley

The green I miss is the spring green, the here’s-what-you’ve-been-waiting-for green, a green that at its most beautiful serves as a background to spring’s wildflowers…

…or blossoms higher in the spring air.

“Nature in her green, tranquil woods heals and soothes all afflictions.” – John Muir

In South Dakota near the Badlands, sometimes green is what draws your eyes.

“Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps the singing bird will come.” – Lois Lowry

In the desert, green is harder to find and better protected but much appreciated when seen.

“Every green natural place we save saves a fragment of our sanity and gives us a little more hope that we have a future.” – Wallace Stegner

And sometimes, well, it’s all about the green.

“leaves glow under
a haze of sunlight,
and hang
still on a windless
day”
― Bremer Acosta, Cosmos in a Tree

WQW #11: St. Patrick’s Day Green

Light on leaves

for Life in Colour: green

Spring green

This is what spring green looks like in Arizona, specifically at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. Probably not what spring looks like where you live.

for Life in Colour: green

Gourds

A few months ago, my husband told me to come and bring my phone. The neighbor a few houses away had gourds growing over the wall, not something you see every day especially in January. But seasons are different in Arizona.

for Life in Colour: green

Transition

Last month’s color was yellow, this month’s is green. This plant I found while walking along the canal recently makes the transition from last month to this. I’m not sure if the spines are actually hard. I didn’t touch them but it certainly makes the plant/weed fit in in Arizona! This might not be the sort of green you want to wear for St. Patrick’s Day, though! 🙂

for Life in Colour: green

Lemon leaf

A few weeks ago, a neighbor a few houses away had a table on the sidewalk with sacks of lemons on it and signs saying “Free.” I grabbed a couple bags, piled them in an attractive bowl, grabbed my phone, and looked for a place with good light. The leaves were attractive, the lemons tart and delicious.

for Life in Colour: green

Equal seekers of sweetness

There are so many hummingbirds at the Preserve (and even in our neighborhood) that I no longer feel the same excitement when I see one, but I still enjoy spotting them. If I’m wearing something red, they often buzz me and on the Wyoming porch where I leave the red cooler sitting outside, they’ll buzz that as well. I still find hummingbirds sitting or at rest unusual, but even at rest, this guy was paying attention to what was going on. Gotta love the shiny feather fashion statement.

My work is the world. Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird – equal seekers of sweetness. Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums. ~Mary Oliver

Gentle day’s flower – The hummingbird competes With the stillness of the air. ~Chogyam Trungpa

I always loved those little creatures [hummingbird], always feel blessed when they appear nearby. There’s a magical quality to them. I finally put one in a song. ~Leonard Cohen

for Life in Colour: green

The day the Badlands were green

for Life in Colour: green and Six Word Saturday 3.12.21

Wordless Wednesday…green