There’s something always cheerful about a goldfinch. Seeing one makes my heart soar. This one at Tucson’s Sweetwater Wetlands was enjoying a dip in the water. This sort of gold is beyond price, a small piece of sunshine to brighten the day.
Breaking news!! I’ve just been informed that this is a male yellow warbler, not a goldfinch. Sigh. Sorry about that. 😬 But he’s still a bright, beautiful gold! Thanks, Deborah, my birding friend and expert.
Dragonflies claim my attention any time I see one. If aliens insects invade the world, ala the old sci-fi movies, I hope they’re dragonflies. At least they’ll look beautiful doing it, although I suppose it depends how big they are! The phrase “Gossamer wings” could have been written to describe these wings.
It was just one of those nights
Just one of those fabulous flights
A trip to the moon on gossamer wings
Just one of those things*
*From “Just One of Those Things”, written by Cole Porter for the 1935 musical Jubilee.
FOTD 1.26.23
Elvis left the house and I had my last day in the park. I’m always sad to leave, especially when it will be months until my next visit. But I took along the joy of the beauty I constantly find there, perhaps the more cherished because of not being able to visit often anymore.
(Early November 2022)
My theory is that when you’re out and about taking photos, you have three areas you can look: up, out, and down. I guess some people add a fourth: at their phones. What a waste that is! You can also look at the big picture or zoom in (literally or figuratively.) I love a grand view as much as the next person but one of what I think of as “my things” is finding beauty in things that other people might miss and that often means looking closely. Often we’re too busy seeing everything that we miss a number of interesting somethings. Here are some somethings I enjoyed while back in “my” park in Illinois in early November.
My husband saw me cropping this photo and said how much he liked it. There weren’t lots of edible things left, and maybe these weren’t, but they looked as if they were waiting for a bird to come and enjoy the feast.
Anything looked at closely becomes wonderful. ~A. R. Ammons
These always remind me of some sort of coins.
“Almost nothing need be said when you have eyes.”
― Tarjei Vesaas, The Boat in the Evening
Beauty can be found in even in things that are getting wrinkly. Isn’t that comforting as we age? 🙂
“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
I absolutely love milkweed, especially when the seeds are trying to escape. There’s something about the contrast between the hard shell and the ethereal, feathery seeds that is unfailingly beautiful.
“In a world myriad as ours, the gaze is a singular act: to look at something is to fill your whole life with it, if only briefly.” Ocean Vuong, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
Color me dumbfounded! I never knew that this is the winter look of wild bergamot which when flowering, is what I call a Dr. Seuss flower, one with sort of a wild and crazy shape with things sticking out in all directions. I just love all the little sections that are seen when the flowering part dies.
“…we must never lose sight of that gaze with which we look at things.” ~László Krasznahorkai, Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming
While not a bad day (today, Monday, as I write) it was a busy day where I got a lot done and had a couple of setbacks/irritations. I also had a wonderful moment when, on the way to Costco, the driver in the Jeep that blew by me going about 55 or 60 miles per house in a 45 mph speed limit, was pulled over by a motorcycle policeman. Made my morning! 🙂 Anyway, I don’t have a lot left to put into a long post so here’s a photo from my visit to Illinois in early November. Now I’m back to some rugby-watching, a glass of Burgundy, and soon a three-hour NCIS special. Then “to sleep, perchance to dream.” Cheers!
Let’s take a last look at the wonderful autumn colors at Anderson Japanese Garden. The building here is the tea house but unfortunately, it wasn’t open and I’m not sure it really serves tea. I’m sure the restaurant does, though. But beauty was served up plentifully.
What’s your favorite, red or yellow? I can’t really decide so this photo caters to my indecision.
A bit more red.
And there was even some green.
We’re nearing the end of our visit here but we’re not quite done yet, even though lunch was looming ever larger in our minds. I still have a few pictures to share before we move on. In the meantime, enjoy the upcoming weekend!
This, that and the other thing 