“She Glories in Being Abandoned”

May 20, 2020May 21, 202038 Comments

She says she glories in being abandoned. –J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Earlier this week while out for a drive, I caught a glimpse of an abandoned building I’ve photographed many times over the last several years. I’m always intrigued by how much the building changes, but I was stunned by the beauty of its neighbor [photos #1, 2, 4, 5].

I was pleased to find nature doing what it does–reclaiming what the humans left behind.

I had a difficult time choosing which photos to share for [not-so] #Wordless Wednesday–the originals or the edits. My hubby remarked that color photos tell a story, and the black and white ones are more artsy. Since I can’t decide whether I want to share a story or art, I’m sharing both sets.

Did you ever wonder
Why abandoned houses looked so sad

Much like the people
Their exterior was only for the function

We would not feel so sad
If we recognized

That the spirit of the house
Had already moved on

The dream remained.

Maria Lehtman, The Dreaming Doors

[For earlier shots of the building in photos #3 and #6, check out a 2016 post. You’ll be able to note some of the changes in the building’s condition].

#ThursdayTreeLove | Solitude and Lime

May 14, 2020May 20, 202030 Comments

“Solitude and Lime Tree.” Photo by Eileen V.

For the previous #ThursdayTreeLove we traveled to Italy. Today, we’ll hop over to Germany with a photograph shot by my pen friend Eileen V. She kindly gave me permission to share here [Thank you, Eileen!].

The photo features a very old lime tree with Schloss Solitude [Solitude Palace] in the background. I am drawn to the composition of the photo—the way the tree in the foreground provides a frame for the palace in the background. Plus, the thick trunk and beautiful exposed roots remind me of the gorgeous live oaks of New Orleans.

Though there’s only one tree in the photo, Eileen says there are actually three old lime trees next to each other.

Unfortunately, I don’t know more about the tree’s history, but you can click the link to find out more about Schloss Solitude.

Update: Eileen provided more information about the trees and Schloss Solitude:

The castle was built 1763-69 in the reign of Duke Carl Eugen of Württemberg. I believe these three lime trees were also planted at that time. Extensive gardens were also planned as it served as a pleasure spot for hunting and social events.
Lime trees were often planted in village centres near the church as a place to gather.

Until next time…

I am joining Parul Thakur for #ThursdayTreeLove every second and fourth Thursday of the month. If you would like to play along, post a picture of a tree on your blog and link it back to her latest #treelove post.

A Break with May Roses

May 13, 202022 Comments

May has been insane. I’m talking too much time in front of the computer, too little sleep, and no time for the things that nourish my soul. Therefore, I am taking a much needed break from the madness to share some rose photographs for a not-so-wordless Wednesday.

Since my son’s school couldn’t hold the annual Field Day activities, his teachers crafted an in-your-own-neighborhood scavenger hunt that served multiple purposes–socially distant fun in the sun, exercise, and healthy competition. While my not-so-little one hunted for items on the list, I captured the pretty hot pink knock out roses at the entrance of our neighborhood.

A few days later, my guys and I jumped into the car and took a drive to visit each of the aunts and deliver socially distant hugs. At Auntie Linda’s, I was able to give my camera a workout with the roses growing beautifully outside her town house. My favorite lens is on its last leg–it’s cracked–but it did okay.

After photographing everything green in our front- and backyards over the last few weeks, I desperately needed another color. What a gift the roses were!

And…whew! Thanks to this shift in focus, I feel so much better! Hopefully, I’ll see you tomorrow for #ThursdayTreeLove.

Gifts from the Earth: Mystery Solved

May 6, 2020May 6, 202017 Comments

Two weeks ago I shared five images altered in Photoshop and left readers with the task of guessing the original images. Everyone who played along thought they were flowers. That’s not surprising, since most of the images I share on the blog are flowers. However, they were wrong, wrong, wrong!

Well…not exactly. In fact, they were more than half right. Three of the five images were indeed flowers or blossoms.

Have you been anxiously awaiting the answer? 🙂 Wait no longer! Here are the images in the order presented in the post:

Flowers in front of the Farmer’s Market on campus. Shot last June. I’m trying to remember why I was on campus in the middle of June. ???

Flying Dragon Trifoliate Orange [Hardy Orange] in the Huntsville Botanical Gardens. I photographed these a couple of summers ago. That reminds me–I still haven’t shared the zillions of photos my son and I shot that very hot summer day. Maybe, you’ll see them in next week’s Wordless Wednesday…