Sunsets to Treat the Eyes

6/21/2021 Sunset on the Mississippi River in Winona, MN

6/18/2021 Sunset on West Lake Winona

East Lake Winona

6/18/2021 Sunset on West Lake Winona

6/9/2021

Is it a bird? An angel? A ghost?  What do you see?

Mushrooms in the Woods

 

Winona, Minnesota has been blessed with rain over the past couple of weeks since early July 2021.  And there are many mushrooms popping up.

These two tiny ones are growing on bark.

This one is growing on soil next to a rock.

Dawn and I out hiking and finding mushrooms and rocks.

How Would You Live Then

 

Another bit of amazement from Mary Oliver.

Flowers Blooming

 

The poppies were a cheery face in the gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the spring flowers smell like grape koolaide--like these purple irises.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smell the spring beauty.  Feel the warmth.  Take it in moment by moment. 

And just like that it's summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6-24-2021 Catalpa tree blooming  on the East Winona Lake path.

 

 

 

Close up of a flower bunch.

The whole tree in blossom. Sweet fragrance, sweet view.

Cat Silliness

 

Tara is resting a bit before playing the mandolin.  She is sitting on the pillow with the mandolin.

She played the mandolin and then needs to clean her paw. (I missed the photo of her playing.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norris is hanging out inside a paper bag.

He was in there for awhile; he needed a big stretch!

Is it time to eat?  He's wondering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Tara's not playing mandolin, she's hanging out in my studio.  She likes this fabric that I was preparing for a border.  This cat has good taste.

 What are your cats or animals up to?

 

 

 

River Walks to Raise the Energy with Joy

 

The sun is setting on the Mississippi River near my home.  I walk through the neighborhoods to see and  smell the water, the plants and the animals that make their home here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sky and clouds change the color of the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pure blue sky makes pure blue river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I see cloud reflections on the water.  Are they clouds making a happy dance on the water?

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

The vastness of the sky makes our land feel small.  Is the vastness inside of us?

This Rumi poem intrigues me:

"You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the entire ocean in a drop." 

 

And though living near the Mississippi River is not the ocean, it is a vast and mighty river that is home to many.  Maybe we are not a drop in the river, we are the entire river in a drop.

Enjoy exploring your neighborhoods.  What will you find?  Can we raise the energy of joy with our eyes, ears, noses, minds wide open?  I want to try.

 

 

 

Watching the Spring on Holzinger Trails

 

This is a lookout from the Quarry on Holzinger Trails on April 25.  Not too much green yet.

Here's we're at the Quarry, Dawn, Jamie and I.

 

 On May 2nd a few more friends joined us: Jamie, Marcus, Kyann, Dawn.  

 

May 16, 2021 the greens are filling in.

 Jamie, Dawn in back and I

 

 

May 31, 2021 Memorial Day--The tree leaves are growing and filling in.

 

Blue tips on this black butterfly.

Maiden hair ferns.

Lots of leaves are full of green.