Essential Ethereal Time Transformation

Moment to moment painting with clouds and light . . . A new day unfurls towards a new year. 

A play of light and dark. 

Blues to dream.

 Time to reflect in the beauty of beginnings. 

wide ocean of sky  

constant change as time goes by

racing clouds as years

forming memories

layers of fluidity 

morning to infinity 

soon flowing fainter

our sun the master painter

a palette of fire

burning holes ~ hark!

atmospheric light and dark

splintering the days

minutes become miles

there is joy beneath the piles

an empty canvas

lift the sheets of time

there is no reason for rhyme

live life full awake

knowing essentials

belong to every being

actively engage

appeal for justice

impermanence mirrors life

measuring hours

a new calendar

promises and hope fulfill

self realization

Female Bluebird in Winter

We measure our lives by looking forward and backward at the same time rarely being here.

Janus leads us through the gateway into a New Year, but we are still close to the last and can look back . . . joys and losses . . . things done right and things done wrong . . . paring down and adding on . . .  the chapters of our lives are bound in our determination. 
We might spend nearly equal time in caring for the light as we do for the dark . . . the tragic and the joy. Keeping an essential balance while embracing all. 
Blinders must be cast off and the light of truth let in to illuminate our hearts and minds into needed action. 
Together we have a large voice and the power of our purse. 
If only we would . . . 

May this New Year Bring Us All  Peace and Prosperity in Love and Wisdom. 

May We Live Fully Awake With Strength Enough To Carry Our Life Loads.

May We All Take Responsibility For Our Part In What is Right and What is Wrong.

May Balance Come to Our World and Our Lives.

May Essentials Be Abundant in Every Life . . . A Promise of Full Potential for All . . . That Minds May Flourish Into a Human Tapestry Of Beauty and Love Covering Our One Earth in Peace and Justice.

Sigh . . . If only it could so be.

I am so grateful for the beauty that surrounds me and the time to realize its blossoming within. 
I am thankful for you.

I wish you a World of Joy! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012

One last visit this year to Katarina for important essentials.

A Few Wildflowers From Summer and Fall 2011

Native Wild Blueberry and Bombus (Bumble Bee)

Erigeron annuus Eastern daisy fleabane ~ ?

Mystery Most Common ~  Fleabane ?

Geranium maculatum, Wild Geranium 

Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Amsonia tabernaemontana (Eastern bluestar)

Thermopsis villosa (Carolina bushpea)

Field of Dancus pusillus (American wild carrot) and Daucus carota (Queen Anne's Lace)

Eastern Black Swallowtail Caterpillar eating Wild Carrot

Verbascum chaixii ? and Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca

Little Skippers on Milkweed

Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower and Aphrodite Fritillary 

                       Eupatorium Maculatum (Joe-Pye weed) and Rudbeckia Herbstonne

Goldenrod and Monarch butterfly with mystery bug

Vernonia gigantea, Tall Ironweed

Fritillary sipping Ironweed

Monarchs on New England Asters

Here are a few of my favorite photographs of some of the wildflowers (and wild flying creatures) in my gardens over this summer and fall. 

Thank you Gail for inspiring all of my wildflower posts over this year and for all of your great work towards preserving native plants . . . through your own gardens and the brilliant articles on your blog, 

as well as, your contributions to the fabulous Beautiful Wildlife Gardens blog.

You are an inspiration to many and a gracious champion for native plants and wildlife. Congratulations on another year of informative posts for your creation 'Wildflower Wednesday.'

If you, dear treasured readers, would like to see other wildflower posts inspired by Gail, please visit 'Wildflower Wednesday' and her wonderful, wild and greatly native garden Clay and Limestone.  

Merry Christmas!

Holly, Mistletoe, (Thank you Eva) Pomegranate and Xmas card Painting Western tragopan by Joseph Wolf (1820-1899)

From our cozy rustic country home to yours . . . here, there and across the seas in Sweden! 

Merry Christmas! 

For Katarina's Blooming Friday.

Spinning Tilting Towards Winter Solstice Sunlight Painting Clouds

The Most Dramatic Sunrises Occur Near the Winter Solstice

Waning Moon at Sunrise

A Mirror to Our Sun

Wide Angle Shot Makes the Mount Holyoke Range and Mount Tom Much Smaller and Farther Away Than Reality.

This Image Side by Side With The One of Mount Tom Below Would Reveal My View More Fully

Gathering Greens from the Blueberry Field

Carrying White Pine Seedlings Up the Hill

Half Way Home Coming Through the Apple Gateway

Each year I thin out white pine seedlings growing within the blueberry field and use the greens to celebrate the Winter Solstice and Christmas. It is quite a chore to carry the pine boughs and seedlings up the hill to the farmhouse. I am thankful for all the help I have in this ritual. I love bringing the fragrant green pine boughs inside, for it makes me feel closer to the forest and the verdant color helps to make up for the absence of green in the landscape.  I usually cut a Christmas tree from the forest on Christmas Eve. 

We . . .  in the Northern Hemisphere . . . have made it through the darkest day. Tomorrow our days begin lengthening and the sunrises I see from my windows, appearing to rise over the Mount Holyoke Range, will slowly start to move more left climbing and cresting over  Carey Hill. Each day . . . inch by inch . . . minute by minute . . . we will enjoy more sunlight. 

I so wish that our wide world and all its life could be enveloped in Joy and Light. 

Happy Winter Solstice!