river wanderings on a sunny day

I never tire of taking photos of the woods and river I walk.  Everything is constantly new and changing, from morning to noon, day to day, season to season. The full sun of noon light made some of the shots overexposed, and I liked that. This tree has witnessed many a campfire we have made beneath her boughs, heard us singing, heard us drumming, once even witnessed a ceremony  after my mother died, where friends and I sent ashes floating downstream while a woman played the harp.

Prayer flags that are at least 15 years old that have wrapped themselves around this twin tree. I hand dyed each of the squares of cloth and wrote my prayer/drew my pictures on them. They flapped in the river breeze for many years before making this their new home. In my mind, I see new ones flying here again this summer, i look forward to creating them.

I spotted two wishes ready to take flight

I met an old friend on the beach and took several photos of him as the tree shadows above him swayed in the breeze.

Mainly I was just mesmerized by the voice of the water and the glints of sun and shadows reflecting the trees and sun.

When
The violin
Can forgive the past

It starts singing.

When the violin can stop worrying
About the future

You will become
Such a drunk laughing nuisance

That God
Will then lean down
And start combing you into
His
Hair.

When the violin can forgive
Every wound caused by
Others

The heart starts
Singing.

---Hafiz



I dream of a quiet man
who explains nothing and defends
nothing, but only knows
where the rarest wildflowers
are blooming, and who goes,
and finds that he is smiling
not by his own will.
----Wendell Berry



Naked I lie in the green forest of summer. . . .
Too lazy to wave my white feathered fan.
I hang my cap on a crag,
And bare my head to the wind that comes
Blowing through the pine trees.
----Li Po




a nice deep swimming hole

the barn swallow couple is back, busily building a nest on our porch, above this light.  they are such social birds, really seem to appreciate human comings and goings, they'd really have to as their nest is 2 yards from our front door.

dear readers,
i wish you were at my door, coming for an afternoon visit. i would take your shoes and give you a pair of slippers to wear. We would sit on a blanket on the grass and i would serve you coffee and tea with rhubarb crisp (or koolaid and soda crackers if you prefer). We would ask about one anothers lives, laughing at the funny parts. You would eventually tell me your were quite full, and it was time for you to go. I would bring you your shoes, hug you goodbye and wave to you from the porch till you disappeared down the road.

Comments

[Sharon @ norah'S]

WOW what a welcome. I felt it and I so enjoyed seeing your friend, the old man,and the prayer flags and the deep swimming hole. All that. Are you sure you didn't see me there? I was

[samm]

dear katie! your post today is so lovely! what a lovely thought to post pictures of "wishes" ready to take flight - and here i was thinking you only got to make one wish per dandelion flower!!! and your rock friend - how exquisite!
i would love to come and sit on your blanket, to share tea and rhubarb crisp (sounds great - is it a secret family recipe???) - may I bring some hand stitching to do while we chat and laugh?
xoxo

[Katelen Tays]

Thank you for the peaceful, joyful welcome.. I did so enjoy my self.
Katelen

[beth]

your barn swallows are not related to mine in any way....as ours build and build under our deck....4 nests right now with babies in them and always....ALWAYS...they swoop at us and our dog the moment you walk outside to do anything....it's not a social thing...they are trying hard to scare us!!

obviously they don't scare us, but ohhhh they think they are soooo incredibly viscous!!!

and on top of all that....they make such a huge mess !!!

[Lorri]

Dear Katie,

Have my slippers ready and let me know when you'd like me to arrive!

Lorri

[Gwen]

What a lovely post, and what a sweet surprise to see a poem by
Li Po, one of my favorites of the Chinese poets of the T'ang Dynasty!

Your river is beautiful, and I am sure inspires much poetry!

[Tess]

Beauty is not only in the eyes of the beholder...
It is also in the eyes of a friend!

[katiejane]

Oh yes, I would love to walk along the banks of this river with you, sit on a blanket and talk. Your photos take me in, I am there now. Lovely post.

[jen]

Ok Im coming over. I'l take tea, rhubarb crisp and lots of hugs.

[mary ann]

i think you're old friend and i see the same dentist. i recognize that crown work.

[misty]

if only i could transport myself right there this instant, how perfect that would be today... i would so love to meet your friends near your river.
i love your prayer flags and how they have wrapped themselves with love around your tree... so beautiful.
miss you so much. xoxoxo