Eternal Beauty

This beautiful sparkly, glittery boulder has purple quartz inclusions, feldspar veins and lots of mica and pyrite.  When the sun shines on it, it looks like a huge lump of silver.

Closeup showing the purple inclusions as well as some pink and green.  I bought this boulder for my birthday at a wonderful place that sells  rocks from pebble-size to truck-size.  I think I looked at every single rock before I finally made up my mind to get this one.  It's one of the best presents I've ever given myself.

"What nature delivers to us is never stale.  Because what nature creates has eternity in it."

-Isaac Bashevis Singer

Seek out  and enjoy nature's eternal beauty today.  Peace.

Fragile Beauty

The day after I took this photo, a  heavy rainstorm swept through and I watched as all the petals fell like  soft snowflakes  to the ground.

Flowers . . . are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

May we all find a ray of beauty shining in our lives today.  Peace.

Working Dogs

Gracie faithfully patrols the property, including the trees, ever alert for dangerous 4-legged intruders, like squirrels.

Vida has started his own excavation company.  His paws have been licensed as earthmovers and he will soon be available for hire.

Here he is inspecting a deep cave he dug into solid clay and tree roots.  I think he is not totally satisfied with the results yet so he will continue excavating until he thinks it is perfect.

"If A equals success, then the formula is A equals X plus Y plus Z, with X being work,  Y play, and Z keeping your mouth shut."

- Albert Einstein

Z is especially important if you have a career digging up dirt :)  Peace.

Life Lesson: Patience

Who could resist that loving patient expression?  Vida always manages to get me off my computer  to go for a walk by just this look

"With love and patience, nothing is impossible."

- Daisaku Ikeda 

Praying for us all to embrace the twin virtues of love and patience to achieve our most heartfelt dreams.  Peace.

Earth Day

Spring  peonies in my garden

"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life."

- Rachel Carson

Happy be kind to Earth Day. Peace.

The Gate

A beautiful gate at the local  botanical garden

He or she who wants to do good knocks at the gate; he or she who loves finds the gate open."

- Rabindranath Tagore



I pray that love opens all gates for you today.  Peace.

Passionate Purple Pots

I risked trying  some new combinations of glazes and this is the result

"When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge."

T. Kupferberg

Wishing you all the freedom to try a new approach today.  Peace.

Love

  

Hallie, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, poses happily with her loving family

"Love one another and you will be happy.  It's as simple and difficult as that."

- M. Leunig

Sending thoughts of love to everyone.  Peace.

Inner Child

The flowering quince is just beginning to blossom in the garden

"April has put a spirit of youth in everything."

-William Shakespeare

Here's to enjoying life like a child today.  Peace.

SMILE!

A merry trio  of my students on graduation day.  They graduated with honors from Movie Star 101 - a class I developed and taught to prepare dogs to successfully audition for movie  and advertising roles.

"Peace begins with a smile."

- Mother Teresa

What makes you smile?  Peace.

Woodland Flower

Tiny, bell-like flowers of the solomon seal blossom in the woodland garden

"The temple bell stops but I still hear the sound coming out of the flowers."

- Basho

I pray that we may all enjoy the music of nature today.  Peace.

My Favorite Tree

This magnificent old oak is the largest and healthiest oak tree on the farm.  It is perfectly shaped and has never been hit by lightning.  It is nestled in a valley near the swimming hole and I am in awe of it's stately presence whenever  I come to visit it.  

"And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything."

- William Shakespeare

Hoping we can all appreciate nature's beauty and goodness today.  Peace.

Spring Morning

Tiny blue flowers march merrily across the lawn.

Sunny yellow forsythia cheerfully shouts "Good Morning!"

Weeping cherry blossoms open serenely in the soft spring air.

"An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day."

- Henry David Thoreau

Wishing everyone  time for a rejuvenating walk today.  Peace.

Friendship

"Hold a true friend with both your hands."

- Nigerian proverb

Here's to appreciating the special friends in our lives.  Peace.

The Color Purple

Purple can boost the imagination and inspire creativity.  It is the color of royalty and riches, magic and mystery.

"All the other colors are just colors, but purple seems to have a soul.  Purple is not just a noun and an adjective but also a verb - when you look at it, it's looking back at you."

- Uniek Swain

Here's to enjoying something purple in our lives today.  Peace.

TEAMWORK

I do not know if Gracie and Max are demonstrating excellent teamwork by sticking together like glue or maybe they are just in love with each other.

"In union there is strength."

- Aesop

Love  and peace to you all.

Rebirth

"Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time." 

-Martin Luther 

Wishing everyone the opportunity for a glorious do-over.  Peace. 

THINK PINK

Pink is the universal color of love

According to Feng Shui, combining fuschia pink and green creates very fiery energy

Pink connotes happiness and nurturing.

"Almost all words have color and nothing is more pleasant than to utter a pink word and see someone's eyes light up and know it is a pink word for him or her, too."

-G. Taber

Here's hoping everyone feels the power of pink today.  Peace.

A Lovely Surprise

A gorgeous pot of flamboyant tulips was an unexpected and utterly delightful surprise.  Thank you, Karen and Lindi.

"Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul."

-the Koran

Wishing everyone food for the soul today.  Peace.

Perseverance

"If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking."

- Buddhist saying

Wishing you all the power of success, step by step.  Peace.

Fun

"It's never too late to have a happy childhood."

-Berke Breathed

Wishing everyone the grace and  time to enjoy a  bit of silly fun.  Peace.

Success

"Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right."

- Henry Ford

You can do it!  Peace.

Spring Greeting

This arrangement of pussy willow, red dogwood, curly willow and forsythia cheerily greets everyone who visits the farm. 

"The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts  well out of proportion to their size."

- G. Wister

Wishing everyone a day filled with gentle pleasures.  Peace.

Communication

"An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language."

- M. Buber

Wishing everyone the gift of clear vision.  Peace.

Spring Beauty

"Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God."

- Job 37:14

Peace.

Garden Angel

"One single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer."

-G. E. Lessing

Peace.

Gone to the Dogs

Happy Vida

Gracie on the run

What's Johnny Angel up to?

Gracie

"Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet."

- Colette

Wishing everyone their own perfect companion.  Peace.

Chow Wagon

I finally finished building this covered chow wagon last night.  My friends had the original idea and I modified and executed the actual product,  mostly because I am the only builder of our bunch.  It is for a contest at a local craft show.  It will be filled with food and all entries (last year there were over 100 entries) will be donated to one of two very nice local charities after the contest.

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

- The Dalai Lama

Hoping everyone enjoys this win-win form of happiness today.  Peace.

Spring Afternoon Break

Chevy enjoying a watery retrieve

Gracie and Vida  - splish splashing fun

The art of the tail

Pussy willows growing by the stream

Gracie shows perfect dog paddle form

"Spend the afternoon.  You can't take it with you."

- A. Dillard

And so we did.  Wishing everyone some fun in the sun today.   Peace.

Garden Dreams

This is a partial view of my new enclosed kitchen garden taken last summer.  The shredded tire mulch, raised beds,  and three-tiered fountain all serve to make it a dream come true.  It was a huge amount of work to design and build it all by myself but this year my gardening work will be so much easier.

"Gardens are a form of autobiography."

- S. Eddison

What is being written in your life story today?  I hope it makes you smile.  Peace.

Spring Fever

Homage to Spring - Fortissimo daffodils in my garden

"It's spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"

- Mark Twain

I hope you feel the gentle warmth of the sun today.  Peace.

Friends

These two cuties are former students of mine and they are very, very close.

"Friendship is one mind in two bodies."

- Menclus

Whether of one mind or two, here's to appreciating the  special friends in our lives.  Peace.

Greenhouse Beauties

Kalanchoe looking bright and sturdy on a rainy day

Fuschia geraniums have an inner glow even on an overcast day

I love the way the flower peeks out in the midst of  the incredible chartreuse leaves

"God made rainy days so gardeners could get housework done."

-author unknown

Hmm, I guess I could do some housework or maybe I'll  just curl up in a comfortable chair with a good book and a hot cup of tea and enjoy the quiet solitude.  Peace.