the lake

“A lake is a landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”

― Henry David Thoreau, Walden

at the south end of the lake . . .

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dinner time

“Be prepared. A dog is adorable and noble.
A dog is a true and loving friend. A dog
is also a hedonist.”
- Mary Oliver

where is my dinner? . .

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carving pumpkins

"The pumpkin is a uniquely American plant, widely regarded as one of the most magical plants in all the world."

— Seth Adam Smith (Rip Van Winkle and the Pumpkin Lantern)

I carved one of these white pumpkins into a skull and was quite pleased with myself. The rest were done by my very talented kids, grandson. and husband! What fun we had.

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bitter nightshade

Bitter nightshade, found winding its way through an old apple tree.

***

“Even now, with the natural world in so much trouble—even now, with the patterns of my daily life changing in ways I don’t always welcome or understand—radiant things are bursting forth in the darkest places, in the smallest nooks and deepest cracks of the hidden world. I mean to keep looking every single day until I find them.”

― Margaret Renkl, The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year

morning, in the bird bath

"What does it mean, say the words, that the earth is so beautiful?
And what shall I do about it? What is the gift that I should bring to the world?
What is the life that I should live?"

— Mary Oliver

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