This Guides Rain Water Over Paving Stones

Water Bowl

Stone, Water, Plants

Saturday I took a walk in the Portland Japanese Garden. Walking through three of the five gardens, I thought about how place influences thought and mood. This garden's spirit breathes into me and by matching my breath with it, I am calm and notice more. I see how with the same mathematical precision as the chambered nautilus and the sunflower, the gardeners set each thing granite, bamboo and brass. They breathed life into stone walkways and bamboo fences. My steps and thoughts are as quiet and sweet as the moss that covers everything.

An overcast sky provided ideal light for photographs. As much as I love vivid, natural colors, these textures and shadows led me to take several black and white photos.

One Morning...

When it was a little warmer, I sat on my back deck and watched a woodpecker on the neighbor's roof who was looking for insects.

Kitten Under the Maple

Looks a Little Like Shredded Wheat

Every fall since I've lived here, I've wanted to take a photo of the fallen needles down the street. The random yet ordered pattern fascinates me. Windfall basketry covers the ground beneath the tree. Nothing tangled. The needles in the gutter swirl even without water. My eyes make sense of the hundreds of tiny lines the best they can.

Grand Canyon Raven