Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Monday, October 11, 2010

Calling a Distant Animal



Here it is once again this one note
from a string of longing

tightened suddenly from both ends
and held for plucking

tone torn out of one birdsong
though that bird

by now may be
where a call cannot

follow it
the same note goes on calling

across space and is heard now
in the old night and known there

a silence recognized
by the silence it calls to

~W.S. Merwin

The photograph above was taken during an outing I made alone to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland.  Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, located 12 miles south of Cambridge, Maryland, was established in 1933 as a refuge for migratory waterfowl. The refuge includes more than 27,000 acres, composed mainly of rich tidal marsh characterized by fluctuating water levels and variable salinity. Other habitat types include freshwater ponds, mixed evergreen and deciduous forests, and small amounts of cropland and managed impoundments that are seasonally flooded for waterfowl use. The Refuge has walking and driving trails.  I was lucky enough to capture this blue heron, as well as some ospreys.  It was a great way to spend the afternoon.


Birdhouse - Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge - Still Pond Photography
Marsh - Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge - Still Pond Photography



The photos have been sitting on my hard drive for several months.  I don't have a telephoto lens and this makes getting good photos of wildlife very difficult.  I used my 55-250mm lens for these photos; however, it still doesn't capture the details very well.  For the blue heron at the top, I played around with layers in photoshop adding a little motion blur at the edges and throwing on a couple of textures.  I feel that it gives the photo a painterly effect - which makes it a more "artsy" type of photo rather than a good wildlife shot.  


Osprey feeding baby - Still Pond Photography

I have been reading The Shadow of Sirius by the Library of Congress's seventeenth Poet Laureate, W. S. Merwin.  It is a wonderful collection of a multitude of poems which explore the mysteries of light, darkness, temporality and eternity.  The words are so meaningful and thought provoking. I enjoy thinking about the
words when paired with my photography.  I have always been a "challenged" writer, so to have these remarkable words coupled with image is another form of interpretation.


The Shadow of Sirius    Migration: New & Selected Poems

Friday, November 7, 2008

My Lucky Day

Today was a good day.  First, I don't work on Fridays.  So, I was home just fooling around all day.  You know, rearranging furniture with Christmas tree in mind...contemplating cleaning out the attic but watching John Stewart and Steven Colbert instead.  

Second, I sold a pair of longies on eBay.


Third, I got this is the mail today...


Just a little transaction I made last week on eBay with The Trend Boutique.  I was in desperate need for a new jacket, and found this one at a great price.  It is absolutely lovely and fits perfectly. And, I feel really trendy when I put it on!

Fourth, my 17 yo son called last night from Boarding School.  Mom's with kids in Boarding School know how much this means.  Just getting a call is, well, astounding!  He informed that he had gotten the highest grade in his class on his Chemistry Lab - a 99! We might have a doctor in the making!

But the best thing that happened was that I got an email from Kristin to inform me that (drum roll please) I had won the new Anna Maria Horner book Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing as a Week One - Home for the Holidays prize winner!  Boy was I surprised, since I don't win things....ever.  I feel so lucky! I have been wanting that book so much, but couldn't justify another purchase for myself right now.  

Thanks so much to Sew Mama Sew!  Don't wait, go and check out this great site and all of the beautiful, trendy fabric they sell. 

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Needlework Project & Good Reading


Flower Power , originally uploaded by poketypatch.

I finished the glasses case made from recycled sweaters, some of my boys old pants and buttons! It is soft and thick; and, I think it will work wear to protect a pair of glasses from scratches. It is also a good size for a cell phone or ipod.

Speaking of finishing...I have recently finished two "quick read" mysteries with a needlework theme. I picked them up at my local library. The series is written by Monica Ferris. The main character, Betsy Devonshire, owns a needlework shop, "Crewel World" in Minnesota. She solves crimes with her store manager, Godwin DuLac (who is gay), and other needleworking friends, one who is a police officer. I started out reading the most recent book, Knitting Bones, since it caught my eye on the new book rack at the library. I liked it so much, I have plowed through Crewel Yule and am getting ready to start Sins and Needles. All of the books are featured on Ms. Ferris' website and include the first chapter of each book. She also contributes to a mystery writer's blog, Killer Hobbies, and Wednesday is Ms. Ferris' day to contribute. If you like themed mysteries, I recommend these for a fun read! I have added them to my Amazon Widget.