Between the Lines

"A line is a dot that went for a walk." ~Paul Klee






"A curved line for beauty, a straight line for duty." ~Violet Linton





"The essence of drawing is the line exploring space." ~Andy Goldsworthy





"Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line we have drawn for it. Beyond the pairs of opposites of which the world consists, other, new insights begin.” ~Hermann Hesse

Skywatch

autumn sunset
the mockingbird takes a step
into pumpkin pie

To view more skies from around the world visit Skywatch Friday.

Colorful Chirpers

Green-tailed Towhees are large long-tailed sparrows. Spending most of their time under the cover of dense shrubbery, they are more often heard than seen. They make strange catlike mews and noisily thrash leaf litter around looking for food.

Towhees forage on the ground with a quick backward two-footed hop known as "double scratching." They are also said to run like rodents. I think this one looks more like a roadrunner than a mouse.

The scientific name, Pipilo chlorurus, means "colorful chirper." Hiding under bushes, they look drab grey or brown. But their colors become more obvious when they venture out into the sunlight. Field marks are: rufous cap, white throat, black mustache, grey chest and olive-green upperparts.

The books don't mention blue, but I noticed some.

This towhee didn't have a rusty colored cap.

Apparently, their head feathers can move from flat to puffed.

Sometimes they stop their fast foraging to stretch their necks up for a moment.

I don't understand all of their quirky behaviors, but they are fun to watch.
The most towhees I've seen at one time is four. Did you know that the collective name for a group of towhees is a "tangle" or a "teapot?" The group name for sparrows is "host," "quarrel" or "ubiquity."

Backyard Visitors

Northern Cardinal

Green-tailed Towhee

Gila Woodpecker & Neighbor's Cat

Gambel's quail family

Sleepy Orange Butterfly

This was the first cardinal to visit our new platform feeder. Green-tailed Towhees are busy scratching around the backyard like little chickens. Gila woodpecker announces his presence with a call that sounds like a loud squeak toy. The Gambel's quail family drops by occasionally. The youngsters are almost fully grown now. I think this butterfly is a Sleepy Orange even though it wasn't sleepy or very orange.

If you didn't see the backyard critters I posted on my other blog in July, and you want to take a peek, click here.

Tao of Contentment

as water

nourishes all things effortlessly

and is satisfied to settle in low places

we too can be content with what we have

rejoice in the way things are

understand there is nothing lacking



enjoy simple everyday lives

realize the mystery



when there is no desire

all things are at peace


~adapted from chapters 1, 8, 37 and 44 of the Tao Te Ching

Sunset Blossoms - Skywatch Friday

splashes from frogs
jumping in canyon pool
sunset blossoms


To join the fun and share your sky view, visit Skywatch Friday.

Spiny Metal

Surprise Sunrise

I didn't think I could see the sunrise from my backyard. But early one morning I peeked over the wall, between tree trunks, and spied a palm tree way in the distance surrounded by orange and violet sky colors. As the wind gently blew the palm fronds, the view changed. It was like looking into a kaleidoscope. Each moment was fresh and new. Neat!

I snapped this picture. Not a sharp image, but I did capture the shapes and colors.

original image

Then I played around with the image in photoshop, trying out different adjustments and filters. I'm not sure why it's so much fun manipulating photos. Maybe the element of surprise, and the chance to experiment with colors without having to clean up big messes.

mosaic, inverted colors

glass distortion

spin, inverted colors, paint

pinch, extrude

These last two are abstracted quite a bit and barely look like palms anymore. But I think they still the have the essence.

wave, crop, rough pastels

liquefy, crop, paint


cool september breeze
sunrise and palm colors dance
painting a new world