Some people might think a solitary swing is the epitome of loneliness; forlorn, swaying empty in the breeze.
Instead, I like to remember this poem by Robert Louis Stevenson and think of the joy it brings to the Angels; well, except when they’re fighting over whose turn it is to swing.
The Swing
How do you like to go up in a swing, Up in the air so blue Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall, Till I can see so wide, Rivers and trees and cattle and all Over the countryside
Till I look down on the garden green, Down on the roof so brown– Up in the air I go flying again, Up in the air and down!
I was at a free expo a couple months ago and grabbled a package of forget-me-not seeds. I tossed them in a planter and forgot about them until today.
This is their first flowering!
Forget-me-nots symbolize true love, fidelity, and respect. It’s also associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and has (weirdly) been adopted as a symbol by the Freemasons.
Germans coined the most common name used for this flower, das Vergissmeinnicht, because of the myth of two lovers who first saw the bright blue flowers as they walked along the Danube River. The man retrieved the flowers for the woman but was swept away by the river. As he floated away, he told her not to forget him.
Whether the story is true or not, it’s certainly made the forget-me-not a lasting symbol of remembrance.
Myosotis sylvatica readily reseeds, so I’m hoping to grow more and more in the garden because the blue is so valiantly BLUE and truly unforgettable.
Even though it rained last night, the waves were forecasted to be even BIGGER than yesterday, so I went down to the beach again. The sidewalk was packed with people and cameras and video equipment, all searching for the holy grail of the perfect shot.
I’m disappointed to report that the news was false; the waves weren’t any bigger than yesterday, at least not here. This was definitely not in the ten to twelve-plus range that I had anticipated.
The only surfer I was was one crazy teenager who was determined to surf the blown out waves. I walked out on the jetty to take this video, which wouldn’t have been a smart choice if the waves had been as giant as predicted.
High Surf Warning, dangerously large breaking waves of 8 to 12 feet with sets to 15 + feet.
The larger waves are south of where I am –at Sunset Cliffs and La Jolla, but I went to my local beach to check it out, and the surf was impressive here, too. In Northern California, they’re reporting ginormous waves of 28 to 33 feet, up to possibly forty feet! I’d love to see waves like that from a safe distance, of course.
Photo credit to Enchanted Seashells
Again, there were dolphins, way out beyond the waves, and no way to get a decent photo.
Photo credit to Enchanted Seashells
These are two Imgur videos; some people can open them, and I’ve heard that a few can’t, so I’m sorry in advance. They’re pretty cool. It was a lovely morning.
I spent the day in the gardens, front and back. Neighbors dropped by to chat and comment on our beautiful weather in anticipation of much needed rain.
One neighbor recently got a sweet Golden Retriever that spent too many years at a disgusting Amish puppy mill and is now living her best life. A few minutes later, a young couple walked by with a newborn, their first. Kids rode by on their bikes and e-bikes on their way to play tennis at the park.
It was a wonderful, happy, Southern California kind of day, and I got a lot of work done, filling up three yard waste cans.
Even the butterflies seemed to be more active than usual, perhaps trying to sip as much nectar as possible before the rain or a southerly migration. I tried to snap some pics but they absolutely wouldn’t stay still long enough!
It made me think of that really old song, Elusive Butterfly. It’s beautiful, sad, poignant, even melancholy, but there I was, chasing that elusive butterfly — I could so relate.
Imagine how happy I was to learn that my fave Leon Russell played piano on this song, along with Henry Diltz (Banjo), Carol Kaye (Bass), and Hal Blaine (Drums). I had no idea!
Here’s previous butterfly photos, and these guys knew how to properly model.
I’m still obsessed with the lyrics of Elusive Butterfly
You might wake up some mornin’ To the sound of something moving past your window in the wind And if you’re quick enough to rise You’ll catch a fleeting glimpse of someone’s fading shadow Out on the new horizon You may see the floating motion of a distant pair of wings And if the sleep has left your ears You might hear footsteps running through an open meadow
Don’t be concerned, it will not harm you It’s only me pursuing somethin’ I’m not sure of Across my dreams with nets of wonder I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love
You might have heard my footsteps Echo softly in the distance through the canyons of your mind I might have even called your name As I ran searching after something to believe in You might have seen me runnin’ Through the long-abandoned ruins of the dreams you left behind If you remember something there That glided past you followed close by heavy breathin’
Don’t be concerned, it will not harm you It’s only me pursuing somethin’ I’m not sure of Across my dreams with nets of wonder I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love
Across my dreams with nets of wonder I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love
It seems like giant holiday-themed inflatables are popping up everywhere. These are nutcrackers, but I’ve driven by streets with every house on the block participating, dressed up with gargantuan Santas and Frosty. I absolutely love it.
Street art.
After the plumbers left, I found a box of my sparkly trees when I cleaned the garage. I created a simple tabletop display that looks and feels so festive!
Coyotes were in the garden last night! I was awakened at midnight by at least two extremely conversational coyotes; yipping and howling for a few minutes. I went back to sleep with a smile on my face.
This morning I went on a beach walk (did NOT almost get run over by a crazy driver this time) and was lucky enough to see three dolphins! I’m sorry the photos aren’t great, but I only had my phone.
Here they are in the middle of the photo, to the right of the little boat. They’re moving south.
In this photo, the dolphins are directly to the left of the paddleboarders, who are actually watching them swim by.
Dolphins represent a bond between mankind and Mother Nature, in part due to their emotional connection with humans while they remain firmly part of the animal kingdom. Dolphins are representative of both the Air and Water elements as they are warm-blooded, air-breathing mammals, yet they reside in the depths of the ocean.
For me, hearing coyotes last night and seeing dolphins this morning are two positive indicators that December is starting out to be an amazing way to end 2023!
There’s always, always something to be grateful for, right?
This morning, I’m thankful for the sky’s breathtaking sunrise. What amazing colors!
The fiery intensity is surreal. No filters, no editing; this is exactly how the sky looked at 6 a.m.
Happy Thanksgiving… or as Jon Stewart said, “I celebrated Thanksgiving the old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.“
Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 