Tag Archives: Photography

Famous (Almost)

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So…sitting right behind me is a SEMI famous local personality who has a cooking show on community television. Somebody else recognized him and said hi or I wouldn’t have even noticed.

I really really want to tell him to include more vegan dishes, that there’s a huge demographic out there that would love him if he included cruelty-free recipes, but he’s totally self absorbed and constantly texting on his phone. Additionally, he’s not THAT famous or he wouldn’t be sitting in the cheap seats, right?

His style of cooking isn’t my cup of tea, but I support his “I’m just a regular guy” niche of encouraging everyone to cook with the ingredients already on hand in the pantry.

So far I haven’t annoyed him, but I’m not at all a shy, timid forest creature. I have zero problem approaching anyone. For any reason. No matter who they are.

On the other side of me is a young man wearing a Stanford Medical School sweatshirt. He’s starting med school in the fall. (I asked.) How awesome is that! I told him I was proud of him. I’m sure you might think…who am I to share unwanted praise, right? But I did. Bright children who follow their academic/life dreams need our support and encouragement. It takes a village, yes it does, and it only takes a minute to utter a few positive words.

I was trying to watch Curb Your Enthusiasm but for some reason I couldn’t get my phone to enlarge to full screen, so a kind stranger directly to my right (an obvious techie) took my phone and messed around with it until he figured out what the problem was.

As terrible as the stories are on the news, in spite of the violence and Covid variants and all the rest, there are still kind and helpful people in this world.

Not a bad way to spend 2 1/2 hours. Not bad at all, especially when I arrive to THIS:

And this:

When Doves Cry: Life and Death

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**This is so strange. I only published this post today, June 26, but it shows that it was published on the 24th, so I am RE-writing and posting again. Very odd WordPress, very odd.

We had a bit of rain, just a few drops, definitely not the kind of rain we need here in the Southwest, but I think my veggie garden was grateful for it.

When I went outside to check on the status of baby lettuce seedlings, I noticed a Monarch butterfly entangled in the netting surrounding the garden. I’ve been forced to use the barrier to keep out squirrels and rats and bunnies. There are plenty of other things in the garden those guys can eat, so I don’t feel too bad about restricting them from my yummy greens.

Carefully, I removed the netting from those delicate wings.

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After flying off, s/he returned with a mate and they circled my head a few times as if to thank me. “You’re welcome, guys! I was glad to help.”

Later that afternoon, right before dusk, I went for a walk. There were still beautiful clouds in the sky and I was thinking happy thoughts about the butterflies.

Suddenly, before I could even react, several things happened at once. A white van was driving down the street faster than the twenty-five mile an hour speed limit. A dove flew low across the street, left to right. (Yup, you can see where this is going.) The driver MUST have seen the bird, I’m sure of it.

Without slowing down or trying to avoid the imminent impact, the van ran into the bird, and to make it even more horrific, the back tires finished the slaughter. There were no other cars on the road; simply slowing down would have avoided it completely.

It doesn’t matter to me that there was nothing I could have done to prevent this tragedy. I ran out into the street to see if I needed to take the bird to a vet, but it was too late. Too late. I crouched down on my knees over the little dove almost in shock at the massive destruction the van did to his body. I took a photo because I wanted to remember the poor dear and honor his/her life, but it’s too gruesome to post and I feel it would be disrespectful to the innocent creature.

The bird was probably on his way home, and there might have been nesting babies that won’t be fed and won’t survive all because of the actions of one unaware or uncaring human. What if it was one of the doves I just wrote about that often visit me in the garden? How incredibly sad.

Well, that stripped me of the joy of saving a butterfly, that’s for sure. I’m a fixer and a helper. It’s a tough lesson for me to comprehend that sometimes things can be so terribly damaged that they can’t be mended or put back together, like this poor little bird who was beyond repair.

This made me think of Prince. When doves cry, so do I.



Moon Shine

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One photo from my camera, one from my phone.

No strawberry pink for me, but a bit of reflected color on this one; lots of positive moon energy.

This was from my front door. I might print and frame it because it looks like a painting to me.

Dove Love

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In my garden, this Mourning Dove family and I peacefully co-exist.

According to All About Birds, this is a graceful, slender-tailed, small-headed dove that’s common across the continent. Mourning Doves perch on telephone wires and forage for seeds on the ground; their flight is fast and bullet straight. Their soft, drawn-out calls sound like laments. When taking off, their wings make a sharp whistling or whinnying.

However, this fact is really upsetting to me: Mourning Doves are the most frequently hunted species in North America. Who could possibly want to murder these gentle creatures? Once again, humans suck.

Midnight Lily

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This Odessa Calla Lily (Zantedeschia rehmannii violacea) is dark as a moonless night. In shade, the deep purple bloom is nearly black. Today, sunshine illuminates the royal purple curve of the petals. It’s one of my favorite flowers, especially since it thrives in the hot summer sun of rain-deprived SoCal.

Lizard Love #WordlessWednesday

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These two very friendly lizards hope you all have a great Wednesday!

Tree Bones

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I walked by the location of that big fire a few months ago (https://enchantedseashells.com/2021/01/20/fire-in-carlsbad/)

It no longer smells like charred wood, but the twisted and tangled bones of this burned tree is an ever constant reminder.

Sun/bow | Sun/dog

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Ah, proof there are still glittery sprinkles of enchantment in my little world. Or maybe more accurately; otherwordly.

I was diligently washing the deck yesterday, fully immersed in my terra firma (not on a ladder) project, looking down as I scrubbed the redwood planks before they dried in the sunshine. I can’t exactly recall why I looked up but I am SO GLAD I DID I because this rare and beautiful sight made me gasp: a rain’ess rainbow! I noted the time: it was close to high noon.

Check out my Sun Dog/Sun Bow!

They are iridescent rainbow clouds without a drop of rain in sight. This phenomenon is known as cloud iridescence or irisation. It’s a type of photometeor.

The term “sun dog” (or mock sun) originates from Greek mythology. It was believed the god Zeus walked his dogs across the sky and that the bright “false suns” in the sky on either side of the sun’s disk were the dogs.

A sundog is seen about 22° to the left or right of the Sun. Sundogs often form in pairs on either side of the Sun. Often they appear white but sometimes they are quite colorful, looking like patches of rainbow. The colors usually go from red closest to the Sun, out to blue on the outside of the sundog.

Probably the biggest difference between a sundog and a rainbow is that a rainbow usually signals an end to rain, while a sundog can mean that rain or snow is on the way. Next time you see a sundog, look out for wet weather! https://www.almanac.com/what-are-sundogs#

However, here in very DRY Southern California, there is no moisture in the forecast.

The rainbow always held special significance among the different Native American Indian Nations. It is connected to the Spirit (Supreme God/Creator/Source/All-That-Is) in all things. There are many prophecies and stories from the Cree, the Hopi, the Zuni, and the Cherokee related to the rainbow warriors.

One source says: “While meteorologists have a physical understanding of the circular rainbow around the sun, wisdom keepers of the Americas and Tibet have complementary spiritual understandings about this dramatic omen around the Sun which is known as the Whirling Rainbow or the Sunbow.”

For some native people, the Sunbow or Whirling Rainbow is considered to be a sign from Creator, marking a time of great change, or transition on the Earth. This full-circle rainbow around the Sun, some elders say, can be understood as a sign to people of the necessity to live a life in respect and harmony with all the creations that make life possible: plants, animals, waters, minerals, fires, winds, and other human beings.” https://lifeheartandsoulblog.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/rainbow-around-the-sun/

According to the prophecy, “There will come a day when people of all races, colors, and creeds will put aside their differences. They will come together in love, joining hands in unification, to heal the Earth and all Her children. They will move over the Earth like a great Whirling Rainbow, bringing peace, understanding and healing everywhere they go. Many creatures thought to be extinct or mythical will resurface at this time; the great trees that perished will return almost overnight. All living things will flourish, drawing sustenance from the breast of our Mother, the Earth.

The great spiritual Teachers who walked the Earth and taught the basics of the truths of the Whirling Rainbow Prophecy will return and walk amongst us once more, sharing their power and understanding with all. We will learn how to see and hear in a sacred manner. Men and women will be equals in the way Creator intended them to be; all children will be safe anywhere they want to go. Elders will be respected and valued for their contributions to life. Their wisdom will be sought out. The whole Human race will be called The People and there will be no more war, sickness or hunger forever.” Navajo-Hopi Prophecy of the Whirling Rainbow

I curated info from a few different sources. I have never before experienced this marvelous sky show. I watched it until it disappeared and was lucky enough to snap a few photos to remember an enchanted and precious moment in time.

Magical Purple-Blue Ceanothus

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I have NEVER seen a color like the blue of this ceanothus. It’s a deep intense pure purpleblue, an amazing gigantic specimen.

Ceanothus has many ethnobotanical uses. Native Americans would mix the flowers with water to create a soapy detergent. It really works! Roots and leaves have reputed medicinal properties, and the long, flexible stems of some species are used in basket-making. The common name for Ceanothus americanus, a species from the eastern United States, is New Jersey Tea, which refers to its use during the Revolutionary War as a substitute for traditional British tea.

The camera definitely doesn’t capture the saturation of color. It’s full of the sound of buzzing BEES.

#WordlessWednesday

Will You Bee My Friend?

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I used to be terrified of bees mainly because I’m allergic — which is certainly a plausible rationale for fear, but I have so many bees here at Casa de Enchanted Seashells–they love rosemary and lavender and other herbs, that I’ve decided to quell my anxiety and bee friendly.

Bees are incredibly valuable to sustaining life on Earth; they deserve our love and protection, along with a healthy respect for their ability to cause pain. Angel Boy 2.0 and I spend quite a bit of time researching bees.

This little guy took a rest on the deck from his hard work saving Planet Earth and was perfectly amenable to pose for a series of photos and then he buzzed away. More flowers, more pollen, more honey!