The color purple

Lisa wore her jacket over Sunday eve and the light hit it just perfectly for a photo - I added the purple around the edges and then added some graininess to it, as it was shot at 3200 ISO and had a bit of grain anyway. I like it.

Bird day

It rained most of the day, but that did not stop or even seem to slow down the songbirds.  Black-headed grosbeak (male)- not pictured, evening grosbeak (female), American Goldfinch, pine siskin, Lazuli Bunting and the normal entourage of house finches and sparrows - busy, busy, busy!  I counted 9 buntings on the ground at one time - a moving blanket of bright blue!  Here's some photos for your pleasure.

Mother's Day

I was fortunate to be able to attend a Mothers Day brunch yesterday, at the place where Mom is staying.  They served a good late breakfast brunch and then had a talented young lady playing the piano and old songs; Mom sang along for a few of them.
Kayslie - the young daughter of one of the staff at the place - loves Zona and came over to sit on her lap.  Which Mom loved!  As I look at the photo I am struck by the continuation of life it represents - age and youth - and how that process rolls on and on. 
I hope you had a good Mothers Day with your Mom.

Graduation Day

Yesterday the University of Utah held its 2011 commencement exercises - some 7000 graduates!  For us, the two stars were Jane (our goddaughter) and Noah, her boyfriend.
I've been with Jane since the moment she was born - we have a unique and wonderful relationship, as she does with her godmother, Diana.  We've watched with great pride and satisfaction as she has handled life and what it has thrown at her and continues to rebound and excel!  Smart, beautiful and confident!
Here they are in the mandatory getup for the ceremony!

Sometimes

Sometimes opportunities are all around.
The orchids were highlighted with the sun from a skylight when we walked into the house!  Somehow the other items seem in support rather than clutter, providing a sense of place.

Items left on the way to another place, sit waiting for someone to gather them.

Meadow Lily

Out on the edge of the meadow down by the pond by our hosts house, are several lily plants.  They are delicate, colorful and inspirational - surviving in the middle of much grass/debris, etc.  I love their color and shapes - so I isolated those to bring the flower into focus.

Also today, we were treated to an eruption of cicadias - the 13 year ones, I believe.  Beautiful and ugly all at once - what nature can teach us if we are willing to learn!

The show is over

We wrapped it up Sunday at 5pm - what took two days to put up took two hours to take down!!! An event for the books - deep in teaching and welcoming and loving!  As well as incredibly beautiful. 
The beginning and end looked a lot alike - open and empty.  The facility is a large timberframe building used as the massage therapy classroom. The french doors open onto a porch overlooking a 50-acre meadow.  Very peaceful here.

During the show the tryptichs were up and loaded with the various pieces of art and display and fit wonderfully into the room.

Many dear friends of Carey's came and the entire event was like a love-in.  Some folks would stay all day, just hanging out, creating pieces of art and hanging them on the orange ribbon.