Garden Musing

What can surpass the relaxation found in a garden. Lay down in the grass and watch a bee sample clover nectar. Soak in the color of bursting blooms. Marvel at vegetables racing to mature. Fix your camera lens on small things and open your eyes to light and life.  Allow your mind to drift, to imagine, to muse…

He

Lightning bug glow.

Flash your fire.

Your lady waits

Fly free beetle wings

Sail over vine and tendril

Attract your heart’s desire

Court her in leaf’s cradle.

Find her nectar sweet.

She

Out! Go back!

I admire your iridescent beauty,

but you’re consuming my marigolds.

Revisit your homeland across the sea.

Spread your beetle wings and fly.

Flee far from my garden

and me.

There, I have bolted.

See my pregnant pouch split?

The bulb of your desire may be smaller,

but my lavender flowers yearn to birth seed.

I have dreamed of hundreds of shiny children,

no bigger than a pinhead, yet full of life.

I offer my progeny to the wind and rain.

They will nestle in fertile loam toasted by summer’s sun.

So, despise not my expectant bloom.

Rather, respect my onion cycle and rejoice with me.

*     *     *

Note: Male Lightning Bugs (rather, beetles) are equipped with bio luminescence so that they can attract their  mates. The female feeds on plant nectar and usually can be found on leaves. It’s the males you see twinkling in the night sky.

The beetle pictured on a marigold flower is a Japanese Beetle. There are adequate biological controls in Japan to prevent their unabated spread, but not here in the Eastern United States where they chomp on everything in sight. You have to admit, though, that their shiny red and green bodies are striking.

Those who raise onions in their gardens would rather their onions would not bolt, or produce a long straight stem bearing flowers. Once an  onion bolts, it produces a smaller onion and thus a smaller onion crop. There are ways to prevent this, including planting seeds rather than seedlings in the spring.

jamaica, ya mon!

Looking North from Kingston

I just spent eight delightful days in Jamaica. Thanks to the generosity of friends, whose relatives opened their homes to us, I had the opportunity to taste of this beautiful land for little cost. I left my photo gear at home and borrowed my husband’s Nikon P6000 for the trip. I love this little camera. Perfect for travel, this small  lightweight camera offers much of the control of a DSLR; all at an amazing 13.5 megapixels.

Although we found the July weather hot, a pleasant breeze flowed from mountain or ocean making the tropics pleasantly bearable. Jamaican food compares with the best of worldwide cuisines. Fresh fruits and vegetables, fragrant baked goods, festival (like sweet fried cornbread), creamy ice cream in tropical flavors, jerk spices, and curry goat topped my list of favorites. An afternoon’s trip west of Kingston to Hellshire, where it is hot, dry, and filled with macka bush (brush and cactus), brought us to a treasure of sandy beach and restaurant shacks at ocean side. There fishing dories delivered their fresh catch of fish and lobster to be cooked over hot coals for the sweetest seafood delicacies imaginable.

The Kitchen at Prendy's

Festival, Snapper, Lobster, and Coconut Milk

Seabirds soared over the beach in hopes of snatching bits left over from fish cleaning.

Magnificent Frigatebird

A hair raising switch-back filled trip across the mountains afforded breathtaking views of bamboo forests and river-cut valleys. At one stop above Stony Hill, I chanced to see children feasting on a breakfast of fresh breadfuit after which they plunged into a pool  in their nearly dry river.

Morning Swim

We pulled off the road (risky business) somewhere above Port Maria for this shot. Despite Jamaica’s current dry conditions lush greenery covered the rocky slopes.

Mountain Vista

These brightly painted houses caught my eye.

Hillside Homes

Once on the modern highway that traverses the North Coast, we stopped at one of many roadside stands.

Ackee, Mangoes, and Bananas--Yum!

We spent several days in and near Discovery Bay. Just look at that water!

Here’s an evening photo of an old church in Brown’s Town.

Anglican Church

Of all my Jamaican experiences, the ever smiling warmth of the people shines brightest.  I hope for the opportunity to visit them and their Caribbean island nation again.

No Problem!

Wildwood Pool

On a recent visit to Virginia, I had time for a bit of Appalachian Mountain exploration. Tucked in a valley between forested slopes I found a pond. The hushed serenity of still water and majestic pines touched my soul. Now, back to routine and life’s business, I long for the peaceful vistas of the mountains. I treasure the memory of moments spent there in solitude and often return in thought to that bucolic place.

Wildwood pool collected sweet,

sheltered here in forest deep.

Among the reeds your secrets meet

as morning dew begins to weep.

Placid waters still reflect

serene statues’ outstretched arms.

Gentle shadows now protect

velvet fawns’ gracious charms.

Seasons turn upon this mirror

resting under ridges’ steep ascent,

a private place devoid of fear

where beast and blossom rest content.

Destiny’s hand led me here today

teaching principles I must cultivate.

For others, this pool I will portray,

our Father’s refuge to emulate.

Endless Caverns

Recently my summer travels brought me to Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. There at the foot of the Massanutten Mountain range I found and toured Endless Caverns. One of the first questions I asked my guide concerned the reason for the caverns’ name. I learned that although five miles of passages have been mapped, much of the complex labyrinth of this underground wonder has yet to be explored. Some of those areas have been declared unsafe due to shifts in the rock tables.

Discovered in 1879 by two boys and a dog when following a rabbit, the cave was wired to provide light for visitors in 1920. Before that time, the caverns were lit by candles. At one point in our tour, when 92 feet below ground, our guide turned off the lights. I have never experienced such depth of ebony darkness. I could not see my hand in front of my face!

Here are a few of the photos I took while on our tour. Notice that the natural color of the cave has been allowed to show, unchanged by colored lights. I appreciated seeing the genuine glory of these unique natural formations. Once more I felt amazed by the beauty of one of God’s “secret” creations, deep underground.

A Narrow Passageway

One of many Large Rooms filled with Draperies and Columns

Tear Drop shaped Stalactite Ceiling

This is one of my favorite formations.

Waterfall Formation with Calcite Flowstone

An Example of Color Variations Caused by Mineral Deposits

A Shield Formation

A Variety of Formations

Curtains

There are several caverns in the Shenandoah Valley that are open for public viewing. Several years ago, I visited and enjoyed Luray Caverns. Every cavern experience is unique. In each one the beauty of water dripping through limestone rocks along with mineral staining creates wondrous formations, each a distinctive creation. Viewing them is an experience that should not be missed.