beauty in conformity

look at the arc of that leaf stem, and how it is beautiful precisely because it had to conform to the curve of the acorn cup that was originally an obstacle, and that became, in the end, a sort of life partner. don’t we all deform ourselves into the beautiful shapes of those who are closest to us?

white oak leaf with acorn cups

order and chaos

i tried to photograph the downy owl feather all by itself, but it was all soft cloudiness and the photo failed half a dozen times until i introduced the linear order of the rigid wing feather, and suddenly the two were having a conversation, and the photo worked.

two feathers

i had no idea

and i quote: “in the metaphysical world, clear quartz crystals are the supreme gift of mother earth. even the smallest is imbued with the properties of a master healer teacher. resonating at the level of an individual’s needs, clear quartz also amplifies whatever energy or intent is programmed into it, and continues to broadcast that energy throughout the world and into the etheric realms. quartz crystal points radiate pure white light into your space. it is a power crystal that everyone should have in their home and sacred space.” i have so much crystal collecting to do. my etheric realms have been sorely neglected.

quartz points

samaras

i can’t decide whether these samaras are little watermelon colored moths attracted to the light emanating from this heart. or whether they are hearts themselves, gathering to create a larger heart, and i have inadvertently invited you into my heart of hearts. welcome, in any case.

maple samaras

five flies

i love (almost) all of these beautiful creatures. the dragonflies patrol the sky above our yard, eating mosquitoes and gnats. the damselflies perch daintily on the tips of bulrushes and sometimes land on my arms as soft as a cat, saying hello before they resume their rounds. the moths animate our evening floodlights. the crane flies bump clownishly against the window, leggy and awkward as baby deer or teenage sons. and then, there are the deer flies. chewing holes in my ankles and scalp. may they rot in hell.

deer fly, crane fly, white moth, damsel fly, dragon fly