#iPPP ~ Bird Ribbons

We see these small birds every year, sometime in November or December, scavenging the remains of the harvested vineyards.  The way they fly together and abruptly change directions make it look like there are ribbons dancing across the skies.

 

Last year, my brother snapped a couple pics on his iPhone to show me.....because he thought they were bats.  Nope.  Tiny little birds, flocking together.

I'm usually behind the wheel, driving when I see them and have never been able to take a photo, so I was stoked that he did.  Aren't they cool?  Their movement drops my jaw in awe, every year, every time.

Stone Sculpture Surprise

Noise had penetrated every nook and cranny in the house and in my head;  this Mama needed a break.  Grabbing my keys and my excuse to escape, the latest Netflix dvd that needed to be dropped in the mail, I headed out for just a bit.

Sliding the red envelope into the large blue box at the Post Office, I knew the five minutes that took was not nearly enough to clear my head.  I steered the car in the direction of the nearest country drive, took my foot off the brake and hit the gas.

Hot air whipped my wet hair (wet from my first attempt at silencing those noises that had seeped from sweet kidlets' summer fun to the inside of my brain...though a shower had not worked well enough) as I drove country roads.  And then my slowly unwinding brain was jolted.

There was something on the corner that had not been there the last time I made the drive.  Something that snapped me to attention.  I couldn't stop looking.  I pulled over and took a second to snap a pic with my old camera that I had in my purse.

Admittedly, the picture doesn't do this sculpture of Los Olmos, created by artist Edwin Hamilton justice.  You can see a better photograph of his installation at the Petaluma Arts Center by Scott Hess here.

A country drive, some solo time, and the stark surprise of stone sculpture created from granite, Basalt, Limestone, and Travertine in the middle of an open, wild space was exactly the fresh air the inside of my head needed.

What snaps you to attention?  What clears your head?  What's your go-to method for capturing a bit of peace?

Come take a {Country Drive} ~ Writer's Workshop

I'm playing along with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop again this week! With five prompts to choose from, I've got my foot on the gas for the number two: A photo journal entry…show us what winter looks like in your town.  Except, rather than IN town, I'm rollin' just outside of town and taking you with us on our one of our daily country drives!  Do hope you'll come along! :>

Roll your windows down, the sun is shinning, no fog in sight!  Tuesday we couldn't see more than a few feet ahead and the next morning the thermometer read fifty degrees, by the afternoon, we had passed seventy!  See?  Perfect day to get out & into the country!

We have numerous routes we take for our country drives, but you can bet there will always a vineyard or two...or three or four or more!

Gnarly old vines capture my attention each and every time, looking like hands erupting from the earth with tales to tell!

I loved gazing up at this tree, from below.

Loved it so much, couldn't decide to dress it in color or B&W!

You might remember these trees from their photo op back in November.  They were all dressed up in shades of gold & crimson and while many have shed their party clothes, it does look like there are a couple still hanging on with to their attire.

Hope you've got room for one more tree to see on this drive, but this tree hides its whispers the rest of the year beneath a coordinated skirt & shawl of verdant leaves.  Listen closely now, surely there's secrets to be shared.  I wonder what they'll be?

And our country drive for the day comes to an end.  But, just before entering my front door, the Nandina bamboo berries called to me.  Aren't they pretty??  But, they're just for looking, no tasting now....when I went a Googling, I learned they are poisonous!  But, that's okay, they're feast enough for the eyes...at least, I think so. :>

Would love for you to come say hello and tell me how the drive was! 

{Thanks}giving Autumn Love

We are celebrating Thanksgiving today, in the U.S. and I want to wish you a fantastic one!

And as we are extremely grateful for our beautiful surroundings, I thought I might take this chance to share a little autumnal love before we usher in winter and the Christmas season!

We have so enjoyed watching this tree on its autumn journey!!  For quite some time, half the tree was a vibrant green, while the other half turned a gorgeous crimson red. 

The contrast was so striking and caught our breath every time we passed it.  After several breathless moments on our almost daily country drives, the kidlets & I came to call this beauty, 'Our Tree'.

'Our Tree' deserved a little up close love as we checked out the variation in colors.  It looked like a fantastic fiesta as we got closer.

And this, this small moment on one of our many country drive routes, had me smiling from ear to ear, each and every time.  From burgundy to deep reds to shades of crimson, rust, orange flames to gorgeous golds and even a couple summer green holdouts, I breathed autumn in deeply each time we passed by.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate and whether or not this is your holiday, may your day bring you joy and the spirit of gratitude!

From a Lizard to Done to The Bridge

When evening arrived today, I was done. 

What?  What's that you say?  I still needed to get the kidlets dinner, finish encouraging, teaching, and cheering on a kidlet who was finishing up homework, showers, chase down a lizard that decided to appear in my living room today (well over a decade here & there has never been a lizard inside my house, I rarely even see them outside...definitely stripped me of my zen) and did I mention that before any of this, I was already 'done'?  Done. 

But, I kicked in the Mama gear and ticked off the required activities of the evening.  And even though I was looking forward to watching Monday Night Football with my family, I needed a Mama break.  And thankfully, Hubby recognized that need.  (As I headed out, I realized that it has been over a year and a half since I've made this little solo escape!)

And off I went.  Where to?  Everywhere.  Nowhere.  Out.

Country drives are uber peaceful for me.  And I love this one lane bridge....when no one is behind you or in front, waiting to cross, if you pause in the middle, with only the water & setting sun's movement, everything stops, I breathe and my mind begins to quiet. 

On the occasions that I can't escape on my own (which is most of the time), when I've got that 'done' feeling, we listen to music, find quiet activities (coloring, painting, collaging, reading, etc.), or even head out together for a drive (I'm not the only one in this house who responds to a country drive! :>).

Always on the lookout for more deal with the 'done' mode methods, I'd love to know what you do to relax. 

What do you consciously do to dial down your day, when your day is not yet over?

Edited to add:  Mama did it!  Wee girl casually mentioned she sees the lizard. I caught it with a kidlet's Seahawks snack bowl that was sitting out.  Turned the bowl over & trapped it.  When I tried to move it, the little lizard escaped. I moved fast like him (her?? how to tell??!) and caught him/her again.  With wee girl's help, we got it outside & let it go. Phew.  Happy lizard.....OUTside.  Happy Mama.