interrupted a meeting in the park today
wonder what they’re planning…
—
“never a good sign, he thought, when the crows showed up.”
-justin cronin
Jul17
crows.
Tag Archives: nature
Jul14
parks – a
and so –
my ann arbor parks walk (150+) has begun
here are the ‘a’s
#1 – Allmendinger Park
old school merry go round, in neighborhood in town, near the stadium, got really lost walking home from there and doubled my walk, picnic spots with grills, volleyball, old trees, basketball, tennis, baseball diamonds, ice skating in winter
– 8 acres
#2 – arbor hills nature area
between neighborhoods, ponds, loud frogs, birds, picnic spots in sweeping expanses under trees, wooded trails, scared a woman when i emerged from the woods who was shocked that i had found it
– 6 acres
#3 – Arbor Oaks
neighborhood park, basketball, open pergolas, open fields, picnic area, pirate themed playground, rain garden, baseball, i was the only person there on the day i visited
-8 acres
#4 – Argo Nature Area
– unpaved trails with beautiful views of the river, livery with canoes/kayak/paddle board rentals, river cascades, long, narrow park, large variety of trees, wildflowers, very quiet in the woods
-22 acres
and onward……many more to follow
—
“i believe that there is a subtle magnetism in nature,
which, if we unconsciously yield to it,
will direct us aright.”
―henry david thoreau
Jul3
parks.
as i’ve been walking and exploring
the parks and outdoor recreation areas around town
i realize how many i have yet to visit
so i’ve decided to walk in each of the parks
in ann arbor
all 159+ of them
to see what is unique about each
with more than
2,000 acres of parkland
50,000 trees
a river, dams, falls, hills, ponds, gardens,
woods, meadows, prairies, and rec areas
found in spaces ranging from
tiny neighborhood green spots to wide open expanses
i see an adventure ahead
with no planned deadline or timeline
so i began the list alphabetically yesterday
and have walked 2 of them so far
only 157+ to go.
—
“parks are works of art just as a painting or sculpture is.”
-thomas hoving
—
credits: ann arbor parks and recreation
Jun24
the red turtle.
saw this beautiful film yesterday
very moving and mesmerizing
drawn in mostly soft colors
it captures the subtleties of
nature, man, balance, human connections, family,
impermanence, the circles that life takes
very simple lines and images
bamboo, trees, water, sky, people, animals, land
created by three studios in three countries
japan, england, belgium
does not require any translation
as there is no dialogue
except for one word
only lovely music
to take you through this
fairy tale, fantasy, fable, legend
when you get to the end
the quietly powerful and touching final scenes
will draw you in
it was 81 minutes of
pure perfection in every frame.
—
“this film was simple and and elemental.
like a picture book that needs no words.”
– a.o. scott – new york times
—
‘the red turtle’ premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 cannes film festival, where it won a grand jury award. the film was also nominated for the best animated feature film for the 89th academy awards.
—
credits: studio ghibli, wild bunch studio, toho studio, sony pictures classics
Jun20
poetry is of so subtle a spirit, that in the pouring out of one language into another it will evaporate. -john denham
water
Everything on the earth bristled,
the bramble pricked
and the green thread nibbled away,
the petal fell,
falling until the only flower was the falling itself.
Water is another matter,
has no direction but its own bright grace,
runs through all imaginable colors,
takes limpid lessons from stone,
and in those functionings plays out
the unrealized ambitions of the foam.
Pablo Neruda
—
killarney, ireland
Jun14
waldeinsamkeit.
summer schedule
another day, another quiet hike.
—
waldeinsamkeit;
(n.) forest solitude,
the feeling of being alone in the woods.
one with nature.
– german
Jun12
peony.
one of my favorite places to hike can be found right in the center of ann arbor, a place where i always return, the nichols arboretum. it’s a lovely, quiet, sweeping park where there is natural beauty to be found in any season. one of the most stunning displays is the blooming of the peony garden. unlike any i have ever seen.
the nichols arboretum peony garden is the largest public collection of historic (pre-1950) herbaceous peony cultivars in north america. the university and botanical gardens are currently in the process of rebuilding this historic garden to be an internationally significant, scientifically-documented and culturally interpreted living reference collection.
the garden, open since 1927, boasts more than 270 historic varieties of peony, cultivated in the 19th and early 20th centuries. nearly 800 plants are arranged in 27 beds at the arboretum’s peony garden, drawing flower lovers from across the region when they bloom each spring.
- note – early morning and evening are when the peony fragrances are best.
—
“flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful;
they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.”
-luther burbank
—
a project of
May21
bloom.
the peony tree is back in full bloom
May18
jungle.
as we made our way through the jungle of giant leaves,
only one of us spotted a tiger and we looked out for each other.
—
“on a hard jungle journey nothing is so important as having a team you can trust.”
― tahir shah, House of the Tiger King: The Quest for a Lost City
May17
forget yourself.
“may: the lilacs are in bloom. forget yourself.”
― marty rubin
