Tag Archives: nature

Jul14

parks – a

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

—
The Peony Garden
a project of
Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum

May21

bloom.

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the peony tree is back in full bloom

May18

jungle.

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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.

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“may: the lilacs are in bloom. forget yourself.”
― marty rubin

May8

pace.

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along the path

on our walk

 by the river

these tin soldiers

lie napping

in the sun

as they 

 await their moment

to fly once more.

“adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”

-ralph waldo emerson

—

huron river, ann arbor, michigan, usa