Author Archives: eflaherty

More personal than…

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More personal than usual.

Every week, maybe a couple days each week, I take a walk amongst the agricultural valleys in the mountainous region surrounding me. And on every walk I discover something in the plants, gardens, fields and landscape that rejuvenates some part of my being.

Normally I capture a photo to share with what I hope is a caption that will captivate the guests who visit my blog. Well the last couple weeks, I have taken the photos and when I have returned home to review them, I have not felt inspired. Can’t explain it.

So today I have written this strange entry.

Now I will review my recent photos and hope to find one or more to attach to this post.

I found two.

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It was the pink of this hydrangea flower that called me.

It was the thrill of discovering this clump of gentians at 2000 meters above sea level. The gentian blue is a visual magnet for my eyes.

I feel better now.

Natural Social Distancing

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When waiting to pick up the take-out, what is the safe social distance?

In this landscape you find dense forests on steep slopes meeting flatlands filled with agriculture.

This kestral, safely isolated near the top of a dead tree at the edge of a flat agricultural field, waits patiently for its take-out.…until I kept walking and broke into its 100 meter safe zone.

Flew away–without the take-out.

Landscape Visualization

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Not so long ago, I participated in a survey by an American specialist in landscape visualization. The survey focussed on the inclusion of visual utility infrastructure as it is built through the landscape.

At the close of the survey a question was asked for each to identify the ideal image of landscape visualization. Well, it would have been easy to say–landscape without any infrastructure visual intrusion would have been my preference.

Could not do that. But I did add that since humans had been living with and using the landscape as long as written history, the ideal landscape image should include successful use, accomodation and management of the landscape.

Just recently, I found a photogenic example that expressed my ideal. The images follow below.

This foreground field, occurring at the confluence of three mountain valleys and two mountain lakes, was for decades a central air field for national self-defence. When that defence was transferred from props to jets, the airfield became community pasture and recreation for 25,000 local people. The red circle, enlarged in the image below, shows how well major electrical infrastructure has been brought through the adjacent forest.

This is an enlargement of the red circle shown in the above image.  I should note that this landscape, incredibly photogenic, is regularly photographed by me in all seasons. And despite the well camouflaged electrical power line infrastructure, I always try to frame my photos without any visible infrastructure. We put up with that infrastructure to ameliorate climate, daylight and communications. That is our way of life.

April and we have had

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Showers–gentle showers.

And, they do bring…

May flowers

Outdoor invitations

Wonderful all sorts greens

Dynamic life infusing clouds

Non-stop action–patience pays back drama

And there is always a promise of joy.

It is all free.

Doesn’t cost anything–we just have to go outside to find it.

I ain’t staying inside…

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…when I’ve got this outside!

Spring sunshine!

Spring oxygen!

Spring growth!

Spring green!

Spring birdsong!

Spring fresh air!

Spring joy!

Spring flowers!

Can you find any of the above in the following images?

Or better yet…go out and find them yourself.

 

It’s out there…somewhere

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Stroked out. Just about three years ago that I was no better than a ‘side of beef’ on a gurney in the back of an ambulance. Four weeks later I was in a wheelchair on the way to a neuro-rehabilitation clinic in the Berner Oberland.

When I arrived, my wife wheeled me to the end of the hallway for a look out through the window. This is what I saw.

Magic in the landscape

What I thought? Only to be able to walk this path. Well it happened. First time sitting up. First time getting out of bed by myself. First time standing. First time with rollator. First time standing without rollator. First step on stairs. First time up one flight of stairs. First time down one flight of stairs. I don’t understand how. Great physiotherapists. Great ergotherapists. A miracle. Faith.

I walk every day now in the Berner Oberland–no rollator–no sticks. Unbelievable.

And that image, that path–magic in the landscape. Thankful.

Hope, I hoped I could take that walk. Hope can be grasped. Step by step. Every morning.