Fall2020

October 18, 2020 by eflaherty

I looked out the window today. Fall had snuck in, big time. Nearby a huge old linden tree was freely droping leaves. It made me think of snow flakes, large snow flakes drifting down on a day with no wind.

1.European linden, Tilia x vulgaris

It was mid afternoon. There was still an autumnal warm sun. I had to take a walk.

2.I wanted to take my peeps for a ride on the nearest lake; but along the way, I became distracted. This image made me think, if I was looking at a city, would I be looking at something as diverse as this? Then I thought green ferns and gray rocks. Such a pleasant combination. Then I headed to the lake.

3.When I showed my peeps the boat, they said no way. Not sea worthy.

4.Then they pointed to the ship they wanted. I looked. Instead of the ship I saw the fall color in the backgroud forests.

5.I followed the forests along the lake edge until I saw this town. Then I thought, no need to go out on the lake. It would be more fun following paths in the forest.

6.Ahhh, yes, this was my pleasure in the Lauterbrunnen Valley away from the tourist route.

7.And as usual for me, I had to look not only at the large forest landscape but also at those life forms that were sheltering under the forest canopy. And as I examined, I was unfortunately forced to ask if this was a diverse village. Upon closer inspection…one bite makes you larger and another makes you small…

It was time for me to get back home for dinner.

I’m sorry

July 17, 2020 by eflaherty

I can’t help it.

I just have to keep on looking closer.

And pleasure is discovered.

In the passage of time

July 12, 2020 by eflaherty

We are observers.

Before

After

And what happened during? Were we all there? Growth. Health.

More personal than…

July 5, 2020 by eflaherty

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.

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

June 5, 2020 by eflaherty

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.

Grain or granular

June 2, 2020 by eflaherty

Framing photos to lie or to tell the truth…

The foreground means nothing.

The foreground means everything.

Nothing and everything can’t be the same, can they?

There are grains everywhere; but which one holds the truth? I need a grain of truth.

Landscape Visualization

May 24, 2020 by eflaherty

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.