Love Notes…

IMG_6825 
The week began with finding love notes on the lawn…The same tree that whispers hushed lullabies all summer,  drops these beautiful speckled hearts in the fall.

A surprising number of sunny days this week prompted extra pedaling.  And this was a splendid day to go ‘off road’.  The leaves along the trail were spectacular.  I still haven’t gotten over how big the Big Leaf Maples make them!

IMG_6856
IMG_6854IMG_6855

Fall is the season for sailors–strong winds, but not too strong or cold to weather.  I was a good mate and went along one windy day for a wild sail.  Sailing has its glorious moments if you can get past the coldness and the nausea, induced partially by terror! On this afternoon I luxuriated with the wind in my face, head thrown back to watch the seagulls wheeling in a dapple-gray sky, catching wind of autumn’s farewell–breathing deeply for the glory of the day.

Winds gusting to 35knots make for lots of ‘tipping’.  Once Jim assured me that my body was not sufficient ballast to tip us right over I got ‘into’ it and took some live video hanging over the heeling edge. [He’s got it posted on our website; if you’re interested ask me for the link…] Looks so ‘safe’ on film…The highlight of the sail came when we looked out across the sea and saw what looked like mist rising, as though the ocean were making its own spray.  Looked like… a whale!! yes!  We watched it spouting, saw its back for a moment, saw more spouting, saw its fin… Our first whale!  And all the while the boat sliced and bounded through the rough seas-heading back to harbor.

“Chase Me” moors in Lund now, at the end of the Highway that passes our neighborhood on the way to the sea…

  IMG_6877IMG_6879

She’s got lots of company here and is always tied up with some buddy. 

I was glad to disembark and sip hot chocolate on a firmer footing while I watched  the fishing boats come in to sort their prawn.  Seagulls feasted and one lone young eagle came in for a ‘catch’… but foiled my attempts
 at a decent picture..

.IMG_6895 IMG_6907
And say, who’s this ‘mer-man’ after?!IMG_6914

But all good weeks must come to an end and so must rambling photo blogs…Yesterday I went out walking for the sheer delight of another sunny afternoon.  And just had to stop and capture this unassuming gem standing quietly at the edge of a dark woods up at The Green Field park. I want to shine like that!  Quiet and steady, even in out of the way dim places…

IMG_6925

Passers-by no doubt wondered what there was to see at sidewalk’s edge in this scraggly little cherry tree but the complementary colors of leaf and sky begged a longer look… What an artist God is…

 IMG_6926 IMG_6930IMG_6933
“Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
Let the field exult, and everything it it!
Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD,
For He comes to judge the earth.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His steadfast love endures forever!”
–I Chronicles 16:32-34