Sharon's Souvenirs

Monday, August 10, 2020

The Belize Botanical Gardens at Sweet Song

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered." Ralph Waldo Emerson

We enjoyed a quiet, peaceful morning at Sweet Song in Belize. Delight sprouted from all angles: rainbow-colored Aracaris plucked nuts from the Governor's Plum tree; energetic dogs tussled along meandering paths and iguanas darted through the grass. Cloudy skies prevailed. But the air was warm and laced with exotic smells. There were pretty flowers and tall, blooming trees. It was January and there wasn't any snow. Nature was nurtured; our souls replenished.

Follow our feet...

A red scavenger sitting by spicy-red, Marie Sharp's hot sauce. Two good things.

The beautiful Ararcari.

"The flower that is single need not envy the thorns that are numerous." Rabindranath Tagore

The Awesome Links:

Wild Bird Wednesday

Our World Tuesday

Sky Watch Friday

My Corner of the World Wednesday

Mosaic Monday

Travel Tuesdays

Pictorial Tuesday

Monday, August 3, 2020

Secret Slick Rock Trail

I despise people who go to the gutter on either the right or the left and hurl rocks at those in the center. Dwight D. Eisenhower

It's no secret that most red rock photos look very much alike: swirling and dribbling striations in a similar sea; melting and massive red rocks sculpted from a singular cauldron; jagged teeth from the same red mouth - the devils! Still, every moment of the day and change of light displays new features, new beauty. Always the same, always changing. New shadows. New angles. New tourists like me.

Follow my feet...

Cathedral Rock

Geologists have a saying - rocks remember. Neil Armstrong

The Awesome Links:

Wild Bird Wednesday

Our World Tuesday

Sky Watch Friday

My Corner of the World Wednesday

Mosaic Monday

Travel Tuesdays

Pictorial Tuesday

Monday, July 27, 2020

Rush River Blueberries

Some eyes threaten like a loaded and leveled pistol, and others are as insulting as hissing or kicking; some have no more expression than blueberries, while others are as deep as a well which you can fall into.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

We picked blueberries in Maiden Rock, Wisconsin this month. Bucolic Rush River farm sits on a bluff amid all things summery-green. To get to the blueberry patch, you'll park in the grass, and wade through coils of vegetables that would surely reach the clouds - if Jack carried them up his beanstalk. You'll see wild children running through bush and field, eating, boredom momentarily extinguished; perky flower patches waving in the breeze. Blueberries.

Follow my fingers...

If you're curious about the view, click here!

Magic indeed. But the magic really happened on a Saturday. Blueberries to feed the body, a farm to feed the soul.

I was making pancakes the other day and a fly flew into the kitchen. And that's when I realized that a spatula is a lot like a fly-swatter. And a crushed fly is a lot like a blueberry. And a roommate is a lot like a fly eater.

The Awesome Links:

My Corner of the World Wednesday

Mosaic Monday

Travel Tuesdays

Pictorial Tuesday

Monday, July 20, 2020

Florida's Old 41

Juvenile Night Heron dance.

The Everglades is a test. If we pass it, we may get to keep the planet. Marjory Stoneman Douglas

The scenery along old 41 resembles an endless, water-world: mazes of fringy, floating islands melting into big sky; playing endless games of alligator bingo; marveling at kingfisher high-wire-acts and drying Anhinga wings; spotting flashes of ethereal white egrets. In fact, there are wings-a-plenty everywhere. Follow our tracks...