Sunflowers are a favorite of mine

Title: Sunflower
Medium: Digital Art
Full Size: 12" x 12"

(the pic is from the 4 x 6 card version.)

The Healing Power of Nature

The Healing Power of Nature

Feeling lost I looked around and couldn't see the Light
I know it's there, I know it is, I know with all my might

When feeling down just go outside and look around and see
The Healing Power of Nature's just waiting for you and me

I went outside and took a breath, breathed in the crisp new air
Then closed my eyes to listen, as I heard soft whispers there

A song was sung for me to hear, the sweet melody of a bird
The timpani of rustling leaves, accompanied what I heard

The buzzing of a bee flew by as a woodpecker kept time
Such music in my head I heard, the song of natures rhyme

I felt my mood was changing fast, as healing did begin
It wasn't long before I felt, the beginning of a grin

My eyes I opened now to see, the glorious sky above
The sun the clouds and birds fly by, all I feel is Love

Breath in deep, the scent of her, Mother Nature all around
As sweetness, soft and gentle, her flower 's grace the ground

I look ahead and see a tree, such beauty and such strength
It's tall and broad and seen so much, of life at such great length

Sensing something else is here that's looking at me now
I turn and see a deer and fawns, under tree's protective bough

Though once I felt alone and down, I now have many friends
The air the earth the animals, my heart it now transcends

The Healing Power of Nature, has brought Light back to me
Don't believe the words I say, just go outside and see

Hear the sounds and see the beauty, feel the warmth of Light
The Healing Power of Nature, it's Love that makes life right

written with Love and Light,
Nina P 7/25/09

inspired in part by Mother Nature and (http://www.naturesinspirationmovie.com/)

Eggs - day 53!

I'm getting excited! Today is day 53 for my 6 ball python eggs in the incubator. They should start to hatch sometime today...or sometime this week. It's not an exact science. Unlike bird eggs that you can pretty much depend on to hatch on a specific day. Reptile eggs may take a little shorter or longer depending on the conditions and temps in the environment.

I was able to separate them last night. That's good news. They were stuck together in a big pile the whole time they were incubating--that's normal. The mother would have wrapped herself around them and incubated them herself.
Here's mom on the eggs
.
This was right before I put them into the incubator. They are stuck together in a clump.



A sign that they are close to hatching is that I was able to carefully separate them. Another sign is that they are starting to dent in a bit. (The shells are leathery and not hard like a chicken egg.)
At least some of them are denting.



This pic was taken through the incubator window so it's a bit murky. There is one huge egg. You can see it in the right hand side. It was the bottom egg in the pile and is a lot bigger than the others. Can't wait!!! :) Maybe it's twins??!!

Intuition

Our second car is still in the shop. I'm working at home today but needed to do some errands. On his way to work, my hubby dropped me and my bicycle off at my first stop. Yes, I could have rode to my errands and home again. Unfortunately we live in a valley. Every way I turn it's up. I've found if I tackle that large hill in the beginning, the rest of the ride is all about exhaustion and leg cramps. When I'm in better shape maybe I'll love that I live at the bottom of a bowl....maybe.

Before we left, there I am getting my backpack ready, grabbing my wallet, keys, hat, sunglasses...and my eyes fall on my point-and-shoot camera. "I should bring that with. " I think. My next thought is "Why? I'm doing errands with a little backpack and I don't want to carry anything else."

Then I'm at my last stop before riding back home and it's taking me a while to wind my bike lock back around my seat pole. Looking down through my tire I spy what looks like two yellow and brown leaves below me. No wait. It's actually a gorgeous moth. And I don't have my camera!!! Damn!

A lesson I have to learn over and over again. "Don't second guess your intuition." This was an example of a small missed opportunity but I still missed it.

However, I did "rescue" the moth from the sidewalk so no one will step on it.
Once home I looked it up in my Peterson Caterpillars book. A good thing to have if you garden. It's called an Imperial moth. They have a 5 to 5 1/2 inch wingspan. Such a spectacular looking moth. Not at all like the little ones the cats chase around the house.
This picture is in creative commons and is very close to the one I saw. The second one is shared from photobucket.

Miracles...written after someone said "there's no such thing"...

Miracles:
Miracles are around
us every day if we but open our
hearts and souls to God and His Almighty
Blessings. The bee that buzzes by our ear, is a
blessing; the grass under your feet, is a blessing; the
song of a bird, the sound of rain, the smell of fresh cut hey,
the sun and clouds, the rainbow, the snowflake, all are

blessings; Miracles from above. Look around, feel around,
smell around, sense around you , you'll find your miracle
everyday. Its right there as God's gift to you......... Go to
a window and look out, or go outside if you can. If that's

not possible, you can still imagine a peaceful place,

so go ahead, Close your eyes, breath deep, feel the
fullness of life in that breath, open your eyes, and
open your heart, there it is, your very own
miracle, given to you by God's Blessings
every day. Did you find it? :the leaf
of a tree,
a whisper,
a flower,
a tear,
the wind,
the sun,
a smile,
Did you
find it?
Did you
find your
daily miracle?
:the inch worm, a puddle, you can hear, you can see, you can feel, you can breath, you woke up, you can smile, you can laugh, you can cry, you can read this e-mail...
Did you find your miracle? Did you find it?
If not, just open up your heart and soul and it will find you.... Nina P. 6/28/08

Birth of the light

The white flakes came down again this weekend. The snow is so high now I'm starting to feel like a rat in a maze when driving down the street.

The winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, was this weekend. The days are getting longer again. Whew, made it through the darkest part of winter. The birth of the light has come once again. Gladness!

I know these images are not exactly what you think of when you hear "Birth of the light" but they are full of light and color. So I think they still fit. ;)
'I love fall (too)' is now in my Etsy shop.

Title: I love fall
Medium: Photograph
Full Size: 8" x 10"

Title: I love fall (too)
Medium: Photograph
Full Size: 8" x 10"

Nikon Sunset

Happy Friday Everyone.

Flower Child

Title: Flower Child
Medium: Digital Painting
Full Size: 17" x 17"

Totem poles

~
Title: Earth's Totem
Medium: Digital Painting
Full Size: 6" x 19"
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Fairies

~
I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful- A faery's child,
Her hair was long her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

-John Keats, Ya Bell Dame Sans Merci

Title: Wood Fae
Medium: Digital Painting
Full Size: 8" x 10"
~

Garden Nymph

I took this photograph 2 years ago when there were 4 of these nude nymphs guarding my garden. They were very vigilant...staying out there day and night. And I never caught them napping...they always had their eyes open. After a year with no time off, we decided it would be best if they took a permanent vacation.

Title: Garden Nymph
Medium: Digital Painting
Full Size: 8" x 10"

Chicken Man

Title: Chicken Man
Medium: Digital Photograph
Full Size: Greeting Card



Chickens (in small numbers) are the coolest new city pet. Yes, more and more people are getting their municipalities to legalize keeping a few hens in city limits.

Not only can they feed you (eggs) but they have interesting little personalities.
Who knew?
I did! ;)
~

Fairy Forest

Title: Fairy Forest
Medium: Digital Photograph
Full Size: 8" x 23"

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Evening Visitor

She thought something tasted good in our yard. :)