She Kept A Parrot
A Journal For Charlie
Autumn
Charlie, these are just some random things that I see during the days when I wander around.
Hope you like some of them.
I just wanted you to see what interests me in the garden.
These are the last days of Autumn.
You know, I almost never photograph a butterfly.
I don’t pay much attention to them.
I think it must be because I was always nearsighted and couldn’t really see them well.
This lone fellow hung around the porch flowers for so long that I got the camera
and snapped him from the doorway.
This was the last of the Trumpet Vine blossoms for this year.
There weren’t as many blossoms this time since
I allowed the vine to grow inside the pergola where it wants to grow!
Instead of on the top where it blooms profusely.
The last Bromeliad blossom for this year is fading slowly.
It has lasted for several months.
Now, it is collecting the falling leaves.
I always leave the dead Bromeliad blossoms on the plants for months
Because I like them almost as much as I like the live ones.
I saw this leaf under one of the umbrella bushes
And was struck by the faint green that remained
as if it were reluctant to give up its color.
And, of course, the wonderful orchid that you and Mom gave me at Mother’s Day.
When it stopped blooming, I set it in the pergola and forgot it.
One morning, when I walked out on the porch to drink my coffee,
I saw a white blur in the pergola.
To my absolute delight, I discovered that it was the orchid.
And it was blooming again!
Ah, Charlie, life is filled with wonders.
You only have to learn to “see”.
🙂
41 Comments on “Autumn”
Comments
She Kept A Parrot 
Beautiful photos … and I agree that the Bromeliads are lovely even after the blooming season is over. The Yucca plant is the same … the pods, dried during the fall, are very beautiful. I’m especially taken with the first shot … butterflies can be tough to capture because they fly off before you get your focus right … it is a lovely capture!
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Beauty all around…it’s funny, my strong near-sightedness is something I’ve thought brought me to admire things that are small, like butterflies, close up, without my glasses when I was young. Of course butterflies do move too fast for that.
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very pleasing. those macro are amazing!!!
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Lovely shots, George. I really like the one of the butterfly – you caught its delicacy.
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Beautiful pictures, my friend and, as you are saying to Charlie, “You only have to learn to “see”.”. I especially like the top shot here, the butterfly – I have a great love for butterflies. And the orchid too – my wife is a great orchid fan and we have many in the house. I hope you’re contented and happy, my friend. Adrian
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So lovely! Beautiful butterfly. Could crunch on dead bromeliad blossom. I adore the leaf (contrast, color, detail, texture, lines [especially
🙂 ]).
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Life is full of wonders – so true George! Wonderful butterfly 🙂 Did you know that there are some cultures around the world who believe that butterflies are the returning souls of the departed? I would be happy to metamorphose into such a beauty!
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Truly, life is filled with wonders. And these are some really fine pictures here, George.
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Hi, Shimon! Yes, life on this planet is incredibly complex and fascinating. The natural world has been a real source of pleasure and interest for me since childhood. I’m happy that you enjoyed the photographs. I hope you are well and enjoying yourself. A hug for Nechama if she is in a good mood for it! Chuckle… I am enjoying these last months, Shimon.
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This post is another wonderful lesson for Charlie from you…with love.
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Thank you, Jo Nell. I want most of all for Charlie to “see” his world. It’s the little things that make us happy, you know. When he asks me what he should do as a career, I always say that he should empty the Gulf with a teaspoon if that makes him want to get up every morning! Chuckle… He laughs at the idea now, but I think he will understand when he grows up. 🙂
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Seeing anything through your eyes makes me look at my world differently.
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That makes me happy, Lorna. Listening to your observations changes the way I see things too. Your philosophy will see you through life very well, I think. A solid sense of humor goes a long way, huh? As long as we can laugh at ourselves, we’re okay. I am absolutely certain that there are medical charts with the notation, “exhibits inappropriate humor”, everywhere I’ve landed in the medical world. Folks do not understand people like us. And that amuses me, too. Thank you so much for following along here, Lorna! 🙂
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You are so right about a sense of humor–whether others “get it” or not. As long as you get a chuckle out of something, then you’re ahead of the game!
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Marvelous images George. Charlie is fortunate to have so much wisdom handed down to him in such a beautiful package.
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Stunning pictures as always George. This is such a special gift you are giving to Charlie. What a lucky boy.
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Hi, Lynda. I had no idea you moved back to Houston. I’m in Victoria, as you may know. I scrolled through a number of your posts tonight. Wonderful photography and very interesting information too. I have to return to read more. You’ve created a wonderful journal about your life there. Create a book about your adventures. Blurb is a great place to do it. Thanks, Lynda. I appreciate your visits. I remember having met you on my post about Dean’s longhorns. I thought the title of your blog was pure genius! 🙂
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Thanks so much George – your feedback really means a lot! I did know you were in Victoria – just a hop, skip and a jump down 59, right? 🙂 I do plan on putting the posts into a book – thanks for reminding me about Blurb. My original intentions were that I wanted my children to read about our life abroad when they got older. In some ways it’s similar to what you are doing for Charlie. I love that Dean’s longhorns are what led me to subscribe to your blog. 🙂
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The orchid and the circle of life. I love it. (I love all the other images too, especially that butterfly.)
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Thanks, Linda. The Native American concept of the circle of life always made sense to me. I guess that’s what I believe if we can fathom anything about life in an intellectual way. I don’t concern myself with concepts that I don’t understand. I use information and kind of absorb it (in an osmosis kind of way, I guess) and then forget the details. I’m glad you like the photos. I have been thinking about your comments on the Cemetery blog. I will answer soon. 🙂
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Dang. I sure wish I’d met you a long time ago.
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Me too. You can always come to visit, you know. I’m not sick. Just old as dirt. Chuckle… Hey, life ain’t over just yet! 🙂
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Hmmm. Food for thought.
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So much beauty in one post. 🙂
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Ah, Robin, you are so kind. What do we do with the hundreds of our photographs? Chuckle… I love the damn sneakers although it took me forever to recognize you! Chuckle… Thanks, child. I appreciate your encouragement more than you know! 🙂
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Ah yes, life is so full of beauty, if we would only stop a while and take the time to notice. Thanks for reminding me of this, George. The fallen leaf and the dead Bromeliad blossom are beautiful even in decay. The orchid in full bloom is just exquisite, as is the lone butterfly. I’m sure that Charlie will grow up to be just as sensitive to his surroundings as his Grandma is. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and images, George. 🙂
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Thanks, Sylvia. I grew up in a rural community close to the “earth” and experienced life close to the bone, as they say. Nothing smells as good to me as freshly turned earth or hay, manure and animals in a barn. Chuckle… If there is a heaven, it’s located in a barn, for sure! 🙂 Charlie is a sensitive, kind kid even at eleven. I want him to know something about who his granny was as a woman. I never knew my grandmothers except as grandmothers. And, that’s a shame. Share with your grandchildren, Sylvia. Your photo journals will tell them who you were. Make books of them. You can’t imagine how much I appreciate your following along with me here. 🙂
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An important lesson for young Master Charlie … that life is full of wonders … I hope he will learn the lesson early, that which admonishes us to ‘see.’ I am guilty of forgetting to stop, George. I spend my days worrying and fussing about what was and what will be. I forget to stop and luxuriate in what is. Shame on me. But, you know, our lives play out in such a way that, unless we are independently wealthy, we have to worry about the plug in the toilet, the trouble at work, and how we’re going to make that next car payment. Joanna always wishes we were born in another time. Say, perhaps two or three hundred years ago. Were things simpler then? Back then, all you had to worry about was food and shelter. No … then you had to worry about infection, polio, and on and on! Oh my George, not very happy thoughts on a bright and beautiful Monday morning. What’s a person to do? Maybe I’m just in a bad mood cause the powers-that-be saw their way to turning the heat off in the building over the weekend and it’s 60 in my office … I’m wearing my coat at my desk and there’s a storm cloud over my head. Perhaps things will get better as I negotiate the day? Oh … I forgot … these comments aren’t supposed to be about me, me, and me! Nice post … I hope Charlie grows up to be just like his Grand Ma … in every way. If he does, he’ll enjoy life for what it is and be lots, lots, happier for it. D
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Well, Farmer, I can tell you that those who have no more problems to solve live in the cemetery. My mother told me that bit of wisdom. Along with her admonition that happiness comes from the inside… So, shut up, teenager, and get to work. That was the message, I think! I adored her as an adult woman and was so fortunate that she lived to be old enough for me to know her as more than my mother. Charlie’s mother shares my philosophy and value system. Charlie has good parents. He is the kindest child I ever knew…as his teacher keeps telling his mom. She has known him since he was three years old and started in the Pre-K program at Trinity Episcopal School. I don’t worry about him, but I want him to know a bit about who his grandmother was other than his grandmother. You have that intuitive eye, D. It shows in your photography. My philosophy is essentially that of Vonnegut. “It is what it is.” And we are as happy as we decide to be. Chuckle… I do so enjoy your observations and conversation here, D. Thank you.
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No .. it is I who should thank you George, really. Your friendship is a gift – in the truest of senses. You’ll be interested to know that my day didn’t get a whole lot better after I had written to you above (just saw your response this morning which has started me off on the right foot). Maybe it was something about the alignment of the planets … who knows. You and I both know that life is a daily struggle … all up hill. I do try and pause, turn, and take in the view … really I do. It’s just often times I get to feeling the weight of that inexorable pull of … well, let’s just call it ‘counter-productive-thought.’ Have you ever read the book, Anne of Green Gables? Well, there’s a line in there where Anne says something like, “Every day is new … with no mistakes in it.” I will try to be good today. I’ll really try. You hang in there and keep being George. D
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George, this is such a wonderful journal for Charlie! He’s so blessed to have u as his grandmother. You have always been genuinely interested in people from all walks of life and tried to help each one. So glad you are taking time to do what you want, and ” smell the roses”! Have a great day! Great to see u post again, and the pictures are gorgeous as always.
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Thanks, Glenda. You and I come from working folks. We saw life as it is in all of it’s raw bone reality. I think that instills compassion in people. You, of all people, have helped others as much as anybody I ever knew. And, you’ve been such a good friend for such a long time. I’m glad you like my journal and my photographs. Taking up the camera has made the last years wonderfully interesting for me. It’s the best thing I ever did. I am trying to get as many posts done as I can. You know how I waste time! Chuckle… I am coming to Cuero soon, I swear! 🙂
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Beautiful as always.
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Thank you, Victor! I have too much to do and too little time to do it! Chuckle… I was always a procrastinator of the first order, but now I have developed a sense of urgency to get on with it! Everything I see delights me. I am going to take a beautiful Panther Chameleon if I pass the breeder’s “test”! Chuckle… I love the way you are creating and recording a record for your children. My best advice is to create your own books of them on one of the publishing sites like Blurb. It’s easy and the kids would love them. Do it, Victor. So that they don’t have discs full of photos that they don’t understand. Just do it. 🙂 Thanks for visiting me. It means a lot. Be careful. And come home. 🙂
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A beautiful blog filled with delights. How wonderful to be able to see such beauty even as the days pass beyond number.
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Thanks, Jacqui! You astound me with your beautiful photography. As you know. Yes, our days pass beyond number. I am as excited about the animals as ever. I do make final arrangements for them, but we should all do that however old we are. I am going to receive a new addition to the zoo when I am able to pass the test with the breeder! Chuckle… He is a beauty of a Panther Chameleon. When I am no longer able to do the work required to keep the “zoo” going, I will simply employ a helper. Life goes on, Jacqui, until the end of it, I think. I am happy and feel well. Thank you for following along this way with me. 🙂
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George this is just wonderful… and such a delight that one can spot these things…. I have found as age creeps on that I notice just so much more when looking around, it might be that the eyesight is deteriorating.. and one looks slower at all to allow a good focus… but your blog attests to the wonders one can see if you just take the time to look….
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Hi, Rob! I think we simply pay more attention as we get older. The big stuff becomes less important, and we realize that happiness comes from the small things that we see and experience. It helps us to get past the big stuff that hammers us. As you know as well as I do. My interest in the animals keeps me happy and interested and alive. I am not about to sit down to die. As many people do when they are diagnosed with a terminal illness. Hell, old age is terminal, huh? We begin to leave here the moment we arrive. We just don’t want to think about it. You have an eye for everything in the natural world, Rob. Your photography tells me that. Your intuition about animals equals your intellectual understanding of the facts of their lives. I do not know a single photographer who is more able to capture the lives of animals in a more honest way than you are. And your photography is superb. Thank you, Rob! 🙂
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Thank you George… want to become my Manager.?? lol
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Hell, I need a keeper myself! I lose my bank card about once a month and have to ask for a new one! You do need a good publisher. I hope to see the book published before I croak! Chuckle…
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I have about 60 pages to go of final edit… my God then I’m sending you an e copy, you can’t leave before you’ve read the book and done a review for me…
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