Beyond Day SixMy sometimes-daily blog of a photograph or two with a few words, celebrating all the days of life that flow through creation into perspiration, inspiration, reflection, sabbath, and resurrection. Hearing RhythmMaybe she's right, it's all about the bass. Actually, it's the double bass or string bass. Six feet tall with Just four strings, the bass is played with a bow in the orchestra, but generally plucked or strummed by bluegrass or jazz musicians. One thing I find amazing is that it's large size does not translate to a big sound volume, because its notes are so low. The bassist does not generally play on every beat, usually first and third beats of a 4/4 measure, although may play every beat during a transition. So it's quite a treat when the bass player has a solo and gets to play the melody line, several octaves below what we had been hearing previously. I suspect they do not consider themselves part of the percussion section.
Well-wornLots of footsteps on these wooden stairs. The edge of each one is worn down to just a fraction of the original. Every day up and down. Every day for years. Every day for more than a hundred years. This is the stairway inside the Falls Mill near Belvidere, TN. This old grist mill has been in operation for more that one hundred years. And every day people walked up and down these stairs. Hard work in a noisy mill. And every step worn away just a little. It must have took millions of steps to wear away the wood of this stairway. It obviously has been here more than a few years.
EventuallyI don't know if you will be able to see it on your computer or device screens, but there is a young woman wearing a bright purple coat in the lower right corner of this photo. The large balanced rock is at least 12 times her height. So I would estimate it's between 60-70 feet tall, and 40 feet wide, and who knows how much it must weigh. That means the balanced portion alone is as large as a 6 story building. I am in awe. I don't know how long that this rock has balanced in this way, nor do I have any idea how long it will remain this way before it falls. But eventually...
Not All the SameThis is the time of year in the Illinois prairies that they are filled with yellow blooms, with several different varieties of wildflowers. Passing by quickly on the highway, they all blend together in a blur of yellow. But they are not the same, and some are quite unique. I believe that this is a Compass Plant, so named because its leaves are oriented north-south. The center of the flower with its stringy center is again quite different from coneflowers and sunflowers and daisies and coreopsis and black-eyed susans. But you have to wander in the prairie among the flowers to see the differences.
Going to Be a Beautiful DayIt already is. The day is already beautiful. Just by opening my eyes and seeing.
This image is from Tybee Island, Savannah, Georgia, nearly 12 years ago. Inside the TowerInside the Desert View Watchtower, located on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, are numerous pictographs and symbols of the Native American culture painted on the walls. The visual center is a mural of the Hopi Snake Legend by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie that describes their cultural connection to the Grand Canyon. This painting tells the story of a Hopi man who floated down the Colorado River through the canyon in a hollow log. And here is a man using his phone to record the depiction of this ancient story. The tower is 70 feet tall and offers a number of windows to look out to see the Grand Canyon. This structure, as are several others within the Park, was designed by architect Mary Colter in 1932.
Sharing the WorkThe community garden in Door County thrives through the hands of many volunteers. There is a list of things to do and tools than can be used. And so, somebody plants in their spare time. Another weeds. And someone else harvests. And the bounty is shared. Sounds scriptural.
Little Free LibrariesThis replica of a British phone booth sits prominently in the lawn of my friend Linda's home in Seattle. It was built by her son Sean, and is part of the worldwide network of Little Free Libraries. Their purpose is ... To promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide and to build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations. There are nearly 40,000 Little Free Library book exchanges around the world, bringing curbside literacy home and sharing millions of books annually.
Last fall we saw this library in Minnesota that matched the historic building nearby and contained an abundance of books in Swedish.
Hillbilly HaikuSaturday night music at our first house concert in Nashville: Daniel Seymour on Bass, Daryl Dasher and Linda McRae on guitars. Amazing music made for a fun night at the home of the Williams' who call their monthly venue Hillbilly Haiku. Photography was a challenge in a dim living room, but I cranked up the camera's iso sensitivity and was able to capture some images that hopefully convey feeling and music.
Our friend Eugene Baldwin, who is an exceptional author, drove down from Alton, Illinois to read two of his poems from his Genehouse Chronicles.
Peach Season at the HideawayJudy loves peaches. Well, so do I. But Judy loves them. And she finds all kinds of opportunities to enjoy peaches, from putting them on pancakes at breakfast to peach pie for dessert. And last week, she and Maddy made frozen peach yogurt. And we like to share. So two of the neighbors got peach pies last week and another pie baked yesterday. It's peach season.
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