The tenacity of life, the ability to hang onto existence in some of the harshest conditions, always amazes me. A delicate balance that does not take very much to lose—a few footsteps from a careless hiker could cause irreparable damage, as could a rock slide. Climate is a constant source of stress. This collection of moss, grass, and wild flowers is at the head of the glacial cirque that is home to the Great Gulf Wilderness Area, just below the summit of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. Click on the image for a larger view.
Grape Harvest
Maine has had a very cool summer, which combined with our short growing season, has left us in doubt about what our garden will produce this year. Surprisingly, our grape vine bore fruit. They still need to ripen, but we are hopeful for our first grape harvest. Click on the image for a larger view.
Planet Tokyo
This is a little homage to my favorite city, Tokyo. Click on the image for a larger view.
Shugyo Daishi and the Pilgrim
The trail between temples 11 and 12 was enveloped in fog the day we travelled it. The mountain path followed a forested ridge. Then, strangely, the dirt trail ended in a flight of stone steps. As we climbed, a figure materialized from the trees.
We had reached Jyouren hermitage, a bangai, an unnumbered temple, one of over a hundred such places on the 88 Sacred Places of Shikoku Pilgrimage. The statue is of Shugyo Daishi. This is not the image of Kobo Daishi, the saint pilgrims follow and the one that attained enlightenment, but the man that was seeking that enlightenment.
The tree behind the statue was said to have been planted by Kobo Daishi when, in a dream, he had a vision of the Buddha Dainishi-nyorai. Click on the image for a larger view.
Wild Plum
Each spring, our wild plum trees bloom in celebration of the arrival of the season. Usually, the insect population feasts on the fruit, leaving none for us. Yesterday, we found several of the plums that survived the summer. While not having the rich sweet flavor or the juiciness of the cultivated varieties, the plums are nonetheless a nice snack. They are small, about an inch or 2.5cm in length, and a little tart. Click on the image for a larger view.
Worlds within Worlds
We view the world through a complex visual system that is filtered by our mind. The mind projects rules and order onto what we see, making it familiar. One of the beauties of photography is that it can disrupt that filter, revealing layer upon layer of a complex world. Patterns, forms, and colors we pass by everyday suddenly seem to transform into something new, something beyond what we know. Click on the image for a larger view.
A Snail’s Pace
With every garden comes a variety of residents. The weather this year has been very good for our snail population. They are very cute. And they don’t move that fast. Yet, they can do a lot of damage to our vegetables. Oddly enough, we have not done any research to find out if they are edible. Click on the image for a larger view.
Hydrangea
Hydrangea comes from the Latin meaning water vessel. We have several of these plants thoughout our garden. Click on the images for a larger view.
Damariscotta Lake
Damariscotta Lake is a 4,381 acres, 1,773 hectares, in area. It is one of the largest bodies of water in Central Maine. This image was shot in near infrared. Foliage is very reflective at those wavelengths, make it appear white. Click on the image for a larger view.
Forgotten
Click on the image for a larger view.
