Start by doing what is necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. – St Francis of Assisi
A Blossom
Tag: beauty
Wednesday is Bird Day
“Intelligence without ambition is like a bird without wings” – Salvador Dali
First picture is a limpkin. A bird I confused with the American Bittern which is the second pic. When I am out and about picture taking the limpkin is the most asked for bird. People stop me and ask about sightings frequently. I’m guessing that Central Florida is a known habitat for this bird.
The second is the American Bittern, one of my favorites. This bird has just come off his natural posture, which is beak in the air pretending to be a reed among the many.
Previous post with misidentified limpkin https://picturethisbyfrank.com/2015/01/20/young-ibis/ . Scroll all the way down, the first pic is indeed an ibis.
Quote seen at http://thinkexist.com/quotation/intelligence_without_ambition_is_a_bird_without/7487.html
UCF Arboretum – an Oasis
There is nothing you can see that is not a flower; there is nothing you can think that is not the moon. – Basho
There are lots of these vines along the trails at UCF Arboretum. My favorite parts are the buds – they remind me of mini aliens.
This guy had a great vantage point from high atop the pines.
Thanks to UCF for preserving this oasis. I spend countless hours here soaking up the beauty.
For my other posts on the arboretum see – https://picturethisbyfrank.com/2015/01/08/acres-of-diamonds/
Quote found at http://zenquotes.net/tag/flower
Some Birds
“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.” Henry David Thoreau
Fabulous day at Orlando Wetlands Park yesterday. Learned a lot – met some great folks. Looking forward to coming up to speed and being able to contribute. Saw many different birds that I hadn’t noticed before. Notable are the Cara Cara and vermillion flycatcher. Picture is a little fuzzy – but in person it was beautiful. I need to figure out if my shutter speed (1/500) was too slow, or auto focus failed.
This morning’s walk will be at the UCF Arboretum – looking forward to enjoying the air.
Quote found on http://www.gardeninggonewild.com/?p=22736
Little Econlockhachee River
“Every start upon an untrodden path is a venture which only in unusual circumstances looks sensible and likely to be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer
These photos were taken at Blanchard Park in Eastern Orange County. Lovely park along the Little Econlockhatchee river aka Little Econ. http://www.ocfl.net/CultureParks/Parks.aspx?m=dtlvw&d=8#.VNyG23ba5BI
This river is a tributary of the Econlockhatchee River which is part of the St John’s river system. For more info see http://sjrwmd.com/middlestjohnsriver/econriver.html
Mark Twain
“Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today” Mark Twain
Mark Twain is one of my literary heroes. He was the ultimate wanderer. Starting down the Mississippi, he went out to Nevada, then San Francisco, Hawaiian Islands and the Mid East. Along the way he wrote some great travelogues – Innocent’s Abroad, Following the Equator, Autobiography among others.
Here’s some pics from the Virginia City, NV home of the Territorial Enterprise where Mark Twain wrote for the newspaper.
Old Florida Feel
” Life should be lived so vividly and so intensely that thoughts of another life, or of a longer life, are not necessary.” — Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
When I am out and about taking photographs on mornings like last Sunday, I think of Marjory Stoneman Douglas and all she has done to raise awareness of the delicate ecosystem we have on this earth – Thanks Marjory. More on Marjory Stoneman Douglas at http://everglades.fiu.edu/reclaim/bios/douglas.htm
Honeysuckle
“The meaning of life is to see” – Hui Neng Zen Monk 7th century.
Quote seen here — http://www.frederickfranck.org/
Ever Blooming
“Earth laughs in flowers” Ralph Waldo Emerson – Hamatraya
What a gift a geranium is. When I moved here over 5 years ago the previous owners left a geranium in a pot on the patio. It has bloomed almost constantly ever since. And never ceases to make me smile.
Quote from http://geraniumsonline.com/quotes1.htm
The Awakened Eye – Part 2
I didn’t want to leave the topic of The Awakened Eye by Frederick Franck without mention of this one last passage, As part of seeing/drawing and his Zen beliefs he has written an enlightened passage on how we treat the earth as follows:
“It struck me like a whip, Only in America, I believe, does one speak of earth as “dirt”. Are we products of dirt?”
later,
“Where Earth is seen as dirt, the bulldozer is destined to mutilate, to “develop”, to “landscape” what is mere dirt. Mother dirt….”
So far all his writings and drawings have touched me in various ways, I am onto my third book. I enjoy it so much I am able to forgive him for his distaste of photography.
Previous posts on Frederick Franck –
https://pitcturethis.wordpress.com/2015/01/30/the-awakened-eye-by-frederick-franck/
https://pitcturethis.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/more-inspiration-addendum/ore-inspiration/
https://pitcturethis.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/more-inspiration/
Picture This by Frank 