Beach Art

Drifting scent of seaweed 

repugnant to the unaccustomed,

to me, is sweet perfume.

This flora of water’s garden

reveals a tapestry too intricate

to be crafted by human culture.

Sculptured writing on the shore,

penned by the tide, rising, receding,

is not limited to capabilities of mortals.

Raging turbulence,

striking the base of craggy bluffs,

gives undue glory to its power.

As a blanket of dusk unfolds,

absence of daytime’s blaze

creates an aura of solace…

and silent memories linger.

©Laura Crumm 2014

                                                

Clematis Time

I know it's mid spring when the clematis starts to bloom.

It's hard to know which spring flower is my favorite, but the clematis is right up there near the top. We also have some beautiful rhodies in bloom. 

I was finally physically able to do a little work in the garden the last couple of days.  There was a lot of grass growing in one of the back yard flower beds.  We have no grass....except in our flower beds.  I don't know where it's coming from!  I dug, pulled it up and replaced it with some low growing sedum that was spreading over various areas of the yard, just here and there.  There's still a lot that needs to be done.  Hubby and I neither one have the energy to take care of it like we used to do.  I think by next year we're going to need to hire somebody to help.  Here's more clematis photos.

Spring!!!

Is there anything more beautiful than spring?  Oh, yeah.  Autumn.  But because it's spring and the yard and gardens are beginning to come to life there seems to be nothing more beautiful than spring.  In our neck of the woods April brings the month-long tulip festival.  Visitors come from all over the United States to see the tulip farms.  It has gotten to be more and more commercial.  Until a few years ago we could go into the fields any time during the festival free of charge.  Now there's a charge for parking, charge for walking through the fields.  I don't blame the farmers.  It's a way for them to make money, but also it became a little overwhelming for visitors to pour into the fields continually.  Here are a few shots that I have taken in past years.

I'm Back!

After over a month of battling health problems...a new knee for me in March and a heart attack for my husband this week...I'm back on the computer again.  Hubby is home, but isn't out of the woods yet so I might not be very active for awhile. I hope to pop in here once in awhile with some news and info on new projects and etsy listings.  If I'm rambling it's because I'm still on pain pills and exhausted from hanging around the hospital three days watching and waiting for news.  Thank God, our daughter drove here from Seattle and acted as my chauffeur. I can't drive until I see my surgeon in a couple weeks.  And thank God for some wonderful doctors and nurses in the Bellingham, WA hospital!  They're awesome!

Late Winter

I didn't think we were going to get any snow this year, but here it is.  It started yesterday and hasn't stopped.  The temperature is 34 degrees so it isn't building up very fast.  One of our rhody's is about ready to burst into bloom. The snow nipped the noses of the blossoms, but they're paying no attention.









 I like the way the snow looks on the roof of one of our bird houses.  We have several unique ones along our fence.  This is one that my husband built.  It's one of my favorites. 













Here's another one that was given to him for Christmas.  The cheerful face looks so happy, even with snow on the top of his head and on his toes.   You can see the snowflakes coming down in the background.









This little hummingbird has been around all winter, along with some of his buddies.  A little snow doesn't deter him from seeking a drink from his 'fountain'. I wish I could have gotten a shot with the snow behind him, but they come and go so quickly it's hard to get the exact photo that I want.

Thrift store finds

Aren't thrift stores awesome?!!  Especially when I find a piece or pieces that go with what I have at home in my studio.  I had the bottom piece in my stash for MONTHS before I found the small pitcher to go with it.  I didn't realize until I got home that I had a perfect pair.  I made it into a candle holder for a unique home decor.  I'll be listing it in one of my etsy shops, ArtisticButler, soon.

Do you have some thrift store finds that got you really excited?  If so, please share them with me.  I love hearing about what others come up with.

Sea Breezes

Silent breezes

tease a sheer curtain

in the seaside cottage.

Seagull cries

blend with waves

lap…lap…lapping

on the shore.

Mingling scents

of seaweed

and garden roses

calm the senses.

At dusk the sky is brushed

with purple and red,

intensifying with each stroke

as the hues spill into the bay.

Across the island

a snow capped mountain

becomes cotton candy pink

as the moon rises behind

silhouetted trumpeter swans

on their journey to water.

Sea breezes

whisper secrets

through fir and madrona trees

as retiring waves say goodnight

to the shore.

                        ©2011 Laura Crumm