Author: alejna

rust blossoms

I’ve said before that I love the patterns produced by rust and weathered paint. The bold compositions produced by the elements working away at metal surfaces covered in their flimsy dressing of paint can rival those of some of the most venerated abstract expressionists. These canvases, however, are not so much the kind you find in museums, but rather on dumpsters, storage containers, parking lot barriers and such. Here are several examples of compositions of rust and weathered pain that caught my eye, several for producing patterns that were almost floral in appearance. (I realize that what these also look like are inkblots. What do you see in the pictures?)


The base of a lamp post in a parking lot in Providence, RI.


This was in Dublin. I think it was some sort of a garage door.


A parking lot barrier post in New York.


A parking lot post of some sort. In Massachusetts.


Some sort of wall at the Völklingen Ironworks, in Germany.

last leaf

I really can’t promise that this leaf is the last one I’ll post here. Actually, I can more easily promise that this is not the last leaf I’ll post here. This just happens to be the last leaf photo that I’ve taken. (As in the most recent. Definitely not the final leaf photo that I expect to be taking.)

transplants

Here is a collection of misplaced leaves and flowers that caught my eye over recent years.

A leaf caught in a flower and a ray of sunshine.

A magnolia petal pining for the pines.

An oak leaf hanging out with the big guys and trying to blend in.

This little periwinkle bloom looks right at home in these fronds of hosta.

A cheery maple leaf resting on a subdued bed of ivy.

Happy International Pants Day!

Today is the day when millions of people around the world come together in the spirit of pants. In thousands of cities around the world, people celebrated by wearing pants big and small. Whether lounging at home in pajama pants, stretching their legs in yoga pants, or striding out into the world of work wearing more professional pants, pants-wearers world wide wore their pants proudly. “It really warms my heart to see so many people wearing pants,” a woman said tearfully on a New York street corner. Indeed, wearing pants has been warming the hearts (not to mention the legs) of millions of people every day. “My grandpa always said he was proud to wear the pants in our family. I know he’d be just as proud to see all his great grandchildren wearing pants as well,” said a father of several rambunctious pants-clad girls at a pants rally in Kansas City. As Mark Twain once said, or maybe it was the Dalai Lama, “Wearing clothes with legs divided, will ever keep our hearts united!”

It may not surprise you that none of the above paragraph was true. At least to the best of my knowledge. What I know to be true is that today is a special day for me and my pants. Today marks the 9th anniversary of this blog. I hope that you, too, wore pants today to celebrate with me.

autumnal odds and ends

These are a few photos I took one afternoon last week while the kids played in the woods by our house. The riotous color of October foliage have given way to the muted browns and grays, with occasional splashes of bright leaves.


Unidentified yellow leaf on a thorny green stem.


Stump with lichen and leaves.


Young maple, stubborn leaves.

(It won’t be long before even these scraps of color will give way to white on white.)

water lilies


Water lilies in Barcelona, Spain. September, 2009.


Water lilies in Hangzhou, China. May, 2012.


Water lily in Natick, Massachusetts, USA. September, 2015.

(Apparently I take a photo of water lilies roughly every 3 years.)

backlog

There are times when I feel like I will never get caught up with my massive backlog of projects. Thousands of photos to sort through. Stories to tell. News to share. Here I’ve been back blogging for almost 2 weeks, and I haven’t really said much yet. Ah, well. It’s at least a start.

And since I felt like I should have a photo of a log, here are some photos of a rather massive log out back behind the house.

take your tiger to work day

As part of my Mother’s Day present, Theo gave me temporary custody of his much-loved new tiger, Tigs. First it was going to be just for the day, but then he decided I should get to have Tigs for a week. Later that week, I had a lab meeting in Boston, and I decided that I would appreciate the company of a tiger for my day.


First, Tigs helped me to feed the parking meter. Because it really bites to get a parking ticket. (And tigers know all about bites.)


Next, we walked down to the building where I had my meeting.


We made sure to stop to admire the spring flowers along the way.


Arrived!


After a bit, we headed back out to pick up some provisions. Again, we admired the scenery along the way.


For lunch, we opted for Thai food.


Then, we shared some coffee.


Back at the meeting, Tigs offered some editing advice on an abstract.


Then he did some light reading to keep himself amused while the humans discussed research.


When it was time to go, Tigs couldn’t resist a slide down the banister on our way out.


And then we buckled back in for the long drive home.

Overall, Tigs made a delightful workday companion. And from the happy expression on his face, I’m quite sure he enjoyed his big day in the big city.