May 20, 2011

Seems Like a Million Miles Away...

I went in search of a field of rain lilies the other day.  There were so many blooming behind our fence at home and I was geeking out about them.  My daughter said she saw a whole field of them down by the lake. Although it was the middle of the day, it was overcast and I was really hoping to get a wide shot of the lilies dancing on the breeze as they rejoice in the cooler temperatures and recent rainfall.  


I didn't see any rain lilies...their blooms were spent and insignificant by the time I got there.   But I did find the sweetest little pasture and barn.  And my heart swelled.


Sometimes I get overwhelmed by development and density.  When we moved to this part of Austin over a decade ago, there were small country roads with cattle guards traversing through our neighborhood.  Slowly those roads were widened and the cattle guards removed.   Traffic lights have been added in the last year or so and it's easy to forget that just down the road a seemingly ideal way of life still exists.


While at book club the other night, I mentioned to my friend that I'd like to have a place with chickens and goats someday, she looked at me like I had lost my mind.  I haven't.  I love that after so many years of friendship, I can still surprise her!


And a donkey too.  I'd like a donkey.  She insists they are mean and that it will kick me.  It might.  It might not.


My heart is happy in serene places.  My mind is quieter and I can think more clearly.   My kids tell me that I'm a 'noticer.'  I see small details that sometimes escape other people's attention.  In quieter places there is less vying for my attention and I can get down close to the earth and see the small details that reveal some of the mysteries of this planet.  I want to experience and capture those mysteries and details in photography and share them.


One last glance through the field on my way out and these fading lilies caught my eye...it's not the sweeping view I was hoping to show you but it is a small detail in a big field of fading flowers that reveals the mystery of a bulb that knows precisely when to bloom and precisely when to fade...

25 comments:

  1. I like how you went on a search for rain lilies and ended up finding another treat. I, too, love bucolic places, chickens, quiet spots, and nature. I am easily distracted and notice everything, and I think the quiet places allow me to pull my 'sensor' back and quiet my mind...

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  2. I too am overcome by the spirit. The noticer spirit. lol. Most people call that random-nus. Seriously I understand your focus on 'place'. I think of it as gift. Have a great weekend. Greggo

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  3. I like this kind of day trips to somewhere. You never know what to find or see. I like the idea of chickens and goats, quiet life. I would love to quit my job and live low life in countryside with chickens but where do I get money for living, that is my problem what I haven't solved yet:)

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  4. Ah, I know what you mean about serene places. Our next place is going to have to be somewhere more isolated, and BIGGER. Although modern life can creep into almost any location, raising the stress and distraction levels again.

    Goats love eating bamboo. Just something to keep in mind for future use. :-)

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  5. "Noticer"--I like that. I think gardeners and photographers tend to be (need to be!) noticers. Don't you find it astonishing that so many people can go through their day, or on a hike, or wherever, without seeing anything interesting? Thank goodness we have people like you sharing what you notice, and so beautifully too.

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  6. I'm so glad you have the gift for capturing this serenity and sharing it with us!
    I was blessed to live for several years on a lake five miles from the nearest small town. Though the world will always intrude, it was nice to be physically removed from the hustle and bustle.

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  7. I'm with you, Cat. Not sure about the goat...but chickens. I'd like chickens...and a horse I love my yard, but it would be nice to not have houses less than 20 feet away on each side. I could go for a little wide open space to "notice."

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  8. I can empathize, Cat. The 'town' where I spent my teen years grew from about 25,000 to over 450,000 now ! Thank goodness we made the move to the country before that happened (my early years were spent in the country). You couldn't get me to live in the city even with the lure of a free house. I love the wide open spaces, the quiet, and the ability to really relax.

    Beautiful shots ! I love to go on photo shoots just to find what there is to see - and I'm never disappointed.

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  9. well as you read my solitude garden post you know I'm with you on this, I'm sorry the concrete and chaos are moving out to you, sounds like Austin needs a 'green belt'
    beautiful thoughts and photos, Frances
    p.s. I keep reading on google/blogger blogs about spam problems, hurrah for wordpress,

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  10. What a beautiful lily and I too crave the quieter simpler life...what a treat to find an unexpected beautiful place...

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  11. Hello Cat, a lovely and meaningful tale...happy noticing!

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  12. What a beautiful post, words and photos! It reminded me of the times we went to see relatives at their farms. My dad had two uncles who farmed together in Iowa. I used to sing to their cows. My mom had an uncle who was a beekeeper in Minnesota. I forgot what name brand company he sold his honey to. I remember my dad helping take some off of a comb. I loved exploring at both places, and sitting in the tall grass.

    We need to go to our local nature center more often and walk the trails.

    Thanks for sharing those details with us. I think my favorite may be the one of the barbed wire fence with the flowers growing through it. I don't think I would have noticed the barbed wire if you hadn't talked about noticing things. It caused me to look for the details.

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  13. I resonated with your post on so many levels - the craving for a quiet place, love of the details, and what you said about the "mystery of a bulb that knows precisely when to bloom." I hope that as I work on my photography, some day I will be as successful as you in capturing those beautiful, mysterious details to share with others ...

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  14. Hi Cat - your poetic images and introspective posts brim with country girl and at least you do not have to venture far for the rural. Just one of the pleasures I have when stopping by your blog. Thank you for the lily - I can duplicate it in my mind's eye to a field full

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  15. Oh that is beautiful rural scenery to live nearby. I hope next year you have more success with the rain lilies - I know that this year I nearly missed the bluebells as they are so much earlier than last years display.

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  16. You and I are very similar. The overdevelopment in my area is crushing and I escape to my garden to trade birdsong for the white noise of too much suburbia. I would love to live in an area with so much openness. I would love chickens or maybe even a little farm, too. :o)

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  17. Blog hopping & just came across your darling gardening blog...I host a garden party on Thursdays & would love to have you link up sometime???? xoxo, tracie

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  18. Your photos are truly magic, Cat... I just love the way you play with these images...

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  19. For me nothing in the world I love to watch more than a field of horses. Absolutely love it. I go visit my brother in Tennessee- he lives in Franklin which is right outside Nashville where all the horse farms are, and we just get in the car and drive and go see all the horse farms and I am about as happy as it gets. I have said the same things to friends and they look at me like I have lost it- I would love a place with the chickens, horses, land and just to sit on my porch with coffee in hand watching it all would be about all I need. Thanks for the blog entry. Made my day. =)

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  20. When 1991 I moved to this area where I'm still living there was nothing but trees and fields left and right of FM2920 and look at it now.
    More and more of our beautiful country side gets commercialized and build up with big retail stores and restaurants, wider roads and more new housing editions.
    You can consider yourself lucky if you still can find places close to your home where you could take such great pictures.
    Best Regards
    Paula Jo

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  21. Like always, your pics transport me to another space....very beautiful.

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  22. I think you being a "noticer" is very apparent in your photography work. When we moved to a rural setting a few years ago it made all the difference in the world! I found a more peaceful place and simpler life. I love it! You photographs are amazing as always! P.S. having a donkey is great when you have cows and horses because they tend to keep the coyotes, foxes, etc. out of the pasture...because they are mean and territorial!

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  23. Cat, I certainly understand your need for a quiet place. We left the west coast for the east looking for just that. LIke others have stated, I think your photography shows your love of details and your sense of 'noticing'

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  24. Oh I would love to visit this place! Great shots to give us the feel of the serenity there. Also, love the texture on the first one, completely adds to that building. You didn't get the field this time, but you had success anyway.

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