Barbara Rodgers

an unspoken law

"Backwoods" by Ivan Shishkin (1832-1898) Russian Landscape Painter — “Backwoods” by Ivan Shishkin

A lady, with whom I was riding in the forest, said to me, that the woods always seemed to her to wait, as if the genii who inhabit them suspended their deeds until the wayfarer has passed onward: a thought which poetry has celebrated in the dance of the fairies, which breaks off on the approach of human feet.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
(History)

I have learned through walking with my dogs here that there is an unspoken law. Always send a warning. Never surprise the animal life in the forest. So walking along without the noise of the jeep, it is wise to whistle a little tune and give the creatures some kind of an idea that you are approaching their area. This gives them a chance to adjust and find a place to hide, so they can watch you from their position out of your view. It is wise to follow the rule of the forest.
~ Neil Young
(Waging Heavy Peace)

mountain laurel sanctuary

Nipmuck State Forest, Mountain Laurel Sanctuary
6.26.13 ~ Union, Connecticut

Mountain laurel, which is in the heath family, is Connecticut’s state flower and is abundant in moderately shaded woods in this state. The flower of the native shrub produces clusters of beautiful pinkish white blooms between Fathers Day and Fourth of July in this part of the state. The foliage is evergreen so it stays green all winter long. Hiking in the woods one may come across a thicket of mountain laurel and wonder if it is at all possible to penetrate through the tangled branches that grow close to the ground.
~ Mountain Laurel Sanctuary

6.26.13.6908 — a whimsical woodpecker,
evidence of other human visitors

There was a blue dragonfly flitting about us (not to mention hoards of mosquitoes!) but it wouldn’t stay still long enough to be photographed. A few days later, however, Janet found a more cooperative blue dragonfly resting on one of her tomato cages at home and sent me this picture!

dragonfly.janet.blue — blue dragonfly photo by Janet

dinosaurs in the woods

6.23.13 ~ Montville, Connecticut — Dominic and Julius at The Dinosaur Place
6.23.13 ~ Oakdale, Connecticut

While Nate & Shea were in Connecticut for the wedding, we also spent a fun day at an outdoor Dinosaur Place with them and their nephews. It was very hot so we were glad to be in the woods most of the time, and enjoyed watching the kids play on the splash pad after our long dinosaur walk.

I don’t know the names of these dinosaurs, but Dominic knows ALL of them and he’s only 4 years old! It was fun seeing this lost world through the eyes and imaginations of the little ones.

6.23.13.6683 — Dominic enjoying the amazing playground

mental optics rove

Giant Gas Cloud in System NGC 6240 by NASA — Giant Gas Cloud in System NGC 6240
Image Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/E. Nardini et al;
Optical: NASA/STScI

Imagination! who can sing thy force?
Or who describe the swiftness of thy course?
Soaring through air to find the bright abode,
Th’ empyreal palace of the thund’ring God,
We on thy pinions can surpass the wind,
And leave the rolling universe behind:
From star to star the mental optics rove,
Measure the skies, and range the realms above.
There in one view we grasp the mighty whole,
Or with new worlds amaze th’ unbounded soul.
~ Phillis Wheatley
(On Imagination)

mad with joy

"White Peonies" by Théo van Rysselberghe (1862-1926) Belgian Neo-Impressionist Painter — “White Peonies” by Théo van Rysselberghe

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.
~ Iris Murdoch
(A Fairly Honourable Defeat)

wedding in the woods

15 June 2013, Orange, Connecticut
Camp Cedarcrest, by the Wepawaug River

6.15.13 ~ Orange, Connecticut — Dima waiting patiently

6.15.13.5839 — Grandma Nina and Vladimir, father of the groom, waiting patiently

6.15.13.SusanKwan.larisatim — Larisa and Tim ~ photo by Susan Kwan

6.15.13.5877 — 6.15.13 ~ Orange, Connecticut

6.15.13.5933 — matron and maid of honor, Alyssa and Alicia

6.15.13.5952 — Larisa & Dima…Tim & Barbara

6.15.13.5959 — our dear friends from Macedonia, Bojan and his sister Ana

6.15.13.6159 — Larisa made the dress with help from her friend, Brit; Janet and I went to New York City to help Larisa pick out the fabric

6.15.13.6168 — Svetlana, mother of the groom

6.15.13.6173 — *karavai*, Russian wedding bread

6.15.13.6177 — tradition is that the person getting the bigger bite “controls” the marriage

6.15.13.6217 — Vlad, father of the groom

6.15.13.6247 — Aunt Delorma, who has been like a mother to both Tim and me,
and a very special grandaunt to Larisa

6.15.13.6262 — the lights of my life, Nate, Larisa and Jon

6.15.13.6274 — cousins Erica, Larisa and Erin

6.15.13.6265 — cousins Nate, Jon, Larisa, David, Erica and Erin

6.15.13.6398 — Nate, Tim, Dima, Larisa, Barbara and Jon

Shea helped me out with a lot of the picture-taking, and Svetlana made all the lovely decorations. Dima & Larisa created an amazing wedding and reception, in a perfect setting, and we could not have asked for better weather. A very special day for all of us to remember forever.

An interesting side note – all of the women in the bridal party and the mothers and grandmothers and grandaunt have names that end with an “a.” Larisa; her attendants, Alyssa, Alicia, Erica and Lisa; the mothers, Barbara and Svetlana; Dima’s grandmothers, Nina and Anna; and Larisa’s grandaunt, Delorma.

conscious of eternity

WillardMetcalf.landingplace — “The Landing Place” by Willard Metcalf

There is a Zone whose even Years
No Solstice interrupt –
Whose Sun constructs perpetual Noon
Whose perfect Seasons wait –

Whose Summer set in Summer, till
The Centuries of June
And Centuries of August cease
And Consciousness – is Noon.

~ Emily Dickinson
(The Poems of Emily Dickinson, #1020)

Welcome Summer!

love, bicycles, canoes

These are my maternal grandparents and I had never seen these pictures before Saturday. While Tim & I were out shopping, getting ready for our daughter’s wedding, my cousin was scanning and sending some pictures he found of our grandparents in their younger years. Only today did I notice that June 8, Saturday, was their birthday. Thank you so much, Matthew, for remembering!

Grandfather was born June 8, 1905, and Grandmother was born June 8, 1906. They were married 30 November 1929. I never knew my grandfather smoked a pipe – but I always knew he was a perfect gentleman! The dog was their beloved pet, Honey.

Above are my grandparents and their two children, my mother and my uncle.

It’s hard to make them out, but my grandparents and uncle are sitting on the stone wall and my mother is in the canoe. I see her passion for canoeing started in her childhood. She took us canoeing often when my sister and I were children. I’m in a very sentimental, wistful, thoughtful mood this week – five days before the wedding!

far enough out

If you go far enough out
you can see the Universe itself,
all the billion light years summed up time
only as a flash, just as lonely, as distant
as a star on a June night
if you go far enough out.

And still, my friend, if you go far enough out
you are only at the beginning

– of yourself.

~ Rolf Jacobsen
(Night Open: Selected Poems of Rolf Jacobsen)