Nestled

Snout Nose butterfly, August 2021

A shaded shelter 

nestled among leaves and stones

your afternoon home

Sighting

 Coopers or Broad Wing Hawk, August 2021

I have seen many birds at this bird bath - doves, blue jays, sparrows, cardinals, but I never imagined I would see a hawk perched here. He rested several minutes and even gazed at his reflection in the water. The late afternoon sunlight on his feathers was otherworldly. When he took flight, it was absolutely silent. Moments like this keep my sense of awe and wonder alive. 

Indigo Orange

Hydro Dip with Spray Paint, August 2021
by Riley Anderson

 

Make your offering

swirls of indigo orange form

joyful galaxies

 

Light Moving Lightly

Cloudless Sulphur on Hummingbird Bush, August 2021

Light moving lightly

across the morning landscape

a lingering dream

Gift

Eastern Black Swallowtail on Pride of Barbados

August 2021

 

The guest floats above

a feast of glowing blossoms,

gift of pure delight

Captivated

Sunset, August 2021

 I meet my neighbors

we say hello, but we are

looking at the sky

* On an evening walk, I stopped to visit with a neighbor who keeps a beautiful garden. We kept our eyes on the shifting light of the sunset the whole time. I think Maxfield Parrish would love this one. 

Holy Envy

Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others
Barbara Brown Taylor

Two friends and I embarked on a reading adventure over the summer months. Holy Envy is not for the faint of heart or those who have everything "nailed down." I was reading while waiting in a doctor's office one afternoon. I happened to look out the window and see the Houston skyline in the distance. It was a moment of serendipity to stop reading and snap a photo capturing the city where so many faiths are practiced. 

 

“I asked God for religious certainty, and God gave me relationships instead. I asked for solid ground, and God gave me human beings instead—strange, funny, compelling, complicated human beings—who keep puncturing my stereotypes, challenging my ideas, and upsetting my ideas about God, so that they are always under construction. I may yet find the answer to all my questions in a church, a book, a theology, or a practice of prayer, but I hope not. I hope God is going to keep coming to me in authentically human beings who shake my foundations, freeing me to go deeper into the mystery of why we are all here.”

― Barbara Brown Taylor

Blazing

Gulf Fritillary, August 2021

 O blazing beauty

you greet the day with courage

to come as you are

Leaning into Love

Brown Moth on Mexican Heather, August 2021

Where are you leaning?

Will you name it for yourself?

How does your heart bend?

 

This World

Watercolor, August 2021

Hello summer green

you remind me that this world

is lavish with life

 

Wondrous

Gulf Fritillary on Penta, August 2021

 

Morning light magic

shining through your stained glass wings

makes me catch my breath

* Gulf Fritillaries tend to visit the yard in the last morning, when it is getting to the steamiest part of the day. They fly so quickly that they are usually here and gone in just a few seconds. This lovely decided to linger at the penta and I was able to catch her at just the right angle for the morning sun to shine through her wings. It was a wondrous moment. Houston has had a lot of rain this summer and everything is bursting with life and color. 

Fluttering Beauty

Brown Skipper on Cone Flower, August 2021

Fluttering beauty

you are a marvelous sight

come and drink your fill

 

For Alec

White Prickly Poppy, May 2021
Brenham, Texas

Celebrating you

and your exuberant soul

on this summer day

* Alec would have been 23 years old today. His joy and determination continue to inspire me and many others. 

Beauty

Pipevine Swallowtail, August 2021

When beauty finds you,

let her find all of you - don't 

hide yourself away

Evening Prayer

Moon Flower, August 2021

May peace fill every corner of my heart.

May peace fill every corner of your heart.

May peace fill every corner.

Softly

Orange Trumpet Vine, August 2021

 Let's walk together

while the shimmering rain falls

softly around us

Under the Street Light

Lightning Flash, August 2021

Welcome to the show

staged by late summer lightning

and luminous clouds

* A magnificent storm gathered last night. I could see the lightning flash through the kitchen window, so I walked to the end of the driveway and watched for several minutes. There was a dramatic display of lighting across the sky before the rain came. 

The View from Here

Live Oak, August 2021

Branches cradle light

and frame a gleaming window 

of leafy blue sky

 

Taste and See

Pipevine Swallowtail, August 2021

At last she comes in,

a momentary landing

to taste morning dew

In the Presence

Pride of Barbados, August 2021

Abide here, right here

in the presence of the one

who loves you dearly

Confession

Fair Haven Food Pantry, August 2021

O Lord hear my prayer,

I confess my emptiness

and hesitant hope

*When clients arrive to the food pantry, they pick up a basket and begin to choose food that will be set at their table and feed their family. Their eyes scan the shelves, in search of what will fill and nourish. When they leave, their basket will be so full, it will be almost too heavy to carry. 

Blessing of Love

Sugar Cookies, August 2021

            May you be surprised by love.

            May you be filled by love.

            May you be reminded of the goodness of love.

            May you have enough love within yourself to share.

Charmed

Allium, August 2021

 

Lavender starburst

you leave the crowd behind to

make my acquaintance

 

Hour by Hour

Crepe Myrtle, August 2021

A daily bouquet 

gathered hour by hour

is my offering

Stirred

White Moth, August 2021

In tall grass she feels

evening air coming to life

stirred by dragonflies

 

Delightful Chaos

Portulaca (Moss Rose), August 2021

Summer confetti

in her delightful chaos

falling at your feet

 

Let my heart be the trellis

Rose of Sharon (Althea), August 2021

 

Oh Rose of Sharon,

let my heart be the trellis

of your abiding

*I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys." (Song of Solomon 2:1)

Peace

Doves in the Birdbath, August 2021

 

In the company

of a true friend, may you find

your spirit refreshed

Forward

Zinnia, August 2021

 With bold clarity

you draw me forward into

the gift of today

This Glorious Day

Kitchen Window, August 2021
College Station, Texas

 

Let me catch a sight

of this glorious day framed 

by enduring love

* Yesterday was moving day for my daughter. We carried boxes in and out, in and out. On one of the trips from truck to bedroom, I caught this view through the kitchen window - it was a refreshing dose of beauty and light. 

Sunday Blessing

Cardinal, August 2021

 

Receive the blessing 

of being seen as you are

and loved through and through