Brightly Lavender Flowing
¡Pura Vida!
See my Flora & Forest Gallery.
Flowing
WALKING PATHS of My Life
Walking – the main physical activity of my life since around age 1 – purposefully made important in my adult years – and now that I no longer own a car and live surrounded by nature in Costa Rica – WALKING the PATHS of Nature is even more central in my life. The feature photo at top is a hiking trail at the Trogon Lodge, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, one of many I experience here.
This begins a brief blog post series of just 5 more days on one of the most important things of my life, walking!
The motivation for the series came in part from the book, In Praise of Paths: Walking through Time and Nature, by Torbjørn Ekelund, a Norwegian young man diagnosed with Epilepsy who now walks everywhere and also does cross-country hikes in a bigger way than I’m able to at twice his age! 🙂
I will not copy or repeat the book, but discuss the influence of walking since before my birth through my now car-less retirement in Costa Rica! 🙂
Verdure
Verdure = the fresh green color of vegetation.
Verdure Hugging me Daily Upon My terrace Fresh, Green
Seeing The garden Colors
Feeling The Garden Tranquil
“To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.”
—Jane Austen
¡Pura Vida!
More CR Nature Haiku
Chisos Banded Skipper
Simple Butterfly Plain Brown
See my GALLERY of other Chisos Banded Skippers.
¡Pura Vida!
The Hobbit Re-read
“I’m going on an adventure!” said Bilbo Baggins
~JRR Tolkien in The Hobbit
Only great books deserve “re-reading” and The Hobbit (Wikipedia link), the 1937 published book by JRR Tolkien, is certainly one of those! I just finished reading it again on my Kindle and of course discovered “new stuff” not in my memory! He pretty much introduces a new character or creature in every chapter and then brings them all back together for the epic “Battle of Five Armies” at the end of the story.
I will not write a full or formal review but just share some first impressions and personal feelings on the re-read of a favorite book, which I followed by a re-watch of the 3-movies version of the book . . .
Continue reading “The Hobbit Re-read”El Bastón del Emperador
I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
Psalm 7:17
I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
This Spanish name of what English-speakers call “Torch Ginger” flower, “El bastón del emperador” has stuck with me from my first hearing of it. The English translation is “The Emperor’s staff” (or king’s scepter). And since most of the time I have at least one blooming in my gardens, it is a reminder of who my king is and my early pledges to follow Jesus as my life guide, ruler and “King” if you please. And what better “scepter or staff” for Him than a beautiful tropical flower! 🙂 Here’s the one blooming this weekend:
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.For the Lord is the great God,
Psalm 95:1-3
the great King above all gods
¡Pura Vida!
The Beautiful in Life
I always receive much inspiration from every walk up the hill behind my house . . .
The Beautiful in Life
The beautiful in life…
~Bernard Meltzer
Some talk of it in poetry,
Some grow it from the soil,
Some build it in a steeple,
Some show it through their toil.
Some breathe it into music,
Some mold it into art,
Some shape it into bread loaves…
Some hold it in their hearts.
¡Pura Vida!
See my photo gallery of the main Catholic Church in Atenas.
And/or the WEBSITE of Parroquia San Rafael Arcángel
Note that I’m not a Roman Catholic but this church is the only one in Atenas that inspires me to seek God – whether photographing from a distance like above or up close from Central Park or going inside their beautiful sanctuary to just sit quietly and pray. I’m inspired by the architecture, the ambience, the tranquility, the beauty, their music and even the church bells ringing! I thank God for this Catholic Church!
Cows Upon A Hill
To describe part of my walk last Saturday morning early, I found this nice poem:
Cows Upon A Hill
There is nothing I like better
~Marilyn Lott
In the sunrise of the day
To see cows on the hill
It’s the perfect time to pray
The Costa Rica University Systems has a special agricultural university campus on the edge of Atenas and these cows I frequently see and like to photograph are a part of that student farm on the next hill over from mine. 🙂 Students study here from all over Central American as the best of Latin American agricultural schools! And they learn a whole lot more than just our local coffee farming! 🙂 And next door to where I live!
See all four Photos . . .
Continue reading “Cows Upon A Hill”My CANCER Adventure Book
Mostly my real time journal and blog posts plus photos and other information that is meant to be inspirational for someone else going through cancer, especially my specific Parotid Tumor Cancer with 68 pages and 87 photos, including a few of my nature posts during that time. 🙂
I also emphasize the value of nature in healing for me. And the title “True Grit” is explained in the book and on back cover, kind of funny! 🙂
You can see a free electronic preview at https://www.blurb.com/b/10778284-true-grit Or click the cover image below:
You can also browse through all my nature photo books while in the bookstore or click on Bookstore on the menu bar above.
¡Pura Vida!
Green Field
I’m back home for awhile and one of the first contrasts with the big city was the green field across from my house, seen here at ground level . . .
And online I found a poem that expresses some feeling of my front yard “green field,” though I would never lay down in this one with the cow patties and snakes! 🙂
Continue reading “Green Field”