Blooming Ice Plant

Magenta spokes

radiate from a yellow hub;

sparkling strokes of life

to brighten and cheer

the ponderously passing pedestrian.

Perhaps

they will pause

and look more closely;

invest a moment or two

in the brilliant natural splendor

of the ebb and flow of beautiful life.

The beauty of life is all around us.

Daily we can wonder

and smile and

feel it.

Life that rises

from deep within

to remind us,

we are flowers, too;

that bloom with a glorious splash

to brighten and cheer

the passers-by.

Taken 6 December 2011.

Outcropping

This is what is commonly called

a rock outcropping.

Funny word - outcropping.

This photo takes my imagination 

in many directions.

I can almost see some kind of primitive face on this rock;

or it is a huge petrified shark fin;

or a finger...

an index finger pointing to the sky -

the "One Way" sign;

or the upturned rudder of an ancient ship...

Whatever.

It is the central focus of this photo,

but there are many other elements

lending interest to this composition:

the seagull in flight,

the purple iceplant blooming on the far bank,

the stunning blue sky,

the congregation of stone around the central monolith,

the green iceplant in the foreground,

waves crashing on the distant shoreline.

Overall,

a scene that beckons

with an offering of serenity

and peace.

Like holding a conch shell to your ear,

you can hear the sound of the ocean waves.

Taken 13 May 2011,

Pacific Grove, California.

Ready for Spring

The official calendar start of spring

is still a couple of weeks away,

but I am sooooo ready

for it to be here 

right now.

!!!

!

Seriously.

This pic was taken along the recreational path

in Pacific Grove, California,

between Lover's Point

and Point Pinos

where Monterey Bay

meets the Pacific Ocean.

The botanicals

are iceplant in bloom.

Always stunning.

Taken 13 May 2011.

Purple Carpet

Every year

the iceplant along the shore

in Pacific Grove

blooms like this.

It is incredible,

and it always

leaves me

speechless.

To be honest

I wasn't going to take this picture

but I had pulled into a parking area

to turn around

and I had to stop and wait

for another car to move,

so I grabbed my camera

and quick shot this

out the window

from my driver's seat!

Here's a more

distant pic

from Lover's Point

looking back

toward Oceanview Drive.

I was out of my car

and standing

on the rock outcropping

for this one.

(Don't forget to zoom in!)

Taken TODAY!

13 May 2011