Chasing Sunset

~

We chased the sunset last night, along the long stretch of the Colonial Parkway from Williamsburg to Jamestown.  It was the best of summer, with frog song and balmy breezes, families wading along the river and herons perching along the shore.

~

College Creek at Archer’s Hope, where Captain Gabriel Archer wanted to settle the first colonists in 1607.

~

A deep, quiet green has settled on the landscape.  Abundant summer rain has kept it all alive and growing to lush proportions.

~

~

The reeds stand thickly in every creek and marsh.  Red winged blackbirds dip and wheel, chasing armies of flying insects, and perhaps one another, across the creek as daylight fades.

~

~

The setting sun gilds the sky and water, glinting from the reeds’ seed heads, filling the air itself with its golden glow.

~

~

This is August in Virginia.  A time to slow down and savor summer just as it begins to slip away towards autumn.

~

~

The days have grown noticeably shorter, subtly warning us of the waning year.  Boaters and fisherman brave our mosquitoes to drink in the river, the air, the moment.  And so did we.

Leaving our air conditioned cave behind for this heavy August evening, we drove through deep green forests and over acres of marshland; smelling the newly mown sweetgrass and briny marsh.

~

~

The air remains hot and heavy on an evening like this, despite the gathering dusk.  Clouds pile up on the horizon, but no rain follows.  The river is high, swelling every creek and rivulet, moving swiftly in its course.

~

~

What a lovely night to be alive.  We watched for deer and rabbits on the roadsides, eagles and herons by the river.  We saw a turtle beside the road and armies of Canada geese gathering together, somehow knowing the season soon will turn again.

~

~

The bats had taken flight by the time we headed home.  Swooping and diving above the road, above the fields, above the trees, they filled the sky as darkness gathered.  We couldn’t hear them, but we saw their utter delight in the feast.

~

~

We are surrounded by abundance.  We are surrounded by the ongoing mystery play of life.

~

~

Woodland Gnome 2016

.

“When one tunes in into nature’s frequency,

life becomes change,

change becomes hope!”

.

Aniekee Tochukwu Ezekiel

~

 

 

 

Black and White Photo Challenge #5

~

When the Osprey Eagles re-build their nests and lay the next generation of chicks, I finally trust that it is spring.  After months of “empty nest syndrome,” we happily spotted brooding Ospreys in all of the familiar trees along the Colonial Parkway between Williamsburg and Jamestown.

~

~

Bald Eagles call to one another in the skies above, and birds of all descriptions may be seen perching on rotting bits of wood along the river bank.

~

~

Ah, the river has come back to life! 

This is the fifth day of the Black and White Photo Challenge which I accepted from Eliza Waters.

So far, I’ve passed it along to Robin, Sarah, Creekrose, and Jane.  You may recall that Jane completed the challenge last month, and you will find links to her posts in  my fourth post.  I hope you are visiting all of these intriguing writers and photographers.  Their black and white photos, poetry and prose are stunning.

Today I am inviting John of A Walk In the Garden to the challenge.  John, a Master Gardener, enjoys the warmer climate of Charlotte, North Carolina.  John and I share a love for our gardens and flowers. We are “dirty hands” gardeners; trying new cultivars, watching for each leaf and flower to come into its prime, and routinely digging in the dirt.

I’m always inspired by his Monday Vases, a collaboration between him and his beloved “arranger.”   Although John is still pondering this invitation, I hope he will decide to play along.

~

There are two bald eagles roosting near their nest in the trees across the creek, to the left of the bridge. When you enlarge this photo, you may be able to see them.

~

It has been an “eye opening” experience for me to see the familiar in a new way through black and white photography, and I hope that John will enjoy this experience as well.

If you would like to participate in the challenge, and have not been invited by a blogging friend, please accept this invitation from me.

I invite you, now, to explore the world of black and white photography.  Please accept my invitation in your first post with a link back to this page.  I would appreciate it if you would leave a comment with a link, as well, so I will make sure to find your post. 

The rules of the Black and White Photo Challenge are simple:

1. On 5 consecutive days, create a post using either a past or recent photo in black and white.
2. Each day invite another blogging friend to join in the fun.

Although this is my last official challenge post, I will continue to use black and white photos on occasion because of the unique perspective they offer.  But now I want to share one more photo, taken this afternoon in color. Although technically color, the effect feels very “black and white.”

~

~

These guys watched over us all afternoon as we worked out in the front garden.

My partner says that at times a few more showed up, but these buzzards remained  our faithful companions.  I’m not quite sure what they expected…. or hoped for.... but let’s just say that we are fine this evening, and so is the cat!

Woodland Gnome, 2015

Black and White Photo Challenge #1, #2, #3, #4