The Shapes of Leaves

It's  almost ten years since I had a proper garden of my own,

so I go and hang out in my friends' gardens. Lori of Jarvis House

told me I wasn't to 'do' her azaleas as she is going blog them

 very soon. So here cotoneaster and rhodedendron.

White bleeding heart and a form of hydrangea.

Dogwood.

Mahonia. I said ,"Always a horribly messy bush."

 Lori said, "But the birds love it."

So I forgave it.

Well, you can see the azaleas in the distance but only for contrast.....

Hostas lower right.

Ivy and some sort of weed near the barn.

Such a lot of bleeding heart leaves.

The  tiny pink things are a form of wild geranium. 

The shy flower of the may apple which hides from sight.

Can't remember the name of the plant whose leaf belongs under

 the sea. Help! Lori!

Shadow Shot Sunday/ Jaipur/India

For other shadowshots go here.

Since it hasn't been very sunny here lately, two photos

of Jaipur, India, taken in March. The first was taken in

Jantar Mantar,the Observatory, built in 1728,  which has building that 

resemble strange sculptures --and cast pretty cool shadows.

Here a family tour the battlements of the Tiger Fort

set high above the city with distant views of the lake.

A Rather Chartreuse Day

This metallic model serves for all seasons on 9th Avenue.

She is wildly photogenic.

The camera delights in glitter and reflections

and that dreadful, lovely color chartreuse.

Time to wear green to read in the park.

Time to repaint the park railings.

A seven person job.

23rd Street.

Time Over Distance/ Robert Schmid

Robert has updated his website to include his most recent paintings.

People often want to make a narrative out of these rather complex juxtapositions

 of images. Rather difficult to explain in words things that are essentially visual ideas. 

He is represented by the Sears Peyton Gallery on 11th Avenue.

On the right is a picture of Deniz taken a few weeks ago. Strange how life turns into art.

Windows

Windows, doors, gates, archways, the things inbetween

 other things, exert a fascination that borders on natural 

law - like watching the flow of water, the lick of flames

 or even a lava-lamp for heaven's sake. Anyway, a lovely

 tatty window box at an elegant window with interior shutters.

 Geraniums are the very devil; they need constant attention.

  

So rare to see windows flung wide in the city - a breath of fresh air.

Is this green truck succeeding in being retro and almost 

(visually) socially acceptable? Anyway, easy on the eye.

Such shadows, white on white.

Essentially the same view. Day and night.

Such Nice Stormy Skies

This blog has been sort of peaceful and pastoral lately,

so I thought I'd go urban and wild.

(Yesterday afternoon on 23rd Street.) 

I hope everyone enjoyed the Haiku Festival as much as Tracy and I did

and I hope I didn't make too many errors in the list.

It didn't rain yesterday for a wonder,

but the clouds were billowing and lowering

and there were some of those 'hand of God' shafts

of light which look so dramatic.

Where's Waldo says: Spot the Empire State Building.

Haiku Festival

Go to PinkPurl for more poets and then visit the list below...

If you want to join in, please do!

the bench: secluded

the carpet: marsh marigolds

is this bliss enough?

Please visit the blogs below for more celebrations in haiku:

1. BeeDrunken , England
2. Tracy Pinkpurl, from Norway
3. Paz's New York Minute, USA
4. WillowManor,USA
5. Merisi, Austria
6. Rochambeau, USA
7. HighDesertDiva,USA
8. HeyHarriet, Australia
9. Rodrigvitzstyle, USA
10. M.Gosden, USA
11. Artsortments, USA
12. A Thousand ClappingHands, USA
13. FrenchFancy, France
14. WillowsCottage, USA
16. Eb Elizabeth Bunsen, USA
17. PoetiKat, Canada
19. Jennifer, USA
20. Pat, Mille Fiore Favoriti,USA
21. Tessa, England
22. Denizblog, USA
23. Isabel, USA
25. ButternutSquash, USA
26. Critters'nsuch, USA
27. Magpie, USA

29. Polly, England.

30. The Qi Papers, USA

31.  ArtIt, USA

32. TheLeener, USA

33. Marinela, USA

34. Daughter of the Golden West, USA

35. Dodadidit, UK

36. Crisfieldnews, USA

37. Small Reflections, USA

40. Dale Australia

41. Shell, USA

42. Lea Lea Labyrinth,USA

43. Helen, USA

44. Mim, USA

45.Sue of Magic Armchair Traveler, UK

Actual Shadows for Once

Because it has been so rainy lately, I had to wait until this

 morning to get some proper shadows for

  Shadow Shot Sunday.

At last! 

So I rushed around trying to get my stunning flowers

into a sunny spot. My advice: make sure to have amazing children.

 

Robert's work table. Kind of messy, but when the light is just right....

And my trusty Moroccan shopping basket for being environmentally pure.

Even though I now have to collect plastic bags too.

(The dog would be embarrassed if I told you what for...)

Hooray! Two more haiku writers for tomorrow:

Dale from The Thread Studio,  Australia

and Shell from New York

The Usual Sort of Walk

Wandering about as usual, looking about me.

22nd Street. 

Not quite sure whether these were pansies or violas.

They were rather small - but exquisite.

Lily of the valley. When I was a child I would save up to buy my mother

Morny's Lily of the Valley talcum powder.

We both thought it very wonderful.

Reya posted the other day about GREEN.

Here in a rather formal little garden on 21st Street.

Here a little bird trying to camouflage himself as a stoop railing.

22nd Street.

I Can See Clearly Now

For some thoughts on the haiku festival see Tracy's thoughtful blog post here.

Lord Ganesha encourages us to dance. 

Broadway and 20th Street.

A long time ago we were told to curb our dogs.

The ghost dog still dances.

22nd Street and 8th Avenue.

Below my study window is a little garden.

One day we saw that someone had thrown the  prop-up sign from the

 clairvoyant and palm reader across the street into the bushes.

I asked R. if I should go and tell them where their sign was.

He thought that should not be necessary. They now have a new sign.

What a jumble of puffed up monsters in Stella McCartney's window!

14th Street in the Meatpacking District.