Amarez - mszv - feels like home » Water

More pictures of my community pool, part 2

amarez — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 01:03:47 +0000

This set of pictures takes you from January through June, right before the pool is set to open. Walking by this pool and taking pictures is a thing with me. It’s a solitary pursuit.

Pool, January 2010. Sunny day, now snow.

Pool, February 2010. Snow.

Pool landing, February 2010. My footprints.

Pool, February 2010. So very much snow.

Pool, March 2010. Dreary day.

Pool, March 2010. Dreary day with ducks!

Pool, April 2010. The trees are green.

Pool, May 2010. Drained, scrubbed, ready to fill. The cartoon characters are back.

Pool, June 2010. Dusk. The empty pool reflects the sky.

Many, many pictures of my community pool, part 1

amarez — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 03:30:16 +0000

This is my local community pool. I know, it’s not a natural body of water, like a creek or a spring, but I like to see how it looks over the seasons. I’ve taken many pictures in the course of my walks. It’s a thing with me – walking by this pool. I’ve made a path through the snow in the winter, to get up the stairs to the landing so I can look at the pool and take pictures. What does this say about me?

Pool, August 2009. Swimming is wonderful.

Pool, August 2009. Mistly. The clown is a little creepy.

Pool, September 2009. No more swimming. The cartoon characters are gone.

Pool, November 2009. A few autumn leave remain.

Pool, November 2009. No more leaves.

Pool, December 2009. Sprinkling of snow.

Pool, December 2009. Snow and reflections.

Pool, December 2009. Pool at dusk.

Pool, January 2010. Cold. Snow and ice.

My California – Lily of the Nile

amarez — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:32:45 +0000

Lily of the Nile plants, Agapanthus, are very common in the San Francisco Bay area. Originally from South Africa (one of five Mediterranean climates in the world, like coastal California) they do well here. They take to rainy winters with moderate temperatures (no freezing) and dry summers with no rain, the weather of coastal California. The plants are large, with a waterfall of green leaves year round and beautiful large clumps of flowers in the spring and summer. Lily of the Nile flowers comes in shades of white and a beautiful blue purple color. I love the blue purple ones.

The plants have been popular in California for decades, used extensively in landscaping public spaces and private gardens. In the late spring and summer, they form rivers and pools of blue. The masses of blooms remind me of water.

Two links:

http://plantfinder.sunset.com/sunset/plant-details.jsp?id=128

http://playinginthedirt.ca/2008/07/27/green-thumb-sunday-agapanthus/

I took these photos in July 2009, before my move. The road is Oregon Expressway in Palo Alto, at dusk. I have trouble photographing the flowers well, given my casual photography skills, but this may give you an idea of how magical they are. The Lily of the Nile blooming season is a part of My California.

Lily of the Nile, Oregon Expressway, July 2009

Lily of the Nile at Dusk, July 2009

Lily of the Nile and the road, July 2009

Where I live now – the Creek and the Pool

amarez — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:05:31 +0000

Eastern Pennsylvania is pretty, particularly in summer, lots of trees, hills, green. But – the landscape as a whole does not resonate with me. I have to find something in the landscape that does resonate with me.

I found something. I love the little creek in my hometown. I love the play of the light, how it sparkles in the sun. I love the musical sounds, the water. The part of the creek I like is narrow and not deep. Oddly enough, it makes me think of Thumbelina, from the Hans Christian Anderson story, a person the size of a thumb. For her the creek would be a river. I looked at the creek and I thought the “rapids” might be too much for her, but perhaps not if she was in a little leaf boat!

The Creek, August 2009

I also like the local swimming pool, the best community pool I’ve ever been to, ever. Swimming (when it’s not raining) in the summer weather of heat and humidity – great fun! Don’t let the clown trash container fool you. Look at that lap lane – this is a wonderful pool!

Hometown Pool, August 2009