Saturday, December 10, 2011

Tis the season

Wreathes for sale at Farmers' Market
I got up early (even for me) to dress and quietly tiptoe outside to see if I could view this morning's lunar eclipse. The moon was full here on the west coast and the eclipse was complete at just about 5:58am. I thought about going out to Bellingham Bay to see if I might capture a dramatic shot or two, but when I walked outside, the clouds and fog told me I wouldn't get much of a shot, if anything at all. And then the clouds parted as I stood on my back porch, the moon appeared in the sky, almost completely eclipsed. Although I took several shots, none of them were good, since in the dark at full zoom I couldn't hold the camera steady enough. But I watched as the last of the light left the moon, and I gazed at it in wonder. The clouds closed up and covered the moon again. It was as if the sky opened up just long enough for me to glimpse it.
After a nice walk with my usual walking group this morning, I headed over to the Farmers' Market, looking for scenes that would illustrate the season. We only have one more weekend before the Market closes until April of next year. The much-smaller Market was serenaded today by these young musicians. They had just started to play and laughed at their efforts with frozen fingers. The music was so beautiful, though, it brought tears to my eyes. If they made mistakes, I never heard them.
Since there are still plenty of vegetables, I stocked up before heading over to the Y. For some reason, I just couldn't get myself excited about swimming, so I halfheartedly used a couple of the weight machines, took a shower and went home. I like the bicep curl machine and the one called "lat pull-down." Both of them give me a nice "pump" with just a little effort, and since it IS the middle of December, I decided I deserved to bring my veggies home and stay warm and snug in my little corner of the universe for the rest of the day.
I took this picture of my car the other day when the sun was just coming up. (We haven't seen the sun today and aren't likely to.) I thought the patterns in the frost were just beautiful. Smart Guy said the shapes remind him of coronas from the sun. To me, they look like tapestry. Isn't Nature amazing?
:-)

31 comments:

  1. Love this post. So glad you got a glimpse of the eclipse. Mine, as you know, was only partial before I lost the moon to the west coast. It was fun, though, just being part of it. I love these celestial happenings.

    Your photo of the veggies at the farmer's market is wonderful. Love the purple cabbage(?)and the stripes on the squash(?) I'm afraid i need to get more familiar with the varieties of both.

    I agree, that frost pattern looks like a tapestry, or a '60's paisley perhaps.

    Hope you're having a great weekend, Djan.

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  2. I'm with Teresa. Another beautiful post. I loved the swirls on your car - they looked a little like a white feather to me - but as you know I am obsessed with birds. Have a great weekend.

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  3. I always love looking at your Farmer's Market and today was no exception. The vegetables are so colourful and there is always such a good atmosphere isn't there. Today L and I went to a Farmer's Market too. We happened upon it by accident on our way to the theatre. It's there next week too for the last time so I'm going to pay them another visit.
    Your musicians there are doing their best. I feel for their cold fingers and toes.

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  4. I saw the eclipse as it approached the half way point. Then it was so low that it went behind trees. It was super clear here this morning.

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  5. I slept through the eclipse, but it would have been hard to see in our neighborhood anyway, I think. I LOVE the swirly pattern in the frost on your car. I think it's the best I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them!

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  6. oh wow...love the frost...its like natures art...and so are those veggies...love the colors...i did not see the eclipse unfortunately...the moon tonight is so big and fat!

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  7. When I saw the frost on your car, I immediately thought, "Paisley." That type of fabric was popular back in the 1960s.

    Did you see Art's photo of the lunar eclipse on Kay's new header? Magnificent. Too bad I forgot about the eclipse, because I was up at 4:30 am. Darn!

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  8. I just love your farmer's market photos. Those wreaths look so fresh. I feel like I could smell them. Art went out for an early morning jog today and took some photos of the moon for me. I've put it on my header. :-)

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  9. I also love your farmer's market photos. I don't know when I've ever seen such beautiful purple cabbage. They looked so good!

    I agree, the ice looked like a beautiful tapestry. Nice of photography on that too!

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  10. love the swirls ;) - love farmer's markets and miss them - ours closes in late October. Great pictures!

    nature is what keeps me alive!

    smart guy? I reckon I need to read your archives.... been wanting to do that but get distracted with all the current stuff and new blog people I've found ... waving to Teresa ;)

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  11. Only one more week of the Farmer's Market! Lovely wreaths and veggies...and brave musicians.

    I didn't even know about the eclipse, but I think we had a cloudy night, too. Glad you got a peek, at least.

    That frost on the car is truly beautiful! I thought of a tapestry, too...or some kind of swirly cloth design. Those little things like frost on the car are such beautiful fleeting treasures.

    Have a wonderful, warm Sunday!! :)

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  12. The frost reminded me of the acanthus on a William Morris tapestry. Love the stripey squash and purple cabbage. With all the evergreens around here I should make my own Christmas wreaths, but I don't have the touch.

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  13. I totally missed the eclipse..I didn't know it was happening... I am usually up on those kind of fun things too:(
    The cabbages are beautiful..I love purple cabbage slaw:)

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  14. Everything is beautiful and interesting. But I'd have to get up early, and so far in my life that just doesn't happen unless I'm catching an early morning flight. My loss, though.

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  15. That frost was exceptional!! And yes, me too...I got up early to view the eclipse -- but went back to bed....it was cloudy and rainy here. All summer long, no rain ---then, an eclipse of the moon and wouldn'tcha know it?

    Crypt Shadows in New Orleans Cemetery

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  16. Gorgeous veggies! It's why I love them so every season of the year. Hooray for farmer's markets and the great service they provide for the rest of us. I, too, have been known to cut down on my running time when needed and sometimes skip it altogether. It's good to listen to our bodies.

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  17. Would love to have heard the musicians and how wonderful to have a maker open so late. Ours closed well over a month ago, however, we had a christmas market yesterday at the legion hall and I brought home some home made chicken soup ( when you live in a small town such as ours, you know whose soup is good and whose isn't) - this one was a keeper.
    The swirls on the car looks so nice and yes, Mother Nature is indeed wonderful - look at all she shares with us who want to see and use it :)
    I am toooo far East to have even seen the eclipse, however have photographed some that happened in the East last year - perhaps I will use that as a post one day.
    Thanks DJan for the entertaining post. Do take care and keep enlightening us with your daily adventures. Even DJan gets a snuggly afternoon off - GREAT :)
    p.s. sorry for deleting other post - realized some spelling errors as I was typing faster than keys would allow - ha,ha

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  18. Oh how I'd love to stroll through your Farmer's Market - the atmosphere looks so festive! The photo of the vegetables is so sharp. I could almost reach out and do some shopping myself. :)

    The frost on the car did look like a beautiful tapestry - Mother Nature and her artistic flare.

    Have a wonderful day, my friend!

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  19. I love to see a full moon. It is so mesmerizing. Missed it here because of clouds. The frost on your car is indeed like a tapestry. Very lovely. I agree, nature is amazing.

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  20. Eclipses are such fun! We caught a full lunar eclipse here several years ago and it was pretty amazing! :o)

    Those wreaths are beautiful! They don't make them in my neck of the woods... wrong vegetation hereabouts! :s

    Why does frost always make such pretty patterns?

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  21. Great post. Glad u got to glimpse the eclipse! Trying my new iPad here,

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  22. Solely judging from the beautiful wreaths, your Farmer's Market looks a treat. And the veggies are picture perfect. Such bold colours! That frosty tapestry certainly is eye-catching and, as Rita says, such a fleeting thing of beauty. I must be living in a bubble, since I was unaware of an eclipse last evening.

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  23. Those vegetables looks so good, I am really missing our farmers' market. I'm glad to hear you got to see the eclipse DJan. We have had nothing but thick clouds, fog, freezing fog and now a few snow flurries. Oh well, everything is really pretty with it's coat of white.

    I really like the swirls on the car. I think it looks like a tapestry too.

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  24. It is a beautiful season of the year and I enjoy seeing how people around the world celebrate. Decorations, music and nature, doesn't get any better than that. I'm eager to see the local decorations at Longwood Gardens this year because they always put together a beautiful display for the season.

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  25. I'm leaving this comment so soon after yours I feel like we are having a conversation! Boy, you know those cabbages are good for you with that amazing purple color. We took a walk in the woods instead of the stairmaster yesterday. Any exercise is always the right choice. And it's nice to have choices!

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  26. I enjoyed your post and the cabbage. I am a big fan of raw cabbage and a great farmer's market.

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  27. Nature is amazing....

    love those beautiful cabbages..

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  28. A lunar eclipse can be a bit of a challenge to photograph but if you know the right settings, you can do a pretty decent job of it. I didn't even know there was going to be one this month but it turns out that it wasn't visible on my side of the continent anyway.

    Your photos are lovely, lively and oh so colourful. And I love the swirly frost pattern. Good eye for catching that.

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  29. That sounds lovely.

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  30. I love your sense of wonder over natural things. I didn't attempt to watch the eclipse, but I love it that you were granted a personal view. And those frost patterns - amazing!

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  31. the frost painting is just gorgeous! :)

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