pink

A dahlia in pink stands tall in the garden.

dropped petal

A zinnia in bloom wears a single dropped petal. The flower portrays beauty in its imperfection.

afternoon light

Morning fog eventually cleared leaving blue skies wearing pure white clouds.

between storms

Sunday I was caught outside (walking) in a downpour. Today I managed to watch the heavy rain from inside. The morning was spent in the garden, working and chatting with other volunteers. I managed an early afternoon exercise walk before the first rain came. There was a downpour, but as I looked through the rain I saw blue sky. I wonder how close the line was between heavy rain and no rain.

Early in the evening I headed back to the garden to wander among the flowers. It was a bit darker than I expected; the sun was hiding behind clouds. I absorbed the colors around me, enjoying the flowers and the birds. Ten minutes after I returned home heavy rain started to fall again.

a coastal walk

I contemplated heading to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge before my visitor center shift yesterday to walk a small section of newly opened beach. I thought twice about my plans after getting caught in a deluge during my morning exercise walk - we had 2+ inches of rain in the morning, nothing close to the 8+ inches that fell in Lynn, MA at the same time. My decision was to walk after I closed the visitor center.

It started to sprinkle as I headed into the refuge. Luckily the rain quickly stopped, leaving only brisk winds. The birds still have control of much of the beach, but the section between parking lots 1 & 2 opened to people early on Saturday.

I was delighted to walk on the beach as the tide was heading out, sharing the beach with a few other people and many sea birds.

wobble

I've been using a straight-backed chair when I sit at my computer for a long time. A few weeks back I decided I wanted to switch to something that more directly encouraged good posture and sitting with a bit of movement. Instead of a chair, I started looking at stools.

Wobble stools jumped out. I started reading and looking at available products. Most of the stools I found were too tall at the shortest setting; they were designed for use with a standing desk. Then I found the Stand Steady wobble stool. While it's hard to tell from the photo, the base of the stool is rounded and the seat swivels. It can easily be set at any height between 17.25 inches and 24.75 inches, changeable on a whim!

:: from the Stand Steady product description ::

"The unique design of Stand Steady's active sitting chair is both attractive and functional, allowing you to sit still, or swivel and sway to your heart's content. The wobble base is non-marking and grips the floor for stability, while the feather weight and teeny tiny footprint makes the wobble stool easy to stash when you're not using it."

I've been using this interesting stool for a week now, and I'm very happy with it.

I purchased my stool from Amazon. It is also available directly from the manufacturer, Stand Steady.

rainy

I managed a good (exercise) walk this morning under gray skies. It sprinkled a bit while I was out but the heavy rain waited for the afternoon.

It was a good afternoon to curl up with a book, to listen to the sound of the rain, to watch heavy rain falling while I was comfortable inside. The forecast calls for a possibility of rain for the next few days; walking in the rain may still be in my future!

a dahlia posing in yesterday's sunshine

perched

As I wandered in the garden this afternoon I noticed a moth perched on a leaf, perfectly posed.

rabbit

As I looked through the window early last evening I saw this rabbit happily munching grass. I opened the door, quietly stepping outside. Maintaining distance, I was able to convince the rabbit to pose for a photo!

single

The simple beauty of a single flower stands out in this portrait of a zinnia wearing orange.