Whatizzit? 4 Answer

This turned out to be quite a puzzle, didn't it?  The enlargement shows the lower left corner of a paper wasp's nest with the light on the autumn leaves behind.

 

I like the reference to dark and light, known and unknown, solid ground, flight, and faith in the quotation, all of which seemed to relate to the photograph. I added my own few rhyming words to the clue.

 

 

 

For more on the paper wasps and what I gleaned from this particular nest when I found it, already done serving its purpose and beginning to fall apart, please click here: Leavings

 

The beginning quote is called Faith and is by Patrick Overton. A teacher, scholar, poet, playwright, author, lyricist, speaker, and visual artist, Overton has devoted his entire adult life to exploring human communication, designing and building organizational systems that enhance the development of the human community, and creating innovative resource networks to help people in rural and small communities nurture the invisible culture of Rural Genius.

 

For more information on Patrick Overton:

 

http://patrickoverton.com/bio.html

Whatizzit? 4

"When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly."   ~ Patrick Overton

 

 

Dark and light

not just in the sky

someone to stand here

and something to fly

 

So what on earth izzit?

Beach Exploration: Sand

“To myself I am only a child playing on the beach,

while vast oceans of truth
lie undiscovered before me.”

Isaac Newton

It is apparent, even from some distance, that the trees here are survivors. Prevailing winds and storms take their toll along any shoreline and on this tip of land, jutting into the Strait of Juan de Fuca just where it flows south into Puget Sound, they are relentless. Only a few hearty birds frequent the tree tops here.

We were camping at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, WA.

That afternoon we would walk the beach, taking a route that passes through sand dunes filled with beach grasses, shrubs, and flowers.

Here, nestled down among the dunes and taller plants, a number of flowers thrive.

No matter how common or plain these may appear, I always stop and take a closer look at lovely, delicate blooms.

The tide was ebbing as we began our walk, and we were soon completely absorbed in the sights, sounds, and solitude of the shore.

It is a wily thing, lulling and luring us into its spell...

Water is a remarkable force, even as it quietly seeps through the sand on its way down to the sea.

I imagine I am flying high above the earth looking down and the view is similar - the flowing of streams and rivers carving their paths through the land.

There are flood plains, deltas, large outcroppings of rock; are not the processes and results the same?

Looking up to the bluffs, we see countless eons of deposits that were laid down in remarkable patterns.

Wind and water continue their relentless assault, slowly wearing down and carrying away each particle.

At the top, all things teeter on the edge, waiting their turn to return to the sea in an endless cycle.

Others have been here - we see the signs of their passing...

Most leave a brief imprint which will soon be gone, washed away with the sand and all that lies on it.

Some - the daring or foolhardy - seek a more lasting impression. I think most impressions are fleeting at best, and the deepest ones are not necessarily the ones we set out to make.

 

Many live here on the edge between the land and the sea, able to withstand the extremes.

Some tether themselves tightly to the land, adapting and adjusting their parts for the long haul.

Some are able to come and go, using the tides to their advantage.

Others, who must remain in or near the water, have developed unique ways to protect themselves when the tide is out. 

The beach is littered with those that have been flung onto the land, whatever the reason - many will survive to be carried out once more when the tide turns.

Many will not...

We treasure our time on the beach

and savor every small gift:

The shell - form and function

perfectly matched.

The rock - solid and strong,

but even it can be broken and changed.

The beach glass - worn smooth and polished

through time and abrasion.

Yet again I am reminded...

"The sea does not reward

those who are too anxious,

too greedy, or too impatient.

One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach

- waiting for a gift from the sea."

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Tricolor Summer

RED

Bee balm, begonias, and fuchsias that hang
Star Lilies, raspberries, and rhubarb with tang
Sweet smelling roses
That turn into hips
Plump sliced tomatoes and watermelon drips

WHITE

Salal blooms, Snowberries, and Dogwood on trees
Trillium and Daisies make some people sneeze
Ice cream, fresh-churned,
With vanilla and cream
Sprinkled with strawberries that grow by the stream

BLUE

Hydrangeas, Hostas, and loud Steller's Jays
Forget-Me-Nots nodding and brightening the days
Blueberry cobbler
Fresh Blackberry pies
Fireworks that BANG! and flash in dark skies

A red and white tablecloth flaps in the breeze
In blue jeans with bluegrass we sip our iced teas
We value our freedom
(Though not all are free)
We honor our brave ones (is that you or me?)

While Ruby-Throated hummingbirds
buzz through the trees
Lupine fills sand dunes around local seas
We celebrate this land and should grateful be
It's a touchstone for the future - if we want it to be.

But the land that you are crossing over to occupy is a land of hills and valleys, watered by rain from the sky, a land that the LORD your God looks after. The eyes of the LORD your god are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.              Deuteronomy 11:11-12

Muddied and Majestic

Alaska Raptor Center, Sitka, Alaska

“Regal” was not the way I would have described him that day, mucking about in the mud with the others. Nor did he appear noble or proud as he hopped about with his ungainly gait, vying to grab what he considered his share of the take. Instead, he appeared rather bedraggled, a bit vulnerable and obviously hungry. And, as is so often the case, the others took advantage of this opportunity to constantly natter at and harass him. In fact, they were unceasing and merciless in their belligerence, darting in as they dared to scold and attack. Undeterred, he stuck to his mission, finally grabbing his prize and silently lifting off to circle higher and higher. Still, he was followed by a streaming menagerie - swooping, lunging, attacking and squawking - that seemed to accompany him until he slowly faded from view. At what point they gave up, if ever, and finally left him to his peace, I did not know. Obviously, there is another side to majesty.

Liberty Bay in Poulsbo, Washington is extremely shallow and muddy. When the tide goes out, vast mud flats are revealed - the lower the tide, the more mud. Many underwater sea creatures become stranded at these times, left uncovered and unprotected. Some burrow down into the ooze or squiggle under rocks; others hide beneath damp seaweed. But many are simply marooned, left to the mercy of the sun, wind and ever-present carnivorous birds. Noisy gulls, crows, herons, and eagles swiftly move in to scavenge what they can while they can. And so it was the day I spotted the lone Bald Eagle.

In 1782, the Continental Congress adopted what was called the American Eagle as our national emblem, though not everyone agreed. Benjamin Franklin opposed the choice, as he favored the wild turkey for such an honor. One hundred years later, the ornithologist Arthur Cleveland Bent commented that the Eagle's carrion-eating habits and attacks on the smaller, weaker osprey “hardly inspire respect and certainly do not exemplify the best in American character.” To add further insult, many felt the large birds were simply “lazy”. True, they often are amazingly sedentary, remaining on the same perch for hours at a time. The reason? Competency and efficiency. Adult eagles are free to sit and conserve energy precisely because they can secure food at will - with deadly speed and aim. Skilled hunters, they are able to capture waterfowl in flight and rabbits and mice on the run. But they also eat carrion and are accomplished food thieves, as many an osprey has learned. It’s called survival.

I ponder this majestic bird and see there are two sides to the coin - just as there are to our American values, collective actions, or individual characters. We all have our muddled times in the mud of this world - times when we are less than regal and certainly not proud. And there are the times we spread our wings, sunlight delineating all that’s pure and good and promising in us - and soar.

For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.       Matthew 24:27 - 28

Even youths grow tired and weary,
        and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord

       will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

      they will run and not grow weary,

      they will walk and not be faint.

             Isaiah 40: 30 - 31