Wildlife came across my path this week

Happy August to all! It's the birth month of 2 daughters-in-law, my second son, and his mother-in-law, and myself. Four Leos/one Virgo! Wheee!

Happy Lammas to those who celebrate first harvest!

Standing in my son's living room in southwest Colorado, I saw an unusual group of deer grazing on the wildflowers and enjoying the shade. (It was close to 100 degrees)

I thought it strange to have an older stag, a younger stag, and a doe walking along together.

Our dog was barking behind the glass, and the deer looked directly a the window for a bit, but then just did their thing.

A couple of more came along the road and they all took off.

Sharing with Saturday's Critters!

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Here in my new state of Colorado, I'm finding adjustment to three things...only one of which I tried to prepare for. Namely the thinner oxygen at elevation over a mile high. So  I am tube fed a bit of 02 constantly.

What I didn't expect was the time difference...two hours behind all the people I connect with in EDT on the east side of the US. 

And the biggie of the sun's brightness. A mile closer to the sun, thinner air...and it's glaringly brighter. Sunglasses and hat required outside...and just sitting at the computer, I've changed the brightness setting higher, in hopes I am able to see things on it compared to the glaring sunlight coming in the window. 

Mornings I try to have windows open, even at night if I wake after it cools around midnight. But by 2 pm it's in the 90s outside my west facing windows, so we close them up as well as the vertical blinds. But the light seeps in at the edges, and bothers me. Will I devise some kind of shading, or just get used to it's glare?

The life of Barb in Durango continues

Blog number 3000

 This is the 3000th, at least in this blog series, not counting my other blogs!

Someone might say I have a lot to say...

Rabbit Rabbit! Wishing good things come in this new beginning of a month!

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How about "Portraits, old and new"

Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O’Keeffe, 1939 Photo by Ansel Adams

Frida Kahlo's painting, Diego and me. It shows exactly how much he was on her mind.

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Please forgive me for family portraits...they are what's in the files!

Cinnamon, the mother of two of my grandchildren. I still count her as a good friend, though she and my son, Marty, divorced several years ago.

More "Way Back" photos. Here we lived in Thompsonville CT, and my young sailor Marty was about 4, while little Russ was at least 13 months old, with my husband Doug, and myself getting leafy knees.

A bit later, son Marty sported a crew cut, I had some blond highlights, and Russ had most of his glorious blond curls cut off (which didn't last long!)

Fast forward to after my 1971 divorce from Doug, and here's Russ (around 5-6) in front of our mobile home. Below he's on Doug's lap as the 70s hairstyles allowed long locks for boys and men. Russ may have had a comb and brush, but a lot of good it did!

And yes, Russ is the son who grew up to have the wedding portrait leaning into a kiss and holding up his bride Michelle (used as header for the week of July 13)

Marty's second wife is Barbara, and here's their wedding picture. (used as header the week of July 20) (I don't have a photo of his wedding to Cinnamon, as it was before digital cameras!)

A young man (my youngest son Tai) that doesn't mind wearing a flower crown. They were making these. Not sure what the fair/function might have been, but flowers are always uplifting!

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Today's quote:

“Every important social movement reconfigures the world in the imagination. What was obscure comes forward, lies are revealed, memory shaken, new delineations drawn over the old maps: it is from this new way of seeing the present that hope emerges for the future...Let us begin to imagine the worlds we would like to inhabit, the long lives we will share, and the many futures in our hands.” ― Susan Griffin

Painting by Helena Nelson Reed

Happy Lammas, first harvest gives grains for bread making!

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Sharing with Sepia Saturday for tomorrow. A big thank you to Alan who puts together this meme. Stop on over to add your own old favorite photos, or just check out those who do!

Sepia Saturday says:

It is summer. We are sat on the pier. We have our overcoats on because it is Britain and it is cold. Everything is all right and everything is as it should be .... except the world seems to be tilting to the left. For those who like to look for themes for their Sepia Saturday offerings, there are themes a plenty here - from flat caps to straw baskets. For those who just like sharing old photographs why not get yourself off your seat and share your photos on or around Saturday 2nd August 2025 and add a link to the list below. 

Happy (late) Lammas

 

A beautiful center for our circle of women...which included some loaves of bread to honor the Celtic feast of Lugh. And then there were wonderful flowers and sprays of mint to take home!

Some dancers who are studying belly dancing gave a short performance too.

Sorry the backdrop is just the nearby parking lot. We had to shift the circle a bit when we started seeing yellow-jackets or ground bees. I stayed next to them, not feeling threatened, but if we had happened to step on their nest they wouldn't have been happy!

Lammas revisited

 Last Sunday afternoon my women's group met to celebrate the first harvest or Lammas.

We each brought something to represent our harvest to give away to each other.

I loved considering the beautiful kernels of wheat.

My basket came home filled with apples, herbs, oranges and flowers!

We had a great little skit performed about Demeter and Persephone...with a humorous twist. 

It was so wonderful to sit out under trees with a breeze blowing. Many smiles around the circle. Thanks to our organizing women!

Inanna's Daughters water ritual

A water ritual was part of Inanna's Daughters Lammas celebration this year.   My cauldron with tree roots going to center held various shells and waters which we shared. The women danced, made jewelry, sang chants to each other, scried with mirrors, and had a good time! Of course a bit of holiness was also present, so I refrained from taking photos of most of the event!