Friday, May 29, 2009

Friday Flowers: Spring Perfume


"It was the same with cameras: visitors spent so much time peering
through the viewfinders of their cameras that they never looked
at the country they were photographing."

Alexander McCall Smith in Tea Time for the Traditionally Built

The week has been rainy and damp with mists and fog obscuring the horizon during the day. Frequent thunderstorms and downpours have kept us indoors most evenings. Late last night, the dog wanted out in the yard and I stepped on the waterlogged wooden deck to keep an eye on him. The fragrance of lilacs, lily of the valley, and other spring flowers filled the still, moist air. Fading lilac blooms reflected light from the lamp posts on the street creating a large ghostly flower bouquet under the midnight sky. The picture above was taken without a flash.

While sight may be our most treasured sense, it is gratifying to notice associated sounds, smells, tastes and tactile pleasures. Digital cameras are so commonplace and people can spend too much time looking for the perfect picture. There is much that a camera cannot capture.

It is good to be outdoors...

to feel the warmth of the sun and the dampness of the fog;
to listen to a gentle rain and the song of a robin;
to breathe in the scent of the earth and the fragrance of a flower;
to touch the soil and the velvety softness of a rose petal;
to taste the leaf of a fresh herb and the juicy sweetness of a berry;
to close my eyes and let my other senses come alive.

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13 comments:

  1. After our long, cold winters, I most love the feel of the soft air on my skin. The second thing I love most about summer is the sweet smell of the air at night.

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  2. I agree. This time of year is a feast for the senses.

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  3. Let's hear it for balance.

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  4. Now who would have thunk to take a photo of lilacs at midnight?...YOU!
    Wonderful...Great Poem!

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  5. Oh how right, many times visuals are over rated. I wish we could somehow post those marvelous smells around us. Like the photo, but am thinking of the smells.

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  6. I can almost smell the heady scent of those lilacs.... mmmmm....

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  7. aaahhh...there is nothing like the sweet smell of spring in the air. The blooming lilac, fresh cut grass, the apple blossoms, and the lovely songs of birds. It makes one feel alive and there is no perfect picture that can be taken to capture that...so I agree spend more time outdoors. Even Dakota agrees...and it doesn't matter when time of day it is ;)

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  8. Ruth,

    I so agree with you. There is much a camera cannot capture, though I love your midnight lilacs.

    Spring is a beautiful time of year when the Earth is in the stage of rebirth. Such wonderful candy for the senses.

    Enjoy the weekend, my friend. There is no rain in the forecast.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  9. You are so right Ruth....it is just so perfect to be outside and enjoy the moment......to smell the air, the fragrances, just to be.

    Sometimes I refuse point blank to take my camera with me and just enjoy the moment. I must say though I have missed many a good photograph.......

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  10. I think I'm with Cheryl on this. I often don't take my camera and just be. But then I miss some good pics and wish I'd brought it.....just in case!

    I also enjoy the quiet of evening, just after a rain when the air is heavy and soft with moisture and lilacs and lily of the valley smell so good!

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  11. I've got to get a hold of that book! I love that series.

    It is so true that we need to enjoy the moment(s) for all it/they have to offer.

    Right now I'm enjoying Mingus ... between him and the yard there isn't a lot of time to post!\

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  12. That's a lovely picture of the lilacs.

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  13. I keep looking out the window at some of the fragrant perenial flowers and herbs that I planted outside. At the time I wondered why I bothered planting them.Now I'm glad.

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