Mojave Light Musing

Sometimes, even one word is too much. Today, breathing space........... iPhone image © Diana Shay Diehl

A simple post today. Several of my viewers requested more photos of the area in which I live. I can imagine how fascinating the desert is to those who have never experienced it personally - yet. It is fascinating to those of us who do - still. These iPhone snapshots are of a 'mutant' joshua tree cluster on the property of a dear friend and fellow artist's home. Supposedly these are a mutant variety, maybe +/- 4% of all joshua trees are like this. There were several of these growing on his property. I found them rather  M. C. Escher-esqe ...... What do you think? This cluster seems happy in this spot. At the base, you can see new 'pups' growing (or maybe those are rhizomes....my joshua tree fact booklet is at school so forgive my temporary inaccuracy. I remember a ranger long ago using both terms for the various stages of growth.) The property owner said these are growing over the leach lines of his septic tank. Hm....perhaps that is why t...

Hello dear viewers... I apologize for my absence of late. There were a lot of events happening and I just couldn't bring myself to post at the end of each busy day. I've also been going through a bowl emptying phase. "What's that?" might you think...  I have this thing about bowls. All kinds of bowls, handmade in particular. Big. Small. Tiny. Cracked. Useful pieces of art. Bowls represent an openness to receive. A certain kind of vulnerability. The Tibetan Monks would go out each day with an empty bowl and just sit. Whatever was placed in their bowl that day should be enough. Sometimes they would get rice to eat. Sometimes money. Occasionally, someone's trash. But whatever ended up in there was what they were intended to have for that day - and they were grateful. Could we westerners be grateful for nothing or someone else's trash? In our western culture, bowls have become catch basins for the 'stuff' in our lives. Keys. Mail. Receipts. Trinkets ...

Today. Just shocks of color on an otherwise dreary spring-that-wants-to-still-be-winter day. Orange nasturtiums on grey.... Weathered shades of blue on wood..... Red? Magenta? Hot pink?  Gazing ball.... 2007 - 2012 © Diana Shay Diehl

This time of year is for dreaming of simpler, lazing summer days.... Must be all the hours we teacher folk are spending (cramming) in preparation for state testing this week and next (Which is nearly a month earlier than usual yet we are held accountable to the same criteria as if we actually had the full school year to teach our students. Yeah. You do the math.) Here are soothing visions from a memorable trip last June with my daughter. I hope they smooth your ruffled feathers, too, testing or not.... ©Diana Shay Diehl / Zion National Park

A gazillion photo ops this past week - especially this past weekend. And do I have my camera(s) with me? Uh, well, yes actually. Three of them. And did I take them out, make them ready to capture the moments, use them? No. Not until my fellow photog and friend, Rachel Rauch Johnson (wedding photographer extraordinaire among other things...check out her link. And if you live in the Seattle, Portland, LA area - think westcoast - and need a fabulous wedding photographer...well, her online portfolio speaks for itself.) told me to just take out my camera - ANY camera and shoot. Don't think about it. Don't fuss over it. Just shoot. And shoot. And shoot. So, I did. 2012 ©Diana Shay Diehl The aftermath of a great dinner. We were the last to leave. Thanks Rachel (and Eric), for your encouragement....... And another one... <-----Easter Sunday brunch with my boys. If you celebrate, I hope yours was filled with hope and surrounded by love as mine was.  I...

At the end of the day.... © Diana Shay Diehl

Oak trees. The Celtic peoples revere oaks to be the most sacred and powerful of all trees. They believe it to hold the true alignment of balance, purpose, and strength. The Celts are my people from long ago, on my father's side. Well, not too long ago. My grandfather came here directly from Ireland as a young lad. I wish he were still alive. I'd know what kinds of questions to ask now... The photo in this post is of the largest oak tree in the national park where I live. It's located at the Live Oak day use area. However, the actual "live oak" is a short scrub oak about 20 or so feet to the right of this giant one.  This tree, according to the ecologist who taught the class that particular weekend, is a bit of a 'mystery tree' as it's not genetically related to the other oaks in the park (if I remember the discussion correctly). Although, I'm inclined to think Live Oak refers to this quiet giant as far as park guides go.  I can't remember how...