Unconditional Love

May 14, 2017 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

All the beautiful flowers I see today, Mother’s Day 2017, make me think of my mother. She loved flowers, especially roses, horses, music, beauty. When I think of her, I also think of unconditional love. Even when young and I sometimes thought she expected too much of me, I still knew she loved me no matter what the circumstances and always would. For this I feel unending gratitude. As a teacher, it has become very clear to me that many children do not experience the kind of love my mother gave me. She died suddenly many years ago. Her love will never leave me. Thank you, Mom, wherever you are!!

A Week of Wonder and Flowers

April 1, 2017 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

This past week was my birthday. The wonder started a week ago when my friends came for dinner and my friend’s father, visiting from Mexico. brought me red roses. I had not seen my friends in a long time and it was fun. Then on Sunday, Roberto, the father, and I went hiking in Palo Duro Canyon on a new trail. I never saw a name for it.

We found this trail by starting at Chinaberry (for those who go to the Canyon), taking Comanche Trail up to this new trail. When they intersect, we went north rather than south on Comanche.

If you read the previous blog in December about hiking Comanche, you saw this peak but from the center and to the south. This is a view from the north looking south.

Eventually, after hiking up and down across an arroyo, you end up above the river which looks tiny here, but when a big rain comes, it can rise many feet in a few hours. It was very sunny, I had a hard time focusing so occasionally a finger got in the way.

Roberto has a funny sense of humor. He could not resist pretending to hold up one of the many giant boulders along the trail.

This is not a difficult walk and not too long if you only have a few hours. We came across a group of wild turkeys, but they moved so much, I was unable to get a good photo so gave up.

Wednesday was my birthday. It began with my first period class–I teach senior high school English. They showered the room with confetti, brought me a giant chocolate muffin with a candle in the middle, lit the candle and sang me Happy Birthday. Then during second period, two of my students arrived with two bouquets of flowers. The room smelled wonderful for three days. I brought the flowers home yesterday in a big box.

My grandson told the florist to make me a giant bouquet with exotic flowers. This is one side of it. Orchids, roses, hydrangeas, and some really unusual flowers which I cannot identify.

This is the other side of the same bouquet.

This bouquet is from my son. He knows my favorite color is orange and that I have a lot of that color in my house so….

I am seriously nerdy and asked for an atlas for my birthday. My daughter outdid herself and bought this one full of all sorts of information I never expected and maps. I love maps. When I read a book from Latin America, Africa, etc., I look up the places on maps.

Last night I sang songs, using the poems of Octavio Paz and Pablo Neruda among others, with the Amarillo Master Chorale in a church with perfect acoustics for choral music. Tonight I will see friends at an opera party. What a wonderful week!!

Spring Break Adventure–3

March 15, 2017 / Juliana Lightle / 2 Comments

Today was day one in Big Bend National Park. This place is huge. We drove down to the Rio Grande, took a hike up a big hill/cliff above it, and later drove off on a gravel road which became a bit daunting at times–four wheel drive only. We saw people riding horses across the desert, others canoeing down the river, all sorts of mountains, cactus in bloom, ruined corrals from a extinct ranch, and passed a border control check point–nothing new really. Used to get checked all the time down near the border. Here are photos I took along the way.

Gifts–Isabella and Roses

October 5, 2016 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

For the last month DJ Knopick-Barrett, the Production Manager for Amarillo Opera, has stayed with me–her third time to do so. When she was last here, in early summer, she took hikes with my dog Isabella. I had no idea she had also photographed her. Isabella died not long before DJ arrived this time.

DJ said her goodbyes this morning and I left for work. She had a late morning flight. When I returned home from work today, I was touched nearly to the point of tears. DJ not only had photographed Isabella, she had enlarged the photo and framed it.

Summer Blues

August 28, 2016 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

Remnants of summer remaining

Sunrise over canyon walls, hoot owl calling

Hints of autumn lurking

Beauty is Whatever Gives Joy

August 23, 2016August 23, 2016 / Juliana Lightle / 1 Comment

When negative sights overwhelm, look at the flowers–sharing this beauty from a blogging friend.

Typical Summer Morning

June 10, 2016 / Juliana Lightle / 3 Comments

listen to birdsong

walk to barn

feed Rosie

photograph flowers

Early Summer

June 9, 2016 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

desert birds of paradise

lavender, catmint, Mexican hats, feather grass

early summer Joy

Iris Everywhere

May 1, 2016 / Juliana Lightle / 1 Comment

Iris

barely buried by the barn

caliche covered at drive’s end

along the retaining wall

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First Flowers on the Rim of Wonder

April 28, 2016 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

Spring comes several weeks later in the country compared to town. The recent rains caused a sudden rush of beauty for wild flowers and iris which grow here almost as readily as the wild, native plants. They seem to appreciate this high, semi-arid country.

These iris thrive in spite of native, caliche soil, no extra water, nothing. About 1 1/2 years ago, I simply planted them without soil amendment or fertilizer. These are rebloomers. They will bloom again in autumn.

These I planted along side the barn. Once again no soil amendment, nothing extra. However, they receive extra water from rain running off the barn roof.

Notice, the tallest one. I did not even know I had one that color until it bloomed.

Here it is up close. Now for the wild flowers I found just strolling around after letting my horse out to graze.

After looking through a couple of native plant books, I gave up on identifying this one. If someone who reads this knows, please tell me what it is. I have also heard there is an app for my iPAD that identifies plants. I have yet to find it.

This grows by the retaining wall near the barn. Although the flowers look like guara, the rest of the plant does not. What is it?

Chocolate flowers were in full bloom a few days ago. Here is one still blooming with a few scrambled eggs (yes, the common name for the smaller flowers) here and there.