Plants – Lorin Duckman Today

Ikebana at Morikami

Well, I started an Ikebana course at Morikami. This is my first creation. I didn’t do it all by myself. Instructor helped, showing me the form and beginning the message of the medium.

The 7 core principles of Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) are Silence, Minimalism, Shape & Line, Form, Humanity, Aesthetics, and Structure, emphasizing conscious restraint, natural beauty, and a connection between the creator, materials, and space, often using a symbolic scalene triangle for Heaven, Earth, and Man. Perfect practice for my addled state of mind.

OBSERVER

You have an ability to fly. Try it. Imagine what you would see. Fly over some plants. Go places you have not been. Learn to look.

Bok Choy

So, last night as I prepared dinner, I noticed how beautiful the Bok Choy looked. Slated for a stir-fry to accompany lamb chops, baked potato, and creamed spinach, I decided to take a picture of it and then cook it.

Alas, I got the shot ready by putting the Bok Choy on a stand and left the kitchen to grab a camera. During the trip, I forgot about the shoot and went on with the rest of the meal prep. Its write-offable as a senior moment or pills + a glass of sparkling wine.

Upon arising this AM, there on the kitchen counter, stood the noble Bok Choy.. Its expression? What happened to the fridge, it asked, throwing up its arms, looking for divine help.

Me? Not a believer in my own prayers helping out. I just looked for someone to blame. May it taste as good tonight with dinner.

Sunday Stroll at Arthur Marshall

So, it’s Sunday and time for a stroll in our swamp at Arthur Marshall – Loxahatchee. Vegetation closing for the winter, slowly.

Hard to slip around unnoticed. Spies hide out in the trees.

Leaf droop, unfit for a king, but good enough for us.

Lichens Return

So, I am back on the street. Walked, with Sharon chaperoning, up the block near the trees. Lichens beckoned.

Staring Philodendron

No matter where you go these days, some eyes record your movements. Could be a plant, a tree, a shrub or a drone. Could be a neighbor who has read 1984. Or maybe your salad fixings.

No way to tell to whom they report, but someday, when you don’t pay attention, an image will pop up to remind you. So, be aware. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do in public, because there isn’t such a thing anymore.