A Few Spring Nature Experiences...

...and the inspiration they have given me!



This photo, which I think is one of the best ones I have ever taken (!), is of a lake in the Stokes Forest where I was camping with the Peretz school this weekend. When the weather forecasted intermittent rain (and much of the state was under a tornado watch), I did not expect to be able to go canoeing, hiking, and flute-playing by in the woods. In the creative arts, the element of surprise does add a certain joy or catchiness to a work; after a dinner-time rainstorm, the lighting outside was so dramatically exuberant that I just had to photograph anything I could! I want to ponder how light has an effect on photography like instrumentation has an effect on music composition. Likewise, the ever-changing light of a day really is an element of the ephemeral in this artform.


Over Memorial Day weekend, I spent a day at Ringing Rocks Park in PA and then had a picnic by the Frenchtown (NJ) bridge with some friends. I grew up on Long Island, and my water time was spent either at the beach or at duck ponds. Rivers are such a huge part of my life here in NJ, though. There is a mix of constancy and change. There's the drama bit too; unfortunately I have seen first hand the results of the Raritan overflowing in Bound Brook and other places. There's a serene part about having time to sit by the river, or a day to walk along the tow paths between the rivers and canals. And then there's that factor of "You never stand in the same river twice"--just like no song is performed exactly the same way twice.



Here's my photo of Ringing Rocks Park. If you have never been there, you'd really enjoy visiting this glacial field of stones. Bring a hammer; these rocks are like no other I have ever seen or heard! They RING (think xylophones!). I've been there three times this year, and each time I have enjoyed making music with friends on the rocks. I'm filled with wonderment of how the stones got here, why they ring the way they do, and what the stories are of all the people who have visited this site.


My last "nature" photo is of a squirrel on the Princeton campus. About a week ago, I visited my college roommate (and good friend) and we chose Princeton as a practical half-way place between our houses. When I saw this squirrel munching on some scavenged food on the garbage can, I just had to take this photo. You see, years ago, when I was looking into colleges, Princeton seemed like a good choice for me. It was the caliber I was seeking, the right size, AND the right distance from home. However, on the day I visited the campus, it was raining and gloomy and nobody seemed very friendly. It was just the luck of the day I was there, but that visit set my mind against ever attending that college. (Since then, I have had experiences teaching there at a Summer Institute, but that's another story.) Anyway, I always said that the most friendly being at met at the school that day was a squirrel. Well, here was another friendly squirrel from my visit!

Anyway, it has been great to have such kind weather for being outside. Somehow, I'm posting more photos on this blog than I intended, but it's an added bonus about this multi-media journaling, and something I didn't expect when I set out to experiment with the blog form!

Enjoy the spring!

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