Lindy Low LeCoq

~ Creating Order From Chaos ~ WPC: Order ~

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Lindy Le Coq

I find it very satisfying to take something that is a chaotic mess and turning it into something beautiful, functional or just finished — like a basket of laundry or a jigsaw puzzle!

In early spring I posted a few times about my project to make the Willow tree remnant (aka stump) into a pleasing garden.

As I worked on the project, pulling resources from my other gardens and spending time in the space, a vision started to take shape.

Always ready to soak in the sun and help me out, Jello attended my efforts!

Early morning and afternoon sunlight shines into this little nook, making it a nice place for coffee or a glass of wine!

To me, order is in the aesthetic that meets my eye. If something I’m working on isn’t visually pleasing, it nags at me until I figure out a solution!

Order

chaos order

Posted in dogs, Gardening, landscape gardening, nature, pacific northwest, plants, weekly photo challenge | Tagged gardening, landscape gardening, nature, pacific northwest, plants, weekly photo challenge | 11 Comments

~ Florabunda ~ In A Vase On Monday ~

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Lindy Le Coq

This past week Portland, Oregon (across the Columbia River from my home) celebrated their annual Festival of Roses. Right on cue, roses throughout the region started their seasonal show.

Today’s vase, a tall crystal one with heavy base, features three varieties of rose along with Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sara Bernhardt’ Peony.

The above photos are of Rosa ‘Charisma’ — a short floribunda shrub with flowers that start out as lovely, tight, light-orange buds edged in red, and open out to a ruffled hot pink blossom with tangerine highlights.

Rosa ‘Easy Does It’ has a layered ruffled blossom in luscious pink to orange tones.

Rosa ‘Madame A. Meilland’ (aka Peace Rose) blooms all summer in a corner behind a mature hydrangea. It is now nine feet tall, and as I walk out the front door of my home (a split-level) I am greeted by Peace Roses at nose and eye level!

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for providing incentive to get back into the gardens and posting!

Posted in flowers, Gardening, In a Vase on Monday, nature, pacific northwest | Tagged flowers, gardening, In a Vase on Monday, nature, pacific northwest | Leave a comment

~ In Loving Memory ~ Pantoum ~

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Lindy Le Coq

~ on the first anniversary of my father’s passing ~ June 3, 2017 ~

at the edge of a continent

sun kisses ocean and sky

mist rises clouds tumble

fine as the sands of time

sun kisses ocean and sky

windswept I stand

fine as the sands of time

ashes in my hands

windswept I stand

the waves before me

ashes in my hands

always of the earth

the waves before me

mist rises clouds tumble

always of the earth

at the edge of a continent

2017©Lindy Low Le Coq

Posted in haiku, nature, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, Poetry, Writing | Tagged haiku, nature, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, Poetry, writing | 9 Comments

~ Ephemeral Dune Runes + WPC: Evanescent 2 ~

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Lindy Le Coq

I do not know what critter creates these ridges and riddles in the sand, but every morning I find them at the edge of the dune grass where sand is mostly dry. Whatever the source, I find the images fascinating and fun.

The very low tide had hollowed-out swales, leaving lovely feather patterns.

P1060939

More example of here today gone tomorrow — though there will be new runes in the morning, these will be covered by the winds and waves.

Evanescent

Posted in nature, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, weekly photo challenge | Tagged nature, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, weekly photo challenge | 12 Comments

~ Fleeting Moments ~ WPC: Evanescence + Bird Haiku ~

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Lindy Le Coq

Yesterday, as I walked the trail through the marshy dunes from the beach to our condominium (Long Beach, WA), I spotted birds I’d never seen before.

Red-necked. Phalarope mature & immature

Fortunately, I had my Panasonic with telephoto so I was able to get good enough shots to determine they are Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus). “Sexual roles are reversed in phalaropes, with smaller duller-plumaged males incubating eggs and raising the young.” *

Today there is no sign of them, but a lone Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) called out from the meadow and was perched high enough above the dune grass to get a photo so I could identify it.

Here today, gone tomorrow — the evanescent essence of migration!

small flock bobs in marsh

swimming in circles pecking

at surface for grub

*****

common yellowthroat

warbles atop meadow shrub

wide open solo

*Birds of the Puget Sound Region; Paulson, Morse, Aversa, Opperman.

Evanescent

Posted in birds, haiku, nature, ornithology, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, Poetry, travel, weekly photo challenge, Writing | Tagged birds, haiku, nature, ornate, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, Poetry, travel, weekly photo challenge, writing | 7 Comments

~ Dune Grass Runes ~ Wordless Wednesday ~

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Lindy Le Coq

P1060814 2 P1060811 2 P1060815 (1) P1060817 (1) P1060819 (1)

Posted in nature, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, Wordless Wednesday | Tagged nature, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, Wordless Wednesday | 2 Comments

~Late Spring = Early Summer ~ In A Vase On Monday ~

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Lindy Le Coq

For the first time since September, we are experiencing a run of more than two days of sunshine. What a joy to get up in the morning and walk into the gardens with a mug of coffee and nippers in hand, to make a posy for my deck table!

Columbine seeds freely here so I can only say this is a Aquilegia hybrid.

P1060796

The Brunera macrophylla ‘Heartleaf alkanet’ is one I added last year. All the Brunera blossoms are fading, but the lovely heart-shaped leaves and textured light of the plant will grace my shade gardens all summer through. To bring some green into the posy, I added a sprig of Mexican Orange, Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’ . For lightness and lift I finished with the tiny pink blossoms of an unknown sedum.

P1060799

The vase is one I found at a thrift shop — blown glass with a lime green interior and celadon exterior.

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If you have the name of this sedum, please leave a comment. I spent over an hour searching my notebooks and on-line to no avail!

Here’s to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for keeping this fair-weather gardener going throughout a wet winter and early spring!

Posted in flowers, Gardening, In a Vase on Monday, landscape gardening, nature, pacific northwest, plants | Tagged flowers, gardening, In a Vase on Monday, landscape gardening, nature, pacific northwest, plants | 2 Comments

~ In Wildness ~ Weekly Photo Challenge: Heritage ~

Posted on May 21, 2017 by Lindy Le Coq

Something that represents my heritage is the love of nature and being outdoors — whether in my gardens, at a park or in the wild. Camping, fishing, exploring lakes and streams, mountains and the ocean, as well as visiting national parks is part of my cultural DNA, right along with farming and gardening.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

John Muir

img_4820-version-3

“All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.”

Toni Morrison

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.”

Alice Walker

Lake Tahoe, Nevada. USA

Lebanon, Oregon USA

Silver Cedars

“The sky broke like an egg into full sunset and the water caught fire.”

Pamela Hansford Johnson

P1000236

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”

Frank Lloyd Wright

Heritage

Posted in nature, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, travel, weekly photo challenge | Tagged nature, outdoors, pacific northwest, pacific ocean, photography, travel, weeks | 8 Comments

~ Condensation Trail ~ WPC: Reflecting ~

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Lindy Le Coq

It was early morning — just after sunup at the 5,000 foot summit of Willamette Pass, Oregon — USA. The water surface on Odell Lake was a gentle roll of motion reflecting the surrounding forests and a blue sky streaked with contrails.

Seeing the vapor trails got me thinking of the indelible imprint Homo sapiens have made upon this forgiving planet.

Oh, that we don’t screw it up any further.

Reflecting

Posted in nature, outdoors, pacific northwest, photography, travel, weekly photo challenge | Tagged nature, outdoors, pacific northwest, photography, travel, weekly photo challenge | Leave a comment

~ Caligula Haiku ~ 5/11/17 ~ Take Two ~

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Lindy Le Coq

Guess I was a bit upset this morning (also in a hurry) when I posted my caLLigula haiku! Sorry about that, but somehow striking the L twice made me feel more powerful — more in control — an illusion.

grandstand showboat mate

caught in lines of spun nonsense

hangs in sticky web

*****

I am not a crook

Caligula spouts to world

transparent as glass

*****

false intentions lie

deceit intended

deception in check

***

Stay tuned to NPR and other balanced news sources — this is only the beginning.

Posted in peaceful civil disobedience, Poetry, Writing | Tagged peaceful civil disobedience, Poetry, writing | Leave a comment

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Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for providing incentive to get back into the gardens and posting!

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~ on the first anniversary of my father’s passing ~ June 3, 2017 ~

at the edge of a continent

sun kisses ocean and sky

mist rises clouds tumble

fine as the sands of time

sun kisses ocean and sky

windswept I stand

fine as the sands of time

ashes in my hands

windswept I stand

the waves before me

ashes in my hands

always of the earth

the waves before me

mist rises clouds tumble

always of the earth

at the edge of a continent

Share this:

I do not know what critter creates these ridges and riddles in the sand, but every morning I find them at the edge of the dune grass where sand is mostly dry. Whatever the source, I find the images fascinating and fun.

The very low tide had hollowed-out swales, leaving lovely feather patterns.

More example of here today gone tomorrow — though there will be new runes in the morning, these will be covered by the winds and waves.

Share this:

Yesterday, as I walked the trail through the marshy dunes from the beach to our condominium (Long Beach, WA), I spotted birds I’d never seen before.

Fortunately, I had my Panasonic with telephoto so I was able to get good enough shots to determine they are Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus). “Sexual roles are reversed in phalaropes, with smaller duller-plumaged males incubating eggs and raising the young.” *

Today there is no sign of them, but a lone Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) called out from the meadow and was perched high enough above the dune grass to get a photo so I could identify it.

Here today, gone tomorrow — the evanescent essence of migration!

Share this:

Share this:

For the first time since September, we are experiencing a run of more than two days of sunshine. What a joy to get up in the morning and walk into the gardens with a mug of coffee and nippers in hand, to make a posy for my deck table!

Columbine seeds freely here so I can only say this is a Aquilegia hybrid.

The vase is one I found at a thrift shop — blown glass with a lime green interior and celadon exterior.

If you have the name of this sedum, please leave a comment. I spent over an hour searching my notebooks and on-line to no avail!

Here’s to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for keeping this fair-weather gardener going throughout a wet winter and early spring!

Share this:

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

John Muir

“All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.”

Toni Morrison

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.”

Alice Walker

“The sky broke like an egg into full sunset and the water caught fire.”

Pamela Hansford Johnson

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”

Frank Lloyd Wright

Share this:

It was early morning — just after sunup at the 5,000 foot summit of Willamette Pass, Oregon — USA. The water surface on Odell Lake was a gentle roll of motion reflecting the surrounding forests and a blue sky streaked with contrails.

Seeing the vapor trails got me thinking of the indelible imprint Homo sapiens have made upon this forgiving planet.

Oh, that we don’t screw it up any further.

Share this:

Guess I was a bit upset this morning (also in a hurry) when I posted my caLLigula haiku! Sorry about that, but somehow striking the L twice made me feel more powerful — more in control — an illusion.

Stay tuned to NPR and other balanced news sources — this is only the beginning.

Share this: