The Sound of Tree Rings...

My photo of an oak tree.

While browsing my Facebook feed, I found this awesome link that a friend of mine had posted... An artist named Bartholomäus Traubeck invented a way to "listen" to the sound of tree rings. Ingenious and creative. The result is amazing... Check this out below...

People are so ingenious... And I love that this piece might increase the interest of the general public in admiring and respecting nature. There's so much that we can learn from the natural world around us. There's more magic than we can discover in a lifetime, but keeping our eyes and heart open will allow more magic to find us... 

Visiting Cape May, New Jersey

Last summer, K's mom wanted us all to take a beach vacation together... It was time to get to the sea, and for the family to get closer to Baby E. I was all for it! I always miss the ocean when I'm away from it, so I was extremely pleased to be able to spend a week near the Atlantic... It's one of the oceans that I'm not too familiar with. I grew up next to the Pacific, and my timeshare is on a Pacific Ocean beach. I'm always happy to get to know another ocean, though!

Lush flowers

Wild berries to eat

Biking to the bay

We stayed at a home that we found on www.vrbo.com, which is how I booked places to stay when I was in Europe, remember? This worked well then, and it worked well for our local vacation, too! The house we rented had bikes, water gear, pretty much everything we needed for a fun time with family by the beach! We enjoyed biking to the bay to see the sun set... it's one of few places on the east coast where you can watch the sun set over the ocean!

Pathway to the bay

We also liked walking to the ocean early in the morning... but I was surprised the first time we went. This is what we saw...

Horseshoe crabs all over the beach

Getting stuck in the sand after the tide has gone out

I felt really bad for them! We helped a few live ones back to the retreating sea, but I doubt many made it. Turns out it was the time of year (July) for them to come in and find mates and lay eggs, and then die. Sad! But also kind of fascinating.

Who was this fishy creature?

Is this a needlefish? Do they live in cold water?

The other cool thing to see was the tidal patterns on the sand... I loved them.

Lacy patterns from detritus left on the shore

We went out a lot, too... just to eat yummy seafood, and to do a little shopping here and there. The historic downtown of Cape May is quaint. They have a couple of really cute candy shops, and unique children's stores. There were cafes and restaurants, too. One crab shack we went to was right by the water... it had a nice eating area on standard picnic tables. We ate some fresh crab there... it was okay, but the view was really cool.

My favorite beach, though, was Sunset Beach, which is more of a local's hangout. Not remotely like the main beach in Cape May proper. I can't stand those beaches where you have to pay to sit on the sand about a half mile from the edge of the water because it's so crowded. No thank you. I like the quiet little beaches where you can relax and hear the ocean waves lapping at your feet. Also, Sunset Beach had a little fried food shack that was actually pretty yummy! And the sand looked like this...

My favorite kind of sand...

We're going back to Cape May this July, and I'm already looking forward to it! Probably in part to the intense winter we've been having. Boy, I almost forgot what it feels like to have the sun on your face! Mama needs some time on the beach with her family!! It feels so far away right now, but the way time seems to fly since Elie was born, it'll be here in a flash! I need to remember to slow my mind down and savor the moments we're living. {Breathe... just breathe....}

Here's to sunny, loving thoughts to keep you warm this winter...

Blessings,

S

Wintering Through Pennsylvania

Yes, it's been cold. It's been snowy and icy. It's been long... but every now and then, there are things you see that you just have to photograph and share!

Amazing snowflakes on my car hood...

Never saw snowflakes like this before!

Aren't they cool?

Icicles on ivy

Bare, frozen branches over snow

Evergreens encased in ice

It's been a long winter, and it's not over yet... Soon, though, spring will come and we will be able to go out without fear of frostbite! Until then, I'll keep trying to see the beautiful in this frozen landscape.

My daughter seeing snow for the first time!

Celebrating Spring & My Birthday

First of all, I have to show you what my best friend, E, got me for my birthday... It arrived early, so I got it about a week and a half ago...

The caterpillars were quite active, at first. They squirmed around, ate their food, and scaled the walls of their little cup environment. Jimmy Boo was extremely interested in them. Beckham paid them no heed whatsoever.

Can't stop watching the caterpillars

After a while, the activity in the cup slowed, then nearly stopped. Although I could tell something important was going on...

The caterpillars were pupating. You can see the chrysalises above! I'm very excited to see the Painted Lady Butterflies emerge from their cocoons! We have a larger container for them that was for lizards or fish, and which we can use to house the butterflies while they get strong. I will definitely post photos or video after they have metamorphosed!


Anyway, as the weather has been gorgeous and warm, we've been taking advantage and going for some nice nature walks...

Which includes climbing around near the river!

And my birthday was full of nice surprises! A photo texted to me by my sister... 

My friends and sister, wishing me a happy birthday!

All the way from California! Loved getting this message while I was being treated to a delicious meal with K...

Oysters on the half shell... mmm...

Grilled salmon on roasted cauliflower & mushrooms

Butterscotch pudding with candied pecans &whipped cream...

It was delicious and romantic, and I think I hurt my face smiling all night! Thank you, K, for a fabulous treat!! It was a very memorable and lovely birthday! 


xox 

An Early Spring Walk

The weather was nice the other day, and after all the emotional expenditures lately, I felt I needed to just get out for some fresh air. It was exactly what I needed: a reminder that life does go on, and a hint of spring...

I walked down my usual route and then entered Nisky Hill Cemetery. I meandered along the paved walks under the 100+ year old trees, and just listened to the breezes playing through the branches and bushes, and to the birds overhead. Then I heard the sound of rustling in the brush below the edge of the drop-off that ends at the creek below, and looked down to see three deer. So I sat and waited here for them to come up...

They didn't show themselves up at the cemetery while I was there that day, though. It stayed calm above, so I wandered back the way I came and saw some snowdrops coming up through the ground...

I also noticed the ombre greens of a patch of moss...

which reminded me that life continues, even after the death of winter. Sometimes these reminders are all it takes to pull you out of a funk. I hope you're seeing some signs of spring for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere! I think it's coming early to the east coast this year, despite what the groundhog said. 


Blessings... xox

Keeping in Touch

Hello Friends. I don't want to always start out my increasingly sporadic posts with apologies... but I do feel a bit out of touch these days. It seems that my life is about work, and though I enjoy it, I'm not finding much time for myself lately. When I'm not working, I'm doing chores, or lately, trying to heal from a cold. 


I take a lot of photos on my walks to and from work, however, so that's something. It will have to be enough for now, as I don't have the energy for much more. 


The holidays are approaching, and Bethlehem is readying itself: Christmas trees are being attached to all the light posts along the streets, lights are being put up (if not yet turned on) in the downtown area, there have been one or two wreaths that have shed their fall leaves for holly berries... the evidence is out there! Christmas is coming! (I'm totally not prepared for it, although I've picked up a few presents during the year for one or two individuals... yay, me!)

This squirrel narrowly escaped a hawk!

The hawk that's standing on the corner of this house, see?

Squirrel's eye view

The squirrels are running around, eating everything they can find and getting plumper by the day. There are still amazingly colored trees everywhere, which is lovely. It helps to stave off the winter blues that are lurking around the corner. I've been making lots of soups at home: vegan split pea (which is so delicious that I've made it twice!), vegan mushroom barley, and a chicken noodle soup because though we don't eat chicken often, we had some left over from a dish I made for a party, so I used it up in the soup. I love home made soups in the cold weather months... it's just so warming! Especially with some fresh buttered French bread on the side! Talk about comfort foods! (Wish I had French butter to go with it, as their butter tastes SOOOOO much better than anything I've found here.)

Every day I walk under this brilliant maple tree.

I miss my blogger friends these days. It was at this time last year that I was really posting a lot of creative posts, since I was home all the time, trying to find things to do and share. I hope you understand that I want to blog more.... I've just been at a loss to gather up the energy! However, there are events coming up which I'm planning on blogging about, as they should be fun and creative, too! Until then, I hope you'll keep in touch!


If you have an iPhone, you can check out my Instagram pictures.... My nickname there is the same as my Twitter name: Sunkitten. Hope to see you there, if not here, in the future!


xox

My Favorite Season

Ever since moving to the east coast, I have come to adore Autumn. It's brilliant here! It sparks my imagination and love of nature like no other season... and reminds me that although life comes and goes to all, it's cyclical. Things don't disappear into nothingness. Life recycles. 

These are some of my favorite pictures that I've taken with my iPhone recently. Most of them are fall photos, though some of them are of the plants in and around my apartment. I'm looking forward to getting a new phone, though I've loved my little iPhone 3GS. The newest one, the 4S, is supposed to have an even better camera on it! Woo hoo!


I hope that wherever you are, you're enjoying the outdoors... it's a beautiful world out there.


xox