Thanksgiving Eve On The Patio — Image by kenne
— kenne
Children Fetching Water– Image by kenne
Living is no laughing matter:
you must live with great seriousness
like a squirrel, for example—
I mean without looking for something beyond and above living,
I mean living must be your whole occupation.
Living is no laughing matter:
you must take it seriously,
so much so and to such a degree
that, for example, your hands tied behind your back,
your back to the wall,
or else in a laboratory
in your white coat and safety glasses,
you can die for people—
even for people whose faces you’ve never seen,
even though you know living
is the most real, the most beautiful thing.
I mean, you must take living so seriously
that even at seventy, for example, you’ll plant olive trees—
and not for your children, either,
but because although you fear death you don’t believe it,
because living, I mean, weighs heavier.
-- from On Living by Nâzim Hikmet
A Thirsty Hummingbird — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Water
— kenne
Gila Woodpeckers Frequently Visit Our Patio (July 10, 2022) — Images by kenne
Having Water and Food Available Daily Attracts Many Birds
“Gila Woodpeckers are grayish brown birds with brilliant black-and-white barring on the wings, back, and tail.
In flight, the outer wings are black with a crescent-shaped white patch at the base of the primary feathers.
Males have a red patch in the center of the crown.” –– Source: allaboutbirds.org
White-winged Dove Atop Patio Fountain Looking Down At Water — Image by kenne
— Mark Twain
— kenne
Images by kenne
Summer Water Stop — Image by kenne
Summer water stop
Before resting in the shade
From the mid-day sun.
— kenne
Mourning Doves Bathing In Patio Water Fountain (October 16, 2016) — Images by kenne
— kenne
Recently I received a comment on a July 11, 2008 posting, “Our Zen Fountain”.
The writer wanted to know where I got the supplies. The concrete pieces
were made in Mexico, but it has now been eight years
since the project, so I no longer have specific information.
The inquiry brought back memories of this work of love.
As I wrote at the time, we waited six weeks for the final concrete piece.
The location of the fountain is near of deck
under a canopy of pine and crape myrtle trees,
which made for a beautiful setting.
Images by kenne
Soon after completing the project, Kiko our 17 year old cat died.
We buried him in the fountain landscape area making the Zen Fountain
a memorial fountain for Kiko.
This project was my favorite landscape project ever.
Two years later we move from The Woodlands, Texas
to Tucson where we have a patio fountain,
but no fountain will replace this very special fountain —
“Our Zen Fountain”.
— kenne
“Peace At the End of the Day” — Computer Painting by kenne
— kenne
105 Degrees In The Shade — Images by kenne
— kenne
“Reflections” — Image Presentation by kenne
Reflections on a Water Fountain
by Jun Ji Zhang
What is the purpose of our water feature? There is so much pressure in today’s times to make sure that an object has a meaning, to make sure that it serves a purpose, it is a sad fact that one simply can’t enjoy something simply for the joy of enjoying it. But that is in itself a purpose I suppose. In today’s times, it is all the more important to be able to just stop and smell the roses so the saying goes. That is the purpose of our water feature. My original purpose for the garden spring was to make a nice simple place for one to sit and relax. That was it. Nothing more, nothing less. The spring was not to dazzle someone with fluid mechanical phenomenon, that was the role of the monumental fountain, or to impress someone with clever timings of jets and sprays, that was the role of the indoor dynamics fountain, the spring was simply a nice quite place to rest and think.
What I had wanted to create was a place of escape. A place for someone to just get away from it all, be it stress from exams or homework, frustration over friendships or relationships, or simply just for somewhere to go. I wanted a place where I could go, sit down, and not have to worry about who one person is with or what I need to do to prepare for an exam the next day, I wanted a place where I could just sit and think about anything I want, whether it be about the things I don’t want to think about or just reflect on what is going on in my life. What I see is a nice waterfall, full of life and sound and chaos, and yet at the same time, quiet and serene. What I also see is a number of slow streams, along the lines of babbling brooks with a few bridges that ends in a few small ponds. The waterfall is more of a place to stand and think. The streams are instead, a place to walk along, to follow the water to wherever it may flow and provides an environment to walk and talk, even if you are simply taking the long way to classes or something.
That’s all I wanted, a simple quiet and relaxing place to walk along, to sit along, or to just look upon. Nothing fancy, nothing amazing, just peace and quiet. And in today times, a little peace can go a long ways.
Cooper’s Hawk — Image by kenne
It is not unusual to see cooper’s hawks here in the Sonoran Desert, even in my neighborhood. The Tucson area has one of the most dense populations to be found anywhere. Usually nesting in riparian areas, they are not always that easy to photograph. Because of their amazing flying ability, I usually see them flying low to the ground, through and between trees. The water fountain under the olive tree on our patio sometimes attracts a Copper’s hawk, not because of the water, but because of the smaller birds attracted to the water — they are a deadly bird-predator. This time I happen to have my camera near the patio door, making this image possible.
kenne
Cooper’s Hawk (with apologies to Wordsworth)
by Michael Konik
Regal, as if touched by royalty, you light upon the wire,
Surveying the buffet of opportunity below, where we
Who cannot soar, cannot glide, forlornly aspire
To shed our earthly shackles and be free.
You cannot be called a kind and caring raptor,
A patient pedant, with heart o’erflowing with generosity.
Your icy mission is starkly clear: to be a heartless captor
That kills and disembowels without pause for ruminant philosophy.
Yet we who walk upon the land, prisoners of gravity
Observe your single-mindedness with grudging admiration.
We see not a murderer swimming in a sea of depravity
But a champion inspiring our solemn approbation.
Greater Roadrunner On The Patio — Images by kenne
I was sitting on the patio when this guy jumped up on the wall, about eight feet from me and started making talking noise, so I began making a similar noise back. He was looking at the water fountain to his left and the olive tree to his right, which is the home of tree lizards. These attractions seemed to neutralize my present. Even so, he continued to talk — maybe he was fussing!
I think he was telling me to leave, while I was wishing I had my camera. Assuming he would not be there if I went for the camera, I still took a chance and went inside.
To my surprise, he was still there when I returned — even more surprised as I moved in closer than I had been when he first appeared. The conversation continued as I clicked away.
One of the characteristics of these birds is that of having a mind of their own — sometimes their behavior is very unpredictable, making them fun to watch and even more so if they carry-on a conversation.
In a few minutes he ran on without a lizard or getting water.
kenne
The Water Flows
It’s hard for me to believe that it was six weeks ago when I ordered the materials and began the preliminary preparation for a fountain in our backyard. There are many reasons why so long, not the least of which was the delayed delivery of the fountain pedestal, which finally can in yesterday. The above photo was taken this morning.
By working with nature, you can look into your own nature.
“The secret of life is enjoying
the passage of time
Any fool can do it”
kenne
