Peer.

You heap the logs and try to fill
The little room with words and cheer,
But silent feet are on the hill,
Across the window veiled eyes peer.

- Hortense King Flexner, from "All Soul's Night, 1917"

Head in the clouds.

Today's evening ride home contained a special treat ... Mammatus clouds.

While associated with thunderstorms, Mammatus clouds are not necessarily an indicator of severe weather. Mammatus results from the sinking of moist air into dry air.


It is in essence an upside down cloud.


The sharp boundary of Mammatus is much like the sharp boundary of a rising cumulonimbus cloud before an anvil has formed.

More from NOAA can be found here.

Legend.

For Drew and Zuzu ...

Live.

Laugh. Laugh loudly.

Restrain not spirited opinion.

Dream impractically.

Revel in fruitless passion.

Release the restless heart.

Live.

Mystery.

... this thick blanket of mystery.


More at wanderations.

Groucho.

Thank you ...

Bubbles.

A couple of little kids spent a crisp Autumn morning capturing their launching of bubbles ...

Riotous.

Before leaves fall in autumn they treat peepers to riotous color displays—but most of them don’t “change” color. Natural pigments called carotenoids, which produce yellow, brown, and orange hues, are always present in leaves. During the growing (and photosynthesis) season they are masked by green chlorophyll.

Read the rest at nationalgeographic.com

Find.

People throw away what they could have by insisting on perfection, which they cannot have, and looking for it where they will never find it.

- Edith Schaeffer

1,500.

What have you done 1,500 times?

Saturday’s milestone will be just the latest in a 20-season career of great accomplishments, which includes four Stanley Cup championship rings, seven Norris Trophies, and a street named for him in suburban Detroit. And already the oldest defenseman to record 60 points in a season – a feat that he established last year – Lidstrom continues to deny Mother Nature.

“I really don’t know if you can put it in words,” defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. “Really, 1,500 games, that’s one impressive number. Not only that, but the way he’s played those 1,500 games. I mean, he’s basically been one of the best players on the ice every night.”

Lidstrom will join Steve Yzerman (1,514) and Alex Delvecchio (1,549) as the only players to reach 1,500 games during a career with a single NHL club. That statistic alone is staggering considering that he’s amassed that total in far fewer seasons than his fellow Wings’ legends.

However, as impressive as 1,500 games is, Lidstrom’s average minutes each night might mean even more. For the last 11 seasons, he has led the Wings in most ice-time per game. And already this season, he is playing more than 24-minutes per game.

“He plays lot of minutes,” said Tomas Holmstrom, who has played in 956 games. “I don’t know, he must average 26-28 minutes. That’s half the game every night for 1,500 games. That’s pretty impressive.”

Read the rest here.

Grateful.

Being an artist means: not numbering and counting, but ripening like a tree, which doesn’t force its sap, and stands confidently in the storms of spring, not afraid that afterward summer may not come. It does come. But it comes only to those who are patient, who are there as if eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly silent and vast. I learn it every day of my life, learn it with pain I am grateful for: patience is everything!

- Rainer Maria Rilke

Identity.

That you are here—that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.

- Walt Whitman

Teresa Ennis, "Going To The Country"

Get it when I get there is what I'll do ...

One of my favorite Cockburn songs ... love the fiddle and the spit.

Without.

Seike, Invitation, 1992


I would call back at least for literature this world of shadows we are losing. In the mansion called literature I would have the eves deep and the walls dark, I would push back into the shadows the things that come forward too clearly, I would strip away the useless decoration. I do not ask that this be done everywhere, but perhaps we may be allowed at least one mansion where we can turn off the electric lights and see how it is without them.

- Tanizaki Junichiro

Light.

Haskell, Lone Pine, Glacier Point, 1915


Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

- Leonard Cohen

Beppe Gambetta & Bruce Molsky, "Church Street Blues"

Serene.

Rice, Evening, Carmel Bay, 1917


You cannot perceive beauty, but with a serene mind.

- Henry David Thoreau

Happy Birthday, Rimbaud.

Poet Arthur Rimbaud was born on this date in 1854.

The first study for the man who wants to be a poet is knowledge of himself, complete: he searches for his soul, he inspects it, he puts it to the test, he learns it. As soon as he has learned it, he must cultivate it! I say that one must be a seer, make oneself a seer. The poet becomes a seer through a long, immense, and reasoned derangement of all the senses. All shapes of love suffering, madness. He searches himself, he exhausts all poisons in himself, to keep only the quintessences. Ineffable torture where he needs all his faith, all his superhuman strength, where he becomes among all men the great patient, the great criminal, the great accursed one--and the supreme Scholar! For he reaches the unknown!

The poet, therefore, is truly the thief of fire.

He is responsible for humanity, for animals even; he will have to make sure his visions can be smelled, fondled, listened to; if what he brings back from beyond has form, he gives it form; if it has none, he gives it none. A language must be found…of the soul, for the soul and will include everything: perfumes, sounds colors, thought grappling with thought.

A poet makes himself a visionary through a long, boundless, and systematized disorganization of all the senses. All forms of love, of suffering, of madness; he searches himself, he exhausts within himself all poisons, and preserves their quintessences. Unspeakable torment, where he will need the greatest faith, a superhuman strength, where he becomes all men the great invalid, the great criminal, the great accursed--and the Supreme Scientist! For he attains the unknown! Because he has cultivated his soul, already rich, more than anyone! He attains the unknown, and if, demented, he finally loses the understanding of his visions, he will at least have seen them! So what if he is destroyed in his ecstatic flight through things unheard of, unnameable: other horrible workers will come; they will begin at the horizons where the first one has fallen

- Arthur Rimbaud

Van Morrison, "Tore Down a la Rimbaud"

Dare.

Couture, Female Head (detail), 1876


Read much; you are young, digestion will be easy. Live in good company, and cultivate intimacy with young people who are well advanced in art. Never wish to be greater than you are; above all things beware of expressing other people's opinions as if they were your own: that brings ruin; it leads to darkness; dare to be yourself; that will bring you light.

... cultivate your heart; above all things, be humble; in the art of painting, humility is the greatest strength.

- Thomas Couture

Underpaintings is a gold mine.

Time.

O'Keeffe, Red Canna, 1923


... to see takes time.

- Georgia O'Keeffe

Richard Thompson, "She Moved Through The Fair"

... look out behind you.

Think.

I sit beside the fire and think
Of all that I have seen
Of meadow flowers and butterflies
In summers that have been

Of yellow leaves and gossamer
In autumns that there were
With morning mist and silver sun
And wind upon my hair

I sit beside the fire and think
Of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring
That I shall ever see

For still there are so many things
That I have never seen
In every wood in every spring
There is a different green

I sit beside the fire and think
Of people long ago
And people that will see a world
That I shall never know

But all the while I sit and think
Of times there were before
I listen for returning feet
And voices at the door

- J.R.R. Tolkien

Head in the clouds.

Only that day dawns to which we are awake.

- Henry Davis Thoreau

Team.

I don't think I've ever been prouder of a team than I am of this team.

- Jim Leyland

Read the rest at The Freep.

What a season.

What a team.

Bless You, Boys!

Flight.

Would that life were like the shadow cast by a wall or a tree, but it is like the shadow of a bird in flight.

- The Talmud

Darrell Scott, "Hank Williams' Ghost"

IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
JUST BEFORE YOU’RE WIDE AWAKE
BEFORE YOU SUMMONS ALL YOUR POWERS
TO COVER UP YOUR BIG MISTAKE

WHEN ALL THE COULDA WOULDA BEENS
COLLIDE WITH SHOULDA KNOWNS
AND ALL YOUR RAGE AND ANGST HILLBILLY SINS
HAVE AN ODOR ALL THEIR OWN

AW, BUT IT’S ALL RIGHT, IT’S OK
YOU’LL LEARN TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY
LIFE IS SHORT, LIFE IS LONG HEY!
GET YOUR GUITAR AND SING THIS SONG:
LA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA…

NOW YOU’RE KICKIN BACK THE COVERS
NOW YOU’RE READY TO MAKE YOUR STAND
YOU NEVER THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE QUITE LIKE ALL THE OTHERS
NO, YOU HAD PROMISE IN YOUR HANDS

& YOU STUDIED TRUTH AND HONOR
OH, BUT YOU DID NOT PASS THE TEST
UP IN HEAVEN YOU’RE A GONER
SEEMS YOU’RE AS HUMAN AS THE REST

YEAH, BUT IT’S ALL RIGHT, IT’S OK
YOU’LL LEARN TO STAND SOME OTHER WAY
LIKE ON YOUR KNEES OR ON YOUR BACK HEY!
TAKE ONE LAST BREATH AND FADE TO BLACK
LA-DA-DA DA-DIE-DIE-DIE…

NOBODY SAID IT WOULD BE EASY
AND NOBODY SAID IT HAD TO BE THIS HARD

AND WHEN YOU’RE FLOATING O’ER THE MOUNTAIN
WITH THE LIVING WORLD BELOW
THEY’RE SO FULL OF HOPE AND SO FULL OF WANTING
MOST OF WHICH THEY’LL NEVER KNOW

BUT YOU HAVE HEARD THE ANGELS SINGING
HELL, THEY’RE SINGING TO YOU YET
TAKE THE GIFTS THAT THEY ARE BRINGING
THEY MAY BE ALL THAT YOU GET

OH BUT IT’S ALL RIGHT, IT’S OK
YOU’LL BE A SAINT SOME OTHER DAY
FARE THEE WELL, ADIOS
AND WE BLAME IT ON HANK WILLIAMS’ GHOST

Absorbed.

It is the loveliest old shop straight out of Dickens, you would go absolutely out of your mind over it. There are stalls outside and I stopped and leafed through a few things just to establish myself as a browser before wandering in. It's dim inside, you smell the shop before you see it, it's a lovely smell, I can't articulate it easily, but it combines must and dust and age, and walls of wood and floors of wood. Towards the back of the shop at the left there's a desk with a work lamp on it, a man was sitting there, he was about fifty with a Hogarth nose, he looked up and said "Good afternoon" in a north Country accent and I said I just wanted to browse and he said please do. The shelves go on forever. They go up to the ceiling and they are very old and grey, like old oak that has absorbed so much dust over the years they no longer are their true color.



Here's a serviceable copy.

Head in the clouds.

Karr, Mother of Pearl, 2011


Frazier, Untitled, 2011


Thanks, Jess and Pops.

Feel.

A story, a work of art, a face, a designed object -- how do we tell that something is beautiful? And why does it matter so much to us? Designer Richard Seymour explores our response to beauty and the surprising power of objects that exhibit it.

Notice.

Young, Early Visit in the Fog, undated


There was a time, long ago, that a barn like this was respected, built of hand-hewn beams, and expected to last forever. A family worked and lived on this farm, venturing to the local feedmill perhaps. Today, in our world-wide culture a historic barn is a symbol of yesteryear, of times forgotten. Today we might pause long enough to feel grateful that we are not living such a hard life. Next time you pass by a barn like this, stop in and experience the essence of the past. Look at the handcrafted beams, take note of the lingering smell of hay, and notice the calming effect of such a forgotten space.

Look around at James Young, Artist.

Thanks, Jay. Beautiful.

Cycle.

Ryan Raburn and the Tigers beat the Rangers 7-5, sending the ALCS back to Texas for Game 6.

Freight Train was heroic, throwing a career-high 133 pitches and still bringin' it in the upper 90s into the 8th. In the 6th, the Tigers hit for the natural cycle with Raburn's base-knock, followed by Miggy's double. Next up, Martinez hit a three-bagger, then Delman went big fly for the second time putting the Good Guys up for good.

Whew! This is fun!

Jackson Browne, "Your Bright Baby Blues"

I’m sitting down by the highway
Down by that highway side
Everybody’s going somewhere
Riding just as fast as they can ride
I guess they’ve got a lot to do
Before they can rest assured
Their lives are justified
Pray to God for me, baby
He can let me slide

I’ve been up and down this highway
Far as my eyes can see
No matter how fast I run
I can never seem to get away from me
No matter where I am
I can’t help feeling I’m just a day away from where I want to be
Now I’m running home, baby
Like a river to the sea

Baby if you can see me
Out across this wilderness
There’s just one thing
I was hoping you might guess
Baby you can free me
All in the power of your sweet tenderness

I can see it in your eyes
You’ve got those bright baby blues
You don’t see what you’ve got to gain
But you don’t like to lose
You watch yourself from the sidelines
Like your life is a game you don’t mind playing to keep yourself amused
I don’t mean to be cruel, baby
But you’re looking confused

Baby if you can hear me
Turn down your radio
There’s just one thing
I want you to know
When you’ve been near me
I’ve felt the love stirring in my soul

It’s so hard to come by
That feeling of peace
This friend of mine said,
"Close your eyes and try a few of these"
I thought I was flying like a bird so far above my sorrow
But when I looked down I was standing on my knees
Now I need someone to help me
Someone to help me, please

Baby if you need me
Like I know I need you
There’s just one thing
I’ll ask you to do
Take my hand and lead me
To the hole in your garden wall
And pull me through

With Lindley ...

Tough.

We already knew that getting to the World Series would be hard for the Tigers. Now we know it will be hard for the Rangers, too. The Tigers just showed that you can hurt them physically and you can devastate them emotionally. But you cannot beat them easily. They won't allow it.

Now you have a series, and Detroit's autumn from heaven just got a little more exciting. The Lions, Michigan and Michigan State are a combined 15-1, the Tigers are three victories from the World Series, the weather is perfect, the leaves are gorgeous, the cider is delicious and Aretha Franklin just nailed the national anthem in her pajamas.

Read the rest at The Freep.


I'm thrilled the way we played. We're tough.

- Jim Leyland

Keep on rollin', Tigers ...

White.

Sleepyhead

As I lay awake in the white moon light,
I heard a faint singing in the wood,
'Out of bed,
Sleepyhead,
Put your white foot now,
Here are we,
Neath the tree
Singing round the root now!'

I looked out of window, in the white moon light,
The trees were like snow in the wood--
'Come away,
Child, and play
Light with the gnomies;
In a mound,
Green and round,
That's where their home is.
Honey sweet,
Curds to eat,
Cream and frumenty,
Shells and beads,
Poppy seeds,
You shall have plenty.'

But soon as I stooped in the dim moon light
To put on my stocking and my shoes,
The sweet sweet singing died sadly away,
And the light of the morning peeped through:
Then instead of the gnomies there came a red robin
To sing of the buttercups and dew.

- Walter de la Mare

Reminded me of "walking on Velvet Green,"... sort of ...

Full.

Alone and Drinking Under the Moon

Amongst the flowers I
am alone with my pot of wine
drinking by myself; then lifting
my cup I asked the moon
to drink with me, its reflection
and mine in the wine cup, just
the three of us; then I sigh
for the moon cannot drink,
and my shadow goes emptily along
with me never saying a word;
with no other friends here, I can
but use these two for company;
in the time of happiness, I
too must be happy with all
around me; I sit and sing
and it is as if the moon
accompanies me; then if I
dance, it is my shadow that
dances along with me; while
still not drunk, I am glad
to make the moon and my shadow
into friends, but then when
I have drunk too much, we
all part; yet these are
friends I can always count on
these who have no emotion
whatsoever; I hope that one day
we three will meet again,
deep in the Milky Way.

- Li Po

Underdog.

"Guys like Donnie Kelly and John Wehner and Cangelosi … they're always the underdog," Leyland said Saturday. "They want it so bad. They're not great, but they're good enough, and they're always looking for jobs. I've always had a soft spot for guys like that."

Kelly, 31, went from valuable role player to pivotal figure in this series in the time it took the Tigers to assess their latest medical report. The Detroit outfield, already hurt by the loss of Brennan Boesch to a season-ending injury to his right thumb in August, is suddenly a portrait in attrition. Delmon Young is limited in the American League Championship series because of a strained left oblique, and on Saturday Magglio Ordonez re-aggravated an injury to his right ankle to the extent that he's done for the season.

As a lefty hitter, Kelly was destined to see sporadic action in the series. It was a given, for example, that he would start Game 3 against Texas righty Colby Lewis. Now, given the rampant carnage on the Detroit roster, who knows? The only certainty is, whatever the Tigers ask of him, Kelly will be ready.

"He would probably mow my lawn if I asked him," Leyland said.

Kelly's versatility knows no bounds. On June 29, he made his major league pitching debut -- retiring Mets outfielder Scott Hairston on a fly ball in the ninth inning of a 16-9 Tigers loss. Kelly pumped in two straight 86 mph fastballs before retiring Hairston on a 71 mph curve.

Read the rest at ESPN.

GO TIGERS!

Source.

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

GO TIGERS!

Time to put that lumber to work, Miggy!

Radiance.

Rembrandt, Old Man with Turban, 1625


Thanks to art, instead of seeing one world only, our own, we see that world multiply itself and we have at our disposal as many worlds as there are original artists, worlds more different one from the other than those which revolve in infinite space, worlds which, centuries after the extinction of the fire from which their light first emanated, whether it is called Rembrandt or Vermeer, send us still each one its special radiance.

- Marcel Proust

The Good Lovelies, "Kiss Me in the Kitchen"

Fine.

How beautiful the season is now--How fine the air.


A temperate sharpness about it.


Really, without joking, chaste weather--Dian skies--I never lik'd stubble fields so much as now--Aye better than the chilly green of the spring.


Somehow a stubble plain looks warm--in the same way that some pictures look warm--this struck me so much in my Sunday's walk that I composed upon it.

- John Keats

Thoughts.

A most peaceful Sunday. Could we keep it -- frozen in this amber -- for all time? These are the kinds of thoughts that autumn thinks..


This and much more at Wanderations.