A bit of adorable from Avalus today.
Here are photos I took in the gardens of my parents and my godson’s parents.
Eidechsen: There were tiny baby lizards, basking in the sun.
eidechse 01 ©Avalus, all rights reserved
eidechse 02 ©Avalus, all rights reserved
John Kendrick Bangs. A Houseboat on the Styx. U.S., Harper & Brothers, 1895.
Today’s book is extra-special because it belongs to our very own Anne, Cranky Cat Lady. It’s also my very first reader submission for this column and I thank Anne for that very much. She tells me this book belonged to her parents and I can see that it’s landed in a good next home with someone who recognizes that the value of a book is more than just as a repository for stories.
Often when I post a lovely, old book I wonder what it feels like in your hand. What are its textures, its weight and its point of balance? What of the thickness of its papers and the feel of its edging as you turn a page? I wonder how the binding sounds as you open the book and what is the faint fragrance of its paper and glue and incense of ink. Modern e-readers are fine, functional things and I use one myself sometimes, but a book, a real book, is a treat for the senses and not just the mind.
If you have a real book that you’d like to share, I’d like to see it. Just e-mail me at the link on the sidebar. Thanks again, Anne, for sharing your A Houseboat on the Styx.
Mary & Elizabeth Kirby. Humming Birds. London ; New York : T. Nelson, 1874.
via: The Internet Archive
Bianco, Margery Williams; Illustrations by Nicholson, William, Sir. London, Heinemann, 1922.
This is the original cover from the first publication of the book in 1922. I’ve included a few interior plates to showcase the simple, tender artwork that brings the story to life.
Bianco, Margery Williams; Illustrations by Nicholson, William, Sir. London, Heinemann, 1922.
Bianco, Margery Williams; Illustrations by Nicholson, William, Sir. London, Heinemann, 1922.
Bianco, Margery Williams; Illustrations by Nicholson, William, Sir. London, Heinemann, 1922.
via: The Internet Archive
©voyager, all rights reserved
Much like leaves in autumn, white trilliums put on a bit of a show before they disappear, turning delicate shades of pink as they begin to wither. Their passing marks the end of the showy spring flowers in the forest. The mayapples are still to bloom, but their flowers hide under big umbrella leaves and are barely seen. The buttercups and forget-me-nots that linger are small and fragile and just don’t command the same attention as a trillium or bloodroot or Jack-in-the-pulpits. The forest is losing its frills.
©voyager, all rights reserved
Aleister Crowly. The Book of Lies, which is also falsely called Breaks. The Wanderings or falsifications of The One Thought of Frater Perdurabo which Thought is itself Untrue. London, Wieland & Co. 1913
According to Wikipedia, Crowly was,
…an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the prophet entrusted with guiding humanity into the Æon of Horus in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, he published widely over the course of his life.
In the Wiki article specifically about The Book of Lies, the author says,
“This book deals with many matters on all planes of the very highest importance. It is an official publication for Babes of the Abyss, but is recommended even to beginners as highly suggestive.”[1]
The book consists of 91 chapters,[2][3] each of which consists of one page of text. The chapters include a question mark, poems, rituals, instructions, and obscure allusions and cryptograms. The subject of each chapter is generally determined by its number and its corresponding Qabalistic meaning
Well, that clear up everything.
via: The Pulp Girls
©voyager, all rights reserved
I can see a tinge of pink on the many of the white trillium flowers in our forest which means they’ll soon be gone for another year. Before they go, I thought I’d share one of the larger patches we see every day. It’s been an excellent year for trilliums and Jack and I consider ourselves very lucky to have this so nearby. I’m sorry about the bad light. It’s another cold and dreary day here.
Ignatius Donnelly. Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel. New York, D. Appleton and Company, 1883 — Source.
An interesting book about geological drift, or the movement of rocks and sediment across the earth.
It’s that wonderful time of month when Nightjar shares her photo essay about the conditions of light.
I confess that I haven’t been as inspired lately, and that’s in part because light is becoming too bright and harsh for my taste already. I find autumn’s golden light and winter’s low and cool light so much more interesting to work with. But May is the month of flowers and bugs, and you can never go wrong with a random assortment of flowers and bugs under May sunlight, right?
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©voyager, all rights reserved
I thought I’d share a few of the bright, beautiful tulips around our neighbourhood before the season ends.
Pretty in Pink ©voyager, all rights reserved
Almost Black ©voyager, all rights reserved
On Fire ©voyager, all rights reserved
A blazing double tulip ©voyager, all rights reserved
Jenyns, Charles Fitzgerald Gambier. A book about bees. Their history, habits, and instincts; together with the first principles of modern beekeeping for young readers.
London, W. Gardner, Darton, & co., 1886.
I thought this book was a nice complement to Nightjar’s Bee Orchids of earlier today.
via: The Internet Archive
We have something special from Nightjar today.
Remember this (https://freethoughtblogs.com/affinity/2019/01/16/surrounded-by-rocks-an-exploration-series-chapter-5/) when I said that visiting that limestone hill during Spring would be more interesting because of all the wild orchids? Well, this month I did just that and managed to find 4 species of wild orchids! The Bee and Yellow Bee orchids I found mostly on my way up, while the Pyramidal and Mirror orchids were everywhere at the roadside verges around the hill. I was thrilled to find so many Mirror orchids this year, they are among my favourite wild flowers just because of how glossy and shiny they are. Mirror orchids are pollinated exclusively by a single species of solitary wasp and I love how far their mimicry goes, eyes and everything!
Bee Orchid – Ophrys apifera 1 ©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©voyager, all rights reserved
Jack-in-the-pulpits are one of my favourite spring flowers and they won’t be around for much longer so I’m sharing while I still can. This has been an excellent year for them in our wee forest. They’re literally all over and many of them have grown to be a foot tall or more. Obviously, they like this year’s wet and dreary type of spring much more than I do.
©voyager, all rights reserved