A Photo and Reaction

I took this photo at one of my favorite places to bring my camera - the flowers gardens of Manito Park in Spokane, Washington. I find this photo very intriguing. The obvious question that it brings to mind is "why is there one red flower in amongst so many violet flowers?" Although there may or may not be a scientific answer to this question, there is no answer that would satisfy my deeper curiosity and perplexion (I made this word up, but only because I think it's fitting) over the colors of these few flowers. On the surface, I wonder about the species, the function of the flower, it's name. Is the red flower the same species as the violet? Why would one grow to be red in the midst of so many violet? Was it planted by humans this way? But these questions aren't the most important ones that come to mind; the more I contemplate the photo, the more I start to wonder about these flowers through a different perspective. The easiest way I can describe this other lens is through the slogan on a common t-shirt: "It's good to be different." The shirt depicts a school of fish swimming in one direction, while one solo fish swims in the opposite direction. On this earth, there is so much that is unique, so much that is different from all else. Different landscapes, biospheres, ecosystems and species. Different foods, languages, and cultures. Different colors. The differences in our natural world are disappearing as humans help to initiate the largest extinction event the world has ever seen. Yet there is still a desire in humans to seek out the still vast diversity that remains. Most likely, the red flower in the photo was somehow influenced by a human desire for this cherished diversity - either by being planted that way, or just by being allowed to grow even whilst it does not match the other flowers. The difference in color is aesthetically pleasing, and pleasing for the peace of mind as well. I look at this picture often, and each viewing reminds me to cherish the diversity of our natural world.

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird: A native hummingbird to the western coast of North America. Males have crimson crowns and throats, while females have green crowns, gray throats and some red markings. These birds are iridescent and very brightly colored.

Today I saw an Anna's Hummingbird at a flowering shrub at the bottom of the Lone Mountain stairs. I walked right up to her and she barely moved. It was the closest I have ever been to a hummingbird. The glistening green/blue color of her feathers was magnificent, and I caught myself staring for several minutes at the shimmering colors and the entrancing speed of her beating wings.

Palm Tree

Palm Tree: (Arecaceae or Palmae) A family of flowering plants, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climates. Only one species of palm tree, the California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera) is native to the state of California, but many other species have been introduced from around the world. Most palm species are well suited to California's sunny Mediterranean climate.

I took this photo of a palm tree in January in Sausalito.

This is a photo of a Queen Palm that I took in a yard near USF.

European Starling

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris): A very common bird found across North America. They were introduced in New York from Europe and have since spread across the continent. These birds vary in color but are usually dark and speckled with an oily appearance. They are one of the most common birds in areas with humans present. 

I see European Starlings coming in and out of cracks and holes in buildings. I think they are fun to watch because of their speckly green and black coloration. I'm curious to know if they are considered an undesirable species...do they outcompete other, native birds in an area?

Black-capped Chickadee

Black-capped Chickadee: A small songbird found all across North America. They are mostly gray in color with a black "cap" and throat, with white stripes on the sides of the face. These birds display a boldness around humans and will often eat from the hand.

I've been seeing these birds all over campus this winter. They often reside in the same small patch of earth as the Dark-eyed Juncos. I see them in shrubs and near the Cherry Blossoms by the baseball field.

A Poem

Homesickness

alone

the manicured grass itches at my calves

a light breeze

brings the scent of cigarettes

and the voices

of the busy

the shallow

the selfish

are an unpleasant buzzing

in my unwilling ears

bare feet

anxious for release

imagine a grass

away; safe

from the sidewalk, the glass, the concrete

a lonely grass,

if people are company

the creatures reside

in wet, dark soil

alive

welcoming

- Heidi Patton

Jellyfish

Jellyfish: (genus Aurelia) A common gelatinous zooplankton found in oceans around the world.

I saw many of these jellyfish in the bay while in Sausalito. They appear to be part of the Aurelia genus, a genus of thirteen species of scyphozoan jellyfish. The species of this genus are all nearly impossible to distinguish from one another.

Jellyfish are the oldest living multi-organ animals. They are found in every ocean, at all different depths. They are among my top few favorite animals, and I love photography jellyfish whenever I get the chance.

A photo I took of jellyfish at the Oregon Coast Aquarium

Anecdote of the Jar

I really enjoyed Wallace Stevens's poem Anecdote of the Jar. After writing my close reading assignment on it, I was interested in finding some background information about the poem. It was written in 1919 and published with Steven's first book of poetry, Harmonium. This was a surprise to me that it was written so long ago - the style seems modern, as do the ideas that I concluded from the poem. It seems to me that Stevens is commenting on the human influence on the natural world, and I am surprised and impressed that such ideas surrounding nature were appearing as earlier as 1919. Of course, it is entirely possible that Stevens's ideas when writing this poem were entirely different - it is a poem, as most are, that could be interpreted in many different ways through many different lenses. I personally hope that Stevens was referencing some of the ideas that I took away from the poem, because I think this is a very powerful piece when interpreted through an environmental perspective.

Anecdote of the Jar - Wallace Stevens

I placed a jar in Tennessee,

And round it was, upon a hill.

It made the slovenly wilderness

Surround that hill.

The wilderness rose up to it,

And sprawled around, no longer wild.

The jar was round upon the ground

And tall and of a port in air.

It took dominion every where.

The jar was gray and bare.

It did not give of bird or bush,

Like nothing else in Tennessee.