Kobi

At the end of March one of my coworkers had a stray cat take up refuge in her backyard and gave birth to three kittens. I took one of the males and named him Kobi. He has proven to be a lively and wonderful addition to the family. 

The terrible "First Bath".

Completely wiped out after his first visit to the vets office. 

Learning to snuggle. 

I was surprised how quickly my ten year old male Jet had adapted to the newcomer. 

Both kitties sharing the bed while listening to the curious noises of my boyfriend brushing his teeth. 

He loves to perch on the cat scratching post. 

All curled up on a warm pile of laundry. 

Oleaginous (Part 2)

The rain brings out the beauty of the oil leak in my car. 

...Like glimmering peacock feathers. 

...Like a raging forest fire whirling across the tree tops. 

...Like a cosmic burst of radiation dissipating out into the universe.

The Crystal Coincidence

I have a few friends that practice crystal healing and over the years I have been adding to my collection. Some have been gifts and some have been purchased; but one thing I have come to realize is that the perfect one will find its way into your life at the perfect time. I would like to share some of the interesting stories behind some of my favorite stones. 

This is a piece of Peacock rock. Most Peacock rock comes in iridescent shades of blue and purple but  this particular stone is so weathered that the deep blues and purples have shifted to warm sunset colors. I've had this one so long I'm not even sure where I got it from in the first place. Peacock rocks represent joy and harmony and since I've had this one since childhood I love to joke that I've "always had happiness".

This is a piece of Green Tourmaline embedded in Quartz. It was a gift from my friend Freddy for my 30th birthday. At the time Freddy had no idea what Green Tourmaline represented. He had just gone into a shop that sold crystals and "had a feeling" that this was the right one for me. We looked it up later and found out that Green Tourmaline was good for stimulating healing; particularly physical healing. Ironically, I had broken my nose only a few weeks prior to my birthday. 

This is Selenite and it is the first stone that I had purchased for myself. I came across it purely by chance. I was have a rough few day for no reason in particular. I remember felling anxious and unsettled. I went to a local metaphysical bookstore called the Spiral Circle. I loved how calm I felt there and I just assumed that being their would make me feel more centered. I wandered around the rooms and happened to absentmindedly pick up this stone. It instantly felt different - almost like it had electricity. I purchased the stone without knowing anything about it. 

I took it home to discover that Selenite is a very intense stone used to clear negative energy and balance your spiritual self. After about two days the anxious feeling I had been having was diminishing. I have since loaned this one out to friends periodically. It has receive a few battle scars along the way but everyone tells me about how much better they sleep and how uplifted they feel while they have it. 

This piece of Rose Quartz was a chip that fell off of a much larger rock and initially its edges were almost razor sharp. 

Rose Quartz is a gentle stone that supports the heart, emotional healing, and represents pure love in all of its forms (love for yourself, your partner, family, friends, community, etc.) I got this stone during a point in my life when I felt like I needed to create stronger connections with others. I would hold the stone and slowly run my fingers along the sharp edges in order to wear them down. It translated into a conscious attempt to wear down any of my rough edges and be more open to love. Within months of acquiring the Rose Quartz I have entered into a wonderful relationship, adopted and additional pet, become more open to cultivating new friendships more willing to take bigger social risks. 

The Aqua Aura Quartz is one of the most stunning and enigmatic stones that I have. 

Aqua Aura Quartz does not occur naturally; it is the product of taking clear Quartz and treating it with a special process in which the surface is bonded with vaporized gold. The end result is Quartz crystal with a brilliant blue color. The process of bonding gold to the stone also highlights any cracks or imperfections giving the stone a very multi-dimensional shine. 

The Aqua Aura Quartz reminded me of the Selenite; once I picked it up I had a hard time being able to put it back down. It just felt good in my hand. 

It is an excellent stone for communication, soothing the emotional body, and cultivating success. All things I feel I need more of in my daily life. I find that having the stone with me creates a feeling of calm, confident energy and stronger self-awareness. 

William

William and I decided to go exploring the new East End Market. It was a wonderful day filled with great food and wine. I was able to capture these beautiful shots of him enjoying the view from the second floor balcony. 

Easter 2014

I went home to visit family in Tampa for Easter and I was fortunate enough to get several breathtaking photographs.

Normally it is preferred to have an unobstructed sunset, however, many layers and textures of clouds can create a beautifully dramatic sunset. 

William and my two sisters at dusk.

A dock under the clouds in the very last moments of daylight. 

My sister Jenny lives in an above garage apartment near downtown St.Petersburg. Her landlady keeps a stunning garden. Hidden towards the back is an old broken ceramic hand featuring the defining areas of palmistry. 

A lovely speckled plant. 

Ethereal plumbago peak up through the foliage. 

This delicate trumpet flower elegantly shifts to a gorgeous pink hue. 

An close up view of a trumpet flower reveals an interior design that resembles a star fish. 

My sister took us for a bike ride around The Pier. The Pier was an aquarium and unique tourist destination for many years. I remember taking field trips there as a child. In recent years The Pier has become abandoned. There have been plans for development in the works for years, however The Pier remains closed and largely untouched. The surrounding area is still available for pedestrians to walk around and the docks behind The Pier are still open. A brown pelican waits patiently for scraps as a group of people fish. 

A small neighborhood park was covered in plants shedding hundreds of fuchsia petals. I wanted to capture the light from the setting sun as is fell into the park. I didn't realize until later that some of the glare from the sun matched the striking color of the flowers. 

The little brown pelican that patiently waits for my sister to return home. 

Steel Sheen

Walking through downtown Orlando I couldn't help but notice this gorgeous reflection. 

One building perfectly mirrored in the other. The slight wave of the glass created a ripple that reminded me of a calm ocean surface. The electric blues create a dazzling mosaic of beauty where it was never meant to be. The two buildings exist separately but become sensational as they reflect each other. 

Black Nymphs

I was walking home from the grocery store one day and I happened upon a cluster of bugs. I knelt down to get a closer look and I realized they were the smallest grasshoppers I had ever seen. 

They are the youngest nymph phase of one of Florida's most recognizable insects - the Lubber Grasshopper. Surprisingly, these tiny little guys will grow into one of the largest and most colorful grasshoppers on earth.

As I was kneeling over the bugs trying to take photographs a nearby woman walking into an office building stopped to see if I needed any help. 

"No, that's ok" I called back to her enthusiastically. 

"Oh" she replied with a slight sense of concern in her voice. "I though you had broken one of your grocery bags".

I smiled back at her. "No, I am fine. I'm just looking at bugs"

"Oh" was all she said before walking back into her office looking puzzled. 

I thought they were adorable.