Lucky Day

'Lucky Day' 18x24" graphite on paper;  Kathleen Faulkner

Sometimes, 

when I wish I had done things differently,

I think of the Chinese tale of the father and son: 

The son had many misfortunes

that turned out to be 

A blessing in disguise 

 

the hopeful season

'Another Marsh Picture'  16x34" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Spring has arrived

and with it the sounds of love

All hail the spring!

http://www.californiaherps.com/frogs/pages/p.regilla.sounds.html

Down at the Wetlands

"Down at the Wetlands"  oil pastel 23x24" Kathleen Faulkner

Spring has arrived.  It changes our mood:  we all wake up!

The frogs are quite out of control down at the wetlands.  Theirs is a sound I look forward to every year.  It is so hopeful.

Standing in the bog with eyes closed, I am blasted by the audio equivalent of visual overload.  It is a sound that permeates the psyche like that favorite song we play loudly over and over  because it touches us deep where we live.

Frogs are an indicator species.  They absorb water and anything else that happens to be in that water, through their skin.  Here in Cascadia it's the Pacific Tree frog (among others).  Frogs are in decline and once they're gone, start packing your bags because we'll be gone, too,  shortly thereafter.

In the meantime though, my mood is brightened by the hopefulness of crazy frog sounds in the springtime down at the wetlands.

Pulse of the Planet