Nickels, dimes & quarters -

"Pay to Park"
digital collage by Mick Mather

"... what we've got here is failure to communicate ..."
- The Captain (Strother Martin, in Cool Hand Luke)

After the storm I went walking -

"A Walk in the Park II"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

An earlier version was posted in late February of this year during a particularly miserable series of snow storms. At the time I was torn between that image and the one you see here. As is my wont, I tucked it away for a rainy day and here you have it.

A place to catch your breath -

"Park Benches"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I can only stop to chat long enough to catch my breath. Actually, you talk, I'll listen. Times up, must dash!

It's a beautiful day -

"A Walk in the Park I"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

We're expecting two more days of significant accumulations of snow. That being the case, why am I posting images of spring? I suppose to continue the facade that my favorite of the four seasons is right 'round the corner ... (sigh!), again.

Comfortable and relaxed -

"The Japanese Chairs"
montage by Mick Mather

I always enjoy these early weeks of springtime when the world is soft, fuzzy and painted in that rainbow of pastel hues. The lawns, parks and country clubs appear to be surrounded by green, velvety felts, the sort that you want to run barefoot across, perhaps to throw oneself down upon, with abandon, and roll all over them. Then there's the subject of today's post, an old favorite of mine, chairs. As I've mentioned here before, I have a journal specific to chairs and I love them. To me, each and every one offers an invitation, "Come, rest here with me a while, let your cares go free, sit quietly, listen intently and observe this beautiful place". An invitation that I've accepted often since I was a young boy and many of my new friends (a wink for Kirsi) have been discussing that issue of the "examined life"...a pursuit that is highly recommended.