Front Page Images

Our friend, the Sidwell Friends tree, is shown here in captivating light and early bloom. This was taken by our dear Photovoyant, Maureen Spagnolo, a week ago or so. We've coupled the photo with some verse by Christina Rosetti from her poem Spring.

The sap will surely quicken soon or late,
The tardiest bird will twitter to a mate;
So Spring must dawn again with warmth and bloom,
Or in this world, or in the world to come:
Sing, voice of Spring!
Till I too blossom and rejoice and sing.

We never tire of the beauty of seeing animals with their young in spring. Here is a mother elk and her fawn. May we protect the earth and its families in perpetuity. (Used by permission of forestwander.com via Wikimedia Commons.)

"The rose light is calm,
the tree extends her deep roots.
Leaves are born. Our joy."
Maureen Spagnolo took this shot of the Sidwell Friends Tree in the mist.
Kimmy Sophia Brown wrote this little haiku to accompany it. (Click for larger image)

Lewis Carroll said “I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.” Maureen Spagnolo has taken a series of photos of this tree at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., dressed in different weather and light.

Maureen Spagnolo took this shot at Swallowfalls, Maryland, which shows the mystery and beauty of the frozen waterfall in the dead of winter. Maureen says "The frozen falls look like a magical fairyland, glistening in the sun - which has no effect other than to create sparkles."

Maureen Spagnolo captured the feeling of autumn in this ineffable shot.

This cute little feller was photographed by our musician and artist friend, Kat Logan, who lives in Friendship, Maine. She says about taking this shot, "This is the second year that we have watched them [baby starlings] go from pre-nest to fledged cutie pies, flying around in our backyard. But, this one baby bird is singing all of the bird songs...loon, hawk, blue jay, cardinal, etc. really well, too....it's like he is trying to figure out which is the right song for him. I have heard mockingbirds, but not starlings, go on like this...any way, I am right in love."

Maureen Spagnolo spends a lot of her free time at the community garden in her neighborhood in Washington D.C. She says about this shot, "Working with the earth connects us to what is important, and with each other. These gardeners in our local community garden share a deep and beautiful love, and produce a bounty from the earth - with enough to give away freely."

Spring is gorgeous in the purple blossoms of the Red Bud Tree. The mermaid sits below, enjoying the mysterious flowers as she longs for the deep green sea. This photo was taken by Maureen Spagnolo, outside her home in Washington, D.C.

Mclean Gardens is the name of the former estate purchased in 1898 by wealthy businessman John R. Mclean. The mermaid, six other similar statues, and a very expensive cupid fountain remain from that lavish estate, ultimately demolished in 1942. Condominiums were built on the property in 1982.

Maureen Spagnolo snapped this lovely old cherry tree in Washington DC, stretching itself over the Potomac River. We've paired it with this haiku from Matsu Basho:

"The temple bell stops.
But the sound keeps coming
out of the flowers."