The vernal equinox

It is rounding around to the vernal equinox. Here in Yarmouth the Equinox or "equal night" is today March 16th, 2014. 
Look it up for your location.
http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-spring-vernal-equinox

Spring is just a notion here-- a tease. The old Farmers Almanac says that on May 2nd we will finally have dropped the probability of a frost to 50%.
Tonight it will be 5 degrees and there is snow coming to the mid-Atlantic.
Flowers on snow. Enjoy the light and shelter your tender blooms of all types -- whether new ideas or the buds of flowers.

http://www.cleveland.com/insideout/index.ssf/2011/03/protecting_spring_blooms_from.html

In praise of barnswallows- a view of parenting

Its March 1983 outside Columbia Missouri on north Highway 63

Barn swallow mother perches on rim of nest

In a cold barn the photographer sits in the dark

practicing quiet trying to stay warm and explore good ways to unobtrusively light the spidery scratchy place so that she can see something... anything ...

some action besides the top of a black head high up in a nest on the barn rafter.

This action or change occurs in brief surprises in-between very long periods of no action For some days she has watched from a loft across and above her head as the nest was recycled Cleaned and lined with new mud and some of mother birds own indigo feathers. Then eggs were laid, one each day and, glory be! None of the awful predators came.

Each day the watcher/waiter/photographer climbs into her place and two females sit in a cold barn

one on eggs and the other in hay with a camera

Again and again-- like a fighter jet she swoops in carrying food

watching, dreaming, and incubating the one on the nest has come to accept / tolerate the the other

Barn swallows, Hirundo rustica, have thrived with the human race.  They once lived in caves but now there are barns and porches all increasing in number

Mother carries food to the noisy nestlings

One morning there is shell on the barn floor and weak squeaking above she climbs and watches breathless from her loft the nestlings grow in their demands, exponentially

The mother becomes a flying carrier service

catering to growing mouths.

They are a chorus, parsons or judges, always above her, looking down, looking demonic and ridiculous

Soon they are nearly her size and their wide open mouths are endless.  The photographer is reminded of parenting. Her own children wouldn't like the affinity she feels with this tiny  straining bird.

Barn swallows wait on a barbed wire fence for the evening bugs

The birdlings grow beyond the nest, bursting its limits.  Always one will take off first.  Maybe it hates crowds, maybe it is not quite "right" and has fallen or been pushed,  maybe it is restless or impatient, or simply believes flying can't be that hard.  One will always fledge, 'trying his wings' on the long drop, but may not be ready to fly.

Those around barn swallows have come to expect at least one babe will fall or fail flying each year and not just once.  With luck these people have learned and have and the means to re-place them in the nest or protect them from the cats (check out Baby barn swallow stories)

Barnswallow feeds fledge

Soon they all fledge and for the next two weeks parenting is on the wing.

Later, it is one of those summer evenings when the tree frogs are a choir, the air is a bit cooler, the grass is up, and after dinner we wait for the lightening bugs. The barn swallows and bats wait for the mosquitoes to lift off the fields.

I am reminded of a comment my aunt Mary Bumgarner made when my son was new born. In an amused but knowing voice she said, "The thing about parenting is that it is so daily."

For a lovely set of references about the barn swallow including short essays by people that have lived around them I highly recommend this site: excellent summary facts about barnswallows

Stay tuned we will create a gallery of Barn swallows.

Sharon

What are these called?

There is a group of animals that I do not know how to categorize.  For example, When you search for a picture of a wild animal you expect to see this

or maybe this

But you do not expect to see this

or this

Ok, so the latter group is a problem. We love these guys. They are not pets, they are not domesticated, they are wild but....??  It may seem like a trivial problem really, something that a good librarian, or veterinarian could tidy up and at the very least apply some good nouns and viola' --all is well.  But, alas, google and its friends are photo-blind, seeing only a box, an empty box, or an "object" where there is a picture.   So, to create eyes and windows we use Categories & keywords -- wrapping these gorgeous, silly, educational, friendly and familiar creatures in pictures with words.

Most stock photo agencies, professional photo buyers, and even regular folk agree about how they would categorize most animals.  Right or wrong image websites offer pets, wild animals, and farm (or agriculture) animals. As one creative director said -- there are the ones you shoot, the ones we eat, and the ones we adopt and treat like children." Granted there is a bit of slippage across cultures but by and large given a photo of a cow or an elephant we know how to categorize them.

But then one is left with the opossum, raccoons, the "garden deer", foxes, turtles, squirrels, etc..... We have an extraordinary collection of images showing baby and adult animals that I cannot seem to categorize.  They are "wild" but when placed in that category it is clear that the person searching for wild animals isn't looking for a smiling possum.
If keywords are the way people find pictures and search engines make them available it is important to word-ify these creatures to help them and us.

To solve this problem I started asking people --- image buyers, photographers children, biologists, marketers, and frankly anyone that would bear up to it three different questions.
1. Do you think possums, hedgehogs, squirrels, groundhogs, turkeys, and raccoons are "wild" animals?
2. If you were searching for pictures of "wild animals" and  images of a raccoon came up would you disagree.
2. What would you call this group of animals to differentiate them from cattle, pigs, dogs, elephants, and kittens-- the farm animals, wild animals, and pets or just cute?

Here are the suggestions so far....Yard animals,
.....garden animals.... pests......mid-size animals, wild animals, short-range animals, familiar animals, animals of fields and meadows, storybook animals (?), Wind in the Willows animals, animals that hang around bird feeders,animals that eat from my garden, animals that seem to thrive despite or because of people.  More suggestions, please.

Thanks
Sharon and all from Mother-Daughter Press

Click here to see more "Yard animals"

Welcome: Newest Mother-Daughter Press Photographer-- John Feldhahn-- my grandfather

This path and gate lead forward and backward for me.  Sometimes I have heard something 1000 times but only on the 1001st time do I understand and take in what is important. Some paths are impossible to predict.  Who would have put me here looking at photos, family photos, and being touched as an artist and a daughter and mother.



My mother told me about her parents. That they were artists among their regular lives. My grandmother went to Parsons school of design -- enabled by the men in her life.  My grandfather loved photography. I heard this many times and I remember him with a camera and trying to catch us all in photogenic moments. But none of this prepared me for the day, about a month ago, when I opened up the boxes of photos she saved of his slides. They were beautifully filed, labeled, and even had compelling names on them such as "my 50 favorite pictures".  [Note to all mortal photographers-- this is one way to make your work live]. 

I fell into 3 days of breathtaking photos of people I knew including myself, my family, and complete strangers. So, as we have been selecting photographers to work with Mother-Daughter Press I want to welcome John Feldhahn and share just a couple of photos of his.  John's family came from Germany and he was born in Nebraska to a family that joined the Church of Latter day Saints. His mother Anke was a seer, a prophet, and woman not to be trifled with.  John went to Pharmacy school and met Madeline Crick at college.

The gate shown in the first photo was made by Madelines father -- Mr. Crick at his foundry in Independence Missouri. Much of the wrought iron work in their yard came from the foundry.

Until recently however, this one below was the only photograph of Johns I knew well.



It is Gay's wedding day. He has set the stage for this photograph. Each detail carefully thought out. She is very happy and wearing yards of blue silk. He places a photograph of her husband to be in a frame behind her and one of her mothers wedding in the other picture. He asks her to hold a mirror and look towards it. She wants to hide her hands, the ones whose nails she nibbled and a febrile illness had rendered unlovely to her.   They practice many shots but this is the one they like best.
The care and attention to detail are part of what make this photograph so beautiful. The model is gorgeous and the connection of photographer to subject-- uncommon and good.

Gay later worked some of his photos in with hers luckily, the same garden he photographed stayed in the family and my aunt Lois worked in it and made it even more lovely so we have over 60 years of one garden in photos.  Gay took his intital slide and then added in elements of Lois' garden and her own too. In this picture, that is her bird, his bird bath, Lois' birdhouse, and all of them shared the orchard. The flowers were from all three gardens.  


We were all shocked to end up gardners after watching our parents do it. Years later wishing we could ask them questions. This is the next best thing to getting a second chance to play in the dirt with them and design somthing together.

We plan to put many of Johns Photos in a web gallery and some images to stock for those places that like historical or antique images.  I am so pleased to have these to show.

Congratulations to John and his family :)
Let us know if you want to see more of his work or their work "together". Look for the stone pedestal birdbath as one clue 
Sharon

Watching photographers & A love story

Living with photographers

In his quiet way James Bumgarner took a picture of his wife Gay Bumgarner
The Photographer
They are in Costa Rica and
She crouches in the undergrowth still and watchful
waiting, camera to her eye focused close.
There is a chance that the unusual butterfly of the area – it being the reason for their hike to this section of the forest, where it’s preferred plants grow --
and its unique black and white sworls, will come & be at home

She waits watching... carefully.  Filled with anticipation at this good spot and feeling lucky --- a lucky day perhaps.
she hears a click behind her and looks up smiling surprised to see her husband standing very near. 
He replaces the lens cap and wears a wry satisfied smile.
She smiles up at him-- and asks if he saw something "good."

He is happy with his camera and its long lens. He enjoys looking -- watching the exotic world ----and she thinks he would be just as happy with a good set of binoculars since he seldom actually takes a picture yet, he always seems content about it.
"Did you see something?” -- she wonders. 'what inspired him to actually take a picture?'
He looks at her with mischief and says,
"The view from here is just lovely" and she is filled with the pleasure of his attention and the compliment.
Their marriage is still brand new, her sense of good fortune unfazed.

He watches, as the wind plays with her hair
and smiles.
His pleasure in her company, her beauty, and her joy is a sturdy force
--- delight durable as an element of earth

In her white blond, Gringa hair, the butterfly is an exotic hair bow,
A stylish fascinator 
& as The Great Eggfly warms itself brief notions of flowers rise up -- butterfly visions-- created by the sun releasing the aromatic floral scent from her shampoo

Does the man speak to her of the butterfly?
No, likely not.
Her butterfly, the one meant for her, will come in time and she will be filled with excitement at its beauty and the efforts of making a picture.

Much later the yellow box of slides, "Kodachrome" comes in the mail and she peers  down her loupe at the slides on the lightbox.
She is confused and then she laughs in music.

Ah, the Great Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina)
She goes to him.
--------------------------------------------
Note: There weren't many photos that James Bumgarner took and this is one she kept.  These are my imaginings combined with my rememberings of those times.  For all who knew them, enjoy.  If you are a photographer or live with one....enjoy too.
Have you a photo or a story like this?

Sharon

Update - Mother-Daughter Press joins Boone Hospital new Patient Tower project combining architechture, art, and healing

New hospital tower designed for patient care and healing

From Columbia Business Times -Brian McNeill May 27, 2011 full article and pictures included

After six years of planning and a special design process, The Boone Hospital Center in Columbia Missouri will welcome the first patients into its new eight-story patient Tower on the 27th of June 2011.  

This $89 million project was designed by Michigan-based HKS Architects and incorporates state of the art energy systems and a design process that was featured at the Health Facilities Symposium & Expo (HFSE) in Chicago last year.  The presentation team included HKS healthcare design leaders and Mary Beck, vice president, at Boone Hospital Center. Their topic, “Success Design Strategies Working with Owner Teams,” featured a case study of the Boone Hospital Center’s new model of patient-centered care. The hospital, located in Columbia, Mo., was designed incorporating decisions from patients, families and nurses – and the mantra “nothing about me without me.” The session also provided practical tools and decision-making guidelines for participants to use when designing their upcoming building projects.

The new tower was created with nature as its dominant theme and it was designed to facilitate the interactions and movement between health workers and patients.  The lobby contains rich cherry wood walls and soft green carpets while the patient rooms are painted with earth-tone yellow and blue fabrics and paints.  A new "healing" garden creates a natural transition from the old building to the new one.

A key feature of the design was that all the public areas, and selected patient environments, are adorned with the works of mid-Missouri artists that were selected by H&P Consultants of Columbia  in collaboration with the Art Committee of the hospital.  Their emphasis in the selection process for the art included in the project was on representations of nature and organic elements.   The artwork is meant to reinforce a healing environment as the mission of the space is to provide a calm, nurturing, and restorative environment for patients.   Environments that include nature and natural light can profoundly effect a patient’s healing process.  For a more thorough description of design features with patient healing and comfort in mind see the article in "Inside Columbia Magazine"

Mother-Daughter Press and Gay Bumgarner Images has worked with three US hospitals through the project "health through imagery" to encourage healing environments in health care facilities.  Moreover,  because of our family connection with Boone Hospital I was happy to participate.  To see the 9 images selected by Boone Hospital and H&P consultants I have made a web gallery (Click here Boone Tower Images).  I also included an image that was gifted to the hospital by "The Salon"-- a group of wise and wonderful women in Columbia that wanted to offer one of Gays pictures to honor Gay and Jim Bumgarner and their long association with Boone Hospital.  Images available for purchase here online (email or call) or in Columbia through Jeff Berg at Creative Photo (573) 875-1841. Contact Sharon McDonnell via this website or Jeff Berg.

To celebrate a public open house and grand opening will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday June 26 from 12-3. The event will feature tours, health screenings and refreshments, according to a news release.

 artwork unveiled

Parker Eshelman | Buy this photo

By Parker Eshelman Tuesday, June 21, 2011

David Spear unveils his painting “Columbia Sunset,” a 12-foot-by-8-foot oil-on-linen work that will decorate part of Boone Hospital Center’s new patient tower.  (WOW! GO David! His work has to be seen to be believed-- very special).

Regrettably, I am not well enough to travel yet but I encourage all who might be able to go to check it out and tell the people there what a good idea it is-- giving art to people in hospitals.

Best wishes
Sharon

Path series & transitions- a gift contribution -- #2

Contributed by Julie Hansen

Julie: Sharon, I like the paths blog. There is a poem that Emma wrote that I thought of it right away.  

It's a gardening poem about growth, but the growth is life as well as flowers. 

Sharon:  I do like the poem and a lot. I look the liberty of adding in specific pictures to illustrate ideas that came to mind... the amazing face of the female snapping turtle-- ancient, wise, kind, fierce and a four season series that I have always loved.

Female snapping turtle works to fit through fence into field on her way

Growth

I can see you now,
eyes closed and arms full
of flowers, still dripping dirt,
roots lolling around your fingers,
as I look out through the kitchen window.

You told me the names of the flowers once,
but I can never recall them,
and I suddenly have the urge to ask
you what they are,
because I don’t want to keep forgetting.

Your glasses have slid
down your nose just a bit,
and it makes you appear much older
(perhaps older than I’d like
to admit you are).
I can see your mouth open,
sighing with the strain of age,
as you stand to survey your work.

You take a breath, eyes gazing,
a sense of accomplishment draped
across your squinting eyes, and your half-open mouth.

I can see you now
lean the rake against the tree,
the sun dipping into the mountains behind you,
and I commit this image to memory, because I am terrified
that one day I’ll forget it.

       ---Emma Hansen

Female snapping turtle makes her way across a field, close up

The path through the woods from the garden in all seasons- a circle without ending that always includes renewal

Exhibit by Gay Bumgarner "A Birds Eye View" and presented by Mother Daughter Press

Winter Exhibit Gay Bumgarner Photography

Opening January 30, 2011 an exhibit featuring the nature photography of Columbia native Gay Bumgarner.   Unfortunately the predictions for heavy snow last week led us to cancel the scheduled opening and we are aware this created some confusion- our apologies!  Thanks to the hearty souls that ventured out anyway and to John at the Historical Society for welcoming them in .

But, not to miss the fun, I (Sharon) decided to extend my stay in Columbia and, snow or no snow, the show will go on so, come on out.

Time: 1:00pm
Date: Sunday, Jan 30, 2011
Location: Boone County Historical Society, 3801 Ponderosa Street, Columbia, MO, 65201
Featuring: Photography by Gay McDonnell Bumgarner and printed by Sharon McDonnell her daughter.  We have a lovely collection of Gay's work and will be prepared with stories of her amazing exploits as well as the new plans for Mother-Daughter Press as we look to the future. 

This exhibit emphasizes her early work – many images not seen before. The visual display will include two main themes.  First, "behind the scenes" shows the extent that her skills and knowledge as a naturalist allowed her create environments that invited the wild creatures in for her to photograph.  To enrich your enjoyment of the images we have collected Gay's journal descriptions and augmented her first hand account with my own writings and research, and other published sources. Second we have created a collection "Faces if the Midwest" that shows the expressive faces of the animals in this environment-- from the insects to the cows.  Finally, a section of Gay's inspirational landscape images are included as well.   I hope you can attend There will be food and stories to share.  Invite your family and friends -- anyone that might be interested.   I am joined by family Dick and Tom Mendenhall.  

Selected high quality print products such as cards, mounted prints, fine art prints, and mousepads, and postage stamps will be on display and available-- in honor of the goal to include beautiful art in everyday life and its objects.


If you have any questions do not hesitate to call me on my cell phone at 802-275-6544 or Jen Flink at the Boone County Historical Association at 573-443-8936.  I hope you can attend and I look forward to seeing you. 

Sharon 

Patti Possum-- a friendy Midwest face

The danger of too few stories-- womens voices

For anyone that has learned the power of narrative and story particularly, if they were not in control of those stories that were supposedly their story.  A single oppressive story shapes the lives of all who tell it and receive it.  It shrink-wraps everyone like a web.

I give thanks to Ben Bellows who shared this gorgeous video and I dedicate it to Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes -- the queen and the trudge- the fairy and footslogger keeping stories alive but, even more important, for reminding people of their own power as storytellers and audience.  Your/my/our story has not been told.  To find your voice, start by talking. 

"Tell me"

Stor: The lost cat and the graphics artist --humor rich & dark

This "story" presents an exchange between "Shannon" mistress of a lost cat and "David" the graphic artist that she is hoping will help her design a poster to find her cat. This is a tale of passive-aggressive co-workers, using art and words to obscure communication, and a moral tale -- albeit at the expense of a fictional kitty-- that is too good not to share.  What happens is dark delicious humor.  Enjoy enjoy.

lost cats and if graphic artists were in charge 

Want more memorable humor?  It is winter and it gets dark early.  This kitty-tale reminds me of my all time favorite Youtube video called "herding cats." It is a hilarious short piece that we posted before.  If you missed it run, do not walk, to watch it.  See Herding cats

Kitten with an attitude, "Who are you calling cute?"

If you like these tell us by clicking "like" or add a comment-- even anonymously. We thrive on your good humor. 

Best wishes Sharon and Natalya.

Girl Math: Try this a word problem for your heart and frontal lobes

Watch this! A short clip from by William Ury the masterful negotiator and
peacemaker from a recent TED talk. It features a word problem using "Girl Math"
It is a story about transformation


Finding the 18th camel.
In this story the wise woman elder takes the long view and
by cleverly using math and intuition she creates
surprising and practical Magic
Magic that heals and in some cases
may cause laughter and a heart full of breath

This is what we hope to do and to encourage in our work via
Mother-Daughter Press

Sorry for the need to re-post. All the linking pieces didn't... but, hopefully I have a better sense of the process. Please let me know if what comes doesn't work

Sharon