Poke Berry Rainbow

On this overcast afternoon I've been scouting for responses to today's showers, and I found a tiny volunteer pokeweed about 12 inches tall in my  south-facing side yard, already sporting one brave little white raceme. In the tangle of growth at the southeast corner, I spotted its likely parent, shading with its large leaves on their red stems little curving bows of red and purple berries.

Poke has been very hardy through our summer's drought this year, growing luxuriantly near
every neglected roadside fence. Its early spring shoots are edible greens, much prized by Tennessee pioneers and enjoyed even 
today by their descendants who have kept to 
the old ways.

Poke (Phytolacca americana) is native to the Southeastern United States and is also known as pokeberry, poke salad, and poke sallet.

Toting a Starry Night

Yesterday I made this photo of my tote bag, hanging from a hall door knob, for easy access. This beautiful print on canvas of Vincent Van Gogh's painting, "Starry Night," is a conversation starter wherever I carry it.

In the line waiting to vote, fans of Van Gogh commented on it to me.  More than one clerk at a check-out counter when I'm grocery shopping has said to me, "Oh, I love Van Gogh's paintings."

And the last time I shipped a package, the post office worker helping me said, "Where did you get that? I love 'Starry Night.'"

I bought the tote in the gift shop at the Parthenon Museum, after viewing an exhibition of Impressionist paintings there several years ago.

"Starry Night" had been one of my favorites, ever since I took an art survey course while working on my master's degree in elementary education, in the winter of  1958.

Fall Project

After the record-breaking August heat in Tennessee--with its accompanying long string of days with no rain--September has brought refreshing little spots of green to this urban landscape. A few thundershowers were all that was needed to brighten the summer-seared view.

I captured this little clump of weedy grasses near a concrete-block wall early this Saturday morning.
First I took a close-up of a single blossom--the first picture above--and then of all the little volunteers under the overcast sky.

These are the first photos in a fall project that I have set for myself. I am going to take a photo with my Canon G2 digital camera every day, in order to improve my skills. I shall shoot numerous views of my chosen subject for the day, and then I'll publish the most interesting one or two here at Mary's Musings.