rebecca soble

This afternoon it was drizzling during my back roads country commute.  Passing a weathered and rickety barn, I spied a young raccoon looking out from the hayloft window.  One paw raised in the air, as if it were checking on the rain.   Catching this little scene in the two seconds it took my car to pass was a remarkable funny lighthearted moment.  Just me and the raccoon, watching the rain.

Neither of these images is what I would call a great picture in terms of photographic aesthetics, but I love them anyway. For me, they capture the essence of their setting perfectly and evoke a lot of positive feelings in me.

I like the crow picture because it makes me think about the wonderful quiet and peace you can find so easily in the country. Not by visiting and taking scenic pictures, but by living there and experiencing the open space and seasons and wildlife. It also reminds me how much I love the beauty of the small things in the country — wildflowers by the roadside, weathering fences, a single bird soaring in the sky.

I took the picture below while walking through Times Square at night. It had to be a quick picture, because standing still in the middle of the sidewalk was just not acceptable. I’ve taken lots of pictures in New York but none captures the energy of the city as this one does. I love the challenge of the city streets and the confidence that comes from just making it through. I love the incredible variety of people, and the crazy things they do and say. I love how you can still experience the centuries of history crammed into this little island. I love how there’s always new ideas coming, mental firings stimulated just by walking the streets and watching what’s happening around you.

I adore the peaceful minimalism of the country, I revel in the high-energy overstimulation of the city. I have not yet found anything to love about the suburbs.

one spring rain and soon
tender green stubble covers
muddy tractor ruts

If you’ve noticed me in recent weeks walking the creek, meadow, and roadsides around town, you’ve probably also seen that I’ve been carrying a book. You’ll have seen me here and there stop abruptly in the middle of my stroll and start riffling through the pages. I’ll look up now and then, keep flipping pages, perhaps kneel on the ground or peer closer at what appears to be just weeds. The more often I go, the less stopping you’ll see me do, because I’m acquiring a new body of knowledge.

The book is the Peterson Field Guide to Wildflowers, Northeastern and North-Central North America. The book is written and illustrated by Roger Tory Peterson, one of the world’s most renowned naturalists. The book’s major division is by color, and then within each color the wildflowers are broken down by family, with a symbol of the general flower shape as a guide. In the beginning it’s a little daunting to try to find one plant (especially if it’s white or yellow) but after a while the symbols become more familiar.

I love learning about the wildflowers on several different levels. One is just about me as information collector — any information that comes in interesting sets seems to intrigue me. Aside from that, I like developing my observational skills. I like that now when I walk through a meadow I see it differently than I did before - instead of being a simple mass of green, there is more specificity, I see individual plants and have a better understanding of my surroundings. (Some information gathering about grasses would also be a tremendous help with that.)

I like knowing which flowers are native and which are alien, I like knowing which ones are closely related to each other, I like learning the little tricks for identifying (plants in the mint family have square stems). I’m looking forward to seeing how the wildflowers change with the seasons (I’ve only been doing this a few weeks). I like quizzing myself as I walk - see a plant that I know I’ve looked up and scour my brain for the name. And of course, I love the names: May Apple, Chickweed, Stitchwort, Northern Bedstraw, Wild Madder, Yarrow, Boneset, Plantain, Chicory, Oxeye Daisy, Fleabane, Mullein, Coltsfoot, Cinquefoil, Trefoil, Purslane, Hawkweed, Vetch, Valerian, Marsh Mallow!