Week 4: Leafy Twinkles & Splashes

Promise: it was purely coincidental that I'm also posting about trees/nature... haha, yay!

La Verna, Italy

    Since starting the class I'm noticing the simple but important influences of light in daily life. As Leah posted, I also like taking walks through Aldrich Park, and also naps. When school is in session I don't go hiking or exploring as often as I'd like to, but when the opportunity arises it's very refreshing to be away from the man-made.
    Last Summer I was super lucky to get to be a part of travel-study, and seeing a bit of Europe for 5 weeks was a wonderful life experience. The architecture, different cultures, and the expanses of land that I am not accustomed to in Irvine were awesome. The picture above is from a class trip to La Verna where a very old monastery sits near the top of the mountains. History has it that St. Francis walked through those very woods in meditation/prayer, spoke with the animals, and received 'stigmata'. These woods, of course, are absolutely the most memorable and one of the most serene I've ever been able to be in. The light coming through twinkled, danced, and sometimes sang... I love the feeling of walking through cool shadows and getting sparse splashes of sun.

Twinkles & Splashes- magic!

    Aside from the more natural environments, I've noticed the plants in my home a bit more--- most of the one's I'm trying to keep alive enjoy being in muted light, but their leaves still move toward the window.
   Another special place that I don't have a picture of is Muldoon's Pub in Newport Beach. A good friend and I have been going there annually for about 5 years now on St. Paddy's Day--- and this is all relevant because this pub has an atrium with a large tree growing out the middle up past the second story. Every year we arrive in the morning for the band's first set and dance shamelessly under this tree, it's a good time, go if you can.