Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged insects, Inspiration, moth, Photography, urban landscape on July 7, 2016| 1 Comment »
It was hot yesterday. All the windows were open so I wasn’t too surprised to discover this moth flying about in the kitchen. It got stuck for awhile, unsure how to depart. It rested low on the wall and by leaning over a radiator and twisting a bit (and carefully) I was able to get this one shot. Not too long after, it arose from the shadows and made its way out into the night.
Posted in Nature Notes, tagged Don Marquis, insects, Inspiration, moth, moths, nature, Photography, poetry on July 4, 2013| 4 Comments »
Seeing these fragile remains made me think of the poem by Don Marquis, the lesson of the moth.
Posted in Books I Love, Inspiration, Music, tagged Archy & Mehitabel, Bugs Bunny, Camille Saint-Saens, Carnival of Animals, Contributing Writer, Don Marquis, light verse, moth, music, musings, Photography, photos on September 14, 2011| 1 Comment »
I found this moth on my kitchen table. I have to admit, thanks to Steve, I see moths just a little bit differently than I did before he and I met. Because he and I are of different generations, he often introduces me to art and music that I am quite sure I would not chance upon without him. Most recently he introduced Archy, a philosophical cockroach who used to be a poet in a previous life, and Mehitabel, a wise-talking alley cat who believes she is Cleopatra reincarnated. Created in 1916 by Don Marquis in his daily column for the New York Evening Sun, the pair share adventures expressed in light verse. One of Steve’s favorites: the lesson of the moth. In time, the shorts were compiled into books, and a musical was recorded with Carol Channing voicing Mehitabel.
Steve tracked down a CD containing the original music production. We listened last night. It was a treat to hear the actors bringing such unique characters to life. Now, also found on this CD is the Carnival of Animals, an instrumental work paired with words by Ogden Nash. When the Carnival music started, it was beautiful … and it was strangely familiar. I asked Steve who confirmed, “It’s a classic by Saint-Saens. I first heard it as a child, when my father played it in the 50’s.” “Hmmm,” I replied. “I think I first heard it on Bugs Bunny.” Steve shrugged. “That’s where you first heard Wagner, isn’t it?” Well, too true. Meanwhile …
* You can hear the complete version of the Saint-Saens Carnival of Animals suite via this link.
* Read more about and by Archy & Mehatibel here.
* FYI, Carnival of Animals was featured in a Bug Bunny production which you can read more about at the bottom of this wiki page. And to learn more about Bugs Bunny as classical music teacher, check out this wonderful page called Bugs Bunny Goes Classical.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged Acadia, blueberries, feathers, forests, luna moth, Maine, moth, Photography, pine cone on July 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Recently, in the quiet of the Maine woods and along the shores I saw many beautiful things. Like a feather caught in seaweed.
And wild blueberries sprouting along rocky crags.
Pinecones, of course.
Most surprising were the butterflies and moths.
