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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Where I Live: Five Leelanau Elements


Looking for images to meet Flandrum Hill’s midsummer scavenger hunt challenge has been a delightful preoccupation these last few weeks. In the end, I settled on fairly straightforwardly literal interpretations of the five elements--nothing really "outside the box" at all. They are, however, very characteristically Leelanau County images, and all come from very close to my home here at the southern end of Leelanau Township.



I have represented wood with simple white birch trees (ubiquitous northern image) and water (eschewing lake scenes) with cumulous clouds over our old barn. The fire image is of a startling conflagration that surprised us one evening when one of our cherry-growing neighbors burned a huge brush pile of black locust to make way for new orchard. For metal I visited the grave markers of Bohemian iron-workers in the cemetery of nearby St. Wenceslaus church (farms and Lake Michigan dunes in background), while those beautiful fields of color on Kovarik Road gave me a picture of earth.



10 comments:

Joan said...

Hi, Pamela~~
Lovely photos! I especially like the birch trees and the fields.
The only literal image I could think of for "Fire" has been birthday candle flames. :)
You're in for a real treat when you view the others. Lots of variety!

Anonymous said...

Pamela, the elements from your corner of Michigan make for a wonderful addition. From the birches to the fields, sky and cemetery setting, it's neat how just five images can say so much about a place.

This is the first real live fire we've seen to date. Way to heat things up :)

Anonymous said...

Terrific! Real fire :) I love the scroll iron works.

Jessica - Magical Mundane said...

Another Michigander :) I really enjoyed your photos. That is one area of Michigan my husband and I haven't explored.

Jessica Winder said...

An excellent choice of images for the Midsummer's Scavenger Hunt.The selection of the beautiful cloud picture was inspired - I don't think anyone else considered that. You are also the only entrant, as far as I know, who has submitted a photograph of a real fire. The colourful fields representing the earth element are lovely. Well done.

P. J. Grath said...

Joan, Amy, Salah, I really enjoyed not only participating in this scavenger hunt but thinking about it as I looked at the world around me. Glad you all liked the fire. At first I thought it might be too frightening (it was at first to me!), but it was too spectacular not to use.

Jessica, I love the name—and the idea!—of your blog, “The Magical Mundane,” and the whole slug sequence was delightful. I often look at them and muse meditatively on snails in garlic, butter and herbs, going “Hmmmm, I wonder....” Others, you can see Jessica’s blog at http://themagicalmundane.blogspot.com/
Where do you live in Michigan?

Other Jessica—Your world of British seashore is entrancing, and I’m grateful to Flandrum Hill for bringing us together. Lovely seaweed! Others, this Jessica’s world can be seen at
http://natureinfocus.wordpress.com/

Gerry said...

I love these because of the strong sense of place--of this place, which I also love.

P. J. Grath said...

More and more I feel this way, Gerry. We are 'kindred spirits,' as the character Anne (ANNE OF GREEN GABLES) used to say.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful pictures, Pamela. And I love the whole scavenger hunt idea!

P. J. Grath said...

It takes a lot of time and thought to participate, but since it also meant more looking at my world, it was (as Spencer would say) "right up my alley." If you have time, Maiya, take a look at some of the other participants' submissions. Very cool stuff, from many different worlds and views!