The color red
There are a lot of browns and greens in the natural world, but not too many reds. The color red seems to have a special place. I spent several minutes this morning watching a male cardinal bathing in at the edge of our pond. I found it captivating. The brilliant red of his face and breast were set against the dull green and brown of the earth and grass as he flipped the water through his feathers. Then there were birds everywhere - they had been there before, but just background. Now I heard their calls and watched their flutterings. Two birds struggled for a piece of ground for forage. Calls coming from far away.
Its another foggy, wet day where everything seems close and only sound penetrates the thick air.
Red seems precious in the natural world. There are a lot of red flowers. Flowers are about the most transient and delicate thing in the natural world. A lot of berries are red. Nature seems to have selected this color to carry on the survival of those plants. Leaves turn red in the fall, as they die and fall to the ground to continue the cycle of life. Of course, blood is red, which is the essence of life. I have heard that there are more shades of green that the human eye can perceive than any other color. That makes sense, I suppose since it is in the middle of the visual spectrum. I suppose since the natural world is mostly green our eyes must have adapted and developed to maximize perception of that color. But, red is special. It sits at the outer limit of our visual perception, yet its color is never missed.
Musings of the day. In the news category, I just returned from Texas where I was called to service to wade through several hunded pages of questionnaires from prospective jurors. The case settled before I had to get fully engaged in the process. I'm sure that my presence brought the other side to full submission. It could be that as well as anything else I suppose. It's like that joke: "How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris? Who knows, its never been tried!" The most interesting question on the form asked prospective jurors to list the people they most and least admire and why. I don't use that question typically, but is seems to be a favorite in the biz. I'll post a few of the really good answers later in the week, so check back. It is sure to be rich entertainment.
Yin and Yang is what life is about. Keeping them in balance is the key.
JJ
Its another foggy, wet day where everything seems close and only sound penetrates the thick air.
Red seems precious in the natural world. There are a lot of red flowers. Flowers are about the most transient and delicate thing in the natural world. A lot of berries are red. Nature seems to have selected this color to carry on the survival of those plants. Leaves turn red in the fall, as they die and fall to the ground to continue the cycle of life. Of course, blood is red, which is the essence of life. I have heard that there are more shades of green that the human eye can perceive than any other color. That makes sense, I suppose since it is in the middle of the visual spectrum. I suppose since the natural world is mostly green our eyes must have adapted and developed to maximize perception of that color. But, red is special. It sits at the outer limit of our visual perception, yet its color is never missed.
Musings of the day. In the news category, I just returned from Texas where I was called to service to wade through several hunded pages of questionnaires from prospective jurors. The case settled before I had to get fully engaged in the process. I'm sure that my presence brought the other side to full submission. It could be that as well as anything else I suppose. It's like that joke: "How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris? Who knows, its never been tried!" The most interesting question on the form asked prospective jurors to list the people they most and least admire and why. I don't use that question typically, but is seems to be a favorite in the biz. I'll post a few of the really good answers later in the week, so check back. It is sure to be rich entertainment.
Yin and Yang is what life is about. Keeping them in balance is the key.
JJ