If there is magic

on the planet

 
it is contained in the water.

~ Loren Eisley

This blogger, like many, loves to acknowledge seasonal firsts-- as in our first rain-- oh how welcome it is.

Here's last year's first-rain post.

This rose is known as both 'Francois Dubrieul' and 'Barcelona', or as one or the other. Yes, it's one of those rose-world-confusions that you can read about here.

There is nothing true anywhere; the true is nowhere to be seen; if you say you see the true, this seeing is not the true one.

~ Abraham Lincoln

My friend, Jean Vieth, gave me this rose, and I've been admiring its gorgeous blooms in my garden since last April. But I'd never snapped a photo until Friday-- in Anita Clevenger's garden. One perfect bloom was all it took for me to "see" and finally click (in more ways than one).

It's also a beautiful memento of a spectacular rose weekend. Our rose arranging seminar, hosted by Anita Clevenger and Barbara Oliva, was "ab fab," as my daughter would say. Gleanings from Anita's garden, the Sacramento Old City Cemetery Rose Garden, the gardens of seminar participants, and from my own garden, made for rich and gorgeous materials to play with. I wish I had photos, or better yet, a movie.

It's always such a pleasure to breath the air of roses and rose lovers. I met so many lovely women-- I want to thank you for your joyful enthusiasm, and your roses!

As far as seeing goes (both internally and externally), I think we all had new vistas to explore.

Thanks again!

In the house of words was a table of colors. They offered themselves in great fountains and each poet took the color he needed: lemon yellow or sun yellow, ocean blue or smoke blue, crimson red, blood red, wine red.

~  Eduardo Galeano
The Book of Embraces

These two shots are outtakes from the last post. The red infusion set them apart, calling for special attention.

The red comes from Oklahoma, the white is R. multiflora.