Photos | Telling the Truth

light shadows

play quietly on

face of pond

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This indoor pond is in the Hamilton Fernery at the Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia. The fernery was built in 1899, Read the rest of this entry »

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lone giraffe

lone giraffe dwarfed by

vast savanna cloud-blue sky

walks with feet on ground

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Click here and here for photos and information
about the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.

© Elouise Renich Fraser, 12 February 2015
Photo credit: DAFraser, December 1999
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

scattered remnants

of a simple meal

simply prepared

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© Elouise Renich Fraser, 10 February 2015
Photo credit: DAFraser, September 2014
Portland, Oregon

green-gold waves of tea

dwarf laborers in distance–

rain clouds brew overhead

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Kenya tea farm images

In fall 1999 my husband and I enjoyed a day near Embu with friends. After lunch they took us to see nearby tea farms. The fields were beautiful. The work was not. Read the rest of this entry »

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lazy autumn day

black cat rests on fallen leaves–

copper eye stalks prey

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© Elouise Renich Fraser, 9 February 2015
Photo credit: DAFraser, September 2014
Outdoor Café at Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania

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A Child’s Prayer

Near to me,
not far away,
lies a world
where we can be
all that we
were meant to be.
Won’t you come
and go with me?

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© Elouise Renich Fraser, 7 February 2015
Photo credit: DAFraser, April 2004
Children’s Garden at Longwood Gardens, PA

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lush jacaranda

floats fragrance on bright spring air–

sinks roots deep in soil

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In fall 1999, when I was on my Nairobi sabbatical, I walked down this driveway and footpath daily. The scenery and smell were always changing, depending on the weather and what was cooking in the houses next to the footpath.

Because Nairobi is near the equator, the days and nights were nearly even. Sunrise and sunset arrived within half an hour of specified times. Within minutes daybreak arrived and the sun was up; dark descended just as suddenly. Flowers and flowering shrubs bloomed year round. During the day, the sun baked the top of my head. I carried a small sun parasol every time I left our apartment to walk to the main campus.

Most of the time it was dry and mild. Chilly in the early morning and at night, but pleasantly warm during the day, especially in the sun. Then the long rains began. Rain fell in sheets and torrents. They came suddenly, hung around for several weeks, and left as suddenly.

During the long rains, a large depression in a field next to the driveway/footpath quickly filled with enough water to create an impromptu pond. Planned, to prevent flooding. Plants, trees and pond life came alive. Everything covered in fine red dirt was now coated with thick red mud. Including my sandals and socks.

Jacaranda trees, not native to Kenya, came alive during the long rains. Because they don’t like thick red mud, their roots go deep and grow invasively looking for the soil and water they need. When they bloom it’s spectacular–not just the sight, but the fragrance. For a short time they’re at their peak. Then the flowers carpet the ground like confetti–one last look before they disappear until next time.

© Elouise Renich Fraser, 5 February 2015
Photo credit: DAFraser, Jacaranda Tree, October 1999
Jacaranda Flower from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacaranda