The conch shell is one of buddhism’s eight auspicious symbols.

It is an emblem of power, authority and sovereignty whose blast is believed to banish evil spirits,
avert natural disasters, and scare away poisonous creatures.

Among the eight symbols, it stands for the fame of the Buddha’s teaching, which spreads in all
directions like the sound of the conch trumpet.

I am about to start a collaborative painting project with Mo Scollan and Gabel Karsten. The idea is to each pick 3 objects,
do a painting with those objects and then pass them on to the next person. After round one we will each have produced 3
paintings. We might do multiple rounds.

Picking three objects is harder than you might think. I have been contemplating which objects to choose for a couple of weeks
now. The photo below is my first attempt.

So this morning I walked myself and the screech owl I have had in my freezer for a couple of weeks just over to Bouldin Creek,
which is a 2 minute walk from my front door. I have been meaning to do this for what seems like forever. The photos I shot of
the owls in my yard weren’t working. My yard is just too tame.
At the moment I like the first one best for a painting, but some thing about an owl in the sunlight caught my attention.

After I felt like I captured what I was after, I thanked my feathered friend and left him there in the creek to continue his journey.

this tiny beautiful creature was discovered by my neighbors in their yard this morning. it was the second one in the last few
days. very sad. there has been quite a few of these baby screech owls in our neighborhood this spring. it’s been pretty exciting.
hanging out in the trees in the day, flying around screeching at night.
people love the owls.

here is a photo of the first owl we found. i sent this image to a friend who said it looked like a hand puppet, and i would have to
agree. it’s a difficult and strange thing arranging, i guess we can say, posing the dead. perhaps i should speak with a mortician.

a grouping of things transforming found in my back yard this morning

Okay, so i am enjoying taking photographs of small dead creatures, but just as much, i am enjoying the interactions with the people that bring these
creatures to me. This little creature, a lizard, was delivered to me  in a shoebox by Dean. I think Dean is about 3 years of age, and seeing him standing
on my front porch with that shoebox just made my day. This little lizard was in perfect condition and i am thinking one of Dean’s most prized possessions,
so i just borrowed the lizard overnight and just now brought him back to his owner.

i know it is sad that things die, but how awesome is it that i got to really take a look at a lizard. They are always scurrying around my yard, but i never
knew they had those beautiful blue markings on their bellies. and look at those “hands and feet”, more human than i ever imagined.

big thank you to dean for sharing!