Walking After The Rain

  Though I haven't felt 100%, I do feel good enough to take our walk to Paciano every other day or so, weather permitting. This sweet 30-45 minute walk is one of the things I look forward to, while sitting at the gallery back home. It's just long enough and strenuous enough, with killer views and surprises around the corner, too.

  One major upside to the wet weather these first several days here, is the abundance of mosses that have popped up all over the old stone walls that hold back the terraced hills along the walk. This is something we haven't seen before, or at least not like this. 

  

Moss and the first violets popping up. Nice to see this little bit of color!

I don't know much about mosses, but I know I like them.
This one is so soft and sweet, plus bright.

  The second surprise are all the waterfalls along the way. We definitely have not seen these before. And the sound they make is pure heaven. We have also noticed several small landslides along the walk...some olive trees have been taken down, too. We see them down the hill, semi-covered in the thick mud from the slides. 

  We were told that November was super wet, and I do remember hearing that much of the area had severe flooding. The fields are so wet, nothing can be worked yet. Serious drenching, and still the rain comes. I guess it has slowed down, but every day so far it seems we have had a few good downpours, between the bouts of warm sunshine. It's a battle!

  

Waterfalls..I love them.

I am certain this is where the gnomes live, off season.....

This one is a true shower.. I wish we could hear them from the apartment,
especially at night...

  I know that, soon enough, the mosses will fade out, waiting for the next winter's rain, but I will enjoy watching the change until then. I wish I could really capture the textures and intense colors of them. They really appeal to my innermost palette, these are "my" colors...The greens and browns and greys of the mosses and stones.

  Each patch is it's own small world, or it's own natural graphic effect.

The variety of greens here, with the stone and greys...I just love it.

Fluffy and dreadlock-y, too.

  Near to the Panicale end of the walk, I spotted this odd patch of grayish-pinkish something...I guess it must be yet another variety of moss, but it's so different than any of the others. I thought it was stone, at first glance. 

  Maybe it's a lichen of some sort. I'm just not used to seeing really sopping wet lichens...Do they bloom?

Both small patches had these protruding "flower" growths. Very cool.

  I'm just happy to be out and walking. It's cold, it's wet, I'm a little under the weather...but I'm still having the time of my life, and I feel so grateful to be here to enjoy these small miracles.