Mono Monday. : : Communication

Gusty winds that feel straight from the Arctic didn't prevent it from being a beautiful day. We're not used to going so long with only the occasional glimpse of the sun, so a three day stretch with no rain and quite a bit of sun has been wonderful. I was so taken with the clouds rising above the hills as we drove home from Kathy's today. It was testament to the wind that the clouds were shape shifting as we watched. I was going to abandon the mono  challenge in favor of color, but upon looking at this picture in mono the clouds didn't look that different.  

I spend my life trying to avoid things like wires and signals when I take pictures of the landscape, but much as John takes it as a personal affront when he has to stop at a traffic light, I think that they are a crucial form of communication on busy streets.  I sometimes seek them out because they make getting across busy streets and intersections possible. 

Careful inspection will also reveal another form of communication in this shot along the ridgeline. 

The vineyards are still mostly dormant now, but their starkly pruned shapes are softened by the white flowers growing as a cover crop between the rows of vines. Different wineries use different cover crops. They seem to be branching out from the once ubiquitous mustard.

One curious thing about this shot is the fact that although there is a wheelchair ramp and cement apron between the traffic lights, it appears to lead nowhere. Poor communication if one is relying on a wheelchair.

Thanks to all of you who made such lovely comments on Tim's birthday. We called him last night and sang the birthday song. I'm sure he hated it....