And imperfect is exactly right. Yesterday was one of those delicious days when nothing much happened. I went about my work. Not too energetically. Alone on the farm again. The quiet is getting quieter. The road is still blocked by construction from both directions, it has been like this all summer but they seem to have come to a pause too. All the animals are doing a lot of sleeping. I collected images as the day progressed and then after our evening skunk free dog walk, I brought in the camera and had a look to see what we had for today.
Nothing seemed quite right. Again and again the image I decided to go with, the one that appealed the most, was not the picture I have been taught was right. It did not fit my equation of correctness. 
To show The Duke of Kupa’s disappearing tail as he goes through the moult, I had to choose between one that had his feathers in focus but no head and one that had the whole of his body but out of focus. The image needed to tell a story. The story of his feathers being abandoned without care all over the property. Me finding jewels scattered in the dirt. I had to have his head, even if it was out of focus. Otherwise it made no sense. So I chose imperfect and it was right.
I took a shot of Queenie Wineti, trying once again to get her incredibly long eyelashes. 
But the best one was the one that held a slightly soft tear in her gentle cows eye. The one in focus was clinical in comparison. It did not show the supreme gentleness of this stocky little cow. Her unassuming lack of acuteness.
I shot honey pictures one after the other but the one that stood out.. 
.. was the one of the clean up guys, missed a spot, they are saying. The image is imperfect, the harvest table is worn and wonky, the focus is not on the rising bee, and I have not cleaned up well so the bees have taken over. Their diligence is demanding that we see that the honey is all about them. Not glass jars and shiny lids. 
The haymakers field is growing back. And this time it will be allowed to grow. No more mowing and baling. Peace reigns once more. I am a gardener of grass. Pasture is my most important crop. We nurture the fields. Though once again this is a bracketed shot, a back up image that should not have been my first choice, but it says something. It is right.
I was talking to Senior Son last night about the book he was reading. I like it, he said, because every character is flawed. That makes sense I thought because we are all flawed. This is what makes us thoughtful. This is what makes us strive. As long as we embrace our flaws. Allow them. Work with them. People who cannot love their flaws are sad.
But then perfection appears, my pompous theories are thrust aside as nature gives us such balanced complete beauty that we have to stop. Forget the stories. Forget the work. Forget focus. Give our tired feet a moments respite and just watch. The silence was uncanny last night. The stillness as soft as the air. I wondered if I was going very deaf yesterday evening. The farmy was all for the eyes. The sunset majestic.
Yes, sometimes perfect is absolutely right to the wonderfully flawed beings that we are. Because we deserve these simple complete moments. Every single one of us deserves them. They are here for those who see. And if we do not get it wrong, how will we know when we get it right?
Though sometimes, a little bit wrong is perfect too.
Good morning. I hope you all have a lovely day. I will be on the farmy plodding along all day today, as usual. I have a list that I will forget to look at!
celi
On this day a year ago. I showed you the most common spider in the garden. This year I have not seen a single one. They are nowhere to be found. Now Mandy and John. Do not open this link. You know how you hate spiders. You just pop over and talk to each other about peaches and marmalade.
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
97 responses to “When flawed is just perfect..”
Perfection is boring, the stuff of corporations and advertising companies – they try to convince us every day that we can buy it. The gift is seeing the beauty and best in what’s actually there, like peacock plumage, cow eyelashes, working bees, a field you see everyday, and a sunset – thanks for sharing your gifts and not hype 🙂
certainly no hype around here, my greatest joy is that you are just as happy to see the small things with me as I am.. have a lovely day.. c
Those photos of Queenie’s eyelashes and the bees are astounding! Thanks for sharing.
Morning shoshana.. and you are most welcome! c
I love the bees in motion and Queenie’s eyelashes – wow! color me jealous 🙂
How she keeps her eyes open I have no idea!! c
That was a fantastic photo of the bees!
Morning yummy.. c
I believe that we learn the ‘rules’ of photography as well as many other things in life, so that we will know better how to ‘break’ those rules to put our personalities into our journey! 😉
Your shots are wonderful and tell a very everyday kind of story in such a gentle way that we all imagine (and wish) we are right there with you.
I wish you were right here with me too, sometimes i could do with a hand from a hard working person like yourself.. i must pop over. c
You bring to mind the saying about the cracked vessel letting in the light. I adore flawed because I had a career filled with perfectionism. Yuk. I see such beauty in the imperfect and adore being surprised by what the camera catches. Ah humanity.
Morning Aimee.. i am coming to visit your pages tomorrow. right now i am yawning like my face will break! I love that you love imperfect.. only the very best people can.. that is why our comments lounges are full of the most astounding minds. c
Simply marvelous! And so true, we can’t expect perfection all the time, because when it finally appears, it won’t strike us as wonderful as it really is. Just like your photos.
Good night Celi 🙂
that is so profound giovanna.. and if things were perfect all the time we would be bored out of our minds!! c
If one can’t see the beauty in imperfection, then how could one recognize perfection? You can’t have one without the other I think..it’s yin and yang…balance. Love your images today, especially sweet Queenie. Now I must go and visit the spiders.
That is a pretty perfect sunset!
Perfection 🙂
Morning Alarna.. c
Thank you for sharing that perfect sunset . . . reminds me I should really be slowly walking in the fresh air around that time also rather than ticking off work in the library . . . Oh, love the ‘bee shot’ also 🙂 !
maybe you can do the ticking as you walk, i love libraries, especially in the late sleepy afternoon.. c
[soft laugh!] Celi, we are diurnal opposites . . . When you get up to do ALL that work, I’m cuddling my pillow, but would never, ever be sleepy in the afternoon, or the evening, or way into the night! Vive la difference 🙂 !
What a wonderful meditation on perfection and imperfection. I’m reminded of the master weavers of Turkish carpets, who always wove in a small flaw, just to show that they weren’t competing with the gods or getting too prideful. Love your bee picture, and the drama of whipping that amazing sunset shot out of your magician’s hat after lowering our expectations with all the talk that went before!
i remember reading about that, thank you for the reminder. One could not want to be caught competing with the gods! c
I’m not a fan of spiders either. As you say, perfection is clinical, it isn’t real. Those imperfect photos truly reflect life in all its imperfect glory, the reality. 🙂
Love the bee picture, but all are special. Yes, Kupa’s head needed to be in the shot, too. It’s nice to see “real” sometimes. God does know how to paint the sky, does He not?
surely does! c
That little bee looks almost mammalian with all his hair.
Lovely words and wise thoughts, Celia.
Well, perfect or not, I love all of your pictures. You always capture the most subtle of looks or moments just so beautifully. I thought of you last night…I was outside cleaning up after the BBQ (in the dark – my perfectionism in action) and wouldn’t you know I came upon a skunk. I hightailed it back to the house to leave the rest for morning. I was not interested in having to clean up after one of those!