My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
I’ve liked what I’ve seen done with Chris Klug’s black and white images. If you’ve not been over there for a visit I suggest spending a few minutes over there. I like the results He gets from Silver Efex Pro in his post processing. So, I bought it knowing it would make me a better photographer, like him. About a year later I received an email offering a free NIK software package that included Analog Efex 3, Color Efex Pro 4, Dfine 2, Sharpener Pro 3 and Viveza and an upgrade to Silver Efex Pro. I took it. Needless to say, I’m not any better photographer because of these software tools and I have done almost nothing with any of them except Silver Efex Pro.
I’m finding there are a ton of options available in Silver Efex and I’ve touched very few of them. There are helpful tutorials in the internet in using this software. I just have to dig into it.
Paul shared a post about spending 30 minutes in the morning watching the wildlife and the sunrise. He described it as, “quite, cool, peaceful, orange … perfect.” “Perfect” always gets to me. It caused me to remember my early mornings of the past years. After showering and dressing I would spend most mornings reading the “news”. I started my day by filling my head with news about war, local and world crimes, political bull crap. On some pages I could see images of the next car they wanted me to in debt for, or see the competitive prices of potatoes and carrots between the local grocery stores. Then one morning it dawned on me reading the “news” was not the way I needed to start my day. So, I stopped reading the “news”, or watching it, over 20 years ago. And, I don’t miss it.
This past Monday morning one of the regular customers walked in to the coffee shop and wanted to know if we all new the latest news. Seems we had a rowdy weekend in town. Without asking, he passed on his latest “news”. A riot broke out at a large party on a cul-de-sac near campus. Luckily no one was injured. The next “news” he shared was about a shooting where a police officer was shot and wounded and the suspect was killed. This is not how I wanted to start the morning. The news he so desperately wanted to share was bad news and not good news? It seems like 1 in 20 stories in the paper are about good things.
I prefer to spend my mornings in a quiet and contemplative place. I have sacred place in my home where I sit and watch the sun rise. I quietly sip on my personally made latte. I read, journal and enjoy my time. Or, I can find a secluded place outside of town and watch the sunrise. I can listen to the sounds of nature rather than the trash truck. I can feel the coolness or warmth of the air and allow it all to penetrate my soul. With each of these, I feel I’m filling my mind and soul with better images to start the day
I think this is the temperature where I start to feel chilled as we move deeper into the fall season. It’s not a cold but a chill that is deep inside the body. And, there is a chance it may be rising a degree or two each year I get older. Or, it could just be the beginning of October.
Before you think I’m going on a negative rant know that fall is one of my favorite seasons. I enjoy the changes all around me, the colors and the cooler temperatures. Even the first frost is neat to wake up to, unless I’m camping. Saturday morning was the first time this season for scraping frost off the windshield. It’s a season I like to pull out the fleece pullovers, sweaters, and gloves from the bottom drawer of the dresser. Dust off the slippers. I like the aroma filling my house as I make stew or chili. I like to wrap myself in a blanket in a comfy chair and sip on hot tea or a freshly made latte while I read. I like the walks and watching leaves make their downward journey as they partake of the circle of life. I like to hear and see the Canada Geese making their seasonal migration. Maybe the chill is because I know the coming weeks will bring even colder temperatures. Stay warm and enjoy the coming week.
Time in nature can be for healing and calming the soul. While on my drive up the Poudre Canyon the other day I came across two people who were finding time in nature, one and artist and one a fly fisherman.
On Tuesday afternoon I drove up Poudre Canyon in search of aspen colors and to get out of town. I was pleasantly surprised to see a few still in good condition and color and I got an extra surprise at Joe Wright Reservoir near Cameron Pass. It was nice with the overcast skies and light rain. I was somewhere around Rustic when the rain began and major wind picked up. I took my time and stopped several times to stretch my legs, take a few photos, stand in the rain and wind and mess up my hair. I could see what looked like heavier rain as I drove farther west and increased in altitude. As you can see I began to see that the higher peaks were covered in snow. Before I reached Joe Wright Reservoir, which is around 10,000 feet in elevation, the rain became sleet then to snow. I had a wonderful time!
