My online journal sharing interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
Yesterday morning I arrived at Blendon Woods Metro Park just as they opened the gates so I pretty much had the park to myself, everyone else was in bed or the shower. The morning dew had done it’s work of art so it was my pleasure to find a few images to add to my library.
As I write this post it is almost 11:00 pm Sunday evening and I’m in my hotel room. Another day of flying is done and a long day at that. I’ve come to enjoy these times when I can relax and reflect back over the day. I smile when I think about the two little children sitting in row 12 who are excited because they are flying for the first time and heading for good times with grandma. I imagine grandma is excited too. I will pray for the middle aged man who struggled to smile because his dad is not expected to live and Hospice suggested the family call him. I also enjoyed reconnecting with a couple who were on one of my flights 3 days ago and are now heading home. And when the opportunity presents itself and I can peek out the window, the view from my office is so much nicer than the 8×8 cell I use to work in. The added bonus to the day was arriving at the hotel and finding a chocolate chip cookie with my name on it. 🙂 Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! Goodnight.
As we practice each day in this passion for photography we learn to place our “subjects of attraction” within the field of view of the lens we are using and with our unique vision. We can frame to eliminate objects that distract us from our subject of interest or we can include objects to give perspective and size to our image. In the above image the shadows are all that I included. They were what I my eyes focused on, so I moved in close to exclude “objects of distraction.” There is no identifiable tables and chairs to let the viewer know it was outside a coffee shop or if there were people nearby. It is our choice what we include and what we exclude.
Okay, I could be wrong but I think this is called a Russula Mushroom. I came across four of them grouped along the path in Blendon Woods Park and was immediately drawn to the red color. So, with tripod in hand and a macro lens mounted on my camera I got down on my knees for several macro images. My pants were dirty and wet and I did a bit of grunting as I stood back up. (This aging body does not function the way it did 20-30 years ago, it creaks and cracks at times. 🙂) Rain earlier in the morning left everything with a bright shine and wonderful contrast to work with. It almost looks like a bite has been taken out of this one. Thinking I may have to buy a longer focal length macro.
I think most of my missed opportunities, and this includes all areas of my life, are because I fail to be there, to take the necessary steps to be there. If I had not picked up my camera and tripod then headed to Blendon Woods Metro Park, I would not have had the opportunity to meet this milkweed bug face-to-face. Nor, would he/she have had the opportunity to meet me. 🙂 If you look close enough I thin there is a smile on their face. I did not plan our encounter but was actually searching for raindrops on leaves or flowers after a hard rain we’d just had. And, once I’d experienced this moment I needed to know something about them, so I googled milkweed bugs. I discovered an interesting little character. Yep, I need to place myself in more places so I do not miss any more opportunities.
And, in case you need to know a milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, is a very large–sized hemipteran of the family Lygaeidae. And, believe it or not, they feed on milkweed plant juices, seeds and occasionally on other plant juices.
I enjoy the photo opportunities after a morning rain.
I have a wandering mind, a traveling mind, one that goes many places. I spent time at Blendon Woods Metro Park the other evening listening to the birds and being away from the bustle of the world of city. I found a bench looking out over a meadow and parked it. I wrote in my journal a few thoughts and feelings but my mind was constantly being distracted. It is a recurring theme for me. Sometimes those thoughts need to be written down as they will tell me more about myself or be the voice of the muse.