“Each of us is an artist of our days; the greater our integrity and awareness, the more original and creative our time will become.”
John O’Donohue
Being an artist
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Backlit feathered reed grass on campus -
The Peacemaker
Shadows on the fresh snow The job of the peacemaker is to stop war, to purify the world, to get it saved from poverty and riches, to heal the sick, to comfort the sad, to wake up those who have not yet found God, to create joy and beauty wherever you go, to find God in everything and in everyone. Muriel Lester
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Living in Gratitude
The sun rising on a November morning “If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.”
On Tuesday I heard of separate tragedies that ripped the lives of two families apart. I’m unable to put my feelings into words. So, after my prayer and meditation I bundled up, grabbed my camera and headed to the bus stop. A spirit of gratitude began to arise with each step I took. I no longer was aware of the cold but yet very present to the moment. I began to see so much of the world around me and not just with a photographer’s eyes. Today the sun arose on both those families but their lives will never be the same. Yes, I’m living in gratitude.
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Yesterdays Sunset
Last night’s sunset along I-25 frontage road What a beautiful day we had yesterday. The temperature got up to 74 degrees so I got in both a walk and a bicycle ride. Everyone else seemed to have the same idea as bicyclists, skateboarders, runners, walkers were out in shorts and t-shirts. I decided to head out east of town and look for clouds as they were predicting a cold front moving in in the evening. I took this image about 6:00 pm. It had already dropped down to 50 degrees in about 2-3 hours. This morning, about 12 hours later, it is snowing and expected to continue into tomorrow with colder temperatures over the next couple days.
I have been interested in these two trees for a long time but have only been out here once before. These trees sit just off the frontage road of Interstate 25. so the traffic of the interstate is probably 40 feet directly behind me, the primary reason I don’t come out here. I like this scene but not necessarily its location. Hope everyone has a great Sunday and stay warm.
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Voice of the cotton tree
Cottonwood trees at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal “Perhaps you have noticed that even in the slightest breeze you can hear the voice of the cotton tree; this we understand is its prayer to the Great Spirit, for not only men, but all things and all beings pray to Him continually in different ways.”
Black Elk -
Snow is in the forecast
Backlit grass on my walk along Fisher Nature Area “Recently, photography has become almost as widely practiced an amusement as sex and dancing – which means that, like every mass art form, photography is not practiced by most people as an art. It is mainly a social rite, a defense against anxiety, and a tool of power.” Susan Sontag
Interesting to note that she wrote this back in 1973.
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Order and Chaos
Nature creates with chaos and man creates with order, or so it seems. Both make use of lines and curves to create. Architecture feels mostly ordered, static and has a rigid feeling to it. Nature feels more flexible, relaxed, in constant movement, never static and is free flowing.
I leave in the morning for my sabbatical to spend time in reading, writing, studying, prayer/meditation, quiet, learning to listen to the other within me. I have been uncovering, discovering, discarding the stinking thinking I had about myself and the world around me. Hoping this time with others on similar paths will continue in that process. Nervous and yet excited. What will I discover? I’m heading into this with as much openness as I am capable of. Yesterday was my 69th birthday so this is like a gift I’m giving to myself.
I do not expect to post much or read many of your amazing posts but will check whenever I can. They have a couple of computer on site for checking email so what access to the internet will be with my phone’s cellular data or some coffee shop I may find on a weekend. I’m actually looking forward to some time away from the internet, much like our friend Cedric just had for 2 months. I’m aware I spend too much time on it. See ya later.
