• leaves,  quotes

    Happiness comes from…

    October 17, 2023
    Leaves from my morning walk

    What fills the heart with happiness, ironically enough, is not what we get out of the world; it’s what we put into it. Being about something worthwhile, spending our lives on something worth spending a life on is what, in the end, makes us happy.

    Joan Chittister

    My barista this morning was Stephen. I hadn’t seen him for a while and discovered he’d taken some time off while his father was out here visiting. It sounds like their time together made them happy. 😊

    I consider myself a happy person. My greeting by Stephen this morning enriched my happiness. Having said that it seems to take more to upset me than in the past. However, I must admit that drivers can test my peace, serenity and happiness. At this stage in my life happiness does not come so much from what I do as when I was pursuing a career, gathering the things the world told me I needed and so on. For me happiness comes from the lifestyle I attempt to live, a spiritual lifestyle which includes starting my day with prayer and meditation. I call this quiet time, center myself for the day. Happiness comes from how I treat and respect all of life that shares this world with me. Happiness comes from what creative acts I offer as a gift, such as photography or my blogging. Happiness comes from listening and being present to a friend or stranger. Happiness comes from times in nature, watching the sunrise or sunset or the changing colors of the fall season. Happiness comes from building relationships with my family, friends, strangers and the natural world around me. I could go on but instead I invite you to share with us some things that bring happiness in your life and the life of those around you. I told you there would be more leaves! 😂

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  • leaves,  quotes

    Holy Leaves

    October 16, 2023

    It is in the darkest nights of our souls, when all we know is that we know nothing, that the presence of the sacred may quietly well up, mingling with our pain and connecting us to a love that will never die.

    Mirabai Starr

    There is something enjoyable about walking among trees while they drop their leaves on me and around me, whether in a local park, a natural area or my neighborhood. Next time you experience that just close your eyes, allow the trees to bless you with their holy leaves. It may be an opportunity to experience the presence of the sacred. More photos of leaves to come.

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  • leaves,  Plants,  quotes

    Wisdom

    October 4, 2023

    The governor resigned his exalted office and came to the Master demanding to be taught.
    ”What is it you wish me to teach you?” asked the Master
    ”Wisdom.” was the reply.
    ”Ah, my friend! How gladly would I do that were it not for one major obstacle.”
    ”What?”
    ”Wisdom cannot be taught.”
    ”So there’s nothing I can learn here.”
    ”Wisdom can be learned. But it cannot be taught.”

    Anthony de Mello
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  • leaves,  Plants,  quotes

    What is my intention today?

    September 15, 2023

    The intention of a photographer is to capture the beauty in places, obvious or hidden, in which modern age and technology cause us to dismiss.

    Kassadi Collins

    I suspect that each of us could walk around our neighborhoods for a half hour and find a multitude of images that we would call keepers. For it is my belief that nature is creating scenes at all times, just for the joy of it. We just need to look and see, just for the joy of it. Yet we can walk through the day with our technology close at hand and miss much of the beauty this world offers. Maybe we need to ask ourselves the question that Kassidi is referring to; What is my intention today?

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  • fall season,  leaves,  Plants,  seasons

    Telling on Myself

    September 9, 2023

    I’m telling on myself. Thursday morning I took a few images at Pineridge Natural Area of the predawn light. I did not shoot many images, making 7 compositions, placing the horizon in the various locations in the frame. When I loaded them on the computer at home they were all underexposed. I then discovered I had set the camera in manual mode yesterday and never checked the exposure. I made a critical assumption the camera would take care of everything, all I had to do was make the composition. Wrong. Way too much dependance on the camera and not checking my settings!

    A lot of seasonal changes are taking place here in Colorado. As the nights get longer and there’s less sunlight, leaves stop making chlorophyll, losing their green colors, some change to yellow, orange, red, brown and gray. These leaves will freeze in winter, so the trees are letting go, allowing them to decompose and restock the soil with nutrients for next spring. I love this time of the year and this process of dying to renew life.

    I attended my 55th class reunion dinner last night and enjoyed catching up with them. One facet of reunions is finding out more have died than I knew about. Just the same we get to reminisce about our youth. I’m leaving a few minutes to attend today’s picnic. I am finding it interesting how little I really knew about my classmates and the erroneous assumptions I had about them in high school. And that is also true of how they perceived me. Many thought they didn’t fit in. Just like me! Fascinating to me.

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  • leaves,  Plants,  quotes

    In the spotlight

    September 5, 2023

    Most of the things that we notice, we notice in passing, on our way to something else; then, every so often, something gives us reason to pause. Something catches our eye or draws our attention, and we’re drawn for a moment to ponder or to reflect on that which awakened us in this way. 

    James Finley

    It’s a cool morning, a feeling of fall. The leaves are changing colors and the trees are releasing these leaves to move onto their next stage of life. You can’t help but notice and pause as the changes take place. As a dude with a camera I’m not sure I always pause to ponder and reflect but gravitate to checking out the light and composition. 😊 However, I like to think that’s changing.

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  • leaves,  Mary Oliver,  moon,  Plants,  quotes

    … the real poem.

    August 30, 2023

    From the Book of Time

    I rose this morning early as usual, and went to my desk.
    But it’s spring,

    and the thrush is in the woods,
    somewhere in the twirled branches, and he is singing…

    I am touching a few leaves.

    I am noticing the way the yellow butterflies
    move together, in a twinkling cloud, over the field.

    And I am thinking: maybe just looking and listening
    is the real work.

    Maybe the world, without us,
    is the real poem.

    Mary Oliver

    I hope you were able to see the blue moon last night or this morning, one of the brightest and largest moons of 2023. I will try this evening to watch it rise and maybe get a photo. My son called last night and was in complete awe of the size and beauty of the moon. The blue moon won’t happen again until 2037. Praying for those in the path of hurricane Idalia! I am off to meet my friend Mark for the senior breakfast meal at IHOP. Have a great day!

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