• clouds,  desert,  landscape,  sunrises,  writing/reading

    What are the gifts of new days for?

    Predawn light along Peralta Trail, Arizona – 2016

    The gift of a new day (I touched on that in Thursday’s post) always offers the opportunity for something new to experience that will only happen or begin on this day. I’m so much more aware of that than in my youth. So here is a list of some opportunities that pop into my mind as I write this post, which could be totally different next week. It’s short because I’m expecting each of us to add our own.

    So, new days are for writing our first poem, begin or finish our autobiography, face the blank canvas of our first painting, bake our first pie and be brave enough to eat it, write our first song or maybe just the chorus, take dance lessons or dance in the rain, find the courage to ask her out for dinner, give our granddaughter her first driving lesson, develop our fist black and white print, watching our first sunrise in the desert in a state of awe, running our first marathon or accepting the fact it ain’t gonna happen at this age, begin a new adventure as we are never too old, plant a vegetable garden, learn to ride a horse or a unicycle or snowboard, and the list goes on and on….

  • landscape,  natural areas,  Reservoir Ridge Natural Area

    Opportunity

    Joe had a post last week where he talks about accepting the gift of images rather than taking them or capturing them. I believe that’s true and evident in my photography. And then this morning I was reflecting on how I call myself a photographer as if it’s something I became through self will, practice, training, study, vision. While all of those are needed, maybe I need to see it as another gift where “I’m being given the opportunity to be a photographer.” 😍

  • Bench,  journal,  writing/reading

    Experience Such a World

    A Bench with Light
    A Bench with Light

    “Each moment is an opportunity to create. We can see this in each sunrise, sunset, flower, rainbow, snowflake, as they are a series of creative moments. We are all gifted to create. We can create new views of and for the world. Why do we waste our creative moments? Is it fear of our creation to be flawed or rejected by others and ourselves? Yet, our art is not intended to be perfection but a chance to offer a gift. And, what about sloth? Sloth is another reason and closely related to fear. Sometimes it is easier to daydream and fantasize in our safe little world than spend the time and effort at creativity. What would the world be like if we all overcame our fears? What would it be to experience such a world?” An excerpt from my journal 1/13/2015

  • architecture,  doors

    Doors of Opportunity

    Door 135

    After taking to the air as a flight attendant I’ve find myself sleeping half the month in a different city. Because of this life style most of my photo opportunities are found while walking the streets in these cities. The doors of opportunity found walking a trail in nature are different than the doors of opportunity walking the streets of a city. When we take the time to look every scene within the city or within nature provides photo opportunities. One subject within the city streets that catches my attention is doors. They’re everywhere, sort of like trees or leaves in nature. When we associate that to life we can see many doors of opportunity. I wonder how often I missed a door of opportunity because I was not truly looking. I feel I’m learning to see more of these doors of opportunity.

  • architecture,  Documentary/Street,  doors

    New Opportunities

    No Handle 

    In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself.

    Jiddu Krishnamurti

    In the coming year we will face many doors of opportunities. Some will have door knobs to grab and some will not? We have the keys now we must find the doors with knobs. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!