Once we discover that the ‘book of nature’ is an ancient idea—that this really was God’s first way of reaching out to us—then it’s like we’re stepping into this giant prayer book when we step out into the natural world. This makes it impossible for me to be anywhere in creation, now, and not be aware of this God who is crouching down low, just waiting for my attention.
Barbara Mahany
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Storm Clouds
Breathe in, breathe out,
Julia Fehrenbacher
breathe until you feel your bigness,
until the sun rises in your veins.
Breathe until you stop needing
anything to be different.I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
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Touch My Soul
Let love lead your soul
Rumi
make it a place to retire to,
a kind of cave, a retreat
for the deep core of being.The leaves have been changing colors the past couple weeks around my condo. One tree has dropped most of its leaves. However, the greens are vibrant at Spring Creek Park with lush foliage in the trees and a well manicured lawn. I plopped myself on one of the park benches and watched the clouds continuously reshape themselves. Even though these clouds provided rain in the mountains, we did not get any. But, even without the rain, one of their tasks was to touch my soul.
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The Beauty and Mystery
To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again. The heavens change every moment, and reflect their glory or gloom on the plains beneath.
Ralph Waldo EmersonNo matter how often I come here, each photograph is one that has never been seen before. That is the beauty and mystery of nature. That is the beauty and mystery of our photography. What an amazing gift! Enjoy your weekend!
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Its self and its form are one…
The poet wants to drink from the well of origin; to write the poem that has not yet been written. In order to enter this level of originality, the poet must reach beyond the chorus of chattering voices that people the surface of a culture. Furthermore, the poet must reach deeper inward; go deeper than the private hoard of voices down to the root-voice. It is here that individuality has the taste of danger, vitality and vulnerability. Here the creative has the necessity of inevitability; this is the threshold where imagination engages raw, unformed experience. This is the sense you have when you read a true poem. You know it could not be other than it is. Its self and its form are one.
John O’DonohueI felt a bit restless and leaning on the discontent side of things Sunday afternoon. I would say it’s what O’Donohue calls “the private hoard of voices” that sometimes hang out in my head. My solution was some journaling time, a walk at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area and connecting to the poem of nature (I like that phrase). After journaling I decided I better get a walk in before it rained as the wind had picked up and darker clouds slowly moved in. Good timing as It began sprinkling by the time I walked back to the car but it never did rain. I have been fascinated by some wonderful clouds this spring and Sunday was another day for them. I accepted the gift nature offered me and now offer it to you!
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The Spell of Clouds
A cloud is a spell against indifference, an emblem of the water cycle that makes this planet a living world capable of trees and tenderness, a great cosmic gasp at the improbability that such a world exists, that across the cold expanse of spacetime strewn with billions upon billions of other star systems, there is nothing like it as far as we yet know.
Maria PopovaWhat an amazing statement she makes, “there is nothing like it as far as we yet know.” Something to ponder. I’m not sure I was as fascinated with clouds when I was younger as I am today and maybe due to my indifference, lack of interest as a youth. I know photography has changed my view of the world. I also know that as I draw closer to taking my last breath I see this world with eyes of attention, interest, respect, feeling and wonder. Having said that, I must confess all clouds have a spell on me and I’m okay with that.
Now that the snowstorm has past, today has offered us a cloudless blue sky with sunshine and warmer temperatures. The quickly melting snow has filled the holding ponds outside my condo. The geese and ducks sound excited about that. If tomorrow’s weather is the same as today, the remaining piles of dirty plowed snow will quickly disappear. Hope you are having a good weekend. Enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day!
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Lightning Storm on the Horizon
We had a nice rain early yesterday morning. And, knowing these clouds were moving east, I went to PNA (Pineridge Natural Area) just in case nature was putting on any sort of performance. She did! If memory serves me this is my first ever, and only, image of a bolt of lightning. My camera settings were iso 400, aperture f5.6 and a 10 second exposure. I spent most of my 20 minutes there just sitting on the bench soaking it all in, taking only 21 images in that time period. What a gift to watch the power of nature. But for me the gift of the bolt of lightning was an extra perk for me. Later in the morning it began to rain and we enjoyed a steady rain the rest of the day. My area weather map says we got about .8 inch of rain the past 24 hours.
Met Eric and Raja for coffee and conversation this morning, always a good start to a weekend. Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.
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A Portrait of Nature
Nature is a mirror in which I am reflected, because by rescuing this land from sad devastation [through recreating it in photographs], I am in fact trying to save myself from my own inner sadness.
Mario GiacomelliThis quote hits a sensitive spot because I am a witness to the sad devastation of nature. While out photographing the cloud formations during the afternoon thunderstorms this past week, I began reflecting on all the places I have photographed over the years which were free of signs of man’s intrusion. Sadly, I have been a witness to many of those scenes which no longer exist. Later, while studying this image I felt a feeling of inner sadness that someday this scene may be a housing development or warehouse or whatever. So, there is a stirring within me as the photographer Mario Giacomelli suggests, to seek out more portraits of Nature. She is so beautiful and as an artist she continues to create more beauty, while we destroy what she creates! And, I believe she is willing to have her portrait taken.
I had never heard of Mario Giacomelli before. One reason is because the raw expressiveness of his images are not appealing to my style of photography. However, I will suggest this link for you read a bit about him and his photography. Have a wonderful Sunday!!!