My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
Clouds are one of Nature’s most beautiful mediums for creating art, and it never ceases. I also believe they are one of the ways Nature speaks to us. There was nothing spectacular about the clouds this morning. Yet, they touched my soul. And, so I found myself smiling after morning time with a few clouds in the eastern sky. Enjoy your Friday!
Despite what dictionaries would have us believe, this world is still mostly undefined.
John Koenig
The wind blows from the west, it’s cold penetrating my windbreaker. A small flotilla of pelicans drifts along the reservoir’s shore. I watch the sun quietly rise above the horizon announcing the new day’s arrival. There’s a serenity over the meadow, wrapping itself around me. I hear the song of one lone meadowlark and a couple of chattering magpies who are not lost for words. Yet, I am lost for words in this experience. Expressing how nature affects us seems impossible. Truth be it’s more about the gift of experiencing it, rather than words. Yet, the poet puts words to paper in their attempt to define what they experience and see. The artist also puts brush to canvas in their attempt using visual words. Makes me wonder if the meadowlarks and magpies are just as lost for words but simply doing the best they can. Maybe it’s all about the attempts by poets, artists, magpies and dictionaries to define what can’t be defined.
When we arrive on earth, we are provided with no map for our life journey. Only gradually, as our identity forms and we get an inkling of who we are, do possibilities begin to emerge that call us. It is one of the weightiest decisions: to decide what to do with our life. The challenge is to find a way of life that will be in harmony with our gifts and needs.
John O’Donohue
Today’s life journey started with prayer and meditation then moved on to include time at Pineridge Natural Area. The stunning clouds had a softness to them where I wanted to reach out and touch them. There was also a hint of pink in them when I first arrived. The quiet over the meadow was only broken when the blackbirds would sing along the shallows of the reservoir. I was given a special gift as a break in the clouds allowed the sun to send a ray of sunlight upon the earth. I have a crockpot of cabbage and sausage cooking, enjoyed a mocha latte and a barista smile! Who knows, maybe a nap later. Enjoy your day’s journey!
“I pray to the birds because they remind me of what I love rather than what I fear. And at the end of my prayers, they teach me how to listen.”
Terry Tempest Williams
I listened to it raining during the night so I was surprised to see an almost clear sky this morning. Since I woke early I made my way to Pineridge Natural Area to enjoy the beginning of a new day, bringing my camera just in case. Listening to the choir of meadowlarks and robins this morning lifted my spirits, setting the tone for the day. Listening seems to be a theme for me this morning, so I better listen. I stopped at Starry Night later and enjoyed a mocha latte made by Hannah. I listened as she excitedly shared about the blossoms on the tree outside her bedroom window, even showing me photos. And, I listen as they play In My Life by the Beatles. Hope you have a wonderful day!
Of course, a great deal of our onslaught on Mother Nature is not really lack of intelligence but a lack of compassion for future generations and the health of the planet: sheer selfish greed for short-term benefits to increase the wealth and power of individuals, corporations and governments. The rest is due to thoughtlessness, lack of education, and poverty. In other words, there seems to be a disconnect between our clever brain and our compassionate heart. True wisdom requires both thinking with our head and understanding with our heart.
Jane Goodall, The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times
A drive to Pineridge Natural Area this morning and a few minutes of computer crunching produced this panorama of 8 images (handheld I must add) over Dixon Reservoir. I missed a sky full of pink because I was late. But being late made no difference because being there for any part of sunrise with Mother Nature is the experience. Not only did I enjoy this view but the meadowlarks were in full concert in the open meadow. It was a wonderful way to start my day. I will meet my friend Mark for breakfast in about an hour. I resonate with Jane Goodall’s last line in this quote, “True wisdom requires both thinking with our head and understanding with our heart.” My comments on that statement could take another post or maybe a conversation with friends at the coffee shop. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Sunrise is the space where nighttime fears move aside for hope, where we feel peace about our mortality in the scope of the universal truth that love abides.
Becca Stevens
Come forth into the light of things, Let Nature be your teacher.
William Wordsworth
Drove to Windsor this morning to meet Eric for coffee and conversation. Always a good way to start my Saturday. The dark clouds overhead seemed ready to burst with rain at any time. There was a break along the eastern horizon and seemed to suggest I needed to stop. I watched the sun slowly rise, wanting to play hide and seek behind the clouds. The sun’s radiance causes a silhouette of the silo on the distant sheep farm. I intentionally underexposed to reduce the sun’s brightness and to add a mysterious feel. I like how it turned out. Rain is expected throughout the morning along with high winds of 35-55 mph and gusts up to 75 mph. Looks like it will be a “hang on to your hat” and “put the patio furniture away” kinda day. Enjoy your Saturday!