My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.
John Burroughs
I awoke early yesterday morning, couldn’t go back to sleep so I got up earlier than I wanted. It has been a busy day but a very good day so I needed this sunset and the quiet at Claymore Lake last night. Hope everyone is having a good Labor Day weekend.
Arrived at Fremont Lake yesterday afternoon to clear skies and warm weather. I do not have wifi or cellular at my campsite, which is something I expected. Lets me know how much I use both.
My drive was without trouble. I encountered a ton of road construction on I-80. Seems they were working on the interstate all the way from Laramie to Rock Springs, Wyoming. I would also say 70% of all traffic was semi trucks. Once I turned onto 191 the semi trucks disappeared and the traffic switched to RVs, Vans, and trailers. The interstate follows two separate railroad tracks so I saw almost continuous trains going both east and west.
There are 39 campsites at the Fremont Lake Campground. All were taken except two which I didn’t expect. I chose #7 because it had shade trees while the other one was wide open but had a wonderful view of the lake. That turned out to be a good choice because of the protection by my sisters the trees and they helped isolate noise, letting me enjoy the quiet. My back was sore when I went to bed from all the driving but slept well until early morning. Camping is cheap for us seniors as it only cost me $15 for two nights.
I did some walking after setting up camp so I was able to get my steps in, and some. The area around the lake is a large boulder field and I’m talking big boulders. Wildlife is everywhere, deer, antelope, hawks and squirrels everywhere I turned. I did not remember how much boating there is on the lake. But, that was 19 years ago. I drove around yesterday evening to explore the area and took the above image while sitting on one of those large boulders. Such peace and quiet. I just may do it again this evening. The silence and quiet was a primary reason for this trip.
The wind began blowing hard about 4:39 am, followed by lightning and thunder. Then, a nice gentle rain began falling and rained for a good hour. I stayed dry. The trees protected me from the wind and some rain. So that was a good reason to choose this site. There is something magical for me to lay there warm, dry and listening to the rain. I did not sleep much after it began raining, so I’ve been up for a while. But, there’s always the afternoon power nap!
I drove into town with hopes to get my mocha latte fix, my internet fix and hopefully some early morning photos fix. Got all three! Now in a coffee shop call Pine Coffee Supply. It’s an old converted garage. They do their own roasting. I was here at 7:30 am when they opened and they have been busy every since I arrived. Could be because they are the only coffee shop in town. That’s the end of this update.
Gonna make a short road trip to a place just outside of West Yellowstone where my friends Duane and Jan are working in an RV park. Leaving this morning and be back on Tuesday evening. Planning on staying a couple nights at Fremont Lake near Pinedale, Wyoming then head to Montana Saturday morning. Last time I was there was 2003 shooting with my new Nikon D100. It was part of a trip I made up to Seattle to visit my sister and brother-in-law. Expecting to be offline for a few days. Hold down the fort!
God, grant me the serenity to accept the scenes I cannot change, courage to change the scenes I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
I have been praying the Serenity Prayer every morning before my feet hit the floor for a few years now. The prayer is about three basic things: serenity (acceptance), courage (to change) and wisdom. I’ve become aware that I’ve been using this prayer in my photography without realizing it, but with a slight twist. I would suggest you may also. Let me explain using these two images.
I noticed this scene while driving along County Road 19. I knew from the get-go I was not going to have the image I wanted because of the close proximity of the house and tree. I wanted the sun setting behind the tree without the house but with the tree more towards the center. Wasn’t gonna happen in this scene. A couple extreme options were…
I could burn the house down but there would be court dates to deal with and I didn’t think the image would be worth the outta pocket expenses. Another option was to move the tree but I didn’t have a chainsaw for that task, nor the time. I don’t know about you but I seldom carry a chainsaw in my camera bag. Or I could….
… accept the scene as it is. So, I began by changing my expectations. The image I wanted when I first saw this scene I was not going to get. But, here is what I could do. I could work with my exposure, making sure it was what I wanted. I had my 70-300mm zoom on my camera because I had been photographing pronghorn antelope a few minutes earlier. So, I took a half dozen images, cropping at various focal lengths with and without the house in it. Again, I had little time to decide before the sun set.
I’ve been shooting long enough to know that I will not always come home with a keeper. I’m comfortable with that knowledge and therefore do not get as frustrated and lose my (serenity). I knew I could accept the scene as it is, aware I may trash all of them later (courage). Of course this is much easier today with digital than film days (more courage). I also knew that I was there to witness this gift of nature and store this scene in that place Mary Oliver calls the “kingdom we call remembrance.” I also know there would be other opportunities to come (wisdom).
After bringing the images home I found a couple that worked for me. The top image is without a crop and includes the house. It turned out better than I envisioned. I find it quite acceptable. The second image is the same image but with the house cropped out. Having the tree as far to the edge of the frame really did not take away from what I first saw. Shows you what I know. Both images are acceptable to me. If you are so inclined please let me know which image you like better. And, what experiences have you like this?
Just for fun, and because Tom stirred the pot, I went back and looked at other images I took to see if I include the whole house. I did and like them as well. I also did not realize how I must have moved along the road in my attempt to eliminate the house because this image has the sun on the opposite side of the tree.
the afternoon storm moved
ms
onto the eastern plains
leaving behind its offering of gifts
a warm golden glow over the foothills
the sweet scent from the rain soaked meadow
a rainbow pointing to the hidden pot of gold
and needed relief from the days heat
… from yesterday evening: Now at RRNA. Silence. 8:05 pm. Nice and cool after the earlier rain. Love the smell of the wet grass in the meadow. Refreshing. Almost no birds to be heard or seen, but hear a distant blackbird and a killdeer. Love this sky. This is where I enjoy being. ❤️ More settled in my thoughts and soul when I’m here. I cannot run from life. No one can but this place is close. No wind! The sun has set and the light is fading. Two does and two fawns come up through the meadow, cross the parking lot towards the lake. My sisters. Pelikans drift on the lake. See some pink in the clouds. It is a good end to this day. Do not want to leave.
Have a great week!
“When I close my eyes and wait for my heartbeat to match the drum, I envision people recognizing, for perhaps the first time, dazzling gifts of the world, seeing them with new eyes, just as they teeter on the cusp of undoing. Maybe just in time. Or maybe too late.”
Robin Wall Kimmerer, from the Epilogue
I’ve finished Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book called Braiding Sweetgrass. It’s been a while since a book has captivated me, educated me, moved me to tears, laughter and anger but left me with a desire to start rereading as soon as I finished. I found much enlightenment about nature that I was never taught in school or don’t remember or my focus was on the ballgame after school.
Kimmerer said she wrote the book because, “I wanted readers to understand that Indigenous knowledge and Western science are both powerful ways of knowing, and that by using them together we can imagine a more just and joyful relationship with the Earth.” She explains how Indigenous people know a nature different than we do, most of that gained from reading the book of nature. That has stirred me to want to read more of this book of nature which means spending more time with her. Highly recommend the book.