My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
I like to venture around my hotels during overnights for the exercise, just to get out and to see what I can find. The hotel in Burlington, VT has a marshy area with path circling a pond. On this particular cloudy morning walk birds were singing happy songs to the world, a snake raised its head to keep alert to every move I made. I loved the tall grass that surrounded me on the path. The grass was well above my head and offered another one natures true works of art.
Seems like I’m traveling a lot, never home, always looking in my roller board for clean underwear. Such is the life of flight attendant. Actually, I’ve gotten to the point where I can look at my bag and know what’s missing. Some call it a system and some consider it repetition.
One of my favorite overnights is in Burlington, VT. If I’m lucky enough to get the longer overnight, we get in around 11:00 in the morning which gives us time to check in our rooms, change clothes (the clean underwear), relax a bit then head for Church Street. About five blocks west of Church Street is Waterfront Park. All five blocks are down hill, so coming back up requires some huffing and puffing. Along this grassy park you will find people sitting on benches or rock walls looking out over Lake Champlain. It’s not unusual to see inline skaters, or jugglers or a Frisbee or two flying through the air. Most of the times I’ve been down there I’ve found boats tied up to the docks. But in this image there were no boats, presenting a different scene for me to photograph. Yep, I like Burlington, VT.
This is not a technically well done image but because it has a powerful message, it speaks volumes to me.
This child is enjoying life, living it as it should be lived. She is experiencing life and at the same time is learning what happens when you jump in puddles of water. I love it! I was amazed at her focus, oblivious to all that was around her. The child within her, and is also within us, was fully alive. Some where along life we lose some of the childlike curiosity, thinking adults must not act in certain ways. I ask, why not?
I also like how her parents, whose feet you see in the background, are letting her splash. As a grandparent I’ve come to enjoy the experience of watching children play and even joined in. I’m reminded of a time I climbed up on a slide behind my oldest grandson. When we reached the top and he noticed I’d followed him, he told me too big grandpa. I answered, “Oh, yeah! Watch this.” and down the slide I went, more than once. Why don’t we encourage others to splash more?