Fast Forward Forty Years

Well, not quite 40 years. More like 4 years. Life has changed a lot. I am going to tackle the formatting problems with Pajama Library and then use it to transition to something new.  I am thinking of moving to the house in this picture. It is a journey that can only be done by air with multiple flight segments.

Verisimilitude

Morning Sun Salutation on Green Mountain

I have traveled many miles since my last post almost twenty-two months ago.

I wrote of some very positive changes.

Life has been challenging and sweeter and more exhilarating than I could have imagined.  Recently,  the universe has conspired to thrust me into a new direction.

In fact, it has dragged me kicking and screaming in a new direction.

Strength and persistence are my companions as I work  towards bigger and better adventures.

*** Passion ***
one passion leads to another


Verisimilitude
I will make it mine again.
Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh :)

It's official...back in the saddle

After several years and a life going in quite a number of directions, I have FINALLY re-centered and am back to sunrise hiking to the top of Green Mountain. I am less rigid than I was in the previous go-round. Some days, I don't hit the trail until just before sunrise (or even AFTER sunrise). I have yet to make it to the top by sunrise. On early days, I am at the tower by sunrise. None of this phases me as I am back in my element. The lighting, the colors, the company, the enormous feeling of well-being and the great endorphin highs are making me feel on top of the world. It is amazing how such a little hike (~3 miles RT and maybe~1000 ft elevation gain) can turn a life around.

About a month ago, I had a chance encounter with someone who sparked me to start back. It has to do with wanting more out of life and knowing that being in good physical shape is an integral part of it. If you have ever been an athlete or something akin to that, you know the feeling that exercise generates. It is a love affair that generates its own energy which in turn, makes you want to continue. Call it what you want, if you can get over that threshold, you won't want to stop. I have tried going to the gym and it just isn't the same. I get far more out of my sunrise hikes than physical conditioning. There is a spiritual side that is so intense that words to describe it are nearly impossible to find.

As before, there is a camaraderie with some of the other souls out at this time. You can tell by the knowing smile on their faces as we pass each other. It is as if we share a special secret, a special key to feeling good. We know we have found a treasure and we are more than willing to share it.

my relationship with photography

What does this mean? I am cleaning out my pantry and find a very old (several years past 'sell by' date) container of dried mushrooms "Gourmet Mushroom Blend" Being cautious, I decide that I would not eat them, but what should I do with them? I dismiss the idea of feeding them to my compost worms then consider throwing them outside into the thick ground cover of vinca.

Finally, I start looking at all of the different kinds

**porcini*morels*Brazilian*ivory portabellas*shiitake*oyster**

Feeling a sense of loss that these mushrooms have come to nothing, my thoughts move towards photography...to be continued:)

horoscopes

First of all, let me state for the record that I am not a 'believer' in horoscopes or astrology. But I do get a kick out of reading my horoscope every now and then. The only one I read is Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology. It's quirky and fun.

Cancer Horoscope for week of May 19, 2011

Devilish laughter revels in chaos, says Loyola University philosophy professor John Clark. "It's an assault on excessive order, authority, and seriousness." Angelic laughter, on the other hand, "expresses delight in the wondrousness of life and in the mystery of the order and fitness of things." I'd like to suggest, Cancerian, that the time is ripe for you to revel equally in the devilish and the angelic varieties of laughter. So get out there and seek funny experiences that dissolve your fixations and celebrate your life's crazy beauty. The healing that results could be spectacular.

Who could say no to seeking out laughter and celebrating life's crazy beauty?

back in the saddle

I love my 50mm lens. With it, I can take dynamite macros. The other wondrous thing is to work on bokeh and framing. What I like, in layman's terms, is managing an interesting photo while creating out-of-focus points of light. I often just take a few photos quickly and then go off to work or something else. It is virtually impossible to know if you have a great shot until you upload it to the computer and look at it full size on the monitor. Another way is to take some images, actually take the time to carefully select the composition, play with exposure and lighting. Then go inside to the computer and check them out. I leave the tripod in place so that I can easily tweak the shot to correct for obvious errors or just make improvements or reframe. And finally, I use cropping to make further artistic statements. I often go back and forth many times before I am pleased with the results or just give up:) It is not that different from life. Sometimes it is good to trim away and discard something that is beautiful on its own if doing so will expose a new jewel.

almost slept in...

The lure of sunrise photography is beginning to appeal to me again. I have been so busy with work, gardening, and taking care of my Aunt, that I have devoted little time to my photography. The alarm has been set for an hour and a half before sunrise on several occasions, only to be ignored after the first much too early blast! This morning was almost that scenario. However, Happy made sure to let me know that it was best to get up and offer him canned food...EARLY.

I had told myself that it was going to be clear, with a potentially boring sunrise, so I intended to go back to bed. Of course, mother nature had other ideas and upon checking the morning sky and the clock, I threw on some clothes and ran out the door.

The sky was so beautiful that I almost stopped in the neighborhood to capture the sky without benefit of a good background location, but decided to head to the lake, one of my old stomping grounds. I got there rather late but still in time to watch the last display of intense colors and see the cloud-filled sky turn from pink to white.


I had planned to run errands and then head home ready to enjoy the rest of the day. On the way to the store, I forgot to turn on the right street which took me on a detour and by another beautiful scene.


Sometimes it is those detours that lead to the best things in life. It is funny, my Aunt asks me every day what my plans are - for the next hour? morning ? afternoon ? evening ? For some reason, it irritates me. I like to keep a mental list of those things that must be done while remaining open to what life has to offer.