Luminosity

Crown Hill Park

I have been very busy lately getting loose ends tied up at work and getting ready to leave for 10 weeks. Sunrise sneaks up on me every morning. I usually head out the door no more than 30 minutes before sunrise and sometime a lot later than that. In some ways it has become routine. Yet the second I stop the car and open the door, it is like stepping into a world of great beauty. Driving up the last few times, I have seen a luminosity from the water when I see it a couple of blocks away. No matter how many times I take the picture looking across Crown Hill Lake, the beauty transforms me.

The range of colors of light, from the intense pinks and reds to the subtle pinks and grays of the clouds are just breathtaking. If there is huge variety in the sky, it is also reflected in the water. I look for the masses of pink and the individual reflections of the clouds, whatever their color. I see the hint of white in a rippled pattern just beyond the cattails.

Besides color, I watch the surface of the water for levels of tranquility. One area might be smooth as glass whereas another may have the concentric rings left after a jumping fish leaps into the air.

When I look at this image I see all of this complexity. No matter what tensions I might be carrying around, after seeing this, I am at peace.

This morning I ran into an old friend, a woman I met here. I also spoke with a man who is familiar by sight only. He suggested that I get some photos of the cormorants at the other end of the lake. I have not yet seen cormorants on this lake. It is exciting to imagine this possibility. I told him that I got some beautiful photos this morning and that I could certainly understand why so many people walk here everyday. He said he knew I loved the lake because he sees me here every day. I had to smile at this. In truth, I am not here everyday but I completely understand the people who are – they know the secret!