on sowing

"Keep sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow - perhaps it all will." ~ Eccelesiasties

Merry Christmas!

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

night lights

leaves & lights ~ 11.13.07

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." --Paulo Coelho

evidence

vines ~ 11.02.07

vines ~ 11.02.07

"Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives." -- Charles William Dement

I remember my dreams fairly regularly, so it's a common thing for me. But last night the dream was more literal than most. It was almost as if I were awake, it just didn't seem like a dream. I was frustrated, every turn left me looking at a dead end. One after another, after another. I kept waking up, turning over and returning to my frustration. It's odd and interesting, because I was dreaming about trouble I've been having with creating a website. I'm not a web designer (nor do I play one on TV). What I know about web designing could fit in the palm of my hand. Still, there I was tossing and turning - dreaming about it. Which left me feeling a bit insane.

spur of the moment

spur of the moment flowers ~ 10.31.07

On my way to shoot photos of ghosts & goblins this evening, I saw these flowers on a bush. Thought they were pretty, and not a sign of Fall in Fall.

lost in translation?

Rain hitting the windshield, seems to shift the shape of the scene ~ 10.24.07

You can view a short video here. It was quite interesting (to me) at the time, not sure it translates all that well. Then again, I suppose it all depends on the perspective from which you choose to view it (or something like that).

i am

"Time is the substance from which I am made. Time is a river which carries me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger that devours me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire that consumes me, but I am the fire." ~ Jorge Luis Borges

somewhere in between

Fall growth ~ 10.19.07

Balls of light through a dirty windshield ~ 10.16.07

Reds ~ 10.19.07

foggy + sunrise

Along West Snoqualmie Valley Road on Tuesday, 10.16.07 @ 7:26AM

sleeping beauties

Stanley ~ 10.11.2007

Walter ~ 10.11.2007

vocabulary

paparazzo
plural paparazzi
Etymology: Italian, from Paparazzo, surname of such a photographer in the film La dolce vita (1959)
: a freelance photographer who aggressively pursues celebrities for the purpose of taking candid photographs

I found the etymology here quite interesting, but my real motivation is a bit of friendly enlightenment. It just gets old being referred to as paparazzi (insert a big SIGH here), particularly because it's rare that I find myself among a pack. Also because, to date, very few of the people I have photographed are famous (well, maybe for 15 minutes). And though I sometimes work on a freelance basis, I usually don't have to pursue subjects aggressively. ; ) Basically, I'm saying that the majority of photographers (press or otherwise) are not paparazzo.

beautiful

Rainy day view from the Sounder train along the Puget Sound ~ 09.30.07

The day was good, very good. We traveled by train from Everett to Seattle for the Mariner game. Section 148, row 13, seats 13-14 @ Safeco Field. A fun time, a good game - the Mariners won 4-2 against the Texas Rangers. It was their last of the season. We ate hamburgers and hot dogs, we had soda, strolled by the bullpen as JJ Putz was warming up and we cheered on the team. : )

The Sounder train rides the rail along the coast of the Puget Sound. At times it seems the train is riding on the water. Even on a cloudy, rainy day it was a beautiful view, just beautiful.

the first day of fall

Southwest view from the South Beach Trail ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

West Point Lighthouse ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

Plant life ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

West Point Lighthouse ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

Puget Sound ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

Surf @ the beach ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

Driftwood structure on the beach ~ Discovery Park, Seattle ~ 09.23.07

We hiked two miles, mostly down (a BIG) hill, to the lighthouse and two miles back to the car. Every minute, every effort was worth it. It was a beautiful day.

everywhere

Alki Beach 7:54PM ~ Seattle, WA ~ 09.08.07

Memories of my mom are everywhere I go, but here at Alki Beach especially. Because she was here, I am here. She's been gone a year today, yet hardly a moment from my mind.

“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.” ~ Washington Irving

fair day

clouds above the fairgrounds ~ monroe, wa ~ 09.03.07

"But words are the things, and a small drop of ink, falling like dew, upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think. ~ Lord Byron

roll with it

a bit of swelling to the right ~ 08.24.07

There are days when unexpected things happen and, generally, we roll with it. Today I literally rolled with it (and so did my ankle) when I stepped in a hidden hole (grass was covering it). A pop and a crack preceeded my fall, ouch. As I type, my foot is elevated on the back of the couch. Ice, compression, elevation and rest are on my agenda for this lovely Friday evening.

sky beautiful

06:54PM ~ 08.21.07

07:11PM ~08.21.07

mossy

a snacking squirrel ~ idylwood park ~ 08.22.07

what the world needs ...

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~ Dr. Howard Thurman

summer clouds

07:31PM ~ 08.16.07

1:45PM ~ 08.17.07

1:55PM ~ 08.17.07

"Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives." ~Mary Ann Brussant

"Idealists, foolish enough to throw caution to the winds, have advanced mankind and have enriched the world." ~Emma Goldman

right now

clouds posing with a backlit hot air balloon ~ 08.12.07

"Right now a moment of time is passing by ... we must become that moment" ~Paul Cezanne

furry friends

three of the sweetest kitties, napping outside our window ~ 08.03.07

love

"We are told that people stay in love because of chemistry, or because they remain intrigued with each other, because of many kindnesses, because of luck. But part of it has got to be forgiveness and gratefulness." ~Ellen Goodman

"Our love, or our lack of it... will in the end be an expression of ourselves: of who we think we are, of what we want to be, of what we think we are here for." ~Thomas Merton

"We cannot really love anybody with whom we never laugh." ~Agnes Repplier

enjoy growth

"What one relishes, nourishes." ~Benjamin Franklin

"There is more in us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps, for the rest of our lives, we will be unwilling to settle for less." ~ Kurt Hahn

"Is the life I'm living the life that wants to live in me?" ~Parker Palmer

connection

unravel ~ 07.28.07

"Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude." ~Martin Luther King Jr.

"Do all the good you can
To all the people you can
In all the ways you can
For as long as you can." ~D.K. Moody

"In the American marketplace today, 70 percent of the people who leave their jobs do so because they do not feel valued." ~John C. Maxwell - There's No Such Thing As Business Ethics; There's Only One Rule For Making Decisions

p.o.v.

I happened upon a documentary on PBS tonight. "P.O.V. : The Chances of the World Changing", is something to see. It's about writer turned conservationist, Richard Ogust, and his quest to save several hundred turtles from extinction. But there's something more to see here, this man puts himself out there -in the rawest of ways. His passion pours out of the very fiber of his being, more of us should be like him. If you have the opportunity to see it, this film is worth your time.

"I think the film is really about a man whose compassion is so enormous that it leads him into a strange phase of his life, where he's really struggling to figure out how to contain what he feels like he should do about this crisis that he's discovered." ~ Eric Daniel Metzgar (filmmaker, The Chances of the World Changing)

yard art

Foliage with a lovely flower atop ~ 07.17.07

Snapdragon hugging the house ~ 07.17.07

Out of focus grass, abstract art ~ 07.17.07

"Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least." ~ Goethe

photo thursdays @ cac

This month I'm hosting Photo Thursdays over at Create a Connection. I posted this week's challenge late last evening, and already Catherine from New Zealand has posted some really beautiful and interesting weather photos. I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with.

catching up

rain moving in ~ 06.25.07

moving at a snail's pace ~ 05.25.07

point of view

"Don't serve the time. Let the time serve you." ~Paris Hilton

This is remarkable. Anyone who has looked through my blog knows that I love quotes. Though I never imagined I would be collecting such a profound quote by Miss Hilton. She is, of course, referring to her time in jail. Though the words actually could relate to many circumstances, depending on the point of view - as always. Ebb and flow, clearly she's on a journey - like the rest of us.

made my day

Such a wonderful, beautiful, round box! ~ 05.23.07

This beautiful, round box - filled with goodies - came in the mail today as part of the Box Swap over at CAC. (thanks nyjlm! I love it.)

"Just living is not enough said the butterfly. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." ~Hans Christian Anderson

reaching

portrait of a mini rose ~ 05.18.07

"Ethics is about how we meet the challenge of doing the right thing when that will cost more than we want to pay." ~The Josephson Institute of Ethics

journey

Mama & babies ~ Monroe, WA ~ 05.17.07

4PM today: I'm sitting in my car, waiting. A field of long grass and weeds in front of me, in a way it is beautiful. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something moving along the edge of the parking lot. A mother duck and her three babies waddling along in the long grass. Mama ducking her head, seemingly trying to make the group less visible. She was sneaking. The babies, heads bobbing, weren't following suit - just bobbing along behind her.

I grabbed my point & shoot digicam and followed them, but kept my distance. The mother seemed to be trying to loose me, so I didn't follow them long. I wanted to though. I wanted to follow them all evening, to find out where they were headed.

Still now, hours later, I wonder where they ended up. And if they crossed a nearby road safely. I can't think of any water near where they were, or in the direction they were going. I've managed to convince myself that they will be fine, but I still wonder where they were going and where they had been.

"There's harmony and inner peace to be found in following a moral compass that points in the same direction regardless of fashion or trend." ~Ted Koppel

h2o

water in a bottle ~ 05.15.07

remember

"It is astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen." ~Frances Burnett

mail call

Some days I let myself wonder as I step toward the mailbox, what might I find inside? Will there be a letter or card from someone that I love? Or might it be bills and catalogs? Yesterday, the post contained a special delivery.

A beautiful handmade journal, created by Marta ~ 04.23.07

Inside it holds a surprise on each page, quotes. I love quotes. This bounty was brought as part of a journal swap over at CAC. Thank you Marta for the truly lovely journal!


"Readers are plentiful. Thinkers are rare." ~Harriet Martineau

above & beyond

cloud ~ 1:32PM ~ 04.14.07

clouds ~ 5:05Pm ~ 04.14.07

sun breaking through ~ 5:08PM ~ 04.14.07

give me a hand

My hand ~ 04.12.07

Thursday is Photo Day over at CAC. The subject this week, hands. This is my submission. : )

obscure

Clouds with potential ~ Redmond, WA ~ 04.11.07

light & shadow

Evening clouds ~ Duvall, WA ~ 04.10.07

a good day

Easter basket bounty ~ 04.08.07

Easter daisies ~ 04.08.07

Long tree shadows ~ Alki Beach, Seattle ~ 04.08.07

Rocks on the beach ~ Alki Point, Seattle ~ 04.08.07

Seagulls sailing on the sky ~ Alki Beach, Seattle ~ 04.08.07

Skyline through artwork ~ Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle ~ 04.08.07