Beautiful Things Are Coming My Way

"Come, little leaves," said the wind one day, "come to the meadows with me and play. Put on your dresses of red and gold; For summer is past, and the days grow cold."

~George Cooper

Last weekend Alan and I took a drive west, to the East Bay, to check out the leaf progression. Yesterday, it was north to Sacramento! Both destinations provided a lot of beautiful leaves. It's early in autumn, but so far, all signs are pointing to a  the likelihood of a gorgeous autumn this year! I am feeling pretty optimistic! Next weekend is the official start of our vacation!

#7 Leaf of The Day

September 29th 2019

Cull Canyon

 Nikon

Mood: Encouraged

~Me  :)

 

A Perspective... Revisited

"The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be."

~Douglas Adams

The Salmon Of Doubt: Hitchhiking The Galaxy One Last Time

I first posted the photo above, in early September, 2014. This garbage can is in my favorite park in the East Bay, and I pass it often while out photographing flowers and autumn leaves. Well, at least I did at the time, I have since moved, but I still visit there when I can. Cull Canyon Park, in Castro Valley, always inspires me, and its one of the nicest parks in the East Bay to just stop for a moment and have lunch or catch one's breath. 

Anyway, while photographing some pre-season autumn leaves, I looked at the lid of the can, and for whatever reason I saw a crow in the paint erosion. Alan saw a bear. And I do see a bear, but the crow is my first thought. I guess it's one of those perspective things! But, like I said, I originally posted the photo a couple years ago, and since then I haven't thought about it much. Why would I? Right? Then one day last month, while I was doing the exact same action as the first time I noticed it, I saw two more creatures I hadn't noticed before. This time, at the base of the can. A cat and a mouse. Do you see them? Or is it just me?

 

 

Now I know I tend to see shapes, and sometimes faces in things, I especially like to find that kind of stuff in nature! I have built a whole series around it. But I don't often stop and consider shapes quite like this. It has to have occurred through erosion, because who would take the time to create animal shapes on a random trash can? Not too many people I suppose, and yet I can't see anything but those three creatures. 

A crow bending over eating.

A cat with a big thick tail.

And a little mouse just to the right side of the cat.

How about you? What do you see?

 What's Your Perspective?

"Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided if people would simply take the time to ask, 'What else could this mean?'" 

~Shannon L. Adler

 Leaf Of The Day

December 2nd 2016

 

 

Altamont Sunrise

"I love that this morning's sunrise does not define itself by last night's sunset."

~Steve Maraboli

Heartwork

By Suzy Kassem

Each day is born with a sunrise

and ends in a sunset, the same way we

open our eyes to see the light,

and close them to hear the dark.

You have no control over 

how your story begins or ends.

But by now, you should know that

all things have an ending.

Every spark returns to darkness.

Every sound returns to sleep

with the earth.

This journey of the sun

and moon is predictable.

But yours is your ultimate ART."

Isn't that a stunning sunrise, and don't the words of that poem fit it nicely? That is how the sunrise looked over the Altamont Pass yesterday morning. I got to enjoy it for about 40 minutes or so, and the colors kept changing first from a soft, almost depressing shade of violet, into this vibrant red/gold sky that reminded me of a type of rose I had grown while living in Berkeley. It's hard knowing I will probably never be able to afford the home prices in the Bay Area again, but at the same time I am coming to terms with that fact, and it hasn't killed me. In fact, I seem to be finding the art in my sadness and that is the best therapy of all! Picking up the camera makes me feel better in a very personal way. It helps me see the ART in the sadness! I will be posting more sunset photos as we go along, so stay tuned!

Leaf Of The Day

November 10th 2015

Mood: Encouraged/Artistic

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 12~ The Solar Eclipse

"Light, when suddenly let in, dazzles and hurts and almost blinds us: but this soon passes away, and it seems to become the only element we can exist in."

~Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827

Sunday's Annular eclipse as seen from my yard here in the San Francisco East Bay. It was magical. And to think I did it using my old friend Konica Minolta... you know... the camera that is currently being held together with rubber bands! LOL. I have purchased two new cameras in the last 6 months, one of which arrived Saturday, but I always keep going back to my old friend.

For more photos of Sunday's eclipse visit Spaceweather.com

~Me :)

If you would like to join in, please feel free to do so! Upload your photos to the site of your choice, and come back here with the direct link back to it. I will list you with my entry for tomorrow. There is no need to participate each day, just join in as the spirit moves you. There's no subject, just whatever you find that day.

Now go see what these folks have come up with...

JR Cline Day 10

http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/05/apadf6-10.html

JR Cline Day 11

http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/05/apadf6-11.html