practicing seeing, noticing, sharing a moment, wondering, being amazed

post #478 -- on a sunny but cool day, getting ready for more rain tomorrow
        I hear this often: "you see things", and I do. Not everything, but the details of where I happen to be have always fascinated me. It makes me a slow walker, even without my camera. At my best, I am a stop and go walker.  I don't like to miss something even on a subway or down an aisle in the grocery store. When I drive, if I don't make a wrong turn, I can usually recreate the directions to a place. Once I make a wrong turn, however, I'm very likely then, the next time, to remember that way as well.  (What's hard for me is leaving a gas station in the direction I should be facing. My visual clues have been tampered with. It's helpful if I'm with some of my road trip buddies who are aware of this idiosyncrasy of mine. The easiest way, of course, in this case, is to switch drivers during the stop!)
          I searched out a few examples of "seeing while being me". Tonight's ones are recent. I was taking a walk, which included a non-road segment, over a field and on a tractor path to that field. But I started from the road, with seriously long shadows of late evening light.

ME

me again, looking back over where I had just walked from the road, putting the sun behind me

         What makes these holes, in these eastern Kentucky mowed fields! I should know, but I don't:

 tonight's horizon, now looking toward the setting sun from about the same location:

This is the major TREE for this week's hommage. I can do better with it under other light conditions, and I am sure I will because I love the way it stands out and over most other nearby trees on my walk along the road. (There is not much traffic on my road.)

          I also want to share these two photos of my granddaughter and the hoverboard she handles with such ease. She loves it. The second photo includes the wood stove that came with the house 45 years ago. A treasure. Several years ago I included several photos of the stove on a post for this blog.

        For some reason I really enjoy this photo from this week's walk. I've saved it until the end. I like the light, the lightness of the leaves, the having to walk around it on the path -- so I took a photo on the way. I was just using my trusty 6s iPhone; I was surprised by the depth of field it shows. I don't usually get that when using my phone. I'm glad I noticed these leaves, up close and personal. Thank you, trees, as always.

       I have wanted to explain that some of the times I mention American politics in my posts are because I have viewers in many countries. I want them to know we have points of view that may not always be obvious. For example, this week there were one or more page views from the UK [England], Indonesia, Switzerland, Germany, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, and "unknown region." Usually I have Russia on there and Ukraine and Canada. Most, however, are in the USA.  I don't know how to figure out which city, but it amazes me how there are good ways in which the world has opened up -- along with the troubles that can also occur. 
        Please, everyone, remember how essential truths are, as is kindness to one another.

admitting how much I still need to learn

post #477 -- warmer today, but still feels like winter. 
          Between the cold weather, some ice, and changing schedules resulting from being wary about the roads -- plans changing and such -- my photo making has been somewhat reduced.  Even so, after gathering some recent photos to share today, I noticed that somehow I must have changed a setting on my Canon -- the images don't have as many pixels as usual. I have no idea what happened though I'm pretty sure it's pretty obvious to almost anyone.  Luckily I am friends with almost anyone, so I look forward to learning more about my camera. I just mention all this because my blog intro, from 8 years ago, states these posts are about photography as well as about Appalachia; I get to share the glitches as well as the glamour of doing photography.  
         So some snow, ice, shadows in my attempts to capture the unusual:

      Still near home, the view from the mailbox after the ice and during the days of snow:

       Watching the red-bellied wood-pecker using the porch post for a seed opener.  There's just the single bird of his kind, or otherwise I'd have to discourage him from his efforts.

   This is the view beyond him, still during the snows.  No longer any ice on the pond, but now the driveway is covered, overnight.  No shoveling required.

       During this series of crazy weather days, I took a walk in a nearby field, scouting out the goings-on, looking for clues.  I believe this is evidence of deer:

                and this is evidence of beauty along the road, along the bank by the road.  It's all really just hanging there. It's wonderful to see the intrepid greens.

 

        During these last couple of weeks, we had a great visit with N and H -- walks in the woods with cats and cozy moments on the couch.  I was able to see them more than usually happens, and I'm glad I managed to make two good photos of them. I'm thankful for family.

       I wish everyone safe travels, good health, and relief from floods and the many kinds of storms. I'm thinking this day of friends in England and Scotland, during the major winds and rains they are having.  I copied the following photo from a news story about England.  I admired the photo, bracketed by the ducks and the woman on the phone -- one of those lovely photos of something terrible.

photo by Oli Scarff/ Agence France-Press, Getty Images

snow photos, guest photographer Rebecca Wright

post #476
       We had snow two days ago, briefly but definitely, and Rebecca and family didn't waste any time getting out in their woods, while the snow lasted. I really enjoy these photos; I trust some of you will like them as well. No rants today, just sharing the fun part of snow.

Ahh, snow angels

imagine the sled on this hill, passing the barn on its left side

happy snow explorer

the first waterfall, dressed for the occasion

the trees for this week's post, bare but striking even so

 

I happen to love this photo, bravo to the photographer.

I'll try to find out the story for this moment. I can see they are on a small bridge and looking down on the beginning part of the creek,  I doubt she is thinking of jumping into the water!  Stay tuned. I wasn't able to be there, so I really appreciate getting to share their outing and the magic of that morning.

   THE STORY: T. is throwing out snow into the creek to see if it melts before the water where it landed goes under the bridge....

today's balanced date in an unbalanced world

 post #475, 10th year of weekly posts.  It's so nice to have some simple sun today, here in Kentucky.

                          Happy 02/02/2020 yappaH

       Frankly, I've been uncertain which way to go today on this post.  Balance or unbalanced. The continued cruelty being propagated by our so-called leaders is hard to take in stride. I know, there have been equally rough times nationally from the beginning  of time, but this seems so unnecessary for 2020. There are those pesky life-of-the-planet issues that need our attention and energy instead. How unfair that it becomes necessary to monitor the bad behavior, for example, by so many who call themselves leaders, all of whom should know better. 
        Also, we have flowers coming up -- in January -- and so far hardly any snow! Coca-cola recently decided not to find alternatives to their well known plastic bottles -- "because our customers prefer the traditional bottles." What, are they drinking the bottles? Why do they have "no idea how many bottles Coke adds to the enormous piles of plastic" already floating around and harming us in the ocean? 
        Then there's the long contentious stretch ahead until the next election....
        For me, today's thanks go to all the artists and writers and poets who do the hard work of thinking these things through and speaking up from their hearts.  I for one really appreciate the presence of a new idea or a new way of perceiving something. Or, as in photography, a new way of looking at things.  GO, CREATIVES!  

         So what photos do I share today.  I think a few more of my hidden favorites are good for the looking and for my soul. Thanks as always for taking what you want to from this blog, and then going on to something else in your life. We are each holding up others we touch.

ballet student dances with Van Gogh's A Starry Night, several years ago

pond tree, in progress

last year, lilac

nearby family cemetery, with mist and meadow and marker

another pond -- and my home, again several years ago

view #1:  road side daylilies 

view #2: side by side, those liilies with the center line

along the way home, hilltops and curves -- and trees

  

      
               Here's to nature's gift of resurgence with months of merely hidden inner beauty.