I saw and photographed the reflection …
… before I turned to look over my shoulder and photograph the real thing.
Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category
and in evening’s light, reflections of nature in glass
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged Inspiration, light, nature, Photography, reflections, trees, windows on January 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Feathers On Ice
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged black and white, colors, feathers, ice, Inspiration, nature, Photography, white, winter on January 16, 2012| 6 Comments »
As coffee brews in the morning, I find myself doing a quick scan of the windows to see the patterns of ice that have formed in the night. Usually my attention is focused just on the windows, the ice crystals and the slow movement of light across the sky.
This morning, my eyes fell upon the white feather, an item I have photographed many times before.
It sits in a shallow dish on the window sill of my writing nook. Today I noticed that its delicate barbs almost touched the nearby pane. If it had, would it have been frozen as well?
Both infused and illuminated by sunlight, and juxtaposed against the growing blue of the sky and the sparkling crystals of the melting ice, well … the color-filled scene was near magical.
Still, after a while, I found myself switching to black and white on the camera. Just to see what would happen. I’m glad I did.
In this morning’s light …
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged colors, flowers, Inspiration, light, nature, Photography, white, windows on January 15, 2012| 4 Comments »
I’ve been thinking of late, that one day as a parting gift for my landlord, I will have to compile all of the pictures I have taken of sunlight shining through his windows. Meanwhile, here are a few taken this morning. 😉
Ice in the Fells
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged ice, Inspiration, landscape, Middlesex Fells, nature, Photography on January 15, 2012| 1 Comment »
One of my favorite hiking spots in Massachusetts is the Middlesex Fells which you can read more about here. One year I was lucky enough to capture the above image of one of its waterfalls frozen. With recent frigid temps, Steve and I wandered back to the falls to see if it had re-frozen for this winter. Not quite yet, but there was plenty of beautiful ice to be seen.
One Pear
Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, tagged colors, food, fruit, green, Inspiration, pear, Photography on January 11, 2012| 3 Comments »
In the Presence of a Woodpecker
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, tagged birds, Contributing Writer, Inspiration, nature, reflections, spirituality, Thich Nhat Hanh on January 11, 2012| 7 Comments »
Outside the office where I work today, in the branches of a dead tree, a tiny black and white woodpecker is having an awfully good time. As I watch him inch his way around the trunk, I notice that there are many tiny holes in the brown surface of the tree. It must be a popular stop for woodpeckers on their way from here to there. My little friend is alone so far. No others of the woodpecker tribe do I see. He was runoff for a bit by the blue jays but quickly returned upon their departure. He looked askance at a couple of cardinals but didn’t let their presence stop him from knocking head to wood. There is a part of me that wishes to get up and find my camera but I know that if I do, when I return he may be gone. For a while I felt a bit of chagrin that I was spending time watching this fellow instead of being productive, i.e. doing something that I could put a dollar value towards. But then two experiences came to mind. The first involved a recent conversation with a friend about Thich Nhat Hanh. After I noticed one of his books in her home, she mentioned that she’d read much of his writing with one of her greatest take-aways being a reminder to be present … not just in yoga class but even while washing dishes! The second experience took place yesterday when I chanced upon the blog, Touch2Touch, and the post, “In the Morning, Whatever.” A lovely piece that I hope you read. What I took away, or what came back to me this morning, was this: it is okay to pause in one’s day, to look around one’s self and to simply enjoy the moment.
And now that I’ve done that, I suppose I should get back to work. 😉
One Strawberry
Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, tagged colors, food, Inspiration, Photography, red, strawberry on January 10, 2012| 2 Comments »
A Culinary Recap of the Weekend
Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, tagged family, food, Inspiration, menus, Photography, reflection on January 10, 2012| 4 Comments »
Of late when I have had an abundance of creative energy, I have found myself playing with paper and scissors. Steve, on the other hand, with his abundance of energy this past weekend, went to work in the kitchen. As we sat to eat each of his culinary creations (and in fact as happens when we sit to eat most meals), this fellow pointed out how lucky we were to have such food before us. Early in our relationship when I first heard him utter similar words, I’d smile, nod and keep reaching for whatever deliciousness he’d prepared.
Hindsight is 20-20, so I now know that back then I didn’t really appreciate fully what he was saying. Intellectually I did, but in the intervening years as I work more closely with people who have so little, now I more fully feel what he means. Whether its cheese on a cracker or a more wonderfully complex concoction, I have never been more grateful for the food I am able to eat and, yes, on occasion photograph as well. Mostly I am grateful that there’s someone in my life who gently reminds me to appreciate such bounty each day. 😉 His menus are below along with a few pics. Hope you’re having a good and tasty day.
Saturday Evening
4 Fried Oysters
6 Scallops
White Beans Seasoned with Sausage, Cuban Oregano and Rosemary
Sauteed Broccoli
Toasted French Bread Rubbed with Garlic
Sunday Morning
Eggs Over Easy
Bacon
Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup
Coffee
Sunday Evening
“A Casserole in the Direction of a Cassoulet”
Homemade Cheesy Bread
One Blackberry
Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, tagged blackberry, food, fruit, Inspiration, nature, Photography on January 9, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Brooks in Blue and Browns
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged colors, Inspiration, landscape, nature, Photography, trees, water on January 9, 2012| 3 Comments »
This weekend Steve and I were lucky enough to spend a couple of hours in the woods of the Brooks Estate surrounded by blues and browns, sheets of ice and, of course, layered light. We brought along food to entice the squirrels but few did we see this time. Maybe next week. 😉
Words + Images 