Balance
Confidence, balance and grace are contagious.
If ducks can do it, so can we.
For more animal wisdom, please visit: Camera Critters.
Jumping for joy
My niece has come over from England for a month.
One of the first things she wanted to do was to enjoy
The spectacular sunset.
Mission accomplished!
For more joy, please visit: Skywatch.
Of sorrow and hope
As you have probably heard, Norway is a country in deep shock and sorrow.
A fanatic planted a car bomb in the centre of Oslo and then took a ferry to the island of Utøya.
Pretending to be a policeman, he hunted and mowed down many youngsters (most of them teenagers) who were attending the Labour Party Youth Camp.
Over 90 people have been killed so far and many more injured.
You might think that there would be a great outcry for revenge.
But Norway has chosen a much harder path than the one of retaliation.
They have chosen to have even more democracy and openness.
In the words of the Prime Minister, “You will not destroy us. You will not destroy our democracy or our ideals for a better world.”
It would be much easier to give in to fear and hatred than to believe in compassion and ideals.
But we must have faith that there are more heroes than villains in the world, that there is more good than evil.
Because if we don’t, then fear and hatred will have won.
When a reporter asked one of the survivors how she wanted people to fight terrorism, she replied:
“If one man can show this much hate, think how much love we can show together.”
A beautiful and powerful statement.
For more slices of life, please visit: My World.
Invisible beauty
It’s hard to believe that this horse arrived at my friend’s ranch only a few months ago
Uncared for, unloved, coat and mane matted
And with a sad sad look in his eye.
With love and attention he blossomed into this beauty –
A treasure that went unrecognized
Because he only has one good eye
And an empty socket where the other one used to be.
Luckily, he’s in the safe loving hands of someone whose heart recognized his inner beauty.
Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. — Kahil Gibran
For more treasures, please visit: Camera Critters.
Falling into place
Sometimes
Everything just lines up and falls into place:
The big sky; the sun casting its final glow as it sets;
And dog and ducks posing in golden light.
Happiness is made up of these small slices of life.
For more beauty, please visit: Skywatch.
Summer rain
Summer is here in all its glory.
And that, of course, includes the soft summer rain
Bringing a chill with it that makes us appreciate the sun even more.
Just as a flower is thankful for the rain,
So am I thankful for all the small beauties that surround me.
Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.
- Rabindranath Tagore
For more beauty, please visit: My World.
Meadow sweet
Summer sent me the joy of velvet green grass
Sprinkled with meadow flowers and clover
And a happy wet dog.
For more happy shots, please visit: Camera Critters.
Moody icons
The first day at Disneyland, Paris, was like walking in a movie set.
Blue skies, the iconic Disney castle shining in the hot hot sun.
And as it was early – before the park opened to the public – there weren’t that many people.
Great – I’ll bring my camera along tomorrow, I thought to myself.
So I did.
Of course, by then it was cool and cloudy (perfect weather really for all-day fun).
The moody skies were a good background for the castle, where discreet repairs were going on around the back.
Just before entering the castle, I turned back to see a dramatic sight.
Sometimes, moody skies really are much better than sunny ones.
For more great shots, please visit: Skywatch.
Taking the Mickey
As you know, I spent last week at Disneyland just outside Paris.
The place was swarming with delightful princesses and funny head gear.
These three Mickeys (or should I say ‘goofies’?) caught my eye.
‘Ear they are. (Pun intended!) Meet the family…
If you’ve ever been to a Disney Resort, then you know that you need the stamina of a marathon runner.
With aching feet in temperatures of over 30 C the first day, I wanted whatever he was smoking…
We were overjoyed to find a rat in our food
And I stayed firmly on the ground as I let the others get slung into orbit on Space Mountain.
There’s nothing more exhausting or fun than getting into a festive mood every day and just enjoying life.
I dedicated myself to the task. After all, it was the Minnie-mum I could do.
For more cute pictures, please visit: My World.
Wild nightlife
They gather in the setting sun — wearing their best costumes.
The males glide there silently or preen themselves
While the females are all a-twitter with excitement.
The singing and dancing,
That glorious burst of sunset colours -
Who can resist the temptation?
Yep – that’s right! The nightlife over here is pretty wild.
For more wild skies, please visit: Skywatch and Camera Critters.
I’m back from Disneyland (Paris)! We all had a wonderful time and have come back with good memories and aching feet. I’ve got quite a backlog so will be catching up with you over the next few days. Thank you for all your kind comments.
Shimmer
A swan glided by.
The sun kissed the water with
Its diamond lips.
My heart was full of light.
In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary. ~Aaron Rose
For more shimmer, please visit: Camera Critters.
I’m off to enjoy some sun-dazzled times of my own with the family this week — in Disneyland, Paris. Oscar will be with friends, and my blog and I will be taking a rest. See you on Friday!
Who says what?