The pilgrims
The secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life, and in elevating them to art. — William Morris
Dazzling landscapes and wide views are glorious,
But there is beauty in the details too.
The details allow us to see the emotions of nature:
How a tiny twig looks like weary traveller;
How wind-blown branches are like pilgrims
Walking to a dream destination
Where fortitude and tenacity and belief in self matter.
For more small details, please visit: Our World.
Fresh perspectives
Sometimes
The world looks a lot better
When you try out a new point of view.
For more perspectives, please visit: Camera Critters.
(Do support Saturday Sareenity too!)
Two pasts and a present
To celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Dragon, I offer you three photos taken on successive new years.
When I stand on our wobbly jetty and look to the left,
There is a spit of land with trees on it called ‘The Hill of Love’.
In the New Year of 2010, the sunrise bathed the ice on the lake and the trees in blue.
In 2011, the afternoon sun presented
A glorious landscape of diamond-studded snow (on the iced over lake).
This New Year, the mild sunset surprised us
With lilac and gold
And perfect reflections in a lake still waiting for the big freeze.
May the dragon roast your marshmallows to perfection this year without singeing your eyebrows!
For more lovely skies, please visit: Skywatch.
Of snow and love
At last – the snow fell as lightly as butterflies
Bringing out the child-like spirits in us all.
It turned the world
Into a snowy poem,
And leaves into fluffy pillows of white.
The magic of the snow is that it
Makes the world a softer place,
A kinder place where dreams can grow.
The Eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them: there ought to be as many for love. — Margaret Atwood
For more poems, please visit: Our World.
Celebrating mistakes
Sky and ice are wrapped in a grey embrace at the moment.
Birds flew by in a blur of black and white.
I failed to capture their movement with any focus
But when looking at the shots, I wondered if perhaps
This is what trees looked like to birds as they flew by.
The failed shots look like paintings, don’t you think?
As you can see, I try to live by the philosophy of celebrating my mistakes.
For more artistic creatures, please visit: Camera Critters.
Wintry pastels
As you probably know by now, I love colour and light,
But they are not always possible to find.
A mild winter means getting to love the pastels of grey, as soft as silk;
The muted browns of sky and land;
And the dance of twirling snowflakes
When an Arctic storm rages in.
For more stormy skies, please visit: Skywatch.
Winter bouquet (or bokeh)
We’ve hardly had any snow this year – only a smattering to cover the ground for a day or two.
No matter how little – I always feel as if I’ve won the lottery when it begins to snow.
The white petals have a way of transforming life into something softer, more golden.
The bare bones of flowers look like twinkling stars;
A birdhouse becomes a cheerful red hat with white trimming;
And even a weathered post becomes a silver-haired object of beauty.
(Yes – Mum and Dad: Just like you guys!)
For more snowy (or sunny) beauty, please visit: Our World.
Dog
We shall find peace. We shall hear angels, we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds. – Chekov
And sometimes, we find all three things in one:
A dog
Draped in a necklace of snowflakes.
For those of you who asked, yes – Oscar has his own Facebook Page.
For more wintry critters, please visit: Camera Critters.
Sunr-ice
After long grey days of thirsting for colour,
I finally got my chance to run out in my nightie
And scare the neighbours while taking some frosted shots.
Oh, thank you for this glorious winter sunrise
In hues of purple and pink.
The frosting on the pier is as delicious
As the patterns of sleepy water and ice
Forming on the lake.
It’s the greyness of a mild winter
That helps us appreciate the colours more.
For more dazzling skies, please visit: Skywatch.
The art of falling
My daughter and I always enjoy our trips to the ranch.
Over time, I’ve learnt that…
… Horse breath is made up of fairy dust and velvet;
… Anything can look beautiful in the right light
(Even chin hairs);
… And the art of riding is like life – you have to learn how to fall
And how to jump up, dust yourself off and get back on that horse (or your life).
For more insights, please visit: Our World.
I’m sticking to you
When life throws big sticks in your way,
You may as well enjoy it.
It’s all a matter of attitude.
For more sticky solutions, visit: Camera Critters.
Merry colours
Christmas Eve…
A song of rainbow colours as the sun sets
At three in the afternoon.
What better way to celebrate than by taking a swim
(If you’re a dog)?
For more merry skies, please visit: Skywatch.
The angels among us
There are angels among us, but sometimes we don’t see them.
We rush past them in the streets, too preoccupied with our own lives.
Let’s meet a couple of them…
This man works hard – playing music for busy commuters on a daily basis -
And if children put a coin in his hat, then he serenades them with music and laughter.
You never leave him without a smile on your face.
A while back, another busker was sitting outside in the cold, playing his violin.
A group of children gathered round him, clapping, cheering and singing,
Their faces transformed by joy.
A lot of people saw just a homeless guy and a group of kids with Down’s Syndrome,
But I knew that they were the angels among us.
For more angelic stories, please visit: Our World.
Who says what?