Life lessons
The beginning of a new year is often time to take stock:
I don’t make resolutions as they tend to go in one year and out of the other!
But I do hope that I grow and learn a bit every day. Here are some of those lessons:
Make the most of those festive moments with people you love – you don’t know how long they will last.
Try out new perspectives and angles;
Remember to enjoy the view
And have some fun (even if you look silly);
And, finally, take the time to dwell on what you have
Rather than on what you don’t have.
Carpe diem!
Seize more moments here: Our World.
And don’t forget Skywatch.
Making a splash
Please indulge me as I carry on with Oscar’s birthday tribute:
He turned 11 at the weekend, which is a good age for a dog his size.
Whatever he does, he does wholeheartedly —
Seizing the moment
And filling it with joy.
A lesson we could all learn from.
For more wet dogs and other tails, please visit: Our World Tuesday.
The future is made up of nows
Sometimes — when we lose sight of the important things in life —
It takes a child or a dog to remind us
That life isn’t to be lived in the future
But in the now.
Or in the words of Mae West, “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”
For more wise creatures, please visit: Camera Critters.
Around my world in four seasons
How to sum up my tiny part of the world in order to celebrate My World’s two-year anniversary?
Let’s take a walk through the four seasons…
… and feel the warmth and light of those long summer evenings by the lake.
Cup your hands and drink in the misty serenity that is autumn.
As the riot of leaves dies down, find yourself floating in the soft pastels of a glorious winter landscape.
And finally, as the world wakens again, find the joy in a world bursting with new life.
The cycle is complete, yet never ending. The same moments repeat themselves in a familiar rhythm.
The key is to live these moments differently.
Click the photos – they look much better that way!
Treasure on the wind
“I would like to believe when I die that I have given myself away like a tree that sows seeds every spring and never counts the loss, because it is not loss. It is adding to future life. It’s the tree’s way of being. Strongly rooted perhaps, but spilling out its treasure on the wind.”
— May Sarton
Don’t you just love those glorious late summer skies? What treasures are you grateful for?
(Click the photo to enlarge.)
For more lovely skies, please visit: Skywatch.
Holy mackerel
Sometimes, you are privileged to see something so spectacular that it takes your breath away. (And makes you miss your bus to work.)
The sky hangs so low that you can reach up and pluck a cloudy fruit.
Its silken canopy lies reflectively in the serene waters.
Sometimes the view is so perfect that there are no words to describe it.
You just have to stand still and drink it all in.
After all, there will be other buses, but this fragile beauty is a gift.
Click each photo to see the sky in its full glory.
For more gorgeous skies, please visit: Skywatch.
Oh no – not again!
It happens far too many times to count on two hands now and then. I just can’t help myself.
It’s all Nature’s fault.
There I am, ready for bed in nightie and dressing gown; kids dressed in pajamas.
A ruby in the sky beckons; calls my name and tells me to hurry.
Nature is putting on a show and I just can’t miss it.
“Oh no – not again!” sighs Sir Pe as I rush outside in dressing gown, clutching onto camera, two excited kids and a few strands of straggled dignity.
People pretend not to notice us in our nightclothes.
But there is no alternative, is there?
After all, who would want to miss out on moments like these?
For more glorious photos, please visit: Skywatch!
Go for it!
As many of you know, my fuzzy buddy, Oscar, was badly bitten nearly three months ago.
60 stitches can take a toll on a dog, especially when he has to be on a lead and cut back on his daily exercise. (It takes a toll on the owner too!)
But now.. now.. his wonderful zest for life is back! Just like it was before the incident…
And although I’m not throwing any balls for him to catch because I don’t want to twist his leg, there’s always next winter. He can run around in the woods off the leash and he has even started swimming in the lake. Yes – his leg is as good as new!
Seize the moment, jump high for joy and remember to give today a happy ending! (Sorry – I got all cheesy there for a moment …)
Please note that these photos were taken during the winter. The snow is ALL gone now!
For more happy animals, please visit: Camera Critters!
See, gulls!
You’ve seen these gulls before. They always seem to be hanging around the small, crooked wooden jetties down by the lake.
Sometimes they blend in beautifully with the colours of Nature: their white capped heads matching the frozen waves and their pearly grey bodies harmonizing with the melting ice.
I wonder if they were waiting for this one golden moment of total serenity: the syrupy sun dazzling their reflections, the perfectly still honey waters, the tree branches glistening with a hundred tiny twinkling orbs?
Or perhaps they just enjoy every moment that comes along?
For more dazzling creatures, please visit: Camera Critters!
I am dog: hear me roar!
After a lot of hesitation, I’ve decided to take the plunge and support a new venture called Communal Global, by entering a photographic competition they are holding. The theme is: TODAY.
How to choose just one photo that sums up an ordinary day, that shows the small miracles hidden in our everyday lives?
“My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am.” – Unknown author
(You can click the photo to see a larger version. Oh – and this is my dog, Oscar.)
Dog – a miracle of licks and kindness and snowflakes,
Each golden wisp of hair crackling with energy.
Graceful, proud, majestic.
Serene in a repose that speaks of action.
Self-confident and loved.
Dog that greets each day with licks and joy and leaps,
That lives in each moment, enjoying them as they come.
Gentle, wise and mischievous.
Dog, and children, grabbing each golden second
And making life sing. Today. Every day.
Dog. Children. Unconditional love personified.
You can see more magnificent pets over at Camera Critters and Pet Pride.
And remember to check out the fantastic photos entered in the Communal Global competition!
Who says what?