Shades of Orange

The sky takes on shades of orange 

during sunrise and sunset, 

the color that gives you hope 

that the sun will set only to rise again.

-Ram Charan

After a frenetic week

full of work, making appointments,

and trying to get things caught up

this band of orange light from sunset

came streaming in my window.

I dropped everything to create a photo - 

because light is everything in a photograph.

When I was 10, I got to choose the colors

for my bedroom, including my carpet.

I chose shades of orange for the room.

I often wonder if it was part of who 

I was to become that made me 

enjoy those sunset oranges?

Shadow Play

Days are shorter

and the evening light

streaking in my window

comes earlier each day.

Of all the seasons, 

autumn offers 

the most to man 

and requires 

the least of him. 

~Hal Borland

Of all the seasons, fall has been a favorite

of mine.  There's nothing like a warm day

with a crisp cool night to top it off. 

Most of the US gets that in late Sept or

October, but here in the Valley of the Sun,

fall is a very short season, usually approaching

in mid-November.  The sun sets early here,

as we don't adjust our clocks in spring and fall.

The almost setting sun was a mere 5:15pm

but the light is so beautiful! 

Enjoy :) 

Be True

The hardest challenge 

is to be yourself 

in a world where everyone 

is trying to make you 

be somebody else.

~E. E. Cummings

Be true to who you are.

That's the best advice.

Oh. and find your joy!!

Love Yourself

Love yourself first

and everything else

falls into line.

-Lucille Ball

How often do we forget
that in order to find love,
we need to love ourselves first?

If Only ....

 I was watching "You've Got Mail" over the weekend, and near the end, Joe Fox gives Kathleen a "what if ... " scenario about them meeting, how if he didn't force her business to close, if they were just two normal people, how he'd get her number, phone her up for a date....  and ends the speech with a sad, yearning "If only ...."

We all have "if only" moments in our lives.
"If only"  I had taken a risk on a business deal.
"If only" I had taken that job someone offered.
"If only" I had asked that person on a date.
"If only" I had the courage to .... (fill in your own blank)

But would things be different if we'd gone with the
"if only" scenario?  Would they be better?
or could things be worse?
Those are questions we'll never know the answer to.

I pondered my own "if only's"  ......
and it didn't change a thing.
The best thing it seems is to stop letting fear win,
and trying things that are new, different, appealing,
and leaving the "if only's" in the dust.

(in the busy-ness of this week, I found I'd started
this post.... and left it sitting.... *sigh*  some days
are like that ..... )

Take it Easy

“Take It easy, 
take it easy.  

Don't let the sound 
of your own wheels  
drive you crazy.   
Lighten up while you 
still can, don't even 
try to understand.
Just find a place to 
make your stand 
and take it easy. ” 




If you're like me, you read those words, and the tune immediately comes to mind.  (Did you sing along as you read them?  I bet you did!) The 70s were great years to grow up in.  We had terrific tunes like this one from The Eagles, coming in the aftermath of the 60s, the Viet Nam war, and all the confusions which were a part of that era.  I think the ovreall goal in the 70s was to forget those times, to find a "happier place" ..... to take it easy.

That's what I did for a day ... take it easy.
Hopefully, you find time to take it easy as well.

Watch

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes 

the whole world around you 

because the greatest secrets are always hidden 

in the most unlikely places. 

Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”

-Roald Dahl

Listen

...there are times

when we stop.

We sit still.

We listen...

and breezes from

a whole other world

begin to whisper.

~James Carroll

Eight Days

Eight days go by without picking up
my camera.  i'm finding it difficult to
tap into my creative side again -
which is typical when other parts of
life force me to be completely absorbed
with little time to think or feel things.

In order to maintain the balance
i'm striving for in this new year,
i forced myself to pick it up today.
For me.
Lucky you gets to see the results. :)

“A true balance 

between work and life
comes with knowing 

that your life activities 

are integrated, not separated.”

-Michael Thomas Sunnarborg

Who You Are

.

“And that's when I heard 

the whisper in my heart's ear: 

"It's not about your childhood. 

It's about who you are!”

― C. JoyBell C.

 

Sunshine

There is nothing

more pleasant

than the feel

of sunshine

on your skin










I like this series

a lot ... as always,

if there is a ray of

sunshine, I like to

take advantage

of it, see what

comes out in my pix.

Light

Gorgeous

glowing

ray of light......











Sometimes it is the

simple pose,

a little light,

and nothing else

that "makes"

a picture

Sunlight

Feelin' the sun on my skin.....

when i got home from work

the sun was streaming in

the window

so i just had to snap a pic!

Happy Weekend!!

Simplicity

There's something
really appealing
about the simplicity
of black and white images.
~Joseph Gordon-Levitt

I have always felt a strong pull
to do black and white photos


There's just something
so simple about them
and yet there's a depth
to them, another layer,
if one chooses to look,
as well.

B&W

Black and white are the colors of photography. 

To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair 

to which mankind is forever subjected.  

-Robert Frank

Light

When an interesting shaft of light

tickles my fancy and my senses

what better way to enjoy

than with a pic or two?


Sadie and I are enjoying
some sunshine
and spaghetti
on this weekend
before Christmas

Whatever your plans are
I hope they're
happy and joyful!

Magic Realm

When a song stirs a memory, 

when motes of dust 

turning in a shaft of light 

takes your attention from the world, 

when you listen to a train 

passing on a track at night 

in the distance 

and wonder where it might be going, 

you step beyond 

who you are and where you are. 

For the briefest of instants, 

you have stepped into the magic realm.

~~~

the last two shots

in this series

sometimes its

harder to get a good shot

when the lighting


is brighter in spots.

Light

i like the contrasts

of black and white

in my photography

i also enjoy playing

with angles of light

this is early 

Saturday morning, 

hot and bright outdoors

morning light filtered

through window blinds

"Every time the light 

shines through the window ...

... That's going to be me. 

I'll be the light in the window." 

~Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song

Days.End

"I didn't ask for it to be over,


but then again, I never asked


for it to begin.  For that's the


way it is with life, as some of


the most beautiful days


come completely by chance.


But even the most beautiful


days eventually have


their sunsets."

Light Play

 To see a world in a grain of sand,

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour.

    ~William Blake



(Thank You for helping with the quote!)




It was a delightful afternoon

full of afternoon sun

warm on my skin.



I attempted a few pix

and viewed them on the computer

and wasn't .... thrilled.


So I sat in my rocker,

looking out the front window,

waiting for inspiration.



Funny how a shaft of light,

something we take for granted at times,

can be  inspiration.

To get a woman's heart 

a man must first 

use his own.  

~Mike Dobbertin