A Mix of Old and New

Lake Superior Sunrise in November 2015, long exposure

It’s the time of year when I search harder to find something beautiful to photograph. So today I thought I would share

images that I’ve made. I went back to my photos from 2013-2016 today and found many photographs that I had forgotten about. In addition to that my skills in working with photos and the tools available to work with them have changed a lot in the intervening years. It was fun taking a walk down memory lane and re-editing some old photos.

It’s Thanksgiving week and we plan a small simple get-together with one of our daughters and her partner on Thursday. We’re planning on sandwiches, kale salad, sweet potato apple bake, and apple pie. While it’s not a traditional meal we prefer to keep it simple and easy especially since none of us are particularly fond of turkey. After we eat we usually play card and board games and everyone laughs a lot. We’ll be missing our oldest daughter and her family this Thanksgiving as one of their cats is recovering from surgery and needs to stay quiet and well-supervised until her stitches are removed. But we’re thankful for the life-saving surgery their precious cat received over the weekend.

Wild turkeys in our neighborhood in 2015

I almost posted a poem called “Don’t Hesitate” by Mary Oliver today as I was reminded of it in something I read. But I’ve shared it many times in my blog so I searched for something new. This is the last stanza of a longer than usual Mary Oliver poem (called Devotions) that I found today.

When loneliness comes stalking, go into the fields, consider
the orderliness of the world. Notice
something you have never noticed before,

like the tambourine sound of the snow-cricket
whose pale green body is no longer than your thumb.

Stare hard at the hummingbird in the summer rain,
shaking the water-sparks from its wings.

Let grief be your sister, she will weather or no.
Rise up from the stump of sorrow, and be green also,
like the diligent leaves.

A lifetime isn’t long enough for the beauty of this world
and the responsibilities of your life.

Scatter your flowers over the graves, and walk away.
Be good-natured and untidy in your exuberance.

In the glare of your mind, be modest.
And beholden to what is tactile, and thrilling.

Live with the beetle and the wind.

This is the dark bread of the poem.
This is the dark and nourishing bread of the poem.

— Mary Oliver, Last part of the poem Flare, in Devotions

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving week. Don’t forget to give thanks for all of the blessings of your life and to give to those who are not so fortunate as you in this season of life.

May you walk in beauty.