Yesterday as I was sitting in my chair by the window that looks out at the pond behind our house I noticed a large bird standing on the log at the edge of the pond. As I sat and watched it in a sort of Heron Daze I was filled with awe, wonder, and joy. I think that I’ve talked before about how seeing birds almost always lifts my spirits. Though I cannot explain why seeing them brings me such joy, it does. I feel my heart lift a bit every time a bird takes flight as if I am Read more…
Last week I spent some time with my granddaughter, introducing her to making photographs with a DSLR camera. We decided to just go out into the yard outside the house where they live. And even there we found amazing beauty Waiting Quietly in plain sight all around us. The further I wake into this life, the more I realize that God is everywhere and the extraordinary is waiting quietly beneath the skin of all that is ordinary. Light is in both the broken bottle and the diamond, and music is in both the flowing violin and the water dripping from Read more…
Welcome to Parkview Ridge Wildflower Garden in Plymouth, MN. It doesn’t look like much when you drive by. But if you stop and wander on the path through this small wildflower garden you can find Hidden Beauty just by slowing down and paying attention to the life all around. When I visited the garden this morning bees buzzed from flower to flower. A gentle wind blew tall grass stems back and forth. And a single monarch butterfly flitted from milkweed flower to milkweed flower hiding in the tall wild grasses. The greatest tool that a photographer has at their disposal Read more…
Sunday mid-morning I headed out to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum to try to take advantage of what I thought would be a rain-free hour or two (according the weather forecast) with overcast skies. Instead I had a Rainy Day Adventure and got soaked by surprise rain showers that ended up being heavy and prolonged. When I arrived at the Arboretum no rain was falling though I could see by the wet reflective surface of the road to the 3-mile drive that recent rain must have just ended. I had driven through heavy rain on the way to the Arboretum and Read more…
Lately, I’ve been trying to choose times when the light is most beautiful to go out with my camera. Earlier this week I waited until almost sunset to take a walk at nearby West Medicine Lake Park. I found Ineffable Grace in the twilight landscape and lake scenes. Everything felt soft and gentle. There was a quietness in the air despite the presence of many people enjoying the evening at the park. I wondered why I didn’t go out this time of day more often. Along with my photography practice and beginning to prepare material for the fall photography classes Read more…