A Walk before the Rain

This morning after going to the exercise class that I love to hate (though it’s good for my body it’s really hard work!) I decided to take A Walk before the Rain at nearby West Medicine Lake Park. The sun was still shining through thin clouds and lots of people were out talking and walking in the park. There was a group of dog walkers who seemed to know one another chatting near the parking lot. And I saw a birder out with his binoculars checking to see if there were any interesting migrating waterfowl. We chatted for awhile, asking Read more…

Feathered Friends

Here is my next photo/essay in my project series of photos and essays (#6)… Feathered Friends As a child growing up on an Iowa farm I was surrounded by animals. Our farm had milk cows, chickens, ducks, hogs, and cattle. Because both my parents worked so hard caring for all the animals, crops, and large garden they didn’t really pay much attention to the birds. But I did. Even then I loved birds and thought of them as my friends. I remember seeing lots of red-headed woodpeckers in the trees in our grove. Birds were a constant in my childhood Read more…

Seeing the Unseeable

Often when I make photographs I think about Seeing the Unseeable Through the lens of my camera I look deeply into the marrow of life to discover its hidden order, its rhythms, the luminant transparency of it all. I want to look deeply into the nature of things and see the hidden grace and intelligence that is often overlooked. Everything I want to make poems that say right out, plainly, what I mean, that don’t go looking for the laces of elaboration, puffed sleeves. I want to keep close and use often words like heavy, heart, joy, soon, and to cherish Read more…

Make a Choice

Since I heard the election results last week I’ve been realizing that it’s up to me to Make a Choice about how I want to live in the coming years. Am I going to let the chaos and fear that is now surrounding us rule my emotions and thoughts? Or am I instead going to steer by my own inner compass based upon the values of goodness and beauty? I find myself needing to make the choice towards goodness and beauty over and over again, interrupting fearful and negative narratives in my mind. This making a choice about how I Read more…

Fractals

Today I’m sharing my next essay/photo creation for the project I am working on. It’s called Fractals Fractals are complex shapes that upon a closer look are composed of parts that appear to be a smaller version of the whole. In nature, fractal shapes can be seen in ferns, trees, plant shapes, roots, river deltas, clouds, and coastlines. In living things, the fractal design allows for efficient delivery and distribution of water and nutrients. The circulatory and respiratory systems in our bodies follow fractal patterns as do the root systems of most plants. Fractal plant shapes have always fascinated me, Read more…