Spring Quickening

It's been a long and varied year for me and my inner fire had become more of an inner smolder, my vision clouded.  I've been finding it hard to get back on my path again.  Have you ever had a big ball of twine in your hands and not been able to find the end?  That's what it has felt like.

Lots and lots of unexpected good things have come my way during this time, and I have so much gratitude, so I'm thinking I just needed some down time to refocus.

Marsh Trail, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

I can now see, in the distance perhaps but definitely there, light at the end of the tunnel. I've found an end to my ever revolving ball of twine.  Perhaps its the quickening that comes with the onset of spring, but  I know, as always, when I have my camera in my hand I'm more plugged into nuances of the Universe.  And now it's time for me to step out once again and see what messages the World has for me.  I'm ready.

I'm linking this to Straight out of the Camera Sunday

'Inviting' verses 'Capturing'

I was sitting in the warm sun on my patio this morning with my coffee beside me. My camera was poised in my lap as I idly watched the wild birds engaging in their a.m rituals.  Hoping one of them would come close enough to allow me to take a picture, I sat quite still. Quietly I began pondering why I have always been vaguely disturbed by using the word 'capture' when referring to getting that opportunistic shot.  It's certainly not as if I'm harming anything, I would only be capturing a fleeting moment in time, and yet I prefer to think of it as 'inviting' the critter to 'allow' me to take the shot.  Why was that?

A cactus wren moved in close and allowed me to take several pictures of it as it contemplated whether to chance grabbing stray crumbs from the dogs' bowls within 15 feet of my chair.

As I watched the wren came to the decision that breakfast was a viable option. 

We both got it!!

The wren got food and I got understanding.  For me, before a capture there must be a chase or a hunt.  That energy of competition doesn't sit well with me and I'm sure, because of this, the animals and birds I'm trying to 'capture' will also pick up on that energy and move away.  Oh sure, I set an intention to come home with some pleasing shots, and then I just let go of expectations and invite subject matter to materialize.  I'm usually not disappointed.

This is exactly the message the World had for me today, confirmed by these bonus shots I was offered just  as I got up to move inside:

That little wren felt safe enough to invite it's partner close to that annoying clicking camera.  I've never had the opportunity get a photo of the pair of them before. I am honoured.

Linked to SOOC Sunday, for Straight Out of the Camera Sunday.  All pictures have been cropped slightly and the two bottom ones sharpened slightly.

Linked to Camera Critters.

Please click on the links above to see more entries.

Switching Trees

 "it's an ill wind that blows nobody good"

I've always prided myself on having loyalty and integrity.  It seems lately, though, I've really had to reconsider exactly what loyalty means to me. 

Being loyal to my family, my friends and my place of employment are codes of conduct I've embraced all my life.  Lately it has been dawning on my that perhaps I've been leaving out a very important part of the equation:  Loyalty to myself, my own inner promptings.

As I've been mulling over a situation in my life of late I have really made me aware of the contradictions in my belief system.  I was being challenged whether I was going to go with the conditioning of the tribe or the urgings of my heart - loyalty to the tribe or try something different.

Quite appropriately we've had a huge windstorm here a couple of days ago and it seemed my inner turmoil was matched only by the outer turmoil, and when the wind finally settled the answer came, as it usually does, from the World, through my Lens.

 Palm Springs Library taking a hit.

I drove around the neighbourhood, being re-routed on several occasions, noticing all those beautiful trees that had been blown down by the 70mph winds. Strong, robust, seemingly invincible eucalyptus, the aromatic pines and the luxurious English evergreens laying on their sides a-waiting the chainsaws.  The tall slender palms, however, had swayed their way through the worst of the winds and were still standing.

There was my answer.  I can stand strong and rigid in the face of adversity, like I've always done, and risk getting face planted like those trees, or try something different.  How about I stay grounded and be flexible to the breezes of life just like those palms?


Linking to:
ABC Wednesday - 'B' is for Blow, Breeze, Beautiful
 Nature Notes

Angel on the Mountain

On the west end of California's  Coachella Valley, gracing the steep slopes of Mount San Jacinto above Palm Springs, is the unique rock formation known as the Angel on the Mountain.  It is visible, when you know where to look, of course, from a great distance and adds credence to the belief of many that the Coachella Valley is a sacred and spiritual area.

Even the name, Coachella, has some spiritual history behind it.  Some believe the word is derived from the Spanish word, caracola, meaning conch shell.  After all, many years ago the valley was at the bottom of the Salton Sea and as the water receded conch shells were exposed.  Others believe the word predates the Spanish Explorers and is, in fact, an Indian word meaning hand of God.

No-one knows who first noticed the Angel, though I imagine the original inhabitants, the Cahuilla Indians, were aware of it, and the Spanish Explorers also.  At the turn of the twentieth century white settlers to the area were building their dwellings facing the Angel.  Perhaps for good reason as the Coachella Valley is also well known for have the infamous San Andreas Fault-line running the length of the valley.  Now that is a story for another day.

The stone formation of the angel with it's wings spread out it directly above the word 'Angel'.

I've added a closer up view.  Unfortunately the pictures aren't of the quality I'd like as the mountain is huge and my lens only moderate, so I've had to crop quite aggressively to be able to see the figure.

The figure is to the left of the word this time.

I'm linking this to ABC Wednesday.  Please click on the link to see more interesting ABC's.

And Nature Notes at Rambling Woods.  Happy blog birthday, Michelle!  Keep on blogging, I love what you have to say.

Enter 2012

A beautiful orange sunrise confidently announced the arrival of the new year.  A rich, saturated orange - the orange of the sacral chakra, the chakra of creativity, of joy, of enthusiasm.

And yet, at every moment we are free to choose creativity, joy and enthusiasm.  We don't have to wait for the new year to restructure our lives.  Our power to create the life we choose is always in the present moment.  This moment! Right now!

This glorious sunrise was another reminder to me from the World, through my Lens, that I have all the tools I need to create the life I want one moment at a time for I am part of the Divine Creator.

And so are you.

Gratitude in Little Ways

I recently saw this quote on a placard in a gift store and it has really stuck with me:


"What if you woke up in the morning and only had what you were grateful for yesterday"

That got me thinking in depth for a long time.  A lot of the most influential teachers of our time having been hammering the gratitude concept for a long time now.  Louise Hay and Oprah are two household names who really believe in being grateful for even the smallest things, and the quote above reminded me how deep gratitude can go. I have so much to be grateful for even when the World around seems to be dancing a different dance to what I am used to.

Most of my pondering happens when I'm out hiking with my dogs and camera.  It seems the World can speak to me through my Lens easier this way, the left brain steps back to let the right brain take over for a while. 

How ordinary and often overlooked is this little sparrow?  They are all over the world and they are survivors.  They don't have the pretty plumage of most other species and therefore really don't stand out in a crowd, unless they are in a crowd of their own dominating the bird feeders.  Then they are noticed with irritation for hogging all the feed and not allowing the 'prettier' birds a chance to eat.

White-crowned Sparrow

This little fellow posed for me in a Juniper bush and allowed to take two or three nice pictures before it departed.  What's more Sparrow was so close that I was almost too close to get a clear shot! After reading my quote and pondering it, I thought maybe my just-a-cute-little-sparrow may appreciate my giving it some importance:  officially this is White-crowned Sparrow (juvenile).
At least this is the title us humans have bestowed upon it.

So, little one, thank you for so graciously posing for me and making my day!

I'm linking this to ABC WEDNESDAY.  This week we're up to "W".  Follow the link to more ABC's.

I'm also linking this to Michelle's Nature Notes at the Rambling Woods blog.

"Majoring in the Minors"

I only had a moment to swing up my camera and get one shot of my dog standing on point overlooking the terrain below.  The lighting was perfect, he was back lit by the setting sun, and he was still only for a second.

I snapped the shutter!

And my satisfaction immediately crumbled to dismay . . . . .  I realized I hadn't adjusted my camera back from the spot metering mode I had been using in a tricky lighting situation a few moments earlier.  With my first glance in the back of the camera I understood that I had completely overexposed my one chance at the shot. If I'd taken the time to check my settings first I'd have missed the shot altogether.

But, as usual, there was an insight to be gained.  When I saw the picture on the computer screen it was obvious that indeed the background highlights were blown out, but the dog himself was quite acceptably exposed.  It occurred to me that this is a great metaphor for moving forward in my life: I can keep my focus on my goal, act fast, not get sidetracked by details, and ultimately I may find those details, which seemed so necessary, will simply fade into the background.

I read some time ago many of us waste our lives by "majoring in the minors".   Today I learned in a small way that bypassing the minors isn't a bad thing at all.