Category Archives: Photography

A Beautiful New Year’s Pivot…

13 Thursday Jan 2022

Posted by in New Year's Resolutions, Photography, Reflections

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© Lauren DiMarco

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;
from If by Rudyard Kipling

I have already run into events that have knocked almost all of my New Year’s Resolutions completely off-track. I didn’t expect to accomplish every goal over the next fifty weeks, but I did not expect so many things to happen that were completely beyond my control.

And so I take a moment and think. There are things I cannot control, so…what? Should I create a list of lesser goals? No, that is not at all satisfying – I was planning for an epic year, not a mediocre one. I can envision what I want to accomplish, perhaps I just need to take a different path to that goal than the one I had originally planned. And that new path may hold undiscovered joys and opportunities!

I resolve to continue the journey that I started, but along a different path.

Model: Lauren DiMarco

Beautiful Dichotomy, sort of…

12 Wednesday Jan 2022

Posted by in Daily Life, Photography, Reflections

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Art in a place where I stayed in Santa Cruz, California. © Joan Currie

Anagnorisis definition: the point in a play, novel, etc., in which a principal character recognizes or discovers another character’s true identity or the true nature of their own circumstances.

The first sounds I hear upon waking in the morning are those of the low-pitched train whistle as it approaches the station about two miles away. The intensity of the sound seems to vary depending on the weather – it is much louder on foggy days. I hear one blast at first followed by several more urgent blasts. At first, I am comforted by the sounds – sounds of a new day, sounds of my daily life in the city. But then, I think of why the whistle blasts so persistently. This station and these tracks have been the scene of a number of tragedies in recent years – high school students mostly. So those first happy thoughts quickly turn to sadness, mourning for the unknown-to-me young lives lost. Every lighthouse, buoy marker, and signal can also be a symbol for the ominous. Then I realize that I must put aside my dark thoughts and be grateful for the wonderful day that lies ahead!

Ten Beautiful Outdoor Winter Preparations…

03 Monday Jan 2022

Posted by in 10 Beautiful Things, Photography, Ten Beautiful Things, Tips, Travel, Winter

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Dutch whaler woolen hat, c. 1650-1700, I photographed at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

“…the men recognized one another only by the pattern of stripes on the caps. The men were bundled up so tightly against the fierce cold that only their eyes were visible.” Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

It’s wintertime and I plan to spend time outdoors. Despite the prevalence of winter survival videos that make life in the wilderness look so easy, the elements can be very unpredictable and conditions can become life-threatening very quickly. I have experienced some challenging times in snow country, including my snowmobile falling through the ice. Fortunately, I was able to jump away from the ice hole, but after that, I had a much greater respect for winter safety and safety in general. I travel with a buddy whenever possible and make sure I set up a communication and locator alert system with a designated family member or friend before setting out.
Here’s what I do to keep warm and safe in the cold:

1. Wear a woolen hat and neck warmer. (I have knit myself several, and always bring a couple of extra ones in case it snows heavily and they get wet.)

2. Use a waterproof shell for my woolen mittens to keep my hands warm and dry (see below). I pack spare pairs of mitten liners.

3. Dress in layers to regulate my warmth and so I can remove or replace ones if needed. I pack backup clothes as well, including a bag that I always keep in the trunk of the car. If it is really cold, I wrap a wide wool scarf around my waist and over my kidneys to keep my core warm.

4. I know my gear: I have tested my sleeping bag to be sure of its comfort rating. I pack an extra one in case the temperature drops lower than anticipated. (I use a converted quilt as my backup sleeping bag to my mummy sleeping bag.) I make sure to keep them both dry, especially since they are down-filled.

5. Take a pocket thermometer to be aware of the temperature dropping, particularly in the late afternoon.

6. Take a travel carbon monoxide detector in case I have to spend time in my car or a cabin with a gas heater or open flame.

7. Keep my phone charged and keep it close to my body so it doesn’t freeze up. Pack a backup battery.

8. A flashlight, headlamp, and high visibility reflective vest are musts.

9. Bring along extra food such as power bars and especially water – I keep a water bottle tucked in an inside pocket.

10. Car equipment: chains or cables, shovel, sand or kitty litter for traction. Snow equipment: waterproof boots with snow leg gaiters, snowshoes, boot calipers, rope, and a small axe, ice pick and knife. I mark my ice pick handle with one inch markings to measure the thickness of the ice.

My cold weather mittens with wool liners and outer shells.

Tabula Rasa for 2022…

31 Friday Dec 2021

Posted by in America's Next Top Model, New Year's Resolutions, Photography, Reflections

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I make no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing,
sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me. Anaïs Nin

At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, I open my front door and let the old year out and welcome the New Year in. It is a moment of complete purity, betwixt the two years – 2022 about to begin, with no mistakes in it (yet). There is yearning, an expectant pause about what all the year might have to offer.
Unlike Anaïs Nin, I make resolutions each New Year to form a structure from which to flourish. And so, with great excitement, I face another beginning, when all things are possible!

May your New Year be all that it can be for you, too! Happy 2022!

Model: Khrystyana Kazakova

Beautiful New Year’s Resolutions, sort of…

28 Tuesday Dec 2021

Posted by in Father, New Year's Resolutions, Photography, Reflections, Relationships, Winter

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Looking forward to 2022…

Success consists of going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. – Winston Churchill

My father loved sports and games. He was a fierce competitor and exuberant victor. I revered him and from a very young age wanted to get in on the action. I knew that I would never beat him at the chosen sport or game, but it was thrilling just to be in his realm while I played opposite him. He didn’t believe in throwing a game or giving handicaps – if I were to win, it would have to be a completely unambiguous victory.

As the years went on, I accepted defeat – most of the time it was utter defeat, complete annihilation, actually. But in my teens I figured out a way to play against him that became enjoyable. Rather than concentrate on the final outcome, always defeat for me, I played by point spreads. To my surprise, I actually got better at the sports and games and wanted to play more often. I became a warrior and found enjoyment in the challenge! I never did beat him at any sport or game but I always had a good time.

After reviewing my 2021 New Year’s Resolutions, I realized that I had completed only three of the thirty listed. Hardly a victory. But I had a good time trying and I am actually further ahead than this time last year. I now have another list for 2022 – do I really think that I will complete it? No. But I will enjoy the challenge!

Photo by David Dodds

Beautiful Tree Trimming…

23 Thursday Dec 2021

Posted by in Cat, Christmas, Christmas tree, Photography, Winter

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With a little help from my friend…

The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet, within our reach, is joy. Take Joy.
And so, at this Christmas time, I greet you, with the prayer that for you, now and forever,
the day breaks and the shadows flee away.
Fra Giovanni

Putting the last ornaments on the tree…

Santa, for sure!
Love Charlie Brown!

Photos by James and Chloe Currie

Beautiful Winter Solstice…

21 Tuesday Dec 2021

Posted by in Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Winter, Writing

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Like somebody who sees things when he’s dreaming
And after the dream lives with the aftermath
Of what he felt, no other trace remaining,

So I live now, for what I saw departs
And is almost lost, although a distilled sweetness
Still drops from it into my inner heart.

From A Dream of Solstice by Seamus Heaney

This has been a year of stark contrasts for me: moments of acute pain, suffering, and sorrow but also moments of happiness, joy, and exuberance. I could not say that the lightest moments outweigh, compensate, or obliterate the darkest ones, but, because one cannot change the past, I choose to carry only the feelings and memories of the lightest moments forward.

Photo by David Dodds

Ten Beautiful Things I Do After The First Snowfall…

13 Monday Dec 2021

Posted by in 10 Beautiful Things, Photography, Reflections, Ten Beautiful Things, Winter

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Walking in the woods…

“Before you can have a roaring fire, you’ve got to gather a good supply of wood.” Pierre-Auguste Renoir

I love this time of year! At the first snowfall, I start preparing to stay warm and cozy inside my house but also to make the most of the splendorous winter wonderland that awaits me outdoors. Below is my list of what I love to do during my favorite season:

1. Get out all my wool toques, mittens, and scarves, the down jacket, and the snow boots with the big snow cuffs.

2. Put my flannel sheets, down comforter, and wool mattress topper on my bed,

3. Walk through the woods and try to spot a hare or Snowy owl. Listen for the bird calls of a Blue Jay, Cardinal or Bohemian waxwing.

4. At sunset, as the temperature is dropping the fastest and the wind has fallen, listen to the rare crinkling sound of the ice crystals forming on a pond or gentle stream.

5. Before dinner, light a fire in the hearth. The sounds of the damper cranking open, match striking, and wood crackling – magical. The woodsmoke settles briefly in my hair and transports me to seasons past.

6. Change the recipes from the cool meals of summer to the warm, comfort meals of winter; stews, soups, and hot meat pies.

7. Round up my Christmas baking supplies: cookie cutters, plum pudding molds, mince tart tins, and best of all, my mother and grandmothers’ special recipes and ingredients.

8. Listen to the muffled sounds of the city when the snow falls, delight in watching the snowflakes dance as they descend from on high and feel them touch my face, make a snow angel, and jump off a snowbank.

9. Get my skates sharpened, check my snowshoe strings, and find the wax for my cross-country skiis.

10. Cozy up in front of the fire after dinner with a warm blanket, hot chocolate or apple cider, and significant other… or a romantic novel.

In addition, check out the beautiful YouTube channel featuring many winter videos from Jonna Jinton in Sweden.

Photo by David Dodds

 

Beautiful Farm Commando Brigade…

03 Thursday Jun 2021

Posted by in Photography, Reflections, Relationships

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© James Currie

Help Hoe Hay Harvest for Victory. Much like the Soldiers of the Soil in WWI, “The Farm Commando Brigade of the Ontario Farm Service Force is composed of all those men and women who offer their services to those engaged in producing and processing food (farmers and canners). The work they offer to do starts from early spring seeding (tractor, force drawn or hand sown) through hoeing, haying, harvesting, canning, threshing, silo filing, etc.”

During WWII my father was too young to enlist so he joined the Farm Commando Brigade of the Ontario Farm Service Force and worked on a farm in southern Ontario, Canada. He was born and raised in the city of Toronto, but he really came of age on the farm. The lessons he learned about farmers, large animals, raising crops from the soil, and the farming community stayed with him his entire life. More importantly, he learned about hard, physical labor – the value of honest toil – and he passed these on to his children. I carry these with me today, long after his service on the farm ended.

Beautiful moonglow…

27 Thursday May 2021

Posted by in Photography, Reflections, Relationships

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© Joan Currie

It must have been moonglow, way up in the blue
It must have been moonglow that led me straight to you
I still hear you sayin’, “Dear one, hold me fast”
And I keep on prayin’, “Oh Lord, please let this last”
We seemed to float right through the air
Heavenly songs seemed to come from everywhere
And now when there’s moonglow, way up in the blue
I’ll always remember, that moonglow gave me you
Moonglow also Diana Krall

The moonglow crept into my room last night. It beckoned me to the window to make a wish on that magnificent orb in the night sky.
I thought of you.