Fields of Cosmos

Fields of Cosmos
Showa Kinen Park
October 25, 2012

Our visit to this park was fantastic, and we so enjoyed our walk through endless Cosmos flowers in the late afternoon sun.  Seeing so many in one location definitely had its transformational properties.  I loved getting lost in the pretty colors and light.  :)

Waiting on a friend

 

Waiting on a friend
University of Tokyo
October 23, 2012

This lovely, old Oak invited us to sit underneath and have our lunch yesterday.  Heavy rains came as soon as we set up, and we dashed to a covered entrance way for shelter.  This kind, elderly man shared the space with us as we looked out toward the tree together.  I felt as if he had a lot in common with this wonderful tree.  Both gentle and wise, strong and knowing.

On the go in Chofu, Tokyo

On the go in Chofu, Tokyo

I've been busy and the go with family and friends in Tokyo, Japan for the past five days and haven't traveled by car yet.  Here's to cities and countries where you can get around by foot, bike, bus and trains.  Love it!

Because of your smile

“Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

I traveled to Shibuya to meet an old friend first met over 6 years ago through our shared love for U2.  I'm so appreciative that we're still connected and were able to spend a bit of time.  He's a treasure of a person with a unique vision of  life.  He's now pursuing his own business, and I'm very psyched for him.

Chofu arrival

Chofu arrival

It took us a little over 24 hours to arrive in my husband's hometown of Chofu, a Tokyo prefecture.  After all of that travel, it felt so good to be greeted by family at the local bus stop and with them again.  :)

The scream

12.30.12:
 No words, just strong emotions that need to be released before anything productive comes out of them. Any moments of anger, frustration, pure disbelief in society's illogical reasons to justify stupidity, I find myself coming back to this image.  A scream falling on a friend who's either accepting of the shared pain or dreading that they are at the receiving end just for reason of location.  The scream.  It's out there to be heard.

This little light of mine

The art of fly-fishing

"I have many loves and Fly-Fishing is one of them; it brings peace and harmony to my being, which I can then pass on to others."
~ Sue Kreutzer

Yes, I fell in love with the marshes of Louisiana and the art of fly-fishing in a matter of seven hours the other day.  I was photographing, not casting, but wait until I give it a try one day.  I'll surely exchange my camera for a rod and the experience. It's a beautiful thing.  :)



Here are a couple slideshows highlighting experiences of the day.

I was fortunate to be in the Louisiana marshes with good friend and Orvis writer, Phil Monahan, and fly-fishing guide, Captain Gary Taylor. It was my first time sharing space with fly fishermen and observing the art up close and personal. I more than enjoyed photographing the experience, and appreciating the beauty and richness of the Louisiana marshes. After just about 7 or so hours, I learned that fly-fishing is about much more than catching fish. It takes you into the land and waters, and all that she gives in a soulful way. Thank you Phil and Gary for opening my eyes to such a gift. :)
"Fly-fishing may well be considered the most beautiful of all rural sports." ~ Frank Forester

The CSX Rigolets Pass Bridge carries one track of CSX rail lines across the Rigolets on the eastern side of Lake Pontchartrain between New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana. It is a truss bridge with a swing section, and is 4555 ft (1,388 m) long. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSX_Rigolets_Pass_Bridge

Let yourself fall in love again

Morning work on road where the tall trees once stood

A recent realization that all of the old and tall beautiful trees I've photographed on the Ford property left me feeling a strange sense of suspension.  Something incomplete in their documentation and appreciation.  As I stood there on the edge of the new road now taking their place there's an emptiness to the sky and a feeling of disorientation.  Is this really the place I spent my mornings walking for the past year or so?  I suppose the loss takes me back to my "Redefine" post once again in which I realize that there is now space to see something new.  Discover a new path and perspective with what I have in front of me.  Do I really want to 'fall in love' with another tree, another spot, another place to be during my quiet morning moments while walking?  Possibly if I don't look at the beauty as long term and appreciate the gift in the moment to fully soak it up I'll be ready to let it go each day.  When it comes time for another tree to be knocked down, for another place to be to change, maybe the loss won't be so striking to me as the others were.

Here is the tree and location as seen this morning.  I've walked by it, but because it is nestled in the far corner from the others I've photographed, I never spent time near it.  This tree is along the same line of the others cleared for the new drainage and road but has been untouched by machinery.  It's the only intact place to stand right now amidst the development.  My dog led my there and it really was like seeing it for the very first time.  Beautiful and old, reaching and strong.  Through the space below its limbs there's a view of the middle field and places I've been.   It's almost a window into the past, a look into the paths taken and appreciated that are now a part of me.  The remaining beauty really stood out to me there today, and I plan to scoot into this spot again.

A grandfather's beach walk

We stayed with friends at their rented beach house in Dauphin Island, AL for a handful of days and enjoyed a wonderful time. I appreciated the early mornings especially, and liked getting out there to watch the beach come to life with people, birds and activity. After the first day or so I noticed an elderly gentleman with a cane taking walks on the ocean's edge, and I liked following his rhythm and patterns. A couple times I picked up my camera and ran there after him to get a few shots which told a bit of his walking story. His presence was quite memorable. 

 

Meditation in the works

 

 “Smile, breathe and go slowly.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh

 I think that anything that stops you in your tracks to look at in awe is a meditation in the works.  Tonight's sunset on Dauphin Island, Alabama was just that, and I'm fortunate to have appreciated it from this great beach space with friends..  Truly I am more thoughtful in the presence of such beauty.  :)

Coming to, leaving from

The light held in the drops falling to and from this glass table usually catch my eye during downpours.  I finally grabbed my camera, covered it in plastic, and enjoyed a session with the rain while under a small awning on our back deck.  It was a good lesson on speed and depth and field as I was in and out of focal points given my largest opening of 5.6.  I'd love to see the effects with a 2.8 telephoto lens.  The rains will continue to come and maybe one day that wish will happen.

Metaphor jumps at me in the changing form of the droplets.  Just a few words to keep the reflection going.

Coming to, leaving from
We each carry the light

Return meanderings

After a long and rare nap, I stepped out earlier than usual with Sparkle for our walk.  I had been wanting to go the field since our return from NJ the day before, and without resistance, Sparkle led the way.  I didn't carry my camera but my cell phone, and I appreciated the opp to take a few pictures with it.  None in my collection were from my cell, and I thought it would be interesting to have a different look.  Well, field exploration ended up being minimal, and we found ourselves headed towards the middle school property which sits adjacent to the farm property.  I'm not sure what led her there, but it was such a great open space for views of the simple and pretty sky.   The colors were such swirls of summer, and the high humidity created a wonderful glow of  light.   There's something about these that I really appreciate, and possibly it's the feel of me coming back into myself following my trip.  The transition always takes time, and I'm not sure that it's ever complete.  Either way, this space helps me find the way.

The falling apart basketball hoops caught me eye, too.  :)

Wonderland

I usually feel my photos back in the moment taken when titling them, and 'Wonderland' popped into my head when remembering the flight I took with my girls today.  Three hours in a plane on nada sleep after waking at 4 AM and trekking it for over an hour to the airport, with two young girls, technically could have been disastrous.  We were possibly too tired to even be unhappy so releasing ourselves to the fact helped us avoid meltdowns and be open to creative entertainment.  Watching the formation of ice crystals on the window worked for us, and I took plenty of photos of the fractal delicacies on their own against the blue.  When my four year old held her hand against them it was a 'wow' for both of us.  She didn't tire of her investigation quickly allowing us to spend some time in that state of curiosity.  The photo reminds me of the 'wonderland' in the skies and of our minds, too. 

The title alone could work, yet I thought there might be a good quote to keep to it company.  It was a fun to find this one by author Vera Nazarian via a google search of 'wonderland'.  :)  Little connections and coincidences of imagination.

“Frost grows on the window glass, forming whorl patterns of lovely translucent geometry.

Breathe on the glass, and you give frost more ammunition.

Now it can build castles and cities and whole ice continents with your breath’s vapor.

In a few blinks you can almost see the winter fairies moving in . . .

But first, you hear the crackle of their wings.” ― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

Do you see it? It's still there!

I had the most amazing rainbow session with my girls and husband tonight. Usually the event is short lived when spotting one in a rain shower or while driving in the car. Well, the workings of an incoming storm and the end of day sun sustained the colors and magic for nearly an hour for us. The sky went from gray to blue and back again with big clouds coming in and out, yet a section of the rainbow arc was always present. That sets a Kato rainbow viewing record and a dang good excuse to gather in the street and act like sillies (besides Mardi Gras). :)

Anyone out there ever been with a rainbow for longer than an hour?

In my color tonight

This is my color tonight
on the eve of my 46th birthday

of my passions
my sadness within

my love and desires
the happiness gifted me

of what I sing
of what I miss

and what will never be filled
emptiness has a color
 
of what I can give
of what I can touch

and where I want to go
comfort has a color, too

beauty
depth
tender

It's all in there
it's all in me

in my color tonight

Three words

I put myself back in this moment and think three words.

Refresh.  Our humidity and heat can slow me down and feel oppressive, and any form of relief is greatly appreciated.  The temps were actually under 90 F degrees, and that bright blue sky was a positive to view.  Insert continuous bursts of water from the downtown fountain splashing my feet and happy children running through for a release.

Rejoice.  Bright blue skies, lovely puffy clouds, and a cool place to be with my children and friends under it all makes for a good feeling.  It's hard to feel down with this surround sound. 

Appreciate.  Water is a precious gift, and the fact that I'm in a fortunate place on this planet to access it easily is to be appreciated. 


What are your three words?

Rebirth Brass Band in black and white

This has to be one of my favorite black and white photographs sets of the Rebirth Brass Band at Chelsea's Cafe.   I especially love the images of lead trumpet/vocals Derek Shezpie.  I'm usually taken by his neck tattoos and gear in addition to his awesomely expansive cheeks.  They're captured pretty well, and I so appreciate being up close and personal to Chelsea's low stage.  The fans in the crowd were very much into the heat and feel of the night, too.  We had a great time dancin' and groovin' out there!

In that melancholy

We've had a couple afternoons of downpours and storms.  I've always liked rain, the smells and sounds it brings, and the colors and feelings it turns on.  I could have stood at this window pane and watched it endlessly filter my look into our very green and earthy backyard.  Lately, though, I have to get myself out of the trance because the melancholy it brings overwhelms me.  I am drenched in memories of my father. Flashes of him sick with cancer in his final days battle the surfacing of something else, maybe good memories, the loving times when he was in good health.   In time, in time I'm told that things will become less sharp.

I find myself turning to the rain again.  In that melancholy the soothing will come.  Somehow.

Running with the Transit of Venus

Meet Brandon Dufrene, a man who was exercising when I arrived at the levee look out spot near LSU's vet school .  He was at the top of the stairs, just about to make his decline, when I took this quick shot. He passed me on his way down so I showed him the image and apologized, too, for interrupting his workout.  He said that was okay because he had already finished his 15 mile bike ride earlier.  Keep in mind that it's nearly 90 degrees and high humidity even at 7:30 pm, and I commented that it must be tough getting a work out in those conditions.  He explained that it's great for your lung capacity and cardiovascular endurance as I was standing there dripping in perspiration standing still.  Maybe I'll make the effort one day to get out there with my sneakers instead of my camera and embrace what Brandon exemplifies.  It's also very cool to think about the fact that as he was running and moving, so was Venus and the other planetary forces.  If I was in fact a runner, I'd probably find a ritual in that thought as I went out into the heat of the sun.

After I made it to the top of the stairs and looked across the river at the setting sun, I decided to find a location closer to the river to shoot.  I didn't have much time, but I went for it.  Well, by the time I set up the sun started moving behind a cloud that I didn't see at first.  Somehow grabbing a picture of Venus got lost in my mind unfortunately, and I took a few pictures of the sun, with Venus in transit, escaping us for another 105 years.  It's a good lesson if grabbing the opportunity when it's there because that moment in time will not return and conditions DO change out of your control.  I'll have to be satisfied with my photo set from the observatory  and enjoy the story and experience in that.  :)

Chasing Venus and the sun did lead me to finding a pathway to the river...let's see how that will open up another world.