Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.


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WordPress Photo Challenge: Symbol

Symbol: a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

symbol

In some cultures a person visiting a loved one’s grave leaves a memento, sometimes a pebble, to show they’ve been by. To symbolize their love, their loss. I shot this at our small and historical local cemetery.

You can see other representations of the idea of symbol at the original post, or visit a few of my favorites here, here and here.

What symbols do you see in your own life? Want to share with us? Just post a photo and link to the original post.

It’s an interesting concept to try to capture visually. I look forward to seeing what you find.


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Cee’s flower challenge

Check out Cee’s blog where she sports a beautiful sunflower and challenges us to show everyone a flower from our own yards.

Well, you’ve seen many of the flowers in my garden, but this one is interesting.

Will be bright red soon!

Will be bright red soon!

It’s a crocosmia. The foliage is green spiky leaves perhaps 3 or more feet tall which remind me of gladiola leaves. The flowers open up one by one from one end of this bud to the other. This one happens to be bright red, but I’ve seen them in other shades of red and orange. They are stunning.

It’s a perennial so it comes up year after year, and each year there are more. I’m going to have to move some of these to another spot, so if anyone who lives near would like a few for a corner of their own garden let me know! (Click the small photo to see more detail.)

Pretty

Pretty


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WordPress Photo Challenge: Door

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Family Farm Barn Door

Windows and doors…some of my favorite things to photograph.  I like this photo because it’s on the family farm, and because it shows the ingenuity of farmers who use what’s available to create hardware that works.

Look around.  What doors do you take for granted that carry memories and beauty to you?  Share them with us.  Meanwhile, you can see the entries so far at the original post.  Or see a few of my favorites (so far, it’s early, this challenge lasts until next Friday) here, here and here.    Please take a moment and look at these, they are special.

I’m sure there will be more I like as the week goes on, and I might find another door or two of my own to share.    We’ll see.

 


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WordPress Photo Challenge: Muse II

Muse:   a spirit or source that inspires an artist. 

Family farms have always inspired me.  Especially those that are in wide open spaces, surrounded by the crops they grow.

Early morning light on barn.

Early morning light on barn.

My mom’s family has farmed for four generations.  I guess that’s where I get my appreciation for the beauty that is farmland.

Amber waves of grain.

Amber waves of grain.

Farms are always changing, as the grain ripens, the soybeans turn yellow, the corn puts out tassels.

Corn is knee high by the 4th of July.

Corn: knee high by the 4th of July.

Slow down, don’t speed through farm country the next time you’re there, take a moment to look.  It’s where your food comes from.

And it’s beautiful.

Barn for sale.

Farm for sale.


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WordPress Photo Challenge: Muse

This week’s photo challenge is to show something you photograph regularly, something that inspires you to take more photos.  To show us muse.

Pretty clouds...and a sheltie.

Pretty clouds…and a sheltie.

For me it’s often the sky.  Prior to retirement I had a window at work on the top floor and regularly posted ‘window weather’ photos taken on my phone of the clouds, rain, and sun streaming by.

Now that I’m not working I have to go a bit further to find that wide open sky.  But it’s still one of my favorite things to photograph; it changes frequently, it can be beautiful or dramatic; sometimes both.  I’m always watching the sky, early morning, midday, and late into the evening.  You never know what you’ll see.

Oh.  Yes there’s also the sheltie-girl Katie in this shot, another muse.  I have a few thousand photos of her in her many different moods.  Today, as you can see, she’s a very happy girl.  Because she loves to run, and because she knows I have treats.

You can see other interpretations of ‘muse’ at the original post.  Or if you like, check out a few of my favorites, here, here and here.

And don’t miss this one.

 

What’s your photographic muse?  You have time to show us, just post a photo on your blog and link to the original post.  I can’t wait to see!

Katie-girl.

Katie-girl.

 

 


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WordPress Photo Challenge: ROY G. BIV

Do you know what Roy G Biv is?  I didn’t.   It stands for red, orange,yellow,green, blue, indigo, and violet, the colors of the rainbow.  Yesterday I went over to my local nursery to find examples of those colors.  You can see other interpretations at the original post, or see a few of my favorite shots here, here and here.   And don’t miss this one, it’s wonderful!

 


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Retirement Reflections

Reflections

Reflections

It’s Monday morning, sometime before 7:00 a.m., and I’m up and out the door.  Only as I’m backing down the driveway do I remember all the past Monday mornings when I’ve headed out about this same time on my way to work.

Early morning.

Early morning.

But this morning I’m not going to work.

I’m headed out to a hillside I’ve noticed over the years.  Yesterday on our way to somewhere else I noticed the grass was a beautiful golden brown and I knew I had to get back with the camera soon before the farmer turned it all into hay.

As I park on the side of the road, pausing to let commuters zoom by, I begin to smile.  I smile because it’s a beautiful day, the sun just topping the trees, small puffy clouds in a blue sky, a cool breeze gently tossing the grass.

Field of grass.

Field of grass.

And I smile because I’m not on my way to work.

Driving leisurely back toward home after capturing the field I stop at a local park to enjoy the glassy pond.

Swimming hole.

Swimming hole.

Sigh.

I’ve got to say that even weeding is looking pretty good to me right now.

Summer arrives

Summer arrives