I’m joining Kim Klassen’s Texture Tuesday again to share a photo I took in January with a new edit using textures she sent out just last night. I am also using Kim’s words as my blog post title.
So everyone, let just be the light!
Latest
Muted
Although there were signs of Spring in the blossoming of fruit trees, Winter still had us in its grip last week. Days were cold with a few snow flurries, and the bare branches gave little evidence that it is Spring according to the calendar. The muted colors of this scene off the Peavine trail at Watson Lake reflect our muted lives these days, as we adhere to social distancing and develop new routines in our individual houses.
For me, these days are revolving around connecting with friends and family through phones and internet, planning and eating meals, hand washing (washing everything, it seems), ordering groceries online, editing photos, doing some organizing projects, and streaming and binge-watching TV series. It’s still a good life- it’s just pared down to the basics. So each day we choose to practice gratitude, appreciate our loved ones, focus on the positive and enjoy life as it is right now.
Flattening the Curve
Like most of you, we are staying home, trying to avoid getting exposed, and only going outside for occasional walks or drives. We are getting into a routine of exercising at home, doing a few clean-out projects, planning and eating meals, keeping track of our supplies, communicating online and by phone with family and friends, watching the news (Lonnie), editing photos and doing genealogy, and streaming shows at night. This whole thing would be so much more difficult in the pre-internet age- there’s lots to be grateful for!
Nature Heals
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,
places to play in and pray in,
where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.
~John Muir
Kim Klassen, my very first photography mentor and whose video tutorials taught me Photoshop nine years ago, has brought back her Texture Tuesday linkup! When I saw the announcement last night, I leapt at the opportunity to download her free textures and participate! I have gotten away from still life and have ventured into other areas of photography, but am so, so grateful to come back to Kim’s special world, especially NOW! Thank, you Kim!
Social Distance
Today’s photo was taken on February 27 on Newport Beach, and how things have changed since then! Even then, we were very aware of the looming health crisis and had brought hand sanitizer and lysol wipes with us to California, but how quickly things have escalated! We barely leave the house ( have gone on two walks), and we have never felt so far away from our children and grandchildren. We are keeping busy with projects that have been long-postponed- mostly going through boxes of photos and videos- trying to put some order to a an almost 50 year collection of our photos and movies and another 50 year collection of my parents’- and then the photos from earlier generations and extended family. We are avoiding the stores, but at some point will have to risk it, I guess.
When I first edited this image a couple weeks ago, I saw it as a peaceful beach scene- but now I see it in the context of social distancing. The mother and child are each looking out of the scene- at other people? at the empty beach? I added a slight frame to emphasize their containment within their own little 6-10 foot space.
My hope is that we all emerge from our separate spaces into a kinder, gentler world- and are truly grateful for our families, our health, our friends, and our planet!
Be safe and well, my friends! And stay home!
Patience
Another thing about the beach- there are surfers! There is a lot of patience involved in surfing , I’ve discovered on my beach walks; there is more waiting than actual surfing. But then the right wave comes, it’s magic!
First Date
It was the noisy squawking that led me to look up and see this pair of gulls as we walked on the Queen Mary. My first thought was that it was their first date, hence the name of this post.
Along the Way
Spotted along the walk to the beach in Newport Beach.
On the Roof
Gulls can sometimes be pretty annoying when you are at the beach, but this one caught my eye as he perched on a rooftop surveying the scene in Newport Beach.
Queen Mary
One of the highlights of our last trip to California was touring the Queen Mary, which is permanently docked in Long Beach. The lines and angles of this view caught my eye as we walked prepared to go aboard. What a beautiful reminder of a bygone era, before cruise ships became associated in our minds with viruses and quarantine.
Greeting the Day
Good Morning, Sunshine!
What a joy it was to be back walking on the beach with my new knee! It still doesn’t feel “normal”- but I can walk without pain and without poles. And watching the waves and the birds is the best therapy!
At Newport Beach
Happy Birthday, Caleb!
Happy Birthday to our favorite TWO year old, Caleb!
This youngest grandson is such a treat for us- we have loved watching our son become a father. As you can see, Caleb is the apple of his eye!
The little family!
Caleb’s latest thing is stacking cups- they go with him everywhere!
Grandma and Caleb!
Patterns
I took the photo below last summer at the beautiful Anchorage Museum- I just loved the graphic elements on the wall and the line of bean bag chairs, with the pattern broken by my grandson Miles. I brought it to my photo class yesterday for our assignment on Patterns.
Strong Verticals
We drove to Southern California to visit with our son and his family, and spent the first night at Newport Beach as we often do. During our morning walk, I became fascinated with the strong vertical lines of Newport Pier reflected in the water- and I took dozens of shots. This is likely the first of many photos I will post featuring these reflections- you have been warned! 🙂
Swan Art
I had fun playing with an iPhone photo of a swan this week. It is actually a photo of a photo on my monitor – if that makes sense. I was texting a friend about the swan, so I snapped a photo of it from my screen. Then I played with it this week on my iPhone and ended up liking the result.
