I had gone and came back countless times.

But there was a time where everything fell apart and I was sure that I would be gone for good.

But Second Life is a place that is hard to leave, isn't it? I played an alt for a while to get my Second Life fix but that was never quite the same...

The broken promises. I am sorry and I am ashamed of them. I am not asking for another chance. I just want to...say hi again.

Hi.

Peppermint was used in countless ways in ancient Egypt. An Egyptian medical text from 1550 BC claims that peppermint can help with stomach problems. Peppermint was so valuable in ancient Egypt that it was used as currency. The modern word mint, or money, can be traced back to this use.

www.youngliving.com/nl_nl/discover/history-of-essential-o...

Another photo from Praia da Oura - pretty much the same viewpoint as yesterday's upload but the camera almost touching the water. Unfortunately the tide was too high to explore the countless little boulders and sea stacks lining that end of the beach but who can complain when the weather is nice and warm!

A cold day in January, eight years ago, and this small herd of Plains Bison is trying to decide whether to trust me or not. I chose not to approach them. Just a hunch that they would expend energy needlessly by running away. I've had countless photo ops with these bison - a herd of between 350 and 500 animals, possibly to be expanded soon if Parks Canada gets approval to extend the bison fencing.

The fencing is necessary. Otherwise they might decide to go to Texas for the winter, and that would be problematic...

Currently their space to roam is huge - these critters are not contained in a paddock. They roam freely within an area of about 181 square km (70 square miles). This means that visitors sometimes see them and other times do not. I like that they can cross the river and disappear into the hills, which have no road access.

This is a group of cows, calves, and juveniles of both sexes. Tomorrow: a big bull bison. These guys keep to themselves or hang out in small bachelor groups, except during the annual rut.

Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2018 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

With countless hummingbirds returning from the tropics, recently, Janice's yard was filled with their zooming exploits, frantic feeding, and some territorial disputes...but this cute little lady prefered to stay out of the ruckus as much as possible!

It should be Oxalis corniculata (Italian name, Acetosella)

Life rarely exists just in black and white, it is made up of countless shades in between. Every story holds layers, perspectives, and quiet truths that are not always visible at first glance.

Life is far more complex than it appears on the surface. Every person, every situation, every story holds more than one perspective. There are emotions, histories, and unseen reasons that shape what we do and how we feel.

Understanding comes when we step back from judgment and open ourselves to the deeper truths hidden between the lines.

True understanding begins when we step back from judgment and open our hearts to the deeper truths hidden between the lines.

So be humble and kind, and open to the different shades each on of us are made up of.

Compassion grows when we remember that there is often more than one side, more than one reason, and more than one truth.

♫ Music ♫

💖 In advance I want to thank each one of you for your always kindness, support, beautiful awards, favs, and messages and for taking the time to stop by my stream. Please know that I see and read them all, even if I do not reply back to them, I appreciate them all so much as well as each on of you for taking the time.

Lori 💖

I had driven past the trailhead countless times, but never stopped. Finally, during last year's visit, I did, and hiked the shore at the edge of the forest, and it was good. Fabulous low cliffs on the opposite shore. Pristine water. Only a few other hikers, spread out. A quiet place, with many rocky perches to sit and contemplate or meditate or just rest a while.

I'm not positive this image works as well as I had hoped; it seems a tad busy with detail. Cropping it square was an attempt to control some of this. I do like the division of space, the individual elements, and the light - just not sure how well they work together. As with yesterday's shot of Medicine Lake, I framed this to exclude the sky, thinking the image was stronger without.

I often don't know if my image is going to work - I shoot a lot of bad ones, and in fact used to tell my students to shoot a lot of bad ones. If we don't push ourselves, if we don't really explore the relationships between objects within our frame, we run the risk of creating a bunch of competent but boring pictures that don't break any new ground or allow for growth. We have to be willing to risk failure. Great shots seldom come from playing it safe.

Don't be afraid of pixels. They're harmless.

Photographed at Horseshoe Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2021 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

I saw countless deer...or at least their backsides as they bounded off into the distance. And the one that did stop in its tracks to look at me would have made a great photo - if I had remembered to switch back from M to AV. Check your settings Jo, check your settings....!

Whenever I wander along the side of the river at Looe in south-east Cornwall I occasionally pause to look at this memorial to Nelson the seal, who was a local character and a great favourite. Sadly, I never knew him in life, but the words on the accompanying plaque tell his story.

NELSON (Obit 2003)

A distinctive "one-eyed" scarred bull Grey Seal who was a familiar sight in the harbours of south Cornwall for over 25 years. Eventually he settled on the rocks of Looe Island as his home and made Looe harbour his dining room where he was fed and his company enjoyed by local fishermen, townsfolk and countless visitors.

A Grand Old Man of the Sea, and a great favourite with all.

In life, Nelson was a splendid ambassador for his species, now, in bronze, he serves as a potent symbol of the rich marine environment of the area and a permanent reminder of the need for it to be cherished.

Concept: Penny Spreckley. Sculptor: Suzie Marsh. Unveiled by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston CBE, 28th May 2008.

Happy new week, everyone! I hope it is filled with countless good moments and fun. Fall is definitely here, but it doesn't so much feel like it yet in Georgia. It's more like a continuation of summer for a while, but that's the norm for us southerners.

Spending time with my super dear Emie this weekend was a burst of joy for me. When we catch up, our time is filled with laughter, the best conversations, and multiple outfit changes (of course!). I'm incredibly fortunate to have Emie in my life. She is kind, beautiful, and inspiring in so many ways; talented, generous, passionate about anything she dives into, and her positive energy is a force of its own. I know she always leaves plenty of it for me, which I am so grateful for. Love you, gorgeous Emie girl, and can't wait for our next adventure!

Cheers to a fabulous week ahead … sending lots of love ❤️🍷

(Warning: this is a long one, so grab some popcorn and settle in.)

Photographing landscapes has provided me with countless opportunities to have my mind blown over the past few years. From summits in the Canadian Rockies, to countless sunrises in the Sierras to spectacular night skies in remote corners of Utah to beautiful coastlines in Oregon....so many incredible moments. Of all of these experiences, the one I endured last Friday was truly special. It was a personal triumph and one that I have literally been working toward for the past two years.

Tom Bricker was the first one to mention the Diving Board to me. I had seen the shot by Ansel Adams, of course, and had always wondered where he took that shot from, but I figured you would just...you know. Get closer. I was sure that the location must be just beyond Curry Village. What was the big deal?

The big deal is that the diving board is a location in Yosemite that cannot be reached by taking one of the major, well maintained trails. Back in Ansel's day you just took some ropes and charged up the Leconte Gully. But the gully has long been deemed unstable due to frequent rockfalls. The standard route nowadays begins on the mist trail and winds around behind Lost Lake before heading steeply straight up the side of base of Half Dome. From what we were able to gather from scouting online, this would be a 16 mile round trip hike and the word "strenuous" was being thrown around by some very hard core hikers and climbers. My heart sank as I first heard these reports. After all, the hike up the Upper Falls trail had nearly finished me off a few years before. How in the world could I expect to haul my camera gear up the Mist Trail let alone the nearly vertical sections of this crazy trail to the foot of Half Dome?

But I really wanted that shot. I hit the treadmill and began building up my endurance. (Of course the first night was only 10 minutes, but hey. It was a start.) I also began challenging myself with some more difficult hikes, the most recent of which was up to the Fern Ledge in Yosemite. As the Summer drew to a close, we finally had a chance of thunderstorms and the promise of a possible sunset, and I sent Tom an urgent message: Can we go for it on Friday?

So last Friday, Tom and I took off at 4 AM for Yosemite. By 10:30 AM we were taking off from the Mist Trail parking area. Man I was feeling good! No stops at all on the way up to the first bridge. I was blowing past old people and asian tourists like they were standing still. Then the REAL climbing began. By the time we made it to the top of Nevada Fall, I was wiped. But we hadn't started the tough section yet. Tom and I had found a short cut up from Emerald Pool and we had a GPS map with us on Gaia. We were all set. What could go wrong?

So up we went.

The trip from Emerald Pool to the regular bush trail junction was easily the hardest climbing I've ever done. The nearly 30 pounds on my back turned out to be a huge mistake as I nearly gave up several times. Between the steep terrain and the bushwhacking, I was toast. When we hit the junction, things only got worse. I was having to stop almost every 100 feet and poor Tom just sat there waiting for me. After clawing my way up another 700 feet or so, I finally collapsed, unable to continue. I told Tom to head up without me, but he refused. After a long break, it finally hit me: I could dump whatever I wasn't going to use at the top and grab it on the way down! So out came my 24-70 lens (way too hazy for a valley shot), the tripod, almost all of my food, two jackets and over a liter of water. I dropped by stuff in a neat little pile behind a tree reminding myself that it would be a bad idea to forget those items on the way down.

Suddenly the backpack was WAY lighter and even though it hurt, I continued to force my way up. For the final 500 feet, I hung back and sent Tom up ahead. After another 1/2 hour break, I lurched back onto my feet and with the soundtrack of Rocky playing in my head, I charged up the last 500 feet to the Diving Board...some EIGHT hours after leaving the parking lot.

The view was absolutely spectacular as Half Dome rose far more majestically than I could have ever imagined. Although we didn't get quite the epic sunset we were hoping for, we did get some color during the last few minutes, just enough to give some atmosphere. A goal I had set two years prior had just been achieved. I had made it all the way to the diving board!

Our smiles began to fade as it dawned on us that it was getting dark in a real hurry and my car was still 8 miles away. There would be no "short cut" on the way down as we were pretty sure we would not survive a hike back down the sketchy ravine we had just clambered up. So down we went on the long, normal route around past Lost Lake. About 45 minutes later, I said something like "Hey Tom....where's my stuff?" Both of us were convinced that it must still be below us, so we plowed on. After we had gone another 1/2 hour or so, it dawned on us that we must have passed it. We were both beyond exhausted and nearly out of water. But Tom, being the hero that he is, charged back up to look for it. But didn't find it. He had a quarter of a liter of water left and I had maybe a half. I wasn't even sure if I could make the hike out, so I took a deep breath and told Tom we just needed to leave my lens...and all of my other stuff up there, which would have been roughly $2500 to replace.

Ouch.

Okay...this is taking way to long. I'll skip to the end.

After we passed Lost Lake on the way down, we found water in a creek and used my filter to keep from dying on the way back. Tom made it back to the car around 2:30 AM and very kindly drove the car around to the trailhead as I had some severe blisters. I didn't make it back to the trailhead until 3:30 AM.

Fast forward to last Monday when I drove back to Yosemite to find my stuff. I stayed overnight in El Portal and set off the next morning, this time without the 30 pounds taking only water and food. I left at 4 AM and by 8 AM I found my stuff exactly where I had left it! I made it up there in HALF the time! My lens and gear were undamaged and I breathed a huge sigh of relief before heading back down.

For those of you who might be interested taking this hike, I'll have much more details for you including maps, etc on my blog in the very near future. Sorry for the ridiculously long story and THANK YOU for reading the whole thing if you are still with me! The Diving Board was truly a once in a lifetime trip for me....at least for now. I MIGHT try it again, but if I do, it will be with MUCH less gear and more water!

--------------

Thank you so much for your views and comments! If you have specific questions please be sure to send me a message via flickr mail, or feel free to contact me via one of the following:

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Interesting worn out basalt glacier deposit. Definitely shaped by the countless seasons.

After getting held by countless Metra commuters for over 4 hours, Engineer Coats gets underway on train BIRDSW (IAIS Burr Oak Yard - CSX Barr Yard) with IAIS 153 (SD38-2) at the helm. Seen here heading west at Robbins, IL under the Rock Island cantilever at “CP Interchange” on the Metra Rock District. Taken: 2-16-20. Officially one year later, all four IAIS SD38s have been placed in storage in Silvis, IL for the foreseeable future, meanwhile the Rock Island signals still old their age at Robbins.

This is the first in what I hope will become a series of urban photos showcasing some of the places that truly make Southern California what it is.

This first image was shot on the Venice Boardwalk, at Venice Beach. For those not familiar, it is a place where all walks of life come together as one; from the many street vendors and street performers to the young and not so young, to the countless tourists and even the homeless, they all are truly represented on the Venice Boardwalk!

| www.RobertSternPhotography.com | | Facebook |

on tour in Rheiderland - East Frisia

With eager eyes he flew across the rain. Unlike most feathered creatures, he actually liked it when it rained. Passing through countless rooftops, closed windows, curtained covered ones too and sadly, blinds! How can people hate the rain so much that they seal it off instead of welcoming it?

The more distance he covered, the lighter his weight felt but his wet feathers were complaining so it was time to park for a moment. His form lowered to the side, seeing a bit of light along one of the balconies got him curious, "An open window? No! It's an open door!" he exclaimed with a mixture of surprise and excitement.

His wet form came crashing into the bucket of leaves. After ruffling his feathers a bit, using the leaves to dry himself slightly, he hopped up towards the tiny kingdom, his beak reaching up to bob the little heart ornament. It was silent as he pitter pattered inside, thin clawed feet hardly making any noise.

"Shhh!" said Andy the Snowman whom he bumped into accidentally.

"Oh, sorry." he whispered, hopping away from Andy and jumping up the display cabinet only to accidentally knock out some hanukkah candles.

"Shhhhh!" Andy the Snowman said again, sounding slightly impatient.

His wings spread to balance himself, trying not to disturb anything. The tiny wooden tree though did catch his attention, his beak pinching one of the lights and causing it to snap.

"Seriously?" Said Andy the Snowman, whom he ignored. He was enjoying his little 'adventure'. Besides, he was sure the talking snowman was just his silly imagination after all.

He tilted his tiny head up, looking at the black board and trying to read what it said, "BTW I Love You..." he muttered out loud, tilting his head with a smile, "Cute." he mumbled before reading the other board, "YOU make me HAPPY when skies are gray..." he said, then frowned, "This sounds so familiar..." he hummed to himself. He was sure it was a song, if only he could remember the tune now.

He hopped away from the display cabinet and landed on the soft chair and decided it was time to rest. Perhaps the owners of this place wouldn't mind finding a cute little bird sleeping on their chair.

"Silly bird, bringing me to life then ignoring me..." Said Andy the Snowman...

P.S. When you make something with someone you love, you tend to add things you love that were made by others you love too. I added some small Knick Knacks and Oh Deer items in this scene. Both Bambi and Natty are really long time friends and seeing each of their creations blow my mind daily. Of course, 8f8 is there too. How can I forget dust bunny and nutmeg plus apple fall peeking on the side.

Several agamas live around our house in Sri Lanka. I'm happy about them, at least more than about the annoying geckos that even come into the house and leave their tracks everywhere, or the monitor lizards that nest under the roof, make noise and attract countless ants. The agamas stay outside, are frugal and look at you curiously, as if they would be happy to see you. They are funny critters.

Actually, I rarely publish animal photos because they always look like they were from an identification book. But here I tried to give an artistic touch by bleaching the floor a lot and making the background blurry. Since I'm going to Vietnam today for almost 3 weeks, the next pictures will probably be from there.

There are countless canyons in southern Turkiye. We found this one on the way down from a very interesting archeological site, and witnessed a perfect sunset. The air smelled like pine trees.

Yesterday's evening walk took me to the Dresden Heath again. And although this forest area is not particularly large and I have been here countless times, I have never passed this corner. Which in turn means that I have to go back there to take a closer look.

While I was hiking through the forest with the aim of making a video about mosses and lichens, the evening sun suddenly drew my attention to a scene that I would have otherwise just walked past.

Luckily, I was of course also prepared to take photos and so I devoted myself to this scene for 15 minutes before finally deciding on this composition.

And even though this is the only photo I brought home (along with the planned video, which you can watch in my Facebook gallery), I'm very happy that I didn't miss it. Even though I had to pay a heavy blood toll on the mosquito world for the trip (which I noticed this morning).

Der gestrige Abendspaziergang führte mich mal wieder in die Dresdner Heide. Und obwohl dieses Waldgebiet nicht übermäßig groß ist und ich schon unzählige Male hier unterwegs war, bin ich in dieser Ecke hier noch nie vorbei gekommen. Was im Umkehrschluß bedeutet, dass ich da nochmals hin muss um mir das genauer anzusehen.

Während ich da so durch den Wald wanderte, mit dem Ziel ein Video über Moose und Flechten zu erstellen, machte mich plötzlich die Abendsonne auf eine Szene aufmerksam, an der ich wohl sonst einfach vorbei gelaufen bin.

Zum Glück war ich natürlich auch auf Fotografieren vorbereitet und so widmete ich mich erst einmal 15 Minuten lang dieser Szene um mich schlußendlich für diese Komposition zu entscheiden.

Und auch, wenn dies das einzige Foto ist, was ich mit nach Hause gebracht habe (zusammen mit dem geplanten Video, was Ihr Euch in meiner Facebook Galerie ansehen könnt), bin ich das sehr glücklich darüber, dass mir das nicht entgangen ist. Auch wenn ich für die Ausflug eine gehörigen Blutzoll an die Mückenwelt entrichten durfte (was mir heute früh aufgefallen ist).

more of this on my website at: www.shoot-to-catch.de

8 Yanqing Rd., Shanghai

He had seen countless human beings in his life and not any two-legged beast could surprise him.

The countless Water Hemlocks in the Weeks Bay bog were busy with so many species of wasps yesterday...along with several of these beautiful Green Sweat Bees!

While attending a field trip to Chico Basin Ranch during the Western Field Ornithologist conference in Pueblo, Colorado, we came across this close Pronghorn. I've seen Pronghorn countless time, but always very distantly. He ran along the car for a while before stopping and allowing for some great shots.

Per usual, flickr degraded the quality but it's still a nice shot.

Going through countless votive red gates, the steep winding stairway finally reached a patch of flat land on the mountainside overlooking the Tsuwano town.

The shrine was founded in 1773 by requesting Fushimi Inari in Kyoto to impart its deity to protect the Tsuwano castle from evil spirits. It is located to the northeast of the castle, and the direction, which is called Kimon (鬼門) or demon's gate, is believed to be the direction from which evil sprits come.

After countless juxtapositions it has become clear to me that these can be found everywhere. For the unsuspecting audience, the complicated juxtapositions are often too difficult to read, while the simple ones are too easy for the attentive observer.

Now it's time for something different, a subject that has always fascinated me. Surprising compositions in the everyday, a special view of buildings, lines made abstract. I hope the intention comes across. The name of the new series is Lines and planes.

Here's another shot from one of countless afternoons out traipsing around base with Frank Keller. I'd honestly forgotten about this day until finding and posting a shot of the departing 130N freight. If you missed it check out this shot: flic.kr/p/2n9PGf2

Here is the daily summer flagship passenger train, the Denali Star (230S), just a few minutes from the end of its 356 mile 12 hr trip from Fairbanks to Anchorage. This view looks north off the Vandenberg Drive overpass near MP 118.4 and the former station site of Elmendorf on a colorful late summer evening just a bit after 8 PM.

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

Anchorage, Alaska

Sunday September 5, 2010

With countless Barn Swallows almost ceaselessly darting frantically around the fields of Fort Morgan from daylight to dark to catch insects which they eat in flight, it was only natural to find one here and there taking a brief rest before continuing with their amazing aerobatics...and a chance for me to enjoy their beautiful colors...

See below for a look at their interesting wing construction...

Chrysanthemums, sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center of diversity is in China. Countless horticultural varieties and cultivars exist. The genus once included more species, but was split several decades ago into several genera, putting the economically important florist's chrysanthemums in the genus Dendranthema. The naming of these genera has been contentious, but a ruling of the International Botanical Congress in 1999 changed the defining species of the genus to Chrysanthemum indicum, restoring the florist's chrysanthemums to the genus Chrysanthemum. Genera now separated from Chrysanthemum include Argyranthemum, Glebionis, Leucanthemopsis, Leucanthemum, Rhodanthemum, and Tanacetum. 28846

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Beautiful Milky Way as I saw it rising above Diskit in Himalayas, a luminous river of countless stars.

There are certainly countless motifs that can be used to symbolize the new beginning of a year. A sunrise outside in nature (in this case on the Hoher Schneeberg in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains) is my favorite.

In both cases we are on a path that leads us into a new phase of life. A path that is only known to us to a certain extent and where a big surprise (or challenge) can be waiting for us around the next bend.

Now you could object that a day is just a day and in comparison a year must be much more significant. I would like to show you why I don't quite see it that way.

On the one hand, this assessment is based on our standards, which are based on a human life. If we look at it from the perspective of the lifespan of the universe, a year is just as insignificant as a day (basically the effects of neither are noticeable).

On the other hand, a single day, a single decision is enough to fundamentally change our own world in every conceivable direction.

So what if we didn't wait for a specific date every year to realize where we want to go, but could use every single day of the year to do so?

Our creative possibilities would increase many times over and we would have so much more room for directional corrections. We could learn, try things out and gain experience without having to ask the fundamental question every time.

With this in mind, I wish you all a good start and an exciting and fulfilling journey.

Because today is the first day of the rest of all of our lives.

Es gibt ganz sicher unzählige Motive, mit denen man den Neubeginn eines Jahres symbolisieren kann. Ein Sonnenaufgang draußen in der Natur (in diesem Fall auf dem Hohen Schneeberg im Elbsandsteingebirge) ist mein Favorit.

In beiden Fällen befinden wir uns auf einem Weg, der uns in einen neuen Lebensabschnitt führt. Ein Weg, der uns nur bis zu einem gewissen Grad bekannt ist und auf dem hinter der nächste Kurve eine große Überraschung (oder auch Herausforderung) auf uns warten kann.

Jetzt könntet Ihr einwenden, dass ein Tag ja nur ein Tag ist und im Vergleich dazu ein Jahr doch viel bedeutender sein muss. Ich möchte Euch aufzeigen, warum ich das nicht ganz so sehe.

Zum einen fusst diese Einschätzung auf unsere auf ein Menschenleben ausgerichteten Masstäbe. Betrachten wir das ganze aus Sicht der Lebensspanne des Universums ist ein Jahr genau so unbedeutetend wie ein Tag (im Grunde sind die Auswirkungen beider nicht spürbar).

Andererseits genügt ein einziger Tag, eine einzige Entscheidung um unsere eigene Welt grundlegend zu verändern und das in jede nur denkbare Richtung.

Wie wäre es also, wenn wir nicht jedes Jahr auf ein spezielles Datum warten würden um uns bewusst zu machen, wohin wir gehen wollen, sondern dafür jeden einzelnen Tag des Jahres nutzen könnten?

Unsere gestalterischen Möglichkeiten würden um ein vielfaches steigen und wir hätten so viel mehr Raum für Richtungskorrekturen. Wir könnten lernen, probieren und Erfahrungen sammeln ohne jedes Mal die Grundsatzfrage stellen zu müssen.

In diesem Sinne wünsche ich Euch allen einen guten Start und eine spannende sowie erfüllende Reise.

Denn heute ist der erste Tag vom Rest unser aller Leben.

more of this on my website at: www.shoot-to-catch.de

It is a comet of small

Countless hearts

That obscure the sun of the world

Like a star with a thick tail

Throbbing toward the archipelago.

And at the end of the angry sea

In the ocean rain

Spring forth the wings of the albatross

Like two systems of salt

Establishing in the silence

Between the torrential gusts

Of their spacious hierarchy

The order of solitudes.

C’est un fleuve vivant d’ombre,

C’est une comète de petits

Cœurs innombrables

Qui obscurcissent le soleil du monde

Comme un astre à la queue épaisse

Palpitant vers l’archipel.

Et au bout de la mer coléreuse

Dans la pluie de l’océan

Jaillissent les ailes de l’albatros

Comme deux systèmes de sel

Établissant dans le silence

Entre les rafales torrentielles

De leur spacieuse hiérarchie

L’ordre des solitudes.

Pablo Neruda

Dorma

Corpo-Mente

I took countless sunset images of Haystack Rock on the Oregon Coast last fall on this particular night. I knew the colors lined up like it was meant to be, so I was composing every kind of angle I could from here. The ridges in the water, the people out taking their own photos, and the sunset here combined for such a beautiful evening. I remember fondly listening to David Gray's Skellig album and in particular the song Laughing Gas while composing this frame. Such nights as a photographer stick with you more than others. Thanks for taking the time to view my photography. I appreciate all the likes, comments, and time one takes to follow me. I hope this image finds you well today. Hug a loved one and let them know you love them. I feel now more than ever, we need to stop and take care of what's most important in our lives.

Kayla couldn’t hide her satisfaction—Adrienne had taken to the VDD with uncanny ease. Over the past few days, they’d leapt across countless locations, Adrienne increasingly taking the lead.

“You’re doing fantastic,” Kayla said with a wide smile, watching Adrienne recalibrate after a particularly sharp reentry.

Adrienne let out a disbelieving laugh. “It’s all so clear. Like muscle memory... like I was doing this just yesterday.”

Kayla nodded. “Some knowledge runs deeper than memory.”

Kayla poured two glasses of wine, took a drink from one and handed the other glass to Adrienne.

“But we haven’t touched time travel yet,” Adrienne added, frowning. “I’m not sure I understand how that works.”

Kayla sipped her wine. “That’s... complicated,” Kayla admitted, her tone shifting. “To be honest, I’m not sure we even fully grasped it when you were one of us before.”

Adrienne tilted her head, curious.

“Time isn’t a straight line,” Kayla continued. “It doesn’t move cleanly from past to present to future. Think of it like a thick, folded blanket—layers compressed together. That fold… we call it the quantum fold. Past, present, future—they’re all happening at once.”

She tapped her VDD lightly. “With this, we can access straight through those layers. But here’s where it gets trickier: an infinite number of alternate timelines are stacked on top of each other. It’s easy to become lost. You must always remember to set a home beacon on your VDD whenever you time travel.”

Adrienne blinked. “So… multiverses. Like in the movies.”

“Yes—and no,” Kayla replied. “Time travel is incredibly dangerous. Especially moving backward. One small misstep, and you might erase yourself. Or worse—change something you never meant to.”

Adrienne gave a short nod. “Yeah, I’ve seen

how that goes in sci-fi.”

“What about other dimensions?” she added. “Are those the same as alternate timelines?”

“Not even close,” Kayla said. “Dimensions aren’t timelines—they’re entirely separate realms. Parallel realities that exist beside ours, unseen but present.”

A flicker of something unreadable crossed her face. “They’re… strange. Some harbor things we have names for—Bigfoot, spirits, demons. Others defy explanation. Not all are safe. A few are.”

Adrienne’s eyes widened slightly. “That’s why—when we escaped the reptiles—you took us between dimensions?”

Kayla nodded once. “Between is a safe zone, one that is neither here nor there.”

Adrienne studied her, catching a stray thought that hadn’t been meant for sharing.

She hesitated. “Kayla… why were you sent here?”

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You can view Quantum Fold episodes in order from the beginning in her album titled, Quantum Fold:

www.flickr.com/photos/199076397@N02/albums/72177720326169...

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And if you're taking time to read this you are SO awesome!!! Thank you!!!! ♥♥♥

Here's a link to my other Flickr photos/ images:

www.flickr.com/photos/199076397@N02/

Countless thistles thrive along the pier in Bremen's Holz- und Fabrikenhafen (timber and factory harbor). The dark background is the side of a large tanker that has just been towed into the port.

Countless hours have been spent searching rock outcroppings and the sky for a chance to photograph a golden. Every trip into their territory ignites my desire to experience their majesty, and possibly get a good photo.

Now that I have experienced them in nature, in this case a parent/child riding a thermal, my next goal for the golden is to capture a really good shot for my office walls.

Obtaining half a goal is still such a blessing!

With countless hummingbirds returning from the tropics, recently, Janice's yard was filled with their zooming exploits, frantic feeding, and some territorial disputes...but this cute little lady prefered to stay out of the ruckus as much as possible!

Countless specks make, a globule, for a while

Accumulated dust, a settlement, new life

Like fungus on a bread loaf, a jungle for a while

Organisms thrive, a new world, new life

Width of a forefinger, a track in dust, I write

Characters self made, a track of sound, my name

In accumulated dust, to prove myself, a mite

Calculations myriad, to make myself, a name

What I see and hear, I learn to live, I earn

More and more I hoard, till my death, I yearn

Not a speck my own, do I bring, when I come

Not a speck 'I own', can I take, when I leave

Accumulated dust, here I live, I die

- Anuj Nair

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© 2010 Anuj Nair. All rights reserved.

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www.anujnair.net

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© 2010 Anuj Nair. All rights reserved.

All images and poems are the property of Anuj Nair.

Using these images and poems without permission is in violation of international copyright laws (633/41 DPR19/78-Disg 154/97-L.248/2000). All materials may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any forms or by any means,including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording without written permission of Anuj Nair. Every violation will be pursued penally.