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Part of getting through life is accepting, and dealing with, our weaknesses. Which doesn't mean they aren't still a pain in the butt.
Me, I'm over-sensitive to all kinds of sensory input - and input affecting my sensors. For instance, even in August in our constant ocean breezes, I daren't go outside without my ears covered.
This is, of course, a huuuge pain. When everyone else is out in shorts and bathing suits, I'm sweating with a big fleecy band around my head. It sucks, but the alternative (excruciating ear aches) sucks a whole lot worse.
I'm also overly sensitive to noise. And bright light. Especially bright flashing light that hits my eyes unexpectedly. So... imagine how much fun I am as a companion at a rawk show. Normally I take along ear plugs. Last night I forgot.
I guess I was lulled into complacency by the fact that the show was at a theatre. A play house. A place I last attended in my teens, when I saw some Shakespearean production there. So yeah... I went in plugless. And immediately regretted it. Still... I was up for enjoying myself... until the %$(*&$%(&ing light show started.
I can't imagine whose idea it was to flash big spotlights directly into the audience's eyes repeatedly throughout the night. Probably the same wise person who decided a super-bright sign behind the band... illuminated by 10,000 1,000 watt bulbs... was also a very good thing to flash repeatedly in the audience's eyes.
What really amazed me was that no one else seemed bothered. Whereas I was in several sorts of agony all night.
The bright flashing lights. Fuck, man. I thought I was gonna have a seizure or something. I ended up spending most of the night doubled over with my head in my lap, eyes closed, hands clamped over my face. Every time I tried to enjoy actually watching the band... zappo! Unexpected blasts of super-bright white light set off pinball explosions in my brain.
So today is pretty much a write-off. Migraine city, man.
And I HATE HATE HATE that my body is so delicate.
I'm from sturdy peasant stock. Why am I so fragile? Why do things that normal people take in stride disable me?
Sorry for the whining self-pity. Kee-rist. At least I know, without a doubt, that I am now too old for rawk shows. Goodbye youth. Your time has come and gone. From now on I'll just satisfy myself by listening to records at home.
one day people met the stones
people said to the stones, you have to be more human
the stones replied, we are not yet hard enough
Valium Creek [be there or just miss something - your decision]
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/valium%20creek/155/98/21
In Greek mythology, Icarus (/ˈɪkərəs/; Ancient Greek: Ἴκαρος [ǐːkaros]) is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth. Icarus and his father attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. Icarus' father warns him first of complacency and then of hubris, asking that he fly neither too low nor too high, so the sea's dampness would not clog his wings nor the sun's heat melt them. Icarus ignored his father's instructions not to fly too close to the sun; when the wax in his wings melted he tumbled out of the sky and fell into the sea where he drowned, sparking the idiom "don't fly too close to the sun".
This tragic theme of failure at the hands of hubris contains similarities to that of Phaëthon.
"This Christmas, mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion, and replace it with trust.
Write a love letter. Share some treasure.
Give a soft answer. Encourage youth.
Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.
Keep a promise. Find the time.
Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy.
Listen. Apologize if you were wrong. Try to understand.
Flout envy. Examine your demands on others.
Think first of someone else. Appreciate.
Be kind; be gentle. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more.
Deserve confidence. Take up arms against malice.
Decry complacency. Express your gratitude.
Go to church. Welcome a stranger.
Gladden the heart of a child.
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.
Speak your love. Speak it again. Speak it still once again."
- This Christmas
From The Editors of McCall's Magazine
Photo Locale:
“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude of the contemplative experience awakens a tragic anguish and opens many questions in the depths of the heart like wounds that cannot stop bleeding. For every gain in deep certitude there is a corresponding growth of superficial "doubt." This doubt is by no means opposed to genuine faith, but it mercilessly examines and questions the spurious "faith" of everyday life, the human faith which is nothing but the passive acceptance of conventional opinion. This false "faith" which is what we often live by and which we even come to confuse with our "religion" is subjected to inexorable questioning… Hence, is it clear that genuine contemplation is incompatible with complacency and with smug acceptance of prejudiced opinions. It is not mere passive acquiescence in the status quo, as some would like to believe – for this would reduce it to the level of spiritual anesthesia.”
― Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation
"Back in the 21st century, outbreaks of viral disease were met with complacency, whining and resistance towards wearing any protective equipment, and flimsy paper masks. This was the last living flower she vowed to protect."
(It's amazing humans survived at all.) - siobhan_muintir
“Once the soul awakens, the search begins and you can never go back. From then on, you are inflamed with a special longing that will never again let you linger in the lowlands of complacency and partial fulfillment. The eternal makes you urgent. You are loath to let compromise or the threat of danger hold you back from striving toward the summit of fulfillment.”
― John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
Fort Smith National Historic Site, Arkansas
War and peace. Outlaws and executions. Life-saving food and medical supplies. Justice, and injustice. An abandoned fort, and a thriving hub of life. A waypoint for future Western exploration and settlement, and an end-point for the tragic forced relocation of the Cherokee from the East. Fort Smith has seen it all, and then some.
Founded in 1817 but abandoned after only 7 years, it sprang up again in 1838 and lasted until 1896. As a federal fort, it was one of several end-points for the appalling "Trail of Tears", survived a Civil War battle in 1864, formed a major supply station, and finally became a federal court where many stories and myths of the Old West were made.
Now however, it's almost forgotten history. Thousands of cars and trucks pass by on Highway I-64 within a thousand feet of the fort every day, and never even notice it. Such is American History: so much passion-of-the-moment, followed by complacency, then apathy and abandonment for something else to be passionate about.
Fortunately for those of us who are interested in history, the site has been preserved by the National Park Service. Here in this shot is the Old Fort Smith Commissary, dating from 1845, and on the right as a companion, one of the famed covered wagons that made heading West in the 1800s possible for the Army and entire families looking for a life on the edge of the frontier.
Selected for FLICKR Explore May 13, 2022, # 85.
*Press L or left click on the photo for best viewing.
Link to ~My best photos~
*** All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. ***
yay! i'm back-ish! it was really foggy this day, so the shot looks...well...foggy!
i just saw slumdog millionaire last weekend, and now it's all i think about. it truly is an amazing movie.
and has an equally amazing soundtrack:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDXiCsP576I&feature=channel_page
give it a listen!
A bleak, colourless winter vignette seems to be a good way to close off the year. I think this photo, from three years ago, exemplifies the look of this northern prairie in its darkest days. And yet... the tracks indicate life, thriving despite the cold and scarcity of food. I think of the Coyote that passed by, along the edge of a frozen pond: the remarkable sensory apparatus that allows it to locate the calories it needs; the finely-tuned physical form that can leap into action, often literally, as it does what it must do to survive.
Meanwhile, this morning two White-tailed Deer are bedded down in my garden, having spent the night scraping snow away to get at last year's weeds and tall grasses. They are doing me a favour, turning weeds into fertilizer. They are welcome here, provided they leave my garlic beds alone.
There is beauty in starkness, or at least there can be. But beyond that, I think it's the harshness of these winter months that makes us appreciate the rebirth so much: the greening of hills, return of the birds and warm spring breezes. Ten more weeks, give or take. Until then, I will continue to poke my lens into the various corners of winter, challenging though it may be. There is no lapsing into complacency here.
Very best wishes to all my Flickr friends in the coming year!
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
“The laws of the Spirit are laws of humility and love. The spirit speaks to us from a deep inner sanctuary of the soul which is inaccessible to the flesh. For the “flesh” is our external self, our false self (we obey the “flesh” when we follow the norms of prejudice, complacency, bigotry, group-pride, superstition, ambition, or greed). The “spirit” is our real self, our inmost being united to God in Christ. In this hidden sanctuary of our being the voice of our conscience is at the same time our own inner voice and the voice of the Holy Spirit. For when one becomes “spirit” in Christ, he is no longer himself alone. It is not he who lives, but Christ lives in him, and the Holy Spirit guides and rules his life. Christian virtue is rooted in this inner unity in which our own self is one with Christ in the Spirit, our thoughts are able to be those of Christ and our desires to be his desires.”
-Thomas Merton
The Sunshine Coast indeed and at its best. Looking north past Coolum Beach towards Noosa. With COVID attempting to break out badly Australia again, many football and other sporting teams have temporarily moved north to the Gold and Sunshine Coasts and many extra games are being played here. But complacency of the deliberate or inadvertent kind can stop all of that. Be safe out there. Good times will come again and humanity will succeed but we will learn some pretty sad facts about ourselves along the way.
The Greek God Pan, half man-half goat, with his curly hair and phallic looking horns as seen through his plastic containment for the winter season. With a look of complacency, he stands in wait, for spring, knowing that he will be set free to romp the woodlands for erotic adventures with wood nymphs and goats.
One of four statues within the Palladian Circle, Congress Park, Saratoga Springs, New York.
518. Pentax.
After the excursions into the autumn forest, of which there will be a few more to come, let's take another look at the fog from above today.
By the way, this is my last photo from a July morning on mount Winterstein in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. Just in case you're wondering why there aren't any fall colors here.
I've been putting off publishing this photo for a while because the symbolism of this photograph is very important to me. And so I'm still looking for the right words to sign it. I'm going to try this spontaneously now.
All of our lives always consist of a combination of light and shadow. Even in the dark times there is always a chance for knowledge, growth and further development, just as in the sunny times there is a risk of arrogance, complacency or ignorance. The light only exists because the shadow exists.
Without the dark areas in the image, we wouldn't be able to see that one glowing cloud of mist or the radiantly beautiful background at all.
The greatest challenge and also the greatest opportunity lies in always being aware of both sides and ensuring a balance between these two extremes.
Because this is how we “survive” the darker but also the brighter periods of our lives without losing sight of ourselves.
Since this is often very difficult to do while hiking through dense fog or flying too close to the sun, it is important to take a bird's eye view of the entire picture from time to time. And ideally with the support of someone you trust.
With this picture it becomes easier to make the right decisions for us.
Nach den Ausflügen hinein in den Herbstwald, von denen auch noch einige mehr auf Euch zukommen werden, schauen wir uns den Nebel heute einmal mehr von oben an.
Dies ist übrigens meine letzte Aufnahme von einem Juli Morgen auf dem Winterstein im Elbsandsteingebirge. Nur, falls Ihr Euch wundert, warum hier keine Herbstfarben zu sehen sind.
Ich schiebe die Veröffentlichung dieses Fotos schon eine Weile vor mir her, denn mir ist die Symbolik dieser Fotografie sehr wichtig. Und so suche ich noch immer nach den geeigneten Worten um sie zu unterschreiben. Ich versuche das jetzt einmal spontan.
Unser aller Leben besteht immer aus einer Kombination aus Licht und Schatten. Auch in den dunklen Zeiten liegt immer eine Chance auf Erkenntnis, Wachstum und Weiterentwicklung so wie in den sonnigen Abschnitten das Risiko für Arroganz, Bequemlichkeit oder Ignoranz liegt. Das Licht gibt es nur, weil es den Schatten gibt.
Ohne die dunklen Bereiche auf dem Bild würden wir diese eine leuchtende Nebelwolke oder den strahlend schönen Hintergrund überhaupt nicht wahrnehmen können.
Die größte Herausforderung und auch die größte Chance liegt darin, sich immer beider Seiten bewusst zu sein und für eine Balance zwischen diesen beiden Extremen zu sorgen.
Denn so "überstehen" wir die dunkleren, aber auch die strahlenden Abschnitte unseres Lebens ohne uns dabei selbst aus den Augen zu verlieren.
Da dies häufig nur sehr schwer möglich ist, während wir durch dichten Nebel wandern oder zu nah an der Sonne fliegen, ist es wichtig sich von Zeit zu Zeit das ganze Bild aus der Vogelperspektive anzuschauen. Und dies idealer Weise mit Unterstützung durch einen Menschen, dem Ihr vertraut.
Mit diesem Bild fällt es dann leichter die für uns richtigen Entscheidungen zu treffen.
more of this on my website at: www.shoot-to-catch.de
*Working Towards a Better World
When the President was asked about global warming at a public appearance yesterday, he responded by talking about America's addiction to oil. You make the connection.
Gwen Ifill
The newspaper headlines may shout about global warming, extinctions of living species, the devastation of rain forests, and other worldwide catastrophes, but Americans evince a striking complacency when it comes to their everyday environment and the growing calamity that it represents.
James Howard Kunstler
Today, we can see with our own eyes what global warming is doing. In that context it becomes truly irresponsible, if not immoral, for us not to do something.
Joe Lieberman
Global warming isn't a prediction. It is happening.
James Hansen
Thank you for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! xo❤️ ❤️
"The strange site of Castelbouc (Goat's Castle) stands on the south bank of the Tarn; it can be SEEN FROM THE ROAD. The name is said to date from the Crusades. A lord, who stayed at home with the womenfolk, died of his complacency. The story goes that when his soul left his body, an enormous billy-goat was seen in the sky above the castle, which after that became known as Castelbouc." (The Green Guide Languedoc Roussillon Tarn Gorges)
Vu d'en bas: www.flickr.com/photos/regisa/52391141504/in/dateposted/
Theme: Now Is the Time to Wake Up – Soon, Our Savior Will Be Born, First Sunday of Advent
Readings: Isaiah 2:1–5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11–14; Matthew 24:37–44
Greetings Everyone- especially to our catechumens and candidates who take an important step today—welcome to Advent, the season when the Church cries out with longing: “Lord, come!” Advent is not simply a countdown to Christmas. Advent is an awakening. It is a shaking of the soul. It is a call to rise from spiritual sleep because “our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed,” as Saint Paul declares today.
Isaiah begins our readings with a breathtaking vision. He sees a world finally at peace—a world where nations stream toward the mountain of the Lord, where swords are beaten into plowshares, where humanity walks in the light of God. Isaiah’s prophecy is the great Advent promise: God Himself is coming into our darkness and making all things new.
But the fact that Isaiah has to invite Israel to “walk in the light of the Lord” means something: God’s light can come, and we can still fall asleep spiritually. We can still stumble in the shadows. And so Paul’s words pierce us today: “It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.” What kind of sleep is he talking about? Not physical sleep—but the sleep of distraction, complacency, and lukewarmness. It is when we live on autopilot… when faith becomes routine… when we settle for less than the fullness God wants to give us.
Father Gregory Pine describes this beautifully when he speaks about your Eucharistic identity: “Your Eucharistic identity is who you are before God: someone made to receive Him, to adore Him, and to become like Him.”
Advent is the season when the Church says: Wake up to your Eucharistic identity. Wake up to who you truly are, in God’s eyes. The Gospel today is jarring, and intentionally so. Jesus speaks of the days of Noah—people eating, drinking, marrying. Nothing sinful in that—just ordinary life. But it became dangerous when ordinary life lulled them into forgetting God. They were spiritually asleep. “So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man,” Jesus says. Two people in a field—one taken, one left. Two women grinding at the mill—one taken, one left. What’s the difference? Not their work. Not their lifestyle. The difference is readiness—the openness to God that keeps the heart awake.
And that is why this Gospel is perfect for the Rite of Acceptance today. Catechumens and candidates, today you declare your readiness—not perfect readiness, but sincere readiness—to walk toward Christ. Today you begin a journey of waking up spiritually, of stepping out of darkness and into the light. Today, the Church welcomes you as those who seek Christ. But let me be clear: this journey is not only for those entering the Church. This journey is for all of us. Advent is the Church shaking each of us by the shoulders and saying: “Stop putting off your conversion. Stop waiting for tomorrow to become holy. Wake up—now.”
There is a prayer that captures this better than any commentary. It’s a raw, honest, vulnerable plea from the heart—something every one of us should pray from our hearts for the beginning of our Advent season. Listen to these words from Father Pine as quoted from his recent book, “Your Eucharistic Identity:” “Lord Jesus Christ, I want you, whole and entire. I want to live a life of Eucharistic worship. I do not want anything less than that fullness. I just want you. I want to be caught up in your life and in your plans for mine. I want to live your sacred mysteries in my own soul and body. I know this will be painful, but I am willing. I know I will have to confront my various sins and vices. That scares me. Please help me. Help me to be honest about my struggles. Help me to be steadfast in my resolve. Help me to be humble in my need. I know that I am lukewarm and overly comfortable. I hate this about myself, but I do not know how to change. Help me to be aware of my attachments. Help me to be zealous for your life. Help me to be radical in my conversion. I know this will mean dealing with ups and downs. I wish I could live a life of continual progress, but I doubt that I will. Help me not to indulge in sadness or anger when difficulties arise. Help me not to give way to despair. Help me not to put off my conversion until tomorrow, when I can endeavor it in simple ways today. Lord Jesus Christ, I want you, but apart from you I can do nothing. Grant me the grace to desire you more. Grant me the grace to pursue you well.”
Psalm 122 today sings, “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.” Advent is the journey to that house—the house where Christ will be born. And like Israel, we walk toward the Lord with joy, even if our steps are slow, even if our hearts are not perfectly ready.
Catechumens and candidates, your step today is a sign for the entire parish. You remind all of us that discipleship begins with desire—with waking up enough to say: “Lord, I want you.” Brothers and sisters, now is the time to wake up. Now is the time to draw near. Now is the time to return to prayer, to confession, to Scripture, to silence, to charity. Now is the time to reawaken our Eucharistic identity—to live as people who belong to Christ.
Because very soon—sooner than we think—our Savior will be born.
Let us walk toward Him in the light of the Lord. Let us not delay our conversion. Let us rise from our sleep, and allow Christ to shine on us.
View of Arc de Triomphe during the day, Paris, just before the national day. French flag - View of the triumphal arch, two days before the French national holiday. The Elysian Fields Avenue is decked with the French flag (tricolor)
I like Icarus' Greek mythology story: Icarus and his father attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. Icarus' father warns him first of complacency and then of hubris, asking that he fly neither too low nor too high, so the sea's dampness would not clog his wings or the sun's heat melt them. Icarus ignored his father's instructions not to fly too close to the sun; when the wax in his wings melted he tumbled out of the sky and fell into the sea where he drowned.
No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter. It is possible that the infusoria under the microscope do the same. No one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable. It is curious to recall some of the mental habits of those departed days. At most terrestrial men fancied there might be other men upon Mars, perhaps inferior to themselves and ready to welcome a missionary enterprise. Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us. And early in the twentieth century came the great disillusionment.
The opening chapter of The War of the Worlds
by H. G.
Red Weed is the plant that supposedly gives Mars its dull red colour. It is one of the several types of plants brought to Earth possibly accidentally by the invading Martians, but the only one that truly was able to adapt and grow widespread on Earth. When it is exposed to water, it grows and reproduces explosively, flooding the neighboring countryside as it clogs streams and rivers.
Europe, Portugal, Algarve, Sotaveno, Tavira, Rua de S Pedro, Industry building, Deconstruction, Worker, Blow torch (slightly cut from all sides)
A former modernist industry building where metal and aluminium frames for windows, facades and doors were constructed is being deconstructed. A worker is using a blowtorch to remove the metal support structure of the roof.
Two other captures of the demolition scene are here and here.
'Squeezing out sparks' is a pivotal album of Graham Parker and the Rumour. Together with the American and UK punk albums it turned out to be the way out of the stagnation and complacency of rock music of the 2nd half of the 70s (think symphonic and prog rock).
The soundtrack: Graham Parker-Mercury poisining, a track from the Squeezing out sparks album. A life version (35 years later) is here.
This is number 91 of the Gloriously dilapidated album and 93 of Tavira.
The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy rain. This is the kind that falls on a day when you'd just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book by the fire, take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency.
-- Susan Allen Toth
As we approach the end of the year, I hear a lot of people talk about burning bridges when it comes to 2020 and the pandemic. Personally, I think the opposite should be true - we should remember the hardships and lessons learned so that complacency doesn't set in too soon again.
This bridge was photographed on Boxing Day after a fresh snowfall. There wasn't a lot of color under a flat grey sky. Consequently, a monochrome edit seemed to be the way to go.
I am enjoying taking some of my bird images and creating something beyond the original..
It's purely fantasy, however isn't painting or in fact photography which forms an image from millions of dots..
I believe we often don't appreciate something till we have lost it
Many of our birds worldwide, are being lost within a maelstrom of indifference and complacency
Featuring them as I do, is my vision of them as a wonder, a treasure of which, We shall be the less, ...... when gone...
Best enlarged to view....
September 15: Feast of the Our Lady of Sorrows
Consecration to the Our Lady of Sorrows
Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honors rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee. In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me. With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven. Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory. Amen.
Novena Prayer in Honor of the Sorrows of Mary
Most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, you stood beneath the cross, witnessing the agony of your dying Son. Look with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before you. I venerate your sorrows and I place my requests with filial confidence in the sanctuary of your wounded heart. Present them, I beseech you, on my behalf to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred passion and death, together with your sufferings at the foot of the cross. Through the united efficacy of both, obtain the granting of my petition. To whom shall I have recourse in my wants and miseries if not to you, Mother of Mercy? You have drunk so deeply of the chalice of your Son, you can compassionate our sorrows. Holy Mary, your soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of your Divine Son. Intercede for me and obtain for me from Jesus (mention request) if it be for His honor and glory and for my good. Amen.
It would be an understatement to suggest my image making has been anything less than anemic the winter of 2016. It has been such an unusual contrast to the previous year where we encountered an onslaught of perpetual record breaking snowfalls seemingly on a weekly basis.
We've had weeks of above average temperatures including days in the 60’s and only on a couple of occasions has there been the telltale signs of a transition from autumn into winter. We’re now into February and our blessing seems to be brown grass and lifeless trees.
I will remember this outing not by the image but by the incident that unfolded. The winter has its own dangers from hypothermia, slick roads and slippery ice and complacency can become a factor even in the absence of the elements.
New England is well known for stone fences and low uneven barriers of rock surrounding colonial properties. To make this image, I had to step on and over a truncated collection of irregular rocks otherwise a distraction would be present.
Returning to our vehicle with my friend, we had to cross over again and I lost my footing quickly finding myself parallel to the ground no longer resisting the gravitation pull of the earth. I was carrying my 5DIII in my right hand and as I slipped and fell to the left, my left arm attempted to reduce the impact while my right arm ascended vertically protecting the camera.
My friend frantically tried to come to my rescue once he heard the thud and yelled out twice “Are you alright, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!!! My next reactive statement was typical from a photographer who appreciates his gear. I replied, “My camera’s fine!”
I’m sore presently with a huge bruise on my left side but there’s no camera damage and I will heal. What one will do to make an image!
Thank you everyone for your kind and considerate fav’s, comments and words of wisdom.
Lee 3 Stop Soft Graduated Neutral Density
B+W 82mm Circular Polarizer MRC Filter
“This is the true fruit and true purpose of Christian solitude: that what we learn leads us out to others with a stronger love that is pure. We can go out to them without vanity and without complacency, loving others with something of the purity and gentleness and hiddenness of God’s love for us. We do not cease to be men in order to become angels or gods, but the love of my man’s heart becomes God’s love for God and men, and my human tears can fall from my eyes as the tears of God because they well up from the motion of His Spirit in the heart of His incarnate Son. The one true God sent His only begotten Son to men in the likeness of man that they, while still remaining men, might love Him with a divine love.”
- Thomas Merton from Thoughts in Solitude pgs. 129-130
Shake a leg
to the left
then the right
scratch around
then head down
have a peck around
tail feathers up
and repeat
I've been letting both of my hens out into the garden when I'm around to watch them. My cats don't seem bothered at all but they are hunters, so there's no room for complacency. The dogs are intrigued by them.
One day Martha had got out under the gate (now secured) and I found her out in the road happily scratching around at the edge of the field.
Both hens are back on good form after their winter moult and are laying eggs daily
Skrillex & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley ~ Make It Bun Dem
Autumn, Glen Brook, Adirondacks, NY. How long had I been asleep? There was a long dry spell, a dormant interlude with just a trickle of movement. Recent rains have given me life, and it flows in turbulent stretches from pool to pool in a long, straight stretch under a canopy of fading green. Sooner or later we are awakened from complacency, without realizing it, and the emptiness fills up with urgency and purpose. I stop to look back, and take note of the time it took to get here. It wasn't all that long.
This photo is for my wonderful friend Bernadeth!
I've missed you! So glad that your exams are over!
:o)
Be My Escape by Relient K
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkHuUgJC1ok
I’ve given up on giving up slowly
I’m blending in so you won’t even know me
Apart from this whole world that shares my fate
This one last bullet you mention
It’s my one last shot at redemption
Cause I know to live you must give your life away
And I’ve been housing all this doubt
and insecurity
And I’ve been locked inside that house
All the while you hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out
And that might be the death of me
And even though there’s no way of knowing
Where to go
I promise I’m going because…
I gotta get out of here
I’m stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
I gotta get out of here
And I’m begging you, I’m begging you, I’m begging you to be my escape
I’ve given up on doing this alone now
Guess I failed and I’m ready to be shown how
You told me the way and now I’m trying to get there
And this life sentence that I’m serving
I admit that I’m every bit deserving
But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair
Cause I’ve been housing all this doubt
and insecurity
And I’ve been locked inside that house
All the while you hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out
And that might be the death of me
And even though there’s no way of knowing
Where to go
I promise I’m going because…
I gotta get out of here
Cause I’m afraid that this complacency is something I can’t shake (yeah)
I gotta get out of here
And I’m begging you, I’m begging you, I’m begging you to be my escape
I am a hostage to my own humanity
Self-detained and forced to live in this mess I’ve made
And all I’m asking is for you to do what you can with me
But I can’t ask you to give what you already gave.
Cause I’ve been housing all this doubt
and insecurity
And I’ve been locked inside that house
All the while you hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out
That might be the death of me
And even though there’s no way of knowing
Where to go
I promise I’m going because…
I gotta get out of here
I’m stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
I gotta get out of here
And I’m begging you, I’m begging you, I’m begging you to be my escape
Later afternoon sun aided by Picasa2.
LARGE enjoy with tags on right.
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Reflect on today's Scripture: March 23, 2008, Easter Sunday: His Resurrection
Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Colossians 3:1-4
John 20:1-9
Easter has come suddenly, with a burst of light!
Now we know that Jesus stands by his promises! In a flash, Christ has changed darkness and death into light and life. Our journey through the struggles of Lent and the pain of Holy Week is over. With malicious sacrilege, evil has done its worst to the sacred body of God's Son. With Mary and John, we saw Him die. We wept at the tomb. Then, before dawn on Sunday, Christ broke through the rock, shattered the power of sin and, according to tradition, appeared first to His Mother, then to the women and the apostles.
As we listen to today's first reading, we hear one of Peter's very first sermons. The curious bystanders were astounded at the change in this man. He comes fresh from the fiery tongues of Pentecost, still in shock at the dream he had on the way to Cornelius' house. Nothing was to be considered unclean. So he is free to preach to Gentiles the Good News of God's forgiveness and freedom for all. Peter and the others are commanded to baptize any who believe in the Christ. So the word spreads through the whole countryside and beyond. Resurrection is the hope of every living person. No wonder the apostles preached with such courage and enthusiasm!
They preached about a God who cared first for people who were poor and powerless, a God whose love governed all His relationships. And He taught us to not only believe in justice, but to act justly.
The Scripture readings during these fifty days between Easter and Pentecost are among the most exciting in the Church year. We burst into "Alleluias" over and over, and joyfully shout "Christ has Risen" this Sunday. But more than just singing, we settle into a new time of reflection on our own program for resurrection in these very troubled times. After all, it is our mission to bring new life to a troubled world. If we don't do it, who will? So let's repack for travel!
As followers of the Risen Christ, the time has come for greater efforts on our part to influence politicians and others on all the vital life issues that are integral to the teaching of Jesus Christ—from abortion and embryonic stem-cell research to corruption in government and all institutions—to proper medical care for the sick and elderly. Jesus teaches respect for every human person, whether alien or citizen. We need to study the document of the Bishops on Faithful Citizenship. Hopefully, many of us will continue our Why Catholic groups. Faith and action begin with understanding and loving the teachings and plans for action of our Church. We have so much to do as hope-filled Easter Catholics. These are critical times, and we must not fall back into laziness or complacency now that Lent has ended.
Let's hope our spiritual blood-pressure is just a bit higher as we proclaim the Good News.
Christ is Risen, Alleluia!
- Msgr. Paul Whitmore | email: pwhitmore29@yahoo.com
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Pope Urges Youth to Form Friendship With Christ, for this is Best Relationship Key for Responding to Modern World
VATICAN CITY, MARCH 19, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI greeted university students gathered for an annual conference sponsored by Opus Dei, and encouraged them to foster a personal relationship with Christ so as to be able to respond to the great questions of our time.
The Pope greeted in three languages the 3,000 participants of the international UNIV congress, gathered today in St. Peter's Basilica. He then gave the traditional catechesis during his weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall.
"I offer a cordial welcome to all of you who have come to Rome from various countries and universities to celebrate Holy Week together, and to take part in the International UNIV Congress," the Holy Father told the youth. "In this way, you will be able to benefit from moments of common prayer, cultural enrichment and a helpful exchange of the experiences gained from your association with the centers and activities of Christian formation sponsored by the Prelature of Opus Dei in your respective cities and nations."
The conference this year, which ends Easter Sunday, is focused on the theme "Being, Appearing, and Communicating: Entertainment and Happiness in a Multi-Medial Society."
The Pontiff reminded the youth that with a "serious personal commitment, inspired by the Gospel values, it is possible to respond adequately to the great questions of our time.'
"The Christian knows that there is an inseparable link between the truth, ethics and responsibility," he said. "Every authentic cultural expression contributes to form the conscience and encourage the person to better himself with the end of bettering society. In this way one feels responsible before the truth, at the service of which, one must put one's own personal liberty."
A commitment
Benedict XVI said this implies "a mission requiring commitment." And to fulfill this commitment, he affirmed, "the Christian is called to follow Jesus, cultivating an intense friendship with him through prayer and contemplation."
"To be friends of Christ, and to give testimony of him wherever we are, demands, furthermore, the strength to go against the grain, remembering the words of the Lord: You are in the world but not of the world," he added.
The Pope encouraged the youth: "Do not be afraid, then, to be nonconformists when it is necessary; at your university, school and in all places."
"Dear young people of UNIV, be leaven of hope in the world that desires to meet Jesus, often without knowing it," he urged. "To better the world, make an effort above all to change yourselves through an intense sacramental life, especially through approaching the sacrament of penance, and participating assiduously in the celebration of the Eucharist."
The UNIV conferences began in 1968, inspired and encouraged by Opus Dei's founder, Monsignor Josemaría Escrivá, who was canonized in 2002.
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EXPLORE # 382 on Monday, March 24, 2008
Diariamente distintas mariposas se disputan las flores para libar. Los continuos aleteos y cambios de vara no ponen fácil la tarea de captarlas adecuadamente, pero alguna que otra se consigue y cuando eso sucede lo azaroso se transforma en satisfactorio por la complacencia de la aventura compartida en su ambiente natural. Entre las muchas visitas también estaba la siempre admirada macaon, y en uno de sus vuelos le arrebaté este plano.
Daily different butterflies compete for flowers to drink. The continuous flutters and changes of stick do not make it easy to grasp them adequately, but the odd is achieved and when that happens, the random becomes satisfactory because of the complacency of the shared adventure in its natural environment. Among the many visits was also the always admired macaon, and on one of his flights I took this plane.
Is it a state of mind to choose the tried and tested paths? I know why most of us are complacent!
Update: Me is very very happy today :-)
It was too easy to sit down and watch some hockey playoffs, but the conditions looked right to bring out the camera. Ironically the quote from Wayne Gretzky came to mind; "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
So thanks Mr. Gretzky for motivating me to turn off the TV, getting off my tuckus, and going outside ;)
Married couples can drift apart for various reasons, often rooted in changes that occur over time. As life evolves, priorities shift, and couples may find themselves growing in different directions due to career demands, personal interests, or parenting responsibilities. Communication breakdowns, unresolved conflicts, and unmet emotional needs can create a sense of distance. Additionally, the routine of daily life might lead to complacency, where the relationship is taken for granted, reducing the emotional connection that once brought the couple together. Without intentional effort to nurture the relationship, these factors can slowly erode the bond, causing couples to drift apart.
Chard, Somerset, UK.
Complacency,
burden
and despair.
Drowning in the clouds.
Not today.
A wash of hope,
coloring my sky.
Breaking the clouds.
Strokes of watercolor.
Streaks of light.
Bringing it back
just for today.
This photo was taken less than ten minutes following "Passionate Dawn" and the palette of hues have shifted completely.
The sixth photo from the "Watercolor" series.
No, there are not. This was our second cat Toby. I still miss him. He died much too young and he was an awesome cat. Feral born, he tolerated us and you could see the struggle within him of the call of the wild and the complacency of domestication. One day I will have another cat... or maybe 3. And none will be ordinary.
White-crowned Sparrow is rare in winter in Prince Edward County, but not super-rare. Moreover, in PEC it's a common spring/fall migrant between mid-southern USA and the northern boreal forest. So, neat to have at my bird feeder, but not an earth-shattering event.
But then ... today I got a note from birder Jon Ruddy who saw the photos of the bird I posted on eBird. He indicated it was in fact a Gambel’s Sparrow, the northwestern subspecies of White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii), a form that is rare this far east. So, still not completely earth-shattering, as Gambel's is not a full species, but it's pretty special to have a rare form of an already seasonally rare bird in my back yard.
When I first saw the sparrow in late December 2020 I thought, maybe it's a Gambel's. When I looked at reference material the information seemed murky so I dropped the issue. Which underlines two ways that birds are misidentified. The first is through over-enthusiasm, when common or poorly seen birds are incorrectly labelled as something rare. The second is through complacency and over-caution, when one fails to take a close second look at something right in front of them.
For me, I guess I'm pessimistic and over-cautious, and operate according to Ocham's razor, believing the simplest explanation is usually the right one. For birding, this means going with the easy default that what I see is common and unremarkable. With respect to the Gambel's Sparrow, it has some pretty clear field marks that distinguish it from eastern White-crowneds. The bill is relatively fine and yellow/orange (not robust and pinkish) and the lores (the feathering between the eye and bill) are pale, not dark. But, I didn't dig deep enough into the ID until prompted by Mr. Ruddy.
The funny thing is, this isn't the first (or probably the last) time I've made this error. In 2019 it took me about a week to figure out I had found a rare Spotted Towhee here:
www.flickr.com/photos/paulbjones/49244869907/in/dateposte...
and in fall 2020 I didn't realize I'd located a Western Meadowlark (first County record in 40 years) until I closely examined the photos:
February 23, 2021 addendum:
"Missing for five days and presumed dead, the Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow attending my feeder reappeared today. A happy occasion, as I had grown quite attached to the bird and lamented its absence."
"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey." ~Kenji Miyazawa
11/04/00-11/04/09=R.I.P. Happy Anniversary???
How uncomfortable it is to have a date that should by all rights equal happiness and love..be a day of discomfort and uncertainty. Gone are the flowers...the cards...the sweet sentiments...the forget-me-nots...the gift of love and adoration. Replaced by foulness..anger..bitterness...blame...finger pointing and an incessant need to run fast in any other direction! Today shall be a tough one as I am in the throws of divorce and moving on yet still in my complacency and awaiting the loose ends to be tied up. There is no finalization yet..it is limbo at its best. How does one get uncomplicated in a complicated mess? I do not cry or hope or wish or beg...for it is not the loss of my husband that bothers me but certainly I will mourn the loss of what I thought things would be....
BUT that road ahead sure does look colorful, bright and inviting..I think I shall get on it!