View allAll Photos Tagged Gentlest
Today, being the anniversary of my Dad's passing! This is a tribute to the kindest, gentlest, most wonderful Dad ever! I miss & love you so much, wish you were sill here by my side!
Rano Kau has a crater lake which is one of the island's only three natural bodies of fresh water. The lake is located approximately 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level, but is more than 200 metres (660 ft) below the highest of the crater's ridges. The volcanic cone is largely surrounded by water, and much of it has been eroded back to form high sea cliffs which at one point (te kari kari) have started to bite into the crater wall. The inside walls of the crater are sloped at an angle of between 65° (steepest, near the crest) and 45° (gentlest, at the lake shore). From the ruins of the ceremonial village of Orongo the cliff face drops to the southwest at an angle of 50° to the sea shore some 300 metres (980 ft) below. On its northern side, the volcano slopes down to Mataveri International Airport.
Rano Kau is in the world heritage site of Rapa Nui National Park and gives its name to one of the seven sections of the park. The principal archaeological site on Rano Kau is the ruined ceremonial village of Orongo which is located at the point where the sea cliff and inner crater wall converge. One ahu with several moai was recorded on the cliffs at Rano Kau in the 1880s, but had fallen to the beach by the time of the Routledge expedition in 1914.
Easter Islanders call for return of statue from British Museum www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/jun/04/easter-islanders-...
As well as basalt, it contains several other igneous rocks including obsidian (for which it was one of the major sources for the island's stoneworkers) and pumice.
The crater is almost a mile across and has its own micro climate. Sheltered from the winds that wet most of the rest of the island, figs and vines flourish at Rano Kau. The inner slope was the site of the last toromiro tree in the wild until the specimen was chopped down for firewood in 1960.
In one week it will be 2 years together. It seems like yesterday that we were standing there at the tenth tee of the golf course with the score tied. As I watched you bend over and place your ball carefully on the tee, your little skirt catching just the gentlest of breezes, my inner voice said, "We should make a wager. If I win this game, we should get married." As I was chuckling to myself at the thought, you cocked your head to the side and looked back at me with that playful grin you get as I was daydreaming about the future and said, "I'll take that bet." I smiled and realized my inner voice had escaped my lips.
The next four holes were running close until we got to the 15th green and you needed 6 putts to get the ball in the hole.
To this day, I still think you might have thrown the game on that hole but that was more than fine with me. We skipped the 19th hole bar, got dressed up, found a chapel much like the one in the picture, and got married. Just the two of us standing there holding each others hands and looking into the other's eyes.
In those two years, I have never let go of those hands and when I look into your eyes I still see what I saw that night......our future.
Any time I see a beautiful chapel on a hill, I am taken back to that moment and my smile returns and I see the two of us standing there doing it all over again.
And my inner voice always says, "Thank you." And somebody nearby almost always says, "For what?" Yeah, it appears I really need to work on the volume of my inner voice.
Seriously though, thank you Kate. For this lasting memory and for all the memories to come.
This chapel was captured at: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Celestial%20Vale/140/95/36
Zephyrus, or sometimes just Zephyr (Ζέφυρος, Zéphyros), in Latin Favonius, is the Greek god of the west wind. The gentlest of the winds, Zephyrus is known as the fructifying wind, the messenger of spring. It was thought that Zephyrus lived in a cave in Thrace. (wikipedia)
One of my favourite gulls and, after the Kittiwake, probably the one with the gentlest of expressions. Much commoner in Scotland than England we are lucky here as we get them throughout the year. Called the Mew Gull in North America which accurately depicts their call.
Spring is the loveliest season of them all,
A source of life and love and gentle things,
Reward for winter's frost and icy pall.
A time when fledglings spread their tiny wings.
Spring is the gentlest season of them all,
When lambs their frail appendages must try,
The sheep stay close, concerned lest they should fall,
And gently nuzzle them to help them try.
Spring is the brightest season of them all,
Spring flowers yellow, mauve and red and blue,
And grasses growing silky, slender, tall;
And trees whose leaves are green of every hue.
Spring is the shortest season of them all,
Dissolving into summer's eager call.
Sense Of Spring
John Knight
I have been trying to get something interesting with the Ants and I almost got it with this one, holding on to that tiny stem as the wind blows and, even the gentlest of the breezes must feel like a tornado to them :)
There are so many species of Ants that I have serious doubts about the ID Help appreciated with that.
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Portugal - Oeiras - Paço de Arcos
? Ant (Formica subrufa)
? Formiga (Formica subrufa)
________________________________
Contact Luis Gaspar:
luis.gaspar.fotografia@gmail.com
Black is the colour of my true love's hair
Her lips are like a rose so fair
She's got the sweetest face and the gentlest hands
I love the ground whereon she stands
I love my love and well she knows
I love the ground whereon she goes
And how I wish the day would come
When she and I can be as one
Black is the colour of my true love's hair
Her lips are like a rose so fair
She's got the sweetest face and the gentlest hands
I love the ground whereon she stands
I go to the Clyde and mourn and weep
Satisfied I never will sleep
I'll write her a letter, just a few short lines
And suffer death ten thousand times
Black is the colour of my true love's hair
Her lips are like a rose so fair
She's got the sweetest face and the gentlest hands
I love the ground whereon she stands
- LeLutka Bento Head
- Glam Affair Eryn
- Maitreya Lara Body
- Top/Skirt - SAVAGE - top/pants [Tres Chic]
- Hair - Nutmeg & Entwined - Cameron
- Tattoo - Bolson
Choosing photos for this topic has been incredibly difficult, as each of my cats in turn has been a hero to me.
This was my elderly rescue cat Tizzy. He chose me! His previous owner had died & my home was a complete mystery to him with masses of changes from his old home. He had to learn that people walked past the windows, that radiators provided warmth, that knitting existed...! Somehow he coped with it all, settled in & was the sweetest & gentlest cat imaginable. His life with me was short, but a very special time.
Happy Caturday.
I returned to the 5-star suite in Vancouver just as the afternoon light began to dissolve into amber. The air still held the faint trace of champagne from the night before, and as I stepped toward the window, I caught my reflection—soft, radiant, and impossibly daring—in the pale pink silk of my Tighter lingerie by small.
There’s something about this piece that makes the heart flutter. The silhouette clings like a whispered secret—its high-cut sides elongate my curves while delicate ribbons trace my hips, tightening into artful knots of temptation. The neckline plunges with reckless grace, held by the thinnest of straps that seem to exist only to heighten desire.
🌸 Tighter is more than a mere lingerie set; it’s a sensation sculpted in motion—its BLINN & Soft PBR materials shimmer in natural light, revealing the play between gloss and sheer with every subtle move. The HUD offers breathtaking transparency options, from the gentlest blush to a daring reveal, and a spectrum of colors that evoke both innocence and seduction.
It fits perfectly across a variety of bodies—LaraX, Petitex, Legacy, Perky, Bombshell, Reborn, Reborn Squish, Waifu, Nhuma, and Lively—each one sculpted to celebrate every feminine curve in its own exquisite way.
🌷 Find Tighter exclusively at the Uber Event and slip into a moment designed to captivate:
👉 [Uber Event – small: Tighter Lingerie](www.uber-sl.com)
For other dangerously beautiful creations:
🔗 [small Mainstore]
As I looked out the window, the city lights shimmered below like scattered diamonds on velvet, each one reflecting a memory of desire and discovery. I let my fingertips rest along the cool glass, the soft fabric of Tighter brushing against my skin, reminding me how elegance and sensuality can coexist in one breath.
💗 Lingerie is not about seduction—it’s about confidence worn close to the skin.
love this tiny f o r e s t wildflower [Meadow -rue]
the little tassels dance even with the gentlest of a breeze
it is so delightful to watch :)
Thimbleberry bushes this year are so covered in blossoms that I know, barring a bad heatwave, we'll have a lovely feast in August
“Many wild foods have their charms, but the dearest one to my heart - my favorite fruit in the whole world - is the thimbleberry. Imagine the sweetest strawberry you've ever tasted, crossed with the tartest raspberry you've ever eaten. Give in the texture of silk velvet and make it melt to sweet juice the moment it hits your tongue. Shape it like the age-old sewing accessory that gives the fruit its name, and make it just big enough to cup a dainty fingertip. That delicious jewel of a fruit is a thimbleberry. They're too fragile to ship and too perishable to store, so they are one of those few precious things in life that can't be commoditized, and for me they always symbolize the essence of grabbing joy while I can. When it rains in thimbleberry season, the delicate berries get so damp that even the gentlest pressure crushes them, so instead of bringing them home as mush, I lick each one of my fingers as soon as it is picked. These sweet berries are treasure beyond price...”
― Sarah A. Chrisman, This Victorian Life: Modern Adventures in Nineteenth-Century Culture, Cooking, Fashion, and Technology
I've got so many erasers! I need them to be able to erase everything from large areas of a charcoal drawing to the gentlest small area of graphite on watercolour paper. So I use a razor-blade to sharpen the points. The result reminds me of quarries where stones have been chipped and shaped.
For the "Looking close on Friday" challenge - "Eraser"
Macro-Looking Close: Here
Everyday Things : Here
My Lines & Curves: Here
Feeling very sad and empty today. My dear furry daughter, Echo, was put out of her misery last night. She developed bone cancer back in September and she held on like a trooper for as long as she could (or rather, as long as we deemed fair to her). She was the most gentlest and sweetest girl (a bullmastiff with no prey drive and a love for sitting in people's laps). The house is so quiet today, and empty . . . I love you, Echo. xoxo
A photo today in memory of a beautiful person and friend i lost two years ago today. The sweetest, gentlest soul. Years may pass by but you never forget the genuine people whose kindness came from every cell of their body, and it wasn't an act to get something from you. People that you can be your absolute self with and accepted as exactly that. Anything else is just a waste of precious energy and time.
Film: Kodak Vision 3 50D
50 iso
35mm
Light leak to film
Camera: Canon T70
Lens: Canon 35-70mm 1:3.5
Metering: Sunny 16 rule
f8 1/125
Developed with Bellini C41 KIt
Desmond was not your ordinary dragonfly. With wings like stained glass and a heart full of wanderlust, he spent his days dancing above the mirrored waters of Loch Shiel, whispering secrets to the reeds and racing the wind across the glens. He’d been born one bright May morning on the edge of the loch, under a curling leaf near Acharacle Pier. Ever since, the place had been his kingdom.
But one September afternoon, with mist curling low and the first hint of frost on the breeze, Desmond caught a chill. Not much, just a shiver in his thorax and a bit of a wheeze. “It’s nothing,” he buzzed to himself, brushing dew from his wings. “Just a wee touch of the loch air.”
The next day, the buzz was gone from his flight. He drifted rather than darted, wings slow, breath slower. He watched his reflection beneath him — still proud, still bright — and sighed a tiny sigh only the moss could hear.
And so it was, on a weathered plank of Acharacle Pier, with the waters of Loch Shiel lapping gently below, that Desmond curled his legs beneath him and closed his eyes. The sun broke briefly through the clouds, catching the shimmer of his wings one last time.
They say the wind over the loch was oddly still that day. The trout didn’t rise. The reeds held their breath.
Desmond the dragonfly — explorer, dancer, dreamer — had taken his final rest. Not with a storm, but with the gentlest hush.
And Loch Shiel, ancient and deep, carried his memory forever in the whisper of its waves.
One of Nature's contradictions, Datura Lilies are amazingly delicate and beautiful... and powerfully intoxicating and poisonous, a plant you don't want to grow outside your bedroom window or your child's! Shamans use Datura to transport themselves into trances and transcendent states.
Tissuey and sail-like, Datura Lilies are blown by even the gentlest breezes. Inside the open lily is a diaphanous, trumpet-shaped temple, directing our attention... and that of visiting bees... to its central stamen and pollen.
Angel's Trumpet, Brugsmania insignis, Solanaceae
Biscayne Park, FL
One of Nature's contradictions, Datura Lilies are amazingly delicate and beautiful... and powerfully intoxicating and poisonous, a plant you don't want to grow outside your bedroom window or your child's! Shamans use Datura to transport themselves into trances and transcendent states.
Tissuey and sail-like, Datura Lilies are blown by even the gentlest breezes. Inside the open lily is a diaphanous, trumpet-shaped temple, directing our attention ... and that of visiting bees ... to its central stamen and pollen.
Angel's Trumpet, Brugsmania insignis, Solanaceae
Biscayne Park, FL
Departing summer hath assumed
An aspect tenderly illumed,
The gentlest look of spring;
That calls from yonder leafy shade
Unfaded, yet prepared to fade,
A timely carolling.
-- William Wordsworth
Memories...a very special cat forever in my heart...gone but not forgotten.
Her name "Boo" was inspired by the song "Me and you and a dog named Boo" by Lobo. But she's a cat of course! She was a very petite fluffy long haired Tabby with the gentlest heart. She adored me and would often hang over my shoulder while I walked around the house.
Reposted for Happy Caturday's theme of memories and cats in black and white.
Gently flowing lines and soothing colors. An old photo, captured in Berkeley, California in 2015, with my trusty Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro lens. (BBA1420)
The light touches me like someone who still cares,
and yet it burns ...
a reminder that even the gentlest warmth
can sting when you’ve learned to live in shadows.
Then it kissed me like a memory ...
gentle, fleeting, almost real.
If dreams had a heartbeat,
it would sound like this silence.
My love, my life, we love colors, we love doing this all the time and it's so much fun, I tell you I die laughing with you driving and killing us, but I love the way you make it fun and wonderful. Always being with you is incredible. Having you by my side every day strengthens us, our love is from the soul and has many good elements, you brought me the most beautiful thing in love, you are my sweetest, gentlest, most delicate way of loving, I can say that I am happy to have found you and to choose you every morning and every night the days are wonderful with you. My luck was to have found you the love of my life, I love you today, tomorrow and always ❤️️ our GTA moment lol
After the competition, he was with his young daughter, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, in matching garb, and he was the gentlest, sweetest dad around. He was a pretty good dancer, too.
The Back Stab isn’t just a photograph of birds. It’s a metaphor — for how even the gentlest forms can carry tension. For how beauty sometimes masks intent. And for how the sharpest wounds don’t always come from enemies — but from those just behind us.
... and the woodland walks. It's been two months since we were last able to visit the grounds of Fyvie Castle - much missed! We enjoyed bright sunshine and blue skies as we walked the familiar paths. I took my old Nikon D90 converted to shoot only in IR 720nm. It is the gentlest of my filters, and I thought is was the best to capture the luxurious foliage of high summer!
More about shooting in IR : theliddells.com/infrared-section/ on my Blog
Happy Donnerstagsmonochrom 😊
And Happy Fence Friday too!
B/W Tinted and Mono Here
My Tree set is here: Here
My Infrared set: Here
Fence Friday set: Here
My Fyvie Castle set: Here
Voulez vous danser grand mère ?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk9gH6QcOf4&NR=1&feature=...
This brought back very personal memories from way back.
My paternal grand-parents, she was always singing, he was an artist and the kindest, gentlest man, I remember him with great fondness, and I am so very pleased that my youngest son looks like him (in a taller way, lol)!
This waltz was a BIG favourite, he'd take her by the hand and invite her... it is also the first dance my sweet 'Bonpapa' taught me... 1-2-3, 1-2-3...
Some of my earliest souvenirs, I even remember the dress, the smell of lavender and wood-wax, linseed oil, aaahhh, to be back there for 5 minutes...
Two star tulips:
Lead and enjoy a good life, do and say things that enrich... and do not forget to tell the people close to you, how much you love them!
With love to you and thank you for ALL your faves and comments, M, (* _ *)
For more: www.indigo2photography.com
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
The 7 spot ladybird munching on lunch number 4 of the day, courtesy of the aphids on our cherry tree. I didn't want to disturb him (or her) unduly. A Richard shaped shadow looming overhead seemed to set him in motion but with the gentlest of nudges with my finger we came to an understanding. Then I let him be.
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Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens, 7:5 crop.
July 11th, 2024. Photography Week magazine have very kindly published this photo in edition no. 616.
In my backyard in Castle Rock, Colorado at about 7000 feet, is what I believe to be a Coryphantha vivipara, or pincushion cactus.
Happy Smile on Saturday! HSoS! For the theme "FLORA IN JUNE"
ChatGPT: In the rugged terrains of the Colorado Rockies, where the air thins and the landscape unfurls a tapestry of stark beauty, the Coryphantha vivipara, or pincushion cactus, makes its humble presence known. This small, resilient cactus, often found at altitudes reaching over 10,000 feet, thrives where few dare to root.
The pincushion cactus forms a compact, spherical shape, a perfect adaptation to its harsh environment. It’s covered in a dense array of spines, ranging in hue from pale yellow to a deep, rusty brown. These spines, more than just an armory against the nibbles of passing fauna, provide a sparse shade from the relentless sun above.
Spring in the Rockies transforms the cactus. It blossoms with vibrant, funnel-shaped flowers, a stark contrast to its spiny facade. The colors of these blooms vary from the most passionate magenta to the gentlest cream, decorating the rugged landscape with a brief, but striking, spectacle of nature's resilience.
Post-bloom, the cactus bears fruit, small and colorful, transitioning from green to a ripe red. These fruits are a feast for local birds and small mammals, a tiny oasis of nourishment in the arid expanse.
The Coryphantha vivipara is not merely a survivor but a vital component of its ecosystem. It offers sustenance to pollinators and other wildlife, contributing to the biodiversity that makes the Rockies a complex, interwoven tapestry of life.
Amidst challenges of habitat destruction and the perils of overcollection, the pincushion cactus stands firm, a testament to the endurance required to inhabit one of the earth’s more formidable landscapes. For those drawn to the art of gardening in such austere conditions, this cactus offers not only a touch of exotic beauty but a connection to the indomitable spirit of the mountainous wilds. In rock gardens or naturalistic landscapes, it serves as a reminder of what it means to persist and flourish against all odds.
I spent another day yesterday wondering if I was going to have a stroke. Instead, our beloved Miss Chloe Smith #8 had one. She's alive and sleeping but very disoriented. I'll call the Vet when I get back from the cancer center this morning. Bless her heart. Sweetest most gentlest cat I've ever owned. Right now her middle name is the same as mine, "I'm not dead yet!" Some of the research says that some can survive and even improve, unlike humans. I'm praying for her and that God's will be done.Nancy Smith (5M+ views -- to Him be the glory!)
3:00 PM EST today Feb 1, 2024: Took Miss Chloe to the Vet to be put to sleep this morning. He talked me out of it which was a first. He wanted us to give her one more chance to recover from the strokes and gave her a new Osteoarthritis shot just for cats. Apparently some have extraordinary outcomes. This would hopefully help her crippling and weakness that she had before the strokes and she could get up and eat and use the little boxes, etc. SO as our middle names say: "We're not dead yet!"
Such a sweet girl she is!!!! The gentlest and friendliest big dog I know!!!!! Well have a nice evening everyone....think I'll start working on apples....sigh!!! :) This is my oldest brother's dog in Great Falls! :) I believe she is a Great Pyrenees.
Linda
4mo
Excerpt from www.pacificplace.com.hk/en/entertainment/thestylesheet/ch...:
The Grand Weaver: Knitter of Cosy Creations
MBTI Personality: ISFP, The Adventurer
Location: Woollywood, Garden Court, Level LG1, Pacific Place
The greatest and gentlest giant of all, The Grand Weaver loves to spread warmth through his knitting. With practical hands and an easygoing attitude, he loves creating gifts for other people. Always living in the moment, he busily helps everyone prepare for the chilly winter, showing his care through each thoughtful stitch. His action-oriented but grounded approach brings joy to every project, making sure everyone is wrapped in cosiness for the festive season. His Adventurer spirit shines in how he finds fulfilment through practical, hands-on acts of kindness and creativity over Christmas time.
The Miners Track up Snowdon is regarded as one of the easier walks up snowdon, however, I soon discovered that with all my gear, water food, wet weather clothes etc, an extra weight of around 20Kgs on my back means even the gentlest of slopes was like an ascent of Everest! Tough day for me, loved it of course, why wouldn't I it's an amazing place.
We'd not long set off from Pen y Pass when the clouds parted and put on quite the show of light on the mountains. Bag down, gear out and off we go. No school trips or the like in the way just yet, that delight was for later in the day :o)
Memories of Christmas Past ... “Boo” and Trini, gone but not forgotten!
Boo:
Boo’s name was inspired by the song 🎶Me and you and a dog named Boo 🎶 by Lobo. But she's a cat of course! She was a very petite fluffy long haired Tabby with the gentlest heart. She adored me and would often hang over my shoulder while I walked around the house.
Trini:
Trini was named from his country of birth Trinidad & Tobago. My spouse rescued Trini as a kitten in a boat yard in Port of Spain, Trinidad while on a sailboating adventure in the Carribean and we gave him a new life in Canada. He was Boo's special buddy until Spyder ventured into our backyard one day as a stray kitten. Trini was Spyder's best friend and playmate. After Trini passed away, we welcomed Marley into our home as a buddy for Spyder. Marley shares some of Trini’s wonderful Tabby markings and oftentimes reminds me of Trini in appearance.
Posted for Happy Caturday’s theme of “Happy memories”. Happy Caturday and Happy Holidays🎄
The Pine grosbeak male has brought one of his youngster to our yard - It is quite taken with the image it sees of itself in the window.
They are the gentlest of birds with a lovely soft call and allow one to get close to them. Dad is looking a little worn out and I will post a shot of him later
With the deepest of sadness, our dearest beloved dog Cookie passed away last Thursday. He was the gentlest, most well mannered, sweet natured, contented and smart dog anyone could ever have wished for. We were lucky to have been blessed with him as part of our family.
Being a black and very shiny Labrador Retreiver, he was also a huge challenge to photograph and helped me develop my skills along the way. It was always very satisfying when I managed to take a decent photograph of him.
RIP Cookie, you were too young to go and leave behind a huge gaping hole in our lives 💔💔💔
(French follows)
The final installment of the Blueforia trilogy reveals a secret guest, cradled in blue coral petals and kissed by the dawn.
At the hush of dawn, when light tiptoes across the garden,
a Mandevilla unfurls its velvet trumpet,
and tucked deep within its coral embrace,
a ladybug sleeps, untouched by time.
She dreams beneath petals kissed by morning gold,
a quiet witness to the bloom’s awakening.
In this fleeting stillness,
nature whispers its gentlest lullaby.
Mandevilla Sun Parasol
My Garden
Clarence-Rockland, Ontario, Canada
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Le dernier volet de la trilogie Blueforia dévoile une invitée secrète, bercée dans les pétales de corail bleue et embrassée par l’aube.
Dans le silence de l’aube, quand la lumière effleure le jardin,
une Mandevilla déploie sa trompette de velours,
et blottie dans l’étreinte corail de la fleur,
une coccinelle dort, hors du temps.
Elle rêve sous les pétales dorés par le matin,
témoin discret de l’éveil de la fleur.
Dans cette paix fugace,
la nature murmure sa plus douce berceuse.
Mandevilla Sun Parasol
Mon jardin
Clarence-Rockland, Ontario, Canada
Memories...a very special cat forever in my heart...gone but not forgotten.
Her name "Boo" was inspired by the song "Me and you and a dog named Boo" by Lobo. But she's a cat of course! She was a very petite fluffy long haired Tabby with the gentlest heart. She adored me and would often hang over my shoulder while I walked around the house.
Posted for the Happy Caturday's theme: ""Rainbow Bridge"" for May 27th, 2023.
This photo art was created in memory of Bambi, the Pitbull. She was one of the gentlest dogs I've ever known, and she was our "grand-doggy." A number of years ago our son, Mark went to an outdoor "Adopt a Pet" event. He had set up a booth to help out with no intention of adopting a pet himself. However, Bambi was one of the "mascot pets" that weekend and was allowed to roam free. She made her way over to our son, began wagging her tail, whimpering, and licking his hand when he petted her. The rest is history.... Bambi went home with our son and was his devoted companion, living a happy life. She had a hip problem, when our son adopted her and it became more severe over time, so really didn't like to walk far, but loved going for car rides. Our son bought a doggie ramp so that she could get into his truck with ease, then they go crusin' all around town!
Sadly, Bambi suffered from cancer in her last years and finally to end her suffering, Mark had her put to sleep in late February 2023.
*These were photos that I took of her when we visited with her in Florida, in 2019.
“Oh no here we go again. He’s finally lost it. Three shots already uploaded from that infernal ridge walk and yet he still manages to find another one to rattle on about!” is what you might be thinking. I’m starting to have the same thoughts myself. It doesn’t help that I’ve done so little photography since that adventure. Ok so there’s a van related wild camp caper on Dartmoor the week before last to report tales of yet to come, but I’m still to work those raw files into shape. The thing is, that afternoon on the high ground of the Brecon Beacons in South Wales brought one composition after another as the landscape gradually revealed new secrets with each phase of the trek. All of them taken with a lens that really deserves a bit more love in return for its efforts. This one brought the peaks of Fan y Big, Cribyn, Pen y Fan and Corn Du into a single frame, with an illuminated bonus foreground designed by the icy architects of this landscape to offset the four dark shrouds behind.
Like so many of us I started out with a modest assembly of tools for my induction into this world that we share. A midrange camera, a couple of reasonably price lenses sourced from your favourite auction site, a cheap tripod, an even cheaper bag and some very inexpensive filters that would be better suited as coasters for tea cups. And then I got carried away – a sorry tale of obsession, a descent of the senses so steep as to be matched only by the plummeting bank balance as a full frame camera and professional lenses were added to the bag, itself replaced by a new model of course. The cheap filters gave way to the same set that Nigel Danson swears by, and then of course a carbon fibre tripod was a must wasn’t it? Not long ago I looked at the collection, did some mental arithmetic, and decided it was best not to mention the final score to my better half, who has far more modest tastes. A new pair of knitting needles is as racy as she gets when it comes to freeing up budget for luxuries. When people take her to task on her innate sense of thrift, with metronomic consistency she replies with “how do you think I managed to retire in my fifties on what I was earning?” She has a point. You become so much wealthier by desiring less in life.
But in that bagful of precious things lies the lens that so often gets overlooked – only really brought into use at moments when lugging the others around is going to prove challenging. I think of it as my adventuring lens. After all I’d have needed a team of sherpas to roll my 100-400mm lens up the first slope of Fan y Big on a series of felled tree trunks if I’d wanted to take it with me. So for long arduous treks, the lightweight lens with the huge focal length gets its day in the sun; and the rain too for that matter. I used it a lot that day as you may already be aware from a surfeit of previous posts. When I uploaded the raw files from the hike onto my computer at home my first reaction was one of enormous disappointment – so many of them were fuzzy and grainy and I found myself heading down the familiarly dangerous route of eBay as I blamed the lens once more for its inadequacies, while stubbornly ignoring my own shortcomings. Misplaced vainglory is such an unattractive web in which to entangle oneself.
Eventually, after much soul searching and further experimenting at 300mm on the tripod in my living room I concluded that the maligned lens was entirely free of blame – it was me who was at fault. I resolved to learn to use it properly and stop poring over alternatives on the internet each time I fail. In fact it went to Dartmoor with me so you’ll be able to judge for yourself which one of us has performance issues to come to terms with in due course. I think we both know already it’s me and not the lens.
I’m sitting at my laptop in the aforementioned van, where the strains of the annual music festival that take place on the estate across the road from us are drifting across the trees towards me on the gentlest of summer evening breaths. It might be Razorlight; it might be Goldie Looking Chain I can hear, but this year the neighbours don’t appear to have been invited to the party in atonement for the interruption to our weekend peace so I’ve really no idea. I’ve moved on from indignation to indifference now. We didn’t really want to go anyway. At least it’s nearly over and it’s Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow with its stay of execution from the real world for one more day.
This might be the last image I post from that ridge walk, but the trouble is there’s at least one more of them jumping up and down in the shadows waving its arms about if I can drag another tale out of the adventure. For now I’ll work harder at familiarising myself with that lens.
Horses have the kindest and gentlest eyes. This one was looking a bit bedraggled after the resent storms.But enjoyed a fuss, and a few polo mints!
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Sailing across the deep blue sea,
feeling the breeze that blows so free,
the sun beaming down,
feels so calming enriching to me.
Sailing through life,
with gentlest of ease,
feeling happy and contented,
with a smile to please.
Sailing through our emotions,
through the ups and downs,
coping with the tragedy's,
that sometimes slows us down.
Sailing through relationships,
some good, some bad, some the worst you,ve ever had,
makes us stronger and wiser,
some regrets we may have had.
Sailing on the wings of an angel,
protected and so free,
knowing that someone up there is always watching over me.
Sailing, sailing, sailing,
has so many meanings to me,
other than sailing on the deep blue sea.
By: Teresa Meakin
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Have a PLEASANT day my friends!!!
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A woman holds a canang sari (a basket of flowers meant as an offering to the Hindu gods) on her head at a waterfall in Bali. While Indonesia is a Muslim majority nation, Bali is an oasis of Hinduism that stands out from the rest of the country. It's a common sight to see women in Bali dressed like this and carrying baskets on their heads, usually on their way to a village temple. Everywhere you go in Bali you will see small baskets of offerings filled with flowers, incense, small bits of food or coins placed at temples, deities, tiny makeshift shrines, at the threshold to a house or business, or sometimes just in the middle of the street. The creation of these modest offerings model the generosity, faith, and devotion that exists in the hearts and souls of the Balinese people. These values translate into everything they do and everything they are. The Balinese are some of the gentlest, kindest, and most hospitable people that I’ve ever met, and I’m sure this is in no small way due to their culture and religion.