To Reflect

--I have a close friend who just spent his last Christmas with his parents, as each are are being taken from him. One to cancer, the other to Alzheimer's Disease. (my heart goes out to you. i'm sorry...so very sorry. I'll be your friend through and through)

--I have three grateful children for what they received over the holidays. I can't always give them what they want. (for that I'm so thankful and it pleases me to see them not act selfish.)

--I have a brother who chooses not to be in my life or a part of it. He puts no effort into me, my family or others. He's selfish and self centered. (after years of doing all the work myself...I'm finished. for now I have no brother.)

--I've learned that liars are the biggest cowards. (you'll get eaten alive. people read though you. eventually the truth comes out.)

--I have Flickr friends all over the world who are strangers, yet so good to me. I get tastes of them each day on this website and have even met very special ones in person. (for that I'm glad to know you and am thankful you are in my life. thank you for being so giving)

--I have a friend and his birthday is tomorrow. He has had a tough time this year. (happy birthday. you'll be ok. lean on your friends. they will help you through. here's to a better year to come)

--I have been in contact on my FB account with another student that I taught 20 years ago in my first teaching job ever. He's graduating from law school and is married. He thanked me today for what I have done and being a key person in his life to where he is today. He thanked me for going to his HS graduation in '02. (rafael...I'm so very proud of you. the beautiful child you were has turned into a beautiful man. so has jonathan, cassy, lauren and joey)

--I'm in a much better place than I have been in for quite a while with my depression. I have not had any big dips in quite some time. For that I'm thankful and I try very hard to stay in the ok. (I wish like hell i never had or had to fight depression. the black days that steal my heart and soul and rip though me. where i don't know why I'm here in life. it's not something i can control. it just happens. i'd be glad for it to leave me for good and never touch me again. depression sucks.)

--I struggle with things here at home. My work...well being...future. (i wish I could have peace of mind in it all. i have always been at the top of my game in my career. i have never been so insecure with my well being and did try make the changes to make better. this new job is not making things any easier, that's for sure. my thoughts of my future leaves me scared and sad and i pray for something that will be nice.)

--Sometimes I wish someone could take this weight off my shoulders at times. (life sure does get heavy)

--I have goals to set. (triathlons)

--I am thankful that I have such a good relationship with my ex-husband and his wife. They both are such good people and I could not raise these kids without us all being a team. (thank you J & A. I'm so glad that we all are friends. our children see us as a strong unit and are not divided between parents. J...we did ok and our kids are ok and i'm glad our history is written with so much good, even with a divorce)

--2009. Here's to a good one everyone and that you have a wonderful year ahead of you. I wish you all peace and happiness in your lives. I wish you all fulfillment from your family and friends and things that you do that make a difference. (I hope for a better new year myself. i have to keep seeing that the direction i go is for something positive.)

My reflections...

Explore December 28, 2008 #388

It's raining today and it made me think of this shot. Without all this rain, the pond wouldn't be there! Rain... a good thing. :-)

I hope you'll like it :)

Is one of my favourite-pics from my vacation...

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elven%20Isles/153/125/21

tour de la grande bibliothèque

Reflective on MUCEM ... [3/4]

Reflecting architecture - Düsseldorf - 1583

Paid a visit to my local haunt, Langstone Harbour, Hampshire to capture the sunset last night with my Flickr mate Andy, the conditions were good with calm water and clouds in the sky and we were greeted with some wonderful reflections!

I would have like to have posted a wider angle shot but due to a an inconsiderate guy in a speed boat slowly motoring around the harbour to the left spoiling the reflections so I had no option with my composition. It appeared he had got himself trapped this side of the bridge and was waiting for the water to rise - next time he goes to sea I hope he learns to read a tide table!!

1/6 second exposure using a Lee 0.9 ND grad filter.

Thanks for any comments you may wish to leave.

Sea smoke rises from the waters of Lake Michigan as the air temperature plummets to -2 F degrees at sunrise.

Down by the canal recently.

Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

National Mall, Washington, DC

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Memorial_Reflecting_Pool

Another image of Lakeside, this time one of the lakes, that gives the park its name.

I've been playing with filters again, hence the 'classic' colouring.

To add a bit of interest, I turned the shot upside down. Not very original, I know, but I don't think I've done it before, so you will have to indulge me.

More Lakeside pictures HERE.

San Francisco, California

Pentax MX / Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 CF (01A) / Ultramax 400

000210900031

Upside down trees reflected in the water.

ANSH 105 (8) upside down

Not upside down - just a reflection in the still quarry water.

I will post some mating photos later. I have never seen them mating before, or maybe I should ask them before I do that?

this one has been cropped.

WPD25animals

IMG_7740c

Nikon z6 | DSC_4807 ac

#tower FlickrFriday

The bell tower of the New Union Center for the Arts is reflected in the Kohl jazz building of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Looking over the names of the victims of the recent horrific attack at the LGBT Pulse Dance Club in Orlando, Florida

Taken at Moses Point, North Saanich, BC.

The Sun lit clouds reflecting on the wet sand.

Sunrise at Dingieshowe Beach, Orkney Islands in Winter.

This was my first time shooting star trails away from home. I

hoped for the aurora borealis, and was lucky there. I had no idea that the bright stars of the Big Dipper would be the main stars to reflect in the lake before me -- that was a surprise and a big bonus! The light on the trees is from the dike in the left of the scene. 10/2015

An egret coming in to land in the evening sun

At Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, Tennessee.

Follow me around the web (link).

Driftwood Provincial Park

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Kilwinning Scotland

Branches reflecting

Parc-de-la-Frayère, Qc

October 7, 2019

A reflecting row of freshly-harvested glistening red cranberries.

(a "MacroMondays" submission, theme "In a row" HMM!)

Brewster, Massachusetts

Cape Cod - USA

Photo by brucetopher

© Bruce Christopher 2018

All Rights Reserved

...always learning - critiques welcome.

Tools: Canon 7D & iPhone 6s.

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Please email for usage info.

View On Black

At the start of 2018, I told myself that this would be the year that I would complete the Centennials (the highest 100 mountains in Colorado). For no great reason, I wanted to finish my goal before I turned 40 (I'm 39). It was a somewhat lofty goal considering I had lost my job in January, started a new job in February, and was not in the best physical shape of my life. I started this goal officially in 2009 and game out of the gates in a hurry. I had a headstart, having started climbing peaks when I was 4-years-old (1982). I had completed 22 / 100 by the end of 1998 when I was in college, but took a very long hiatus after that. I only completed 5 more peaks from 1998 to 2008. That means that between 2009 and the end of 2018, I completed 73 of the highest 100 mountains. That feels substantial.

I completed this goal and took the time to reflect upon that accomplishment by gazing at the Milky Way from Crater Lake below the Maroon Bells.

A few thanks are in order -

Thanks to Silas Musick for being such an amazing climbing partner. We celebrated on 14 of those 100 summits together and I consider you my best friend - all because of our mutual passion for mountains and the outdoors. You're a beautiful human.

Thanks to Natalie Moran for taking me up Jagged, Dallas, and Teakettle. You're a fabulous climber and a great person.

Thanks to Terry Matthews (RIP) for accompanying me on my first class 3 climbs in 2008 when I got back into this pursuit. You are missed.

Thanks to Ethan Beute - our climbs on obscure 13ers kept me going - miss you man!

Thanks to Regina Primavera - you're a great friend and it has been fun catching summits with you since 2011.

And lastly, thanks to my parents for getting me going on this crazy journey 35 years ago.

I created my little website in 2009 mostly to teach myself how to build one but also to document and share my journey with my friends and family. I know my dad regrets not having something similar to look back on. Hope it’s at least been somewhat useful to others as well.

Next up? I have no idea. I don't think it’s the bi-centennials.

I have some photography projects I want to tackle, including a book of photos of the Centennials...

Some reflected grasses and reeds, by a disused canal.

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