The Mundane
View allAll Photos Tagged workday,
The end of summer harvest is busy.
The dune-like loess hills in The Palouse are incredibly fertile - producing wheat, barley, lentils and yellow canola.
Bright red or white barns are scattered across the landscape nestled in the wind breaks planted around the farm homes.
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There they stay during the night. My Flickr friend Rebecca explained Bred Last meaning in Swedish is Wide Load.
Ventspils has regular ferry service with Nynäsham, so blue Scania probably will go to Sweden...
Interestingly, it was the aftermath of one of my recent storm encounters when I began to conceptualize the lure. My attraction to boundaries is part of it. There's a thrill-seeking component as well. But that is inextricably linked to a creative desire, rather than unadulterated risk taking. Many is the time I wonder if I would even be in whatever situation I find myself absent the camera. Truly I found myself on a completely different life path once I began devoting serious time and effort to photography. I began to see my world differently, but more importantly actually going out and seeing it in reality.
My realization the other day had more to do with the effect an episode such as this storm has on me (need not be a storm, could be just an event, but the storm will serve for this narrative). I recall how I felt when I turned onto this farm road and realized the extent of the storm. All at once, every last mundane thought of the workday vanished. All that mattered in this moment was the immediate environment. My mind switches into 'event' mode as it considers light, shadow, clouds, weather, wind...all of the factors that feed into the process of composing photos while simultaneously maintaining situational awareness, perhaps more accurately phrased situation appreciation. In this case it was the overarching transformation of a tranquil summer evening into an otherworldly view of light and shadow. Exquisite as always to be right in the middle of this.
Later, heading back home, my mind began to decompress. Suddenly I remembered that I needed to tend the recycle bins and take out the trash. And sort some bills. These thoughts and others quickly siphoned off my 'event' mode energy. I need to reengage my normal life but part of me wants to cling to the adventure, to remain in that other world. And then again the story can't be re-lived or recounted until it ends. A real conundrum. Of course a return to normal life is inevitable. I suppose the high energy moments need a counterpoint in order to be truly appreciated. Still a bummer. But even then, in the back of my mind, the memories remain and they are vivid. And there's the photos...
Decided to take a few minutes and try some extended exposures of Lords Lake and Green Mountain under the morning sky.
“Humanity, take a good look at yourself. Inside, you’ve got heaven and earth, and all of creation. You’re a world—everything is hidden in you.”
-Hildegard of Bingen
Early May in The Palouse farming country is a busy time. The sun rises at 5am and sets at 8pm, so the crop dusters, giant tractors and all of the other heavy equipment are in full use. The first photo caught one of two yellow crop dusters and a busy tractor from ¾ of the way up Steptoe Butte. The second one was taken just at the exit road from the Butte. People are busy but friendly, willing to stop and chat on a beautiful 72 degree F/22 degree C Spring day.
Tonight was the big company party. As our workday ended, we of course began to quote 30 Rock. More business juice please!
(I had a blazer on over this convertible top, under which I had two regular straps. When it was party time, I swapped out for the feathery strap. "Day to evening," my project leader said. "My favorite way to switch from day to evening is to add an accessory," I replied, "like a martini.")
for WR:
Convertible top: Bisou Bisou from JC Penney
Trousers: Worthington from JC Penney
Trouser socks: Foot Traffic from Sock it to Me
shoes: Fergalicious by Fergie from JC Penney
(I realize that from my posts, it is hard to determine where I do most of my shopping ;) )
This is the view from my office which is on the 14th floor in an office building in Vienna. We do have floor to ceiling windows and it's an amazing part of going to work.
52 in 2025 challenge - 15. A view from my window
Since last summer, RhB is operating a new peak hours shuttle service between Zernez / Susch and Scuol-Tarasp, offering a connection to the RE trains Landquart - St. Moritz in Order to serve the touristic and administrative center of Scuol half-hourly. As the rail infrastructure is not ready for that half-hourly service, the new service is operated by postbuses under "EV" tag ("Ersatzverkehr" or "Rail replacement service") although there is no information about if and when the new service can be operated by trains actually. The first morning service on workdays arrives Susch at 5:27, the bus is seen here waiting for the connecting train just arrived before heading back for Scuol. The vehicle will serve as ski shuttle bus in Scoul later on that day.
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Operator: PostAuto / AutoDaPosta Betriebsstelle Scuol on behalf of RhB
Vehicle: 5493/GR 165'111, Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro Facelift, 2012
Route: EV / rail route 960 Susch - Scuol-Tarasp
My ten years on Flickr have been filled with learning about unfamiliar species of all notion of creatures, and this first Queen butterfly has a memorable story. One night, a local buddy of mine posted a shot on Flickr that his wife had taken at the small butterfly garden at Gulf Shores...he thought it was a Monarch, but I knew I'd never seen a butterfly like it and totally flipped out!
I finally found out it was a Queen butterfly, and slept very little that night, anxious to head straight down to Gulf Shores after work the next afternoon! That was one of my longest workdays ever, as all I could think about was that butterfly...lol
The bumper to bumper summer beach traffic was a nightmare and I finally made it to the butterfly garden, but...no Queen butterfly! I knew it was a long shot that it would still be there, but disappointedly decided to hike the beach awhile and check back by the garden once more on the way home...life was good as two Queen butterflies awaited me on my second stop by the garden...lol
I've only encountered Queen butterflies two more times, all in 2013!