Saturday, July 31, 2010

Fathers and Sons

On the surface it would have seemed to some an insignificant few moments...the conversation I had with my son...topical issues that confront most young people...what made those 20 minutes wholly significant to me was the self-realization...the wisdom, insight, enlightenment that it felt I brought to the moment...those things that seemed in short supply in my relationship with my dad..."his way or the highway"...his intelligence, his success in business widely known and noted...belied a less than stellar father/son relationship...I am not successful in the 'conventional' sense of the word...yet those 20 minutes of father/son conversation reflected a success that cannot be bought nor sold...that's why it meant so much to me.


My creative offering today is dedicated to my son, Ben, seen in the picture above taken a few years ago.


This prompted writing exercise is part of a weekly meme...Saturday Centus...brought to you by Jenny Matlock. Please go and check out the wonderful creative responses to this week's prompt (above in bold italics). You are always welcome to join in the fun.


Jenny Matlock

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

You 'Red' My Mind

Well, its inaugural week for Alphabe-Thursday, Rainbow Summer School. Our first assignment is the color Red, that rainbow slice of eye-popping color love. I have to admit that I am having some issues in this transition from letters to colors. I'm not sure why...colors are visual, and I love pictures. But if all I did was just post pictures corresponding to a week's assignment...well, it just seems like that could get old. I suppose I could write a poem as well...I think I will...to  illuminate my secret thoughts as I think of red...

You 'red' my mind...
thoughts of crimson bright
to light the way
on this dark night.

Your lips of red
your eyes of blue are
flames of the passion
I have for you.

Between the setting
and the rising sun
before this night 
is fully done...
two hearts on fire
two souls attest
to what lovers do
and do the best.















Please visit Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday, Rainbow Colors Summer School, where I think your world will be colored up;-)
Peace and blessings...

Jenny Matlock













Saturday, July 24, 2010

Nervous Birds, Nervous Birders

Driving six hours is a long time on the road. Six hours spent singing car-aoke and taking in the picturesque scenery, but mostly reminiscing about the good times. But those days were long gone and my mind was in a different place now. Or was it? My pulse quickened as I passed the road sign which read "Medford 27 miles." 


Twenty-six years had passed since our team, the Warbler Wranglers, had competed in the inaugural World Series of Birding. Jenny, Peter, Kevin and I had remained friends over time, but distance and obligations did not allow for a repeat performance in this complex of woods, grasslands, marshes and coastline of New Jersey.


Non-birders might find it curious the excitement that builds for this grandest of birding events. Most of us are not professional birders, and many compete only in this event, which has raised over $8 million since inception for the New Jersey Audubon Society.


We had decided to lodge in Medford with its close proximity to the Pine Barrens and Cape May. We would work our way north during the grueling, midnight to midnight competition. We planned to start in the southern Pine Barrens, and conclude in the wooded highlands of northern Sussex County. We had two weeks to scout and prepare our 'roadmap' to birding glory...


This post is my installment for this week's Saturday Centus, a weekly, prompted creative writing meme. The prompt is in italics. Please check out the wonderful writings from other students of Saturday Centus found at jennymatlock.blogspot.com...Peace and blessings


Jenny Matlock

Saturday, July 17, 2010

The Journey

The sound of distant thunder knocked on the door of my subconscious... the globulous drops of monsoonal rain beat on my face. I slowly opened my eyes, seeing the cottonwood branches overhead, and the golden yellow surrounding my periphery...for a brief few moments wondering...you know...that sense one has as you pass the veil that separates dream from awakening.

I stood up, turned around, and headed for the car, parked so nonchalantly in the middle of this abandoned stretch of Rt. 66. Before I could reach the car the rain had ceased. I looked down this lonely stretch of 2-lane, with its deep, dark cracks and weeds thrusting upwards like fists from the underworld. I turned, gazing out to the western sky, pleased to see a rather large and vivid double rainbow...

"Somewhere, over the rainbow..." a sweet and hopeful song that held in its melody and lyrics the portent of possibilities...

______________________

This endeavor at creative writing is done as part of a weekly, prompted, creative writing meme called Saturday Centus. It is sponsored by Jenny Matlock. This week's prompt, "Somewhere over the rainbow...", supplied by Sami. Take a journey to jennymatlock.blogspot.com, and read the creative musings from our other participants...Peace and blessings...

Friday, July 16, 2010

Jeff, Chattanooga TN, USA


This past Memorial Day, I once again made what has become an annual pilgrimage with my friend Kevin to our nearby National Cemetery. I was taking pictures with my fisheye lens and captured this one of Kevin's truck with his kayak secured on top...Peace and blessings and Happy Reflections ;-)

Click to see the rules and to take a badge for yourself.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Sepia Photography Announcement


As many of you know, I have a certain inclination towards things of a photographic nature. I am especially fascinated by Sepia Photography.

I have a new blog friend, Cait Wade...a wonderful photographer who hails from Chicago. Upon my suggestion she has decided to 'resurrect' her blog meme, Sepia Sunday. It will start anew this coming Sunday. I encourage all you fans of photography to practice your sepia skills and participate in what should prove to be a very exciting photographic adventure. You will find all the information on rules and such by linking to her post below.

Speaking of sepia- Announcement time!
*Upon special request by Jeff at Tennessee Mudbug, I will be running Sepia Sunday this upcoming Sunday, July 18th! It's been a while, right? Over a year, in fact!

  • So, if you would, please consider participating!
  • Images (615 pixels, longest side) should be submitted to[c.wadephotography AT gmail.com] by Saturday, July 17th.
  • The winner will receive sidebar space on M45 for a week!
  • *Please see the bottom of this post for entry specs!





Sepia Sunday Entry *Specs:
  1. Submit images to [c.wadephotography AT gmail.com]
  2. Images should be no more than 615 pixels on the longest side.
  3. Watermark them if you feel like it- it doesn't matter to me. (but I'm not responsible if someone decides to be a clepto.)
  4. Deadline for submissions = Saturday 11:59pm.
  5. The winner will be announced in the Sepia Sunday blog post, the next day!
  6. All submitted photos will appear in the blog post!
  7. If there's any info you want included with your photo (title, caption, ect.) please email it along with your submission.
  8. Feel free to email me at [c.wadephotography AT gmail.com] if you have any questions!
  9. To see past entries or examples of "sepia" photography, click the words "Sepia Sunday" in M45's tag cloud in the sidebar. (or refer to this post)

*About the Sidebar Space:

The winner, judged by me (on overall execution, creativity, and "interesting-ness," ect.), will receive prominent sidebar space on M45with which he or she may, basically, do whatever they like!

Want to advertise your online photo or craft market? Alright! Have a widget for your photo or goods store- or even Flickr account? Perfect! If you want, I'll even include an artist/photographer bio, and any other text information provided to me.

Additionally, the winning photo will be showcased with author credit and link-back right in the sidebar feature.


Reflections in Photography and Writing

Alphabe-Thursday class is finished, yet our teacher asks for one last post...of our choosing. I am choosing to post some new photographs and a writing piece I composed and posted last week, and one not related to a particular meme. MrsC and I went downtown on Sunday so that I could take some reflection photographs. So...reflection photographs and a writing reflection. I hope you enjoy, and I hope to meet up again soon in our 'colors class'...Peace and blessings to you all...







Upstairs Room

I opened the door and walked into what was a sparsely decorated upstairs room...simple, wooden chair beside a small, round, wooden table. On the table was a rather large, leather-bound book and a plain ceramic vase holding some beautiful yellow flowers. The room, save for the chair and table, was quite empty, yet, nonetheless had a certain indescribable warmth and sunniness to it.

I had followed the signs leading up the stairs and down the hallway to this place, this room, where I hoped to open the "Book of Knowledge". I was not quite certain just what to expect of a place that housed a 'book' in which would be found all knowledge, all thought, all history, time in memoriam. I had often thought, perhaps, it would be a grand library with many volumes, necessary to hold such a vast amount of information. What I found instead was this simple room with a small table and chair positioned, as if not by accident, next to a sun-filled window looking out over a large expanse of fields. I was a bit puzzled, and had it not been for the sign on the wall..."Welcome. Have a seat. Smell the flowers. Open the book"...I might have gone back out the door thinking I had taken a wrong turn.

So, I sat in the chair, looking briefly out the window at the magnificent fields that stretched to the horizon. I could smell the flowers on the table beside me. Their odor was indescribably intoxicating, and for a moment I almost forgot what had brought me to this room, so full of anticipation and expectation.

I picked up the large, thick book and laid it in my lap. A certain hesitancy came over me. Seeing, opening this book was a desire I had cultivated for as long as I could remember. Perhaps it was the thought of the old cliche, "too much knowledge is a dangerous thing" that encouraged this hesitancy. I closed my eyes, took in a slow, deep breath, slowly exhaled and opened the front cover. I opened my eyes, and looking down, saw my reflection in a time worn mirror. The reflection, my reflection, simultaneously showed the lines and contours of youth and age, happiness and sadness, foolishness and wisdom. After a few moments I turned the mirrored page over to reveal the next, a blank one, save for the hand written word at the top, "Write".

I wrote this today as I was at the front desk of our church office, where I volunteer on Thursday mornings. As I was writing this I thought of an old family friend, Jac, who had recently passed away at the age of 99. he was a fine writer and thinker. I dedicate this very short story to him...Peace and blessings...

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Zenith

Often times when a class is finished we celebrate, although with this class I am feeling a bit melancholy. We have Zigged and Zagged for many weeks, winding our way through the alphabet. Along the way I have made many new friends, and I will choose to celebrate that. We have now reached a certain culmination of our efforts, a Zenith. This last stop along the alphabetic super highway is with the unusual letter Z. There are many intriguing words to explore with this Zig-Zaggy letter. I have decided instead to revisit my posts and show those photographs that I really like...those that represent my current Zenith, photographically speaking.

Perhaps we will revisit one another down the road somewhere, sometime. I do hope so.

I would like to thank Jenny Matlock for bringing this wonderful opportunity my way, and for the HappyMrsC for her encouragement. If this is the first time you are reading an Alphabe-Thursday post, please check out the varied and wonderful posts for what has been a weekly meme...

Peace and blessings to you all



































Jenny Matlock