Category Archives: Photography & Art
Playing with the moon – and cherishing my son
A beautiful moment at close to four o’clock in the morning.
I had let Butters outside, and returned to my room. As I went back to retrieve my cream colored, insomniac manatee/sharpei/shepherd – I bumped into my son coming inside.
We had both remembered the moon.
We sat outside together, listening to the birds – in the dark, and staring up at that gorgeous huge moon. As dark as it was outside, the moon shone like the sun. We spoke of how the sky must have looked before electricity. We spoke of stars and places available to see them in total darkness.
And as we spoke, and sat in awe of that moon, I was filled with such gratitude and love for the relationship I have with my son.
When we both went in, he was wide awake – I got back under my sheets and he came into my room and sat on my bed beside me … “It’s like Christmas …” he said. And it did have that feel to it.
That up-too-early, but full of wonder and leisure feeling.
We parted, but that moment didn’t go unwritten in my memory bank. I love that he chose those words. I love that his memories of being up early and excited and us being together brought that comparison to his lips.
I awoke again at 5:30 and managed to capture the moon on my ‘real’ camera. Then I played with it a little. 😉
Photos for four four 13
Here’s some photos I’ve taken within the last week. The second to last pic is in my yard, I’m really hoping it isn’t a tarantula hole! :-O
Gearing up for a great interview post so watch this space. 🙂 Amanda.
Photo therapy
Lay in bed this morning with not a fiber of my being wanting to get up.
I am in a funk of all time funks for a myriad of reasons. But life goes on.
Laundry was skipped last weekend due to my tooth pain – blah, blah, blah – I’m so over talking about that. But, fact is, I had to do laundry today.
I milled about the house, crawled back into bed. Found myself watching ‘The Shahs of Sunset’ reunion show on Bravo. What the hell? I don’t even watch the show – no clue who the people were. But evidently, reaching for the remote and changing the channel wasn’t in the cards.
Get up Amanda.
I sat outside.
I haven’t been reading as often lately, tried to read a few pages. Haven’t picked up a paint brush in a while either, nor my camera.
“Go do laundry, and take some pictures” a voice in my head told me. From where I sat, I could see fog over the river – the mountains looked beautiful.
Okay. Get dressed and just DO IT!
So I did it. Shoved our laundry into a couple of washing machines and took myself and my camera off for some quality time.
Heads up – I’m the Queen of zoom and crop. Whereas, my son captures a subject and leaves in the surroundings, whether aesthetically pleasing or not, and his photos end up amazing. I love that about him. He doesn’t edit life. I just have a problem not editing my mouth.
Without further ado:
The reason I took my camera. Fog is rare here in the desert. It called to me. The Colorado River creates it from time to time, and every time it does, its gorgeous.
Decay and growth. I loved the juxtaposition of the two.
And here too. The area I was shooting in is prone to fires. The tree in the back obviously burned and the new growth in the foreground just made such a pleasing image.
Love the curl of this metal.
Beauty and the desert beast
The reservations irrigation system.
Looked like a mirror – or a framed picture to me
Gawd I loved these
Spent shell – wonder what was on the receiving end of this?
He’s a rocks rock
On my knees in rams head weeds to get this shot, pretty sure I have a couple of puncture wounds – but worth it
Home now – this little guy is growing through the steps. I won’t go into that metaphor. But I was proud of it and that little flower inspires me.
On the way home from the laundromat a song came on that for that very moment in time, couldn’t have been more apropos. Every word spoke to me. And I don’t know when this funk will break – but I know it will. I know this. But I’m nothing if not authentic, and I never ‘fake it til I make it’. I’m not going to plaster a smile on my face. I don’t feel like smiling just yet. I have big decisions to make, big changes to consider and time is slipping by quickly. I am sad, scared, 50 shades of blue and deep in thought. But life is still beautiful. I am still grateful. And tomorrow is another day.
Here’s that song.
Birds on a wire
I love my ‘cable’ birds. The hardest part is staying SO still. Next time, I’ll have to remember to grab my tripod – but I’m afraid they’ll go while I’m fiddling about with setting up. Enjoy.
More to me
Rough night last night. Two stubborn people in one house – no give. No goodnight hugs.
Woke up this morning determined. Deciding to have a good day.
I’ve been swiping some mascara on my lashes of late – and sporting a brighter colored lipstick to work. It’s almost embarrassing how much of a difference that apparently makes as I’ve received a lot of compliments. I don’t like it. I wanted to feel brighter – but not be looked at. Silly.
I’m a complicated chick.
I was listening this morning to Jai Ho in my car. (From the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack). Okay, I was blasting Jai Ho and thinking – ‘there is more to me’. I’ve BEEN to Bombay (Mumbai in the movie) – I was in Goa and New Delhi and Old Delhi. I’ve experienced more in one lifetime, I can safely say, than probably 95% of the people I know.
I’ve laid eyes on the Mona Lisa (a tad disappointing … did you know it’s quite small?) I’ve gazed up at the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Breathtaking. I’ve almost been sold in Afghanistan and dined with men in Countries where females just don’t DO that.
And today – I’m driving to work in the car I worry about making payments on, in a desert I never wanted to live in, but feeling a little brighter.
The music reminded me of something odd I would do as a child.
On road trips I’d have my head leaned against the back seat window and whatever song was on the radio was my theme song. I pretended I was in a movie – it was the closing shot. My reflection – the passing scenery … My imagination has got me through a lot of things. Unwavering. A constant.
I cried at work today. I had a bad moment and felt hopeless and unvalued and discounted, and without any warning, alone staring at my monitor – I cried.
I felt bled of my color and left grey.
I came home stinging from words and washed the lipstick and mascara off of my face.
But – tomorrow is another day.
Jai Ho! (Hoping to be victorious)
Debauchery Soup 