Moving into Silence

When words become unclear,
I shall focus with photographs.
When images become inadequate,
I shall be content with silence.

~Ansel Adams

The fires of Autumn become extinguished as December approaches with frosted windows and sparkly wonders. It is a month of loving, believing and journeying to the heart of childhood. We become alchemists of memory...reminiscing the old and creating anew.

And for me, it is a time of quiet reflection and peace. An opportunity to express myself to you through silence....and images. No words will be posted here throughout December, but I will be sharing glimpses of my visual world as I capture them from day to day.

Beautiful Darlene has brought back December Views, and I am blissfully taking part. May you find yourself swirling in the magic of this month of cinnamon comforts and sugarplum sweetness. I wish you a most enchanting December.

xoxo

An Enduring Landscape

There is only one landscape on the surface of the earth that has remained unchanged for tens of thousands of years. It has not been carved out by erosion or shifted by earthquake. It hasn't cracked from drought or been eaten away by the virus of mankind. The revolving seasons leave this landscape relatively intact and the simple colour palette remains fairly monotone.

Find yourself floating on the ocean, far away from land, and you will know what I am talking about. The stretching surface of the deep sea was seen in much the same way by pterodactyls and breaching whales. And although little has changed here, it is the largest landscape on the planet.

Yet, it is in a constant state of metamorphosis. Its chaotic patterns of wave and chop and swell are constantly moving and changing, never remaining the same even for a moment.

And what is interesting is that no matter how chaotic the sea appears to be in its movement, once the heaving waves complete their long journey to the shore, the dizzying patterns turn into regular steady parallel lines that break on the sand in a very repetitive and soothing pattern.

The ocean and her mysteries have provoked my melancholic curiosities. Her form, ever-changing... her patterns, ever-reliable, leave me quiet and contemplative. She is full of paradox, and so am I.

Trees on Fire

A tangerine and russet cascade
Of kaleidoscopic leaves
Creates a tapestry of autumn magic
Upon the emerald carpet of fading summer.

~Judith A. Lindberg

Last time I was still in the green. But really, truly... I love Autumn most of all. So before the last leaf falls, I come here to celebrate what I most adore during this time of year...

Apple crisp ~ Sure, apples are available all year round in any grocery store, but I only crave apple crisp when it is crisp outside.

A walk through crunchy leaves, hands curled around a mug of tea or cider, red rosy cheeks and a colourful scarf to match.

Wind storms ~ trees dancing a wild flamenco, casting off leaves into swirling funnels to provide a better view of the stars.

Nesting ~ cleaning house and preparing for a cozy hibernation indoors as the days get shy and the nights prominently step in.

A moving inward. I find that I seek novels and movies at this time that have more depth... stories that pull you in and cling to your attention as you forget the realities of the day.

Staying in bed just a little bit longer. As far as I'm concerned, if it is still dark outside, it is still nighttime ;)

Making homemade soup and basking in the hearty aromas as it simmers and bubbles, taunting you to have a little taste.

Colour, colour and more colour! Nothing else can brighten a November day better than a tree on fire.

I must go capture more of its delights before the gold turns to white...

Pearl Drops

I didn't go looking for the rain...or the green.
I went in search of golds and ambers, rusts and ochres... the brilliant hues that make Autumn blaze and smoulder. The lingering afterglow of summer.
But instead, I was completely taken with the green.

On the mild west coast, Autumn is a season of rain. And the rain brings the green again. While the earth's flora and fauna prepare to settle into the quietness and sleep of the enduring winter months, some beautiful things are emerging as though we've leapfrogged right back into spring. I think I have fallen in synch with nature this time around....I feel as though the green is emerging out of me. New feelings, new callings, new dreams are flourishing within me just as the moss and baby ferns are absorbing the pearly raindrops and awakening again after a long dry summer.

Maybe next time I will share the colours of Autumn that I love so much and certainly haven't ignored.
But today, I am all green.