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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Friday, October 22, 2010

hunter's moon, and the bridge

I don't understand how people get good shots of the moon, showing the texture on its surface and all.  All I can get is a glowing white globe.  I guess I need a tripod and a stronger lens (though I thought my 55-200mm would have worked well).  Someday I would like to learn the knack of shooting the moon.
I guess any of the night scenes really require a tripod.
There's a pic of the moon beyond one of the antenna's on the roof... I call that The Receptive Moon, hehehe.



my drum

This is my cottonwood drum, made in Taos, New Mexico.  It has been with me for 30 years now.  It has taken me and many friends on Shamanic journies, and Spirit Canoes.  It is a powerful drum, indeed.  Its sound is the sound of the Earth.  I painted the thundercloud on it because I love the Thunderbeings; great grandfathers.  I play it when it rains, and give thanks.  During the NYC Marathon, I play it for the runners, and many respond to it very visibly. 





Monday, October 18, 2010

textures

It was a short photo walk today.  People showed up late, so we were late getting started.  Didn't walk too far due to time constraints.
Today's theme was "Textures", which we could follow or not, as we pleased.  Here are a few of my shots. As usual, click on the pics to view a larger image.











Sunday, October 17, 2010

unknown neighbors at night

Come night time I wonder about the people behind the glowing curtains and red reflections (coming from the Best Western Hotel sign across the street on this side of the street).  In such close proximity, people retain their sense of space by not getting to know each other.  I used to like the anonymity of apartment dwelling, but I have long since gotten over that.  I would like to live in a one family house, preferably, but that is just a daydream, really.  Anything like that would cost a fortune.  But to live in a 2 or 3 family would be nice, too.  A place where maybe you do get to know your neighbors.  Oh, to have that garden I've wanted forever.

Anyway, I live in a city, a borough, a county, a neighborhood.  Just a step away from the 1 and 2-family houses that number the places on the lower avenues... Ridge Blvd, Colonial Road, Narrows Ave., Shore Road... where the better off among us live.

Ah, they, too, must have curtains that they hide behind at night.  Though I doubt there are any neon reflections.

sun setting on bay ridge

the view from my bedroom, as the sun sets too far south to capture shots from my living room now.

two years blogging

Earlier this month... the 8th, to be exact... was my two year anniversary of blogging. Seems I skipped right over it, but at least I remembered in the same month.


I am still enjoying my blogging ventures. I still keep up with reading other bloggers I follow ( and I follow a lot), and try to leave comments more often than not.

I know I started blogger without a digital camera, and it was a while before I got one from a friend... a 1.3mp camera, and I was delighted to have it. I have certainly upgraded since then, first going to a Canon Power Shot A1000 IS, and now using a Nikon 3000 DSLR. Each camera I cherished while it was in my hands, even the 1 mp one. A camera records, with amazing precision, that which we can and cannot see. And then there it is in the photograph.

Tomorrow I think we (the photo group) will go on a short photo walk. Too bad we don't have much time for the group (just one hour). There are sure to be a few shots to share, however mundane.

I look forward to entering my third year of blogging with you.



Barbara  

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

October sunset




(click on pics to view larger images)

the Thunderbeings graced us last night

Last night I sat with my friend, Evie, and it was thundering and lightning outside.  Lots of rain. I played my cottonwood drum for a while , in honor of the Thunderbeings.  We were talking about old poetry, and the idea of posting some of it one our blogs.  I looked for some old poetry books, but only came up with old journals, and grabbed just one to check out.
I opened to the first page, and this is what I wrote in September 1980; the synchronicities to the present moment were nice, indeed.

Lightning skies, and thunderstorms throughout the night-- each day the sun comes later, darker nights.  The camera can pull lights from the sky, stretching the indigo of rainbows until it shines like twilight.  Twilight indigo.  Rings of turquoise-- Color emerges in the spirit's song; and how often we change our colors.  I shone blue near the creek waters, near thick old trees and ancient pathes of soil.
But now the winds blow cooler in the morning; the moist air creeps into the bones like fog creeping 'round the harbor boats -- a fine water mist clinging to the sides, shining cold and bright in daylight.  The sun hides like it doesn't want to interfere with the journey of the Thunderbeings.  Rolling through the sky -- large sound -- a band of drums beating a mile wide -- a thousand miles.  Watch the color of rocks emerge, the last green of summer leaves, the garden peppers, still white and hard, dressed in clear glistening raindrops.  Inside, the peppers grow redder each day -- the soft hues of yellow disappear -- they dry with red canyon roads, getting deeper everyday.
Constant rain; twilight indigo water.
September, a yellow time moving out to the ends of a rainbow.

Monday, October 11, 2010

starting up again

Today the Photography group started up again, with me in charge, along with my cohort, Louie. It was a small group today, the first meeting since Faye left the clinic. The wrong time schedule had been announced, before it was corrected, and it was a holiday, too, so maybe that's why there were just four of us, myself included.


We just had a congenial chat really, about places we can go on photo walks, and possible themes we can try concentrating on. Also came up with ideas for photographers we'd like to see documentaries on. All in all it was a fairly productive first meeting, and hopefully everyone will bring their cameras next week, and we'll go on a little jaunt.
 
Today's participants, besides myself, were: Sue, Evie, and Louie.  Evie was kind enough to let us use the room, where she runs her art groups, for our meetings.


 
 

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Saturday, October 2, 2010

snapshots from the Ragamuffin Parade

My mom









Kim, Melissa & Logan, and my sister, Tree


Logan was the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz, and his mommy was a black cat.


Watching the Parade

Melissa, Logan, and his Godmother, Kim (dressed as Rainbow Brite)

(click pics to view larger images)

Friday, October 1, 2010

after the rains

October has started off with mighty rains, but it is clearing this evening.  Tomorrow is supposed to be a wonderful Fall day.





(click pic to view larger images)