Day Twenty Eight

Decided to go black and white for one. 

This one trips me out a little. It looks like water not the sky. I took it sitting in my parents driveway. The clouds were painted beautiful oranges and touched with pink a little while after this. It was beautiful. I smiled because I couldn't take a picture of it.

Day Twenty Seven

I felt happy, running up the hill that overlooks Eau Claire. My flip flops announcing my steps. I had just about crested the hill when I noticed a man sitting at the lookout point. I froze, slowly focused and snapped a picture, then took off down the hill with the same happiness but an added giggle, heart pounding. I felt like a deer stopped in it's tracks, then bounding down the hill. Having captured and unsuspecting human...tee hee.

I had found a turkey feather near this hill last time I was here. My heart felt full, this time it was a raven feather. I now have two raven feathers and two turkey feathers. 

 Things are coming in pairs. 

Day Twenty Six

Something about the line...

Day Twenty Five

Standing atop my car at the top of the only parking structure in Eau Claire, on my tippy toes to eek the lens over the chain link fence. 

Day Twenty Four

Apparently in my little world focus isn't a key.

None the less, a beautiful blue.

Day Twenty Three

I knew there would be a day like this. Quiet and subtle, shielding us from the sun.

Day Twenty Two

Bold strong colors.

 I caught glimpse of a Bald Eagle just before taking this shot, I love elusive birds and nature magic.

Day Twenty One

Just before 6 am. 

The sun dusting the clouds with a warm golden yellow.

Day Twenty

The rain on my windshield painted the lights in a beautiful glow.

Mundane gray. Beautiful rain.

Day Nineteen

Oooo yeah. 

The blurry focus adds a certain haste to the mood of this image. 

The wall of clouds marched right thru one morning, focused on powering ahead. 

Quieting the birds while leaving the trees tousled and ground watered.

Day Eighteen

I love the vastness this one portrays. 

River to clouds,

clouds to rain,

rain to river.

Don't you just want to fly out over the river?

Day Seventeen

Quiet blues on the river.

Day Sixteen

Looks like Photo Journey "clouds" has turned into sunsets!

Day Fifteen

My Mom and I were on our way home from shopping. I saw the sun peeking thru cracks in the clouds, kicking myself for not bringing my camera with. We pulled in the driveway sorted out our stuff and I jumped in my car and zipped away. I went to the same spot as day thirteen, climbed thru the barbed wire fence and got it. The fog was starting to form in the field. The eastern sky was blushing and purple. It was so gorgeous. Photos never depict what it actually looked like. Which is why I don't usually get too upset missing a beautiful picture, it stays perfect in my mind.

I need a wide angle lens...

Day Fourteen

Day Thirteen

I love this one for its color, though I wish I would have waited just a bit longer. The pinks came out just a while after this. (dang it!) I also love how the clouds look like they are swooping out and up, woosh!

Day Twelve

I lost track of time. 

I got 'volunteer wasted'. 

I helped out at Beaver Creek Reserve, I directed a team of volunteers in planting a strip at the back of the building. I was so glad for their help, it originally had been a task just for me...Would have taken a month of hours! So so grateful for their help. We got it started and finished in 3 hours! Ripped up old weed cloth, laid down new weed cloth, laid pavers, planted and mulched. There had to have been a hundred plants we put in, all natives!

I then moved to my parents house to let my most favorite dog Jack out. Then proceeded to help my mom transplant some herbs and natives for an hour. I hit a wall. She made me food :)

I took off to my next location, Gr and Gr's (Grandma and Grandpa's) They are out of town and my a couple aunts and uncles spearheaded a mission to do some updating. It's kind of a huge project! New carpet, new tile, new paint....wow. It's coming right along, it was great to see all the people getting in each other's way and helping out :)

When I got home at 10 I was empty. It was all I could do to throw myself into my bed.

I gave a lot, and forgot to take care of myself. A good reminder.

This shot was just a few blocks from my Grandparent's place, it was nearby and I could see a little stitch of clouds and the streetlights. 

Day Eleven

Feeling a little speechless on this one.  My camera has been surprising me with night shots, it gives me trouble with auto focus, which is very understandable I have trouble with manual focus in the dark. 

So many beautiful colors emerged and plays of light, the clouds catching the orange from the city lights, the inky blue night sky, the headlights from my car painting in the roadside plants.

sigh...another confirmation of my love for colors and light.

Day Ten

Day ten was relatively cloudless as well. I made it home 30 min to midnight, and the clouds were cast in a tinge of orange from the city lights, it was too dark to get my camera to focus appropriately. It turned out beautifully, moody and dreamlike. 

Day Nine

It was a day of cloudlessness and redneck adventures, and a wild caught fish dinner. Apparently I am the bread winner when it comes to fishing. Though ending creatures lives is something that is difficult for me. I don't like pain, I observed the fish as they died, feeling sad, they were calm and accepting of their situation. I thanked them. After all it occurs in nature, the cycle of life. 

Day Eight

Over the open fields of Northwestern Wisconsin.

Day Seven

5:43 am

The bright sun coaxed me out of sleep and into meditation,

the out of my room barefoot to the road.

Gazing at the eastern sky.

I used both my pictures this morning,

joyfully I must suffer through the picture worthy beauty for the rest of the day.

Day Six

Chasing the sunset. 

Driving up and down the hilly countryside out in the apple orchards. 

I was too impatient to climb the hill in town and sit and wait for the show. 

She crept nearer the horizon.

I took chase, I didn't know of a place that would quite open up enough to see the sun go down,

just followed my heart.

I kept driving.

The sun sank lower, still no clearing.

I looked to the south, at the cotton candy pink clouds, and the green hills.

There is something I love about the round bales and the sweet smell of hay.

The birds bid me to snap quickly...shoot!

I didn't look at my camera settings...

 I got lucky.

A lesson in patience, and being open to the journey.

I wanted the sunset,

but what I got was her love reflected.

Day Five

Part of me thinks I could have done a better job for this day. The other part says Wow...this depicts such an expanse. The clouds look massive and powerful. You can see the setting sun in the lower left corner, obscured by the rains pouring out of the cloud. I love the rain in this picture, a free fall. As you move to the right a cheery bit of blue and pink remind us of the happiness rain brings.

❤

Day Four

My heart sings when I see this. Not only for its velvety inky blackness, but the process it took to get it. 

I had just taken my day three picture around 9pm on June 3. I left a friends house at nearly 11pm on that same night and the clouds were steadily marching past the moon. I wanted to break my rules and take a million pictures of it. I waited, less than an hour to midnight.

 I got home ran upstairs and grabbed my sleeping pad, sleeping bag, a note pad, pencil and I managed to find a tripod. I headed outside attempting to be quiet but as usual I only allow myself to take things in ONE trip. The air valve on my sleeping pad knocked loudly on pretty much every doorway I passed through. (ninja skills were not evident this evening)

I made it outside to the driveway, the light was so beautiful, just enough to not want to use a flashlight, but quite enough to write by, eerie and special. I plopped down and began to affix the tripod parts to my camera to get it set for midnight. Raindrops tipped and tapped nearby...shoot... I opened the garage and settled in there to be safe. They were a tease. The following is what happened while I sat in meditation enjoying the moments until midnight.

A cricket...

whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will...

Frogs in surround sound,

a warm breath of wood smoke hovered lazily in the still air

the songs of the night held gently in the stillness.

deep black blue clouds keeping pace, 

steadily marching in front of the moon.

the moon lighting them in a tender radiance

rogue raindrops tapped on metal nearby.

a pair of fireflies danced timidly.

Distant traffic moaning,

a solitary rumble of thunder.

being,

breathing.

glowing.

midnight.

Day Three

I took my first picture early on in the day and was convinced to wait for sunset by a friend. I had another shot which was a slit a blue sky amongst some gray clouds with a kiss of orange and I didn't take it. So I waited and waited. Knowing that a had a good first picture, but that it is also very similar to the first few I posted, classic white clouds and blue skies. This picture happened just before it was almost too dark to hand hold the camera, the last hour if you will. I love it for its deep blue moody-ness.

Day Two

One of my favorite places to look at the sky and rolling hills. I feel this is a place where a bad picture cannot be taken, and it reminds me of computer wallpaper! ha. It's funny how my computer is filled with images from nature. Quite ironic, no?

Day One

June 1

I had taken a picture right around 1 pm wasn't totally thrilled with it. I thought I was going to fail on my first day... I was out with my Aunt and Cousin and company bowling, without my camera and the light was getting low,  it looked like we might not get any moon clouds either! A softly colorful start.

Life changes in moments, constantly.