reflections

Puddle Reflection – Day 837

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Photo: L. Weikel

Puddle Reflection

Every once in a while I like to take a photo from an unconventional perspective. The reason this appeals to me, I suspect, is because time and again I see how much can change when we shift our perspective. Usually when I think about perspective it’s in terms of looking at something emotional or experiential in our lives differently, such as a friendship, a conversation, a life choice, or an attitude. But every once in a while it’s fun to just get full-on literal – like a puddle reflection.

I think what I like most about these is that they sometimes cause those almost cartoonish double-takes. You know, the ones where we shake our heads so rapidly that our cheeks flap noisily?

And I suspect the reason for that double-take is that we already have it in our head what we think or ‘know’ we’re going to look at. At least, we’re assuming we know what we’re going to look at. So we look and we see. At first glance, we see what we expected. But then…

All of a sudden, we realize the truth. We’re looking at something that’s not at all what it appears to be. We can’t reach out and touch it. If we do, our hand either hits something flat and solid or it causes the entire charade to shimmer and waiver, disappearing into a million incoherent echoes. Either way, what we thought was real and right in front of us – wasn’t.

Lunar Effort

Last night the growing moon just begged to have her photo taken. She felt vain and perhaps a little insecure. Maybe she feels she has something to prove? I don’t know. The fact is, she is following on the heels of last month’s utterly enormous full moon, the one that seemed to take up all the room in the sky.

I tried taking her photo; several times, in fact. A panoramic view: nope. Close up: nope. Nothing I took did justice to her efforts. She was much more brilliant and beautiful than she was permitting herself to believe.

And then I saw her reflection in the puddle on the side of the road. The February snows are still a good foot deep in many places around here in spite of the near-50 degree weather of the last two days. Melting is happening, though, and puddles are appearing.

So I took a couple of those puddle reflections.

Trickster

And it’s only now, when I look at these photos, that I wonder if this month’s waxing moon is happiest trying to trick me. Maybe it’s her travel through Leo, actually – the drama queen sign – ok, the sign of high drama. Curiously enough, I just checked and the moon was literally moving into the sign of Leo precisely as we were taking our walk and I was taking these photos.

Maybe the Leo moon wanted to get lost in a Milky Way galaxy of stars but found itself grounded, so had to pretend its way out? I don’t know; but it is a cool experience to think you’re looking up at the moon in the sky, surrounded by globules of celestial stuff only to realize – wait – what exactly am I looking at?

Makes Me Wonder

How often do we see what we expect to see or hear what we assume is being said – but are actually getting it totally wrong?

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-274)

Tonight’s Walk – Day 482

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Waxing Moon in Puddle – Photo: L. Weikel

Tonight’s Walk

Wow, did I need a walk this evening. I’m not even sure why, specifically, tonight’s walk felt so essential to my balance, but it did.

The moon began rising in the east before the sun had even set. Karl and I watched it rise as we set off on a four mile jaunt, both of us knowing how essential it is to remain in balance during times of stress.

Even the morning after receiving the call telling us our son had died, Karl and I walked. We walked and we walked and we walked, picking up garbage along the way like we always do. I’ll never forget it: the first day following our receipt of that horrific call, we found an empty bottle of Golden Monkey. For whatever reason, that bottle felt like a sign from him; a sign that he was OK and we should smile through our tears.

Shots of the Moon

I’m not happy with the photos I’ve taken of the moon lately. They’ve felt like they need more context, or a better zoom, or both.

So tonight I tried something different. My attempts were made through a side door, of sorts. Trying to sneak up on the moon and maybe get a bit of a head start on zooming in for a closeup by agreeing to capturing her in costume. So tonight’s almost-full moon was captured in puddles we encountered along the way.

The first one, which I placed at the top of this article, is simply a watery depiction of our magnificent moon, as she readied herself for embracing her fullness tomorrow night into Monday morning.

This photo was taken before it was even dark out. I have to admit, I never tire of trying to capture the moon’s elusive beauty, even if it ends up being her reflection cherished amongst dead leaves.

Magical Reflections

The second shot was a total surprise. While it, too, was taken as a reflection in a puddle, nighttime had fully set in and it took some fiddling to keep it from using a flash or automatically going into ‘night mode.’

Finally, nevertheless, I managed to find the right setting for the job. I’m not sure I’ll be able to replicate how I managed to discover the setting that perfectly captured what I could see in that moment, but at least I found it once.

All this photo reminds me of is that there’s magic no matter where you look: down into a puddle or up into the vast terrain of space.

Keep This In Mind

In these times of potentially needing to restrict our movements in order to minimize our exposure to the Coronavirus, let’s remember now just how much earthly and unearthly beauty surrounds us all the time. Take joy in the little things, such as moonlight reflected in a puddle of water along a country road.

If there’s any chance to walk, do so. Let’s celebrate our health, our freedom, and our unparalleled access to nature’s beauty.

Let’s celebrate the little things, like reflections in puddles.

Waxing Moon in Puddle Photo: L. Weikel

(T-629)

Tohickon to the Rescue – Day 341

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My Sacred Tohickon, 18 Oct 19 – Photo: L. Weikel

Tohickon to the Rescue      

Yes, I know. I can just imagine your reaction to the title to this post. “Good grief, how can this chick talk so much about a stupid creek?”

But here I sit, at the end of a day that started out as dark and wild as the day before it, at the end of yet another long week of astonishing ugliness and corruption being exposed to our wondering eyes, at the end of a week that brought sadness at a sudden loss of a person of great courage and integrity. Here I sit on my couch, the reassuring snore of Sheila percolating from under her favorite wolf blanket, asking myself what of this day merits my attention and reflection.

View upstream of the Tohickon – Photo: L. Weikel

What Brought Me Joy

And I have to answer: what I feel most compelled to share with you today is the bounty of joy reaped from fifteen minutes I spent beside the Tohickon Creek, on my way home from running some mid-afternoon errands.

Most of the day was overcast and chilly. Taking the ‘long way’ home yet again, as I did last week when I encountered the dazed young deer, I managed to make it to the covered bridge without incident. I proceeded alongside the magnificent wall of black rock rising up a steep hill to my left, emerald moss strategically highlighting the wall’s nooks and crannies. As I crested the slight rise of the single lane road and rounded the blind spot where the rock wall refused to yield and demanded the road meet its terms, sunshine suddenly spilled forth from above.

View downstream of the Tohickon – Photo: L. Weikel

The moment was magical and quite unexpected. It was as if the clouds surrendered, bowing to the warmth of the sun, when actually it was more a function of the wind’s insistence that they part. It didn’t matter to me what caused it. All I knew was that everything around me transformed in an instant. The brilliant oranges, yellows, reds, and spring-like greens on the trees were not only illuminated but doubled in their presentation, as it seemed all of it – everything – was reflected on the surface of the Tohickon.

Capturing the Moment to Share With You

Even as I try to describe this moment of “Ah!” my heart quickens a bit.

Suddenly surrounded by this palette of autumn flavors, I was filled with awe. Breathless with the wonder of it all, I pulled off the road at my favorite spot. All I could do was thank All That Is for giving me this moment.

Knowing and appreciating how truly lucky I am to have the opportunity to encounter such a moment in the middle of an October afternoon, I once again yearned to bring the beauty and inspiration home to you, my readers. So I jumped out of the car and even hopped onto a couple rocks that took me further into the creek so I could get shots both further up and down stream.

Sky and trees reflected in the Tohickon

Reflections on the Tohickon – Photo: L. Weikel

What delighted me most were the reflections. Oh my goodness, I was surrounded by the most exquisite works of art in the world.

In those moments, I was soothed. The peace and beauty and ‘eternal now’ of those precious moments wrapped themselves around me and whispered, “We’re here. Look, see, feel, listen. Take comfort. Share us.”

And that was the highlight of my day.

Trees reflected in the Tohickon

More Tohickon reflections – Photo: L. Weikel

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