Another Spot of Color

Dear Diary,

This azalea was given to me by a parent when I retired from teaching in 2010.  It has suffered a bit from the heavy snows over the last six years but every spring it valiantly blooms and I look forward to it.  It is a reminder of my wonderful years of teaching and that I have to persevere even when things get tough.  These little blooms say so much without uttering a word.  We can learn a lot from those who have no voice.

Contemplative photography has allowed me to "hear" these silent voices in the landscape.  It has been one of my greatest joys over the last 11 years.  When I began to listen with my "eye" and not my "I", when I took my ego out of the equation, I began to learn all sorts of things.

I may not travel as much in the years ahead but this "conversation" with the landscape will not end.  I will just pay more attention to those close to home...they have so much to teach be yet.  I love the small heart in the background!

“Photography is not purely a mechanical process. You need to know how to look, where to point the camera, and when to press the button. These acts depend on the eye, mind, and heart.”
―  Andy Karr, The Practice of Contemplative Photography: Seeing the World with Fresh Eyes