North to Stehekin

Today I left the mountain.  

Waiting for the Lady

Wandering Lucerne

Warming in the A frame

Railroad Creek meets Lake Chelan

Water

Ice

Snow 

Clouds

Posts from the past week are on their way

Written in word

To be posted here.

Story IX: Travel to the Mountain

I left Rochester Thursday on the 6AM flight to Washington State. After arriving in Seattle and making it to the rental car agency, I was ready to hit the road about 2:00 with knowledge of a snow storm over Snoqualime. As I got closer word hit that the pass was closed. There was no way I was going to miss the Friday boat. I went north to Hwy 2 and Steven Pass and slowly made my way over the summit. Arrived in Leavenworth found a place to lay my head, had my first meal of the day, settled in and fell asleep 8PM PST having been up 20 hours.

Friday early with body on EST I ventured out with the camera to see how the sun would great the new day. It was splendid. The sun it hit the eastern slope of the mountain as it said good morning. Cold and crisp was the air and majestic the skies.

Trees wearing a coat of ice
While the sun wakes the mountain
Feathers of clouds float the skies

Trees bending in the wind
Firmly held with their roots
All the while fragile against the force of nature
These barren limbs
Reach for the skies
And frame the peak
The photographer awakes

Fast forward … and I’ve made it to the mountain

Story VIII: Bees

I really hadn't paid much attention to bees over the years until I got into this photography thing.  Now I am fascinated ... watching the go from flower to flower ... their intensity ... their focus .. their delicacy.  If you wander through my flickr site you will find many bee shots.

Then this fall I went to see the movie "secret life of bees" 

I loved it.  Definitely a chick flick .. there were maybe three guys in the theatre!

the following is from the book:

"The world was really one big bee yard, and the same rules worked fine both places: 

Don’t be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you. 

Still, don’t be an idiot; wear long sleeves and long pants. 

Don’t swat. Don’t even think about swatting. 

If you feel angry, whistle. Anger agitates, while whistling melts a bee’s temper. 

Act like you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t. 

Above all, send the bees love. Every little thing wants to be loved."

Some great ideas for living life ... 

Don't be afraid ... 

     It can paralyze you.

Still, don't be an idiot ... 

     Like the night I walked home alone from the ballet in Mexico City

Don't swat ... 

     Verbally or physically

If you feel angry, whistle ... 

     Acknowledge it ... but don't let it paralyze you either

     And heck, whistling can result in laughter

Act like you know what you are doing ... 

     With humility, and seeking input

      Be confident

Send bees love ... yup ... send others love

Which of these is hardest for you to embrace?

Story VII: Running way too fast

I keep saying I am going to slow down and take things a bit more easy. But here it is the night before a 6AM flight to the west coast. It is Wednesday evening and I feel as though seven days of work have been collapsed into three. my story.

I grew up on Jordan Road in Oakland (for the most part). It was there that I remember playing in the street ... walking to and from school (which I thought was easily a mile ... but when I drove it a few years back was only .4 mile!) ... sitting down to dinner ... 

playing under the dining room table.  I remember my bedroom. I had one of those dressers with a round mirror, drawers on either side and a chair that fit under the center. The window of my room overlooked the garage. Life was pretty simple then: A black and white TV, a yellow and black station wagon, dinner when dad got home, and prayers before we ate. I rode the bus to Berkeley to go ice skating and made pot holders! 

On Tuesday nights we went to Le Petite with my grandparents because mom had gone back to school to get her teaching

 credential and that helped us out. Sunday dinners would sometimes be at my grandparents house ... Lawrence Welk was on. Some evenings we would drive way out to Lafayette for dinner with the Andersons. Coming home we would easily climb over the car seats from the way way back (yes, we called it the way way back) to the front.

Looking back ... thinking of those times ... a way to slow down.

Tomorrow I head out to "the mountain" ... what I call Holden Village when I talk about it with friends and colleagues. There I will slow down, walk the labyrinth, climb the avalanche, pray around the cross, and weave (not pot holders this time!). There will be quiet ...

To where do you retreat?

Story VI: Sail Away

What is it about water and sails?

The fantasy to sail away to new venture

The fantasy to sail away from painful moments

The fantasy to float on the lakes and soak in the sun

The fantasies continue

to sail into the sunset

to put anchor in a peaceful cove

to swim with the dolphins

to find romance under the stars

Someday I will learn to sail ... 

enjoy fresh air, spend time with those I love, 

and feel the warmth of the sun on my face.  

For peace I dream of sailing along

the ocean blue

the breeze gentle.

A glass of good wine

A disconnect from the storm of the day 

There is no sea for me to sail on

But there is Christ who calmed the seas 

Peace be still

Water and sails .... where are you headed?

Know that there is peace ... 

Lent V: Worries ... Let them go

I don't think I worry much.

But when I toss and turn at night ...

then I know I've been worrying

and I need to figure what is under the surface.

How do I handle it?

Well somedays I face the worries head on and walk through them

Other days I ignore and withdraw

Somedays I get snappy and am rude

Please join me ...

Let's put our worries in the basket

and let them float away!

Sunday Celebration

As the sun rose

On that Sunday

So did the son