Nature

Back at it…

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It was my first day back at work after a month of vacation. It wasn’t so bad, there were some good things and some not so good things that happened while I was gone, but nothing out of the ordinary. Manageable.

I meant to do more live blogging from the trip but it was very hard. We were running all day and at night I was so tired it was hard to put two thoughts together. A coherent blog post? Not in the cards, not in the stars, not in my brain.

I got a suntan, spent time with great friends, ate some delicious food, and took a couple thousand pictures. Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing these with you as I look back on my trip. I hope you’ll stop back and see the photos.

For now, I am going to leave you with one of my favorite pictures from the whole trip. It isn’t of a famous landmark, work of art, or anything much. I just thought it was lovely when I saw it for the first time. I hope you do too.

Field of wheat - Vendee, France

Field of wheat – Vendee, France

 

P.S. My Dad came through his surgery beautifully and is recovering by leaps and bounds.

Challenge on Photography Day 7

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Nature Photography Challenge Day 7Wild Cyclamen

Another photo from Greece–this one from Ancient Mycenae. In the ruins of a 2500 year old fortress perched on a mountain peak are these sweet little cyclamen growing up between the stones. They were so unlike the rest of the place–fresh, light, and verdant, and not at all what one would expect to grow in the scorching heat. They felt like a promise to me–that while humans will build up and tear down, nature will always be there to renew and refresh what has been destroyed.

Challenge on Photography Day 6

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Nature Photograpy Challenge Day 6Olive tree

One of our favorite places in the world to go is Greece. Kosta and I have been twice as a couple and are looking forward to our next trip. This close up of a cluster of olives is indicative of how I remember the place: bright, hot, and beautiful. There is a quality to the light there like I have never experienced anywhere else in the world.  This particular tree is in the tiny town of Kardimyli on the Aegean of the Peloponnese. Looking at this photo I can feel the hot sun, smell the wild rosemary growing at my feet and hear the rustle of the breeze through the silvery leaves.

Challenge on Photography Day 5

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Nature Photograpy Challenge Day 5

White Sands National MonumentIn 2007 Kosta and I went on a camping trip in the Southwest US. We mainly hit New Mexico and Colorado. This stunning place is White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. We spent an amazing afternoon there. The sand, which is made from gypsum, is soft as sugar and reflects the heat so you can walk barefoot in the scorching August heat. The sand dunes stretch on for miles and you can see lots of animal tracks trotting off into the distance. Almost a lunar landscape, we had the feeling of being in another world.

Challenge on Photography Day 1

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I was nominated by my dear friend Danielle to post seven Geology/Nature photos in seven days. I do love taking pictures and gladly accept the challenge.monarch on leaf

This butterfly was captured at the Naples Botanical Gardens back in 2008. This is a really lovely place to visit… they have all types of gardens to wander through. At Christmas they put up lots of lights and have evening visitation hours which is a beautiful and fun experience.