My god it's full of stars - Cassiopeia rising

My god it's full of stars - Cassiopeia rising
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

Another year over.

In a few days the wheel will have turned and we will welcome a new year, one with the promise of better times, well we can all hope.

Until then let me catch up with the old year...

Once again the Christmas period afforded the time to ‘get away’ or should I say the time to get back, back to the land. This time Algonquin Park was our destination although it never really matters where as long as it is devoid of people and traffic noise!

Algonquin,
one of Canada’s jewels in a land of jewels.

Algonquin;
in the winter, freezing temperatures, snow, dark mornings and early nights.

Algonquin:
thousands of acres of wilderness, wildness, clear skies and silence….
Only the wind in the tree’s, the crunch of snow under foot, the twittering of hardy birds, how do they survive a Canadian winter? I digress..

So this week a story from my journal, a story of the Opeongo Road and a cold winters night...

"As darkness threatened we made our way back down to the car and dinner in Whitney.
After stuffing ourselves with pan fried pickerel and tea it was time for stargazing and Opeongo Road beckoned. The temperature had, once again, plummeted to –18c as we made our way to the chosen area, by the bridge.

As my eyes became accustomed to the night my first thought, apart from ‘damn its cold’ was ‘my god it’s full of stars’ a line from 2001 a Space Odyssey. Despite the full moon, Jupiter and several constellations were easily visible. We spent about an hour freezing our butts off and photographing the heavens.

Then it was back to the Inn and a warm bed"..


And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs
And as silently steal away.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Day Is Done

Winter Jewels II

Winter Jewels II
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy


Recently I was told I see things differently.

When I walk, sit or drive (yes, drive) my head is on a swivel, I am constantly observing the world around me looking for shapes, lines and textures in my surroundings.
I see wondrous things everywhere and take great pleasure in the seeing.

That’s why I am a photographer

A photographer sees things differently. No it’s not just me, every great photographer I know either has this ‘gift’ or has learned it by observing others and what we have in common is we all take delight in the seeing and we try to capture what we see so that others may see it also.

Many, many others never do, the world at large goes about their business with hooded eyes. They never really see, or worse they never try to and I find that sad.

This world of ours is a wondrous place, every child knows that, until they grow and unfortunately the magic disappears.
For some it never does, for some it comes back but for the vast majority, as they become adults. The child in them that used to see wonder all around is stifled.

Take the impending Christmas season for instance watch the children as they get more and more excited as the big day arrives. I know it’s supposed to be a religious holiday but try telling a kid that!

We should all see through the eyes of a child we should all be so lucky

To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and heart of the child. The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Forest Floor

Forest Floor
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

It feels like weeks since I have been out for a relaxing walk in the woods.

This last weekend I visited Sliver Creek Conservation Area / Scotsdale Farm. I have been there once before on a very cold windy day almost a year ago. This trip was in response to a photograph by fellow photographer Patrick, a member of our local critique group.

The day started like any other photo trip with a stop at Tim’s for tea and breakfast. It was only when we hit the trails that time went into overdrive. I had my time/distance logger running on my cell phone and laughed when I realised that in the last hour we had covered 1/2 mile. Not exactly Olympic speeds.

I think the yardstick for measuring how a day out is going is measured this way, when time disappears and the distance covered is minimal.

Think about it, if you were told to stand in the same spot for 10 minutes I wager that boredom would set in pretty quickly. On the other hand stand in the same spot for 10 min while looking at the ground clutter of leaves and branches trying to understand and make sense of the myriad possibilities for a photograph and all the while thinking (and seeing) in black and white, well that 10 min goes by pretty fast.
Wash and repeat a few times and there goes an hour and you haven’t even realised that that amount of time has passed.

Three hours disappeared in the blink of an eye. Disturbing ? No, not really.
The realisation that so much time had gone by only proved just what a grand time I had been having, no cares, no worries, no thoughts of the work-a-day world crept in to disrupt my enjoyment of a perfect late fall day.

To me that is what makes for a perfect day out and I came home refreshed and revitalised with a couple of images that I can enjoy.

Yep, a good day ..

Now is the time to unite the soul and the world. Now is the time to see the sunlight dancing as one with the shadows. ~Rumi

Footnote on today's saying:

I first became aware of Rumi in the book “War and Peace: A Photographer's Journey” by Reza Deghati

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98202970

Along the Fence

Along the Fence
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

As winter approaches the landscape takes on a whole new look. Gone are the vibrant colours of the other seasons; no reds, yellows or green now just brown.
To many this time of year is depressing and they hide away until it passes and the wheel turns once again to Spring.
Not me, this is my time now, the landscape becomes a lithograph of textures, contrasts, lines, light and shadows.

'Tis the season for Black and White photography ! :-)

I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show. ~Andrew Wyeth

Denver

Denver
 
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy
Denver 1997 - 2012

Yesterday was one of the worst days of my life, yesterday I had to say goodbye to an old friend.
To many, just a dog, to us a beloved family member.
Denver died peacefully at noon at the Hwy 24 veterinary Clinic with his pack around him.

Now it is left for me to be the person he thought I was ....

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.
For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.
No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.
They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.
For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.
The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.