Category: Photos

Thoughtful Thursday – Changing Views

My view last evening

Tomorrow marks one year since we arrived at our new home. It seems so different and yet, it seems at times that I’ve never lived anywhere else. I have settled in to this new life quickly, oh so quickly. Yesterday I posted a picture of a huge Jill-o-lantern from Osaka, Japan and I began reflecting on how many different October views I’ve had over the years. I’ve spent a good many of them overseas for both business and pleasure and the balance have mostly involved significant amounts of domestic travel. It seems odd to not be moving somewhere at this time of year and yet I find I have no real desire to journey beyond my little town, my gated courtyard, or my front door for that matter. I don’t know, maybe my traveling days are done, then again, maybe not. Sometimes when the leaves turn red and the breeze is still warm, I dream of Hobbiton, of Mt. Kurama, of the Yangtze River and Shanghai Hairy Crab … shudder. That’s a tale for another day.

Til next time remember ~Fall is nature’s way of reminding us how beautiful it is to let go ~JP

Whatever Wednesday – Blessed Dia de Los Muertos

Beautiful Jill-o-lantern in Osaka, Japan

Dia De Los Muertos was passed today with shopping, good food and time spent perusing old photographs of our ancestors. Hope your day was wonderful too.

This post inspired by Marsha’s PPAC # 69

Til next time ~ Blessing ~JP

Walkabout Wednesday – Through the Glass

Terri has given us a Sunday Stills prompt this week of “glass.” Glass, now there’s an interesting photographic challenge. Let’s dash about the archives shall we.

Thin(ish) layers of glass are all that separate me from the sky. Looking out at Hawaii on approach at Lihue.

And, of course always reflections in a looking glass. Here at Larnach Castle, Dunedin, NZ

And, china is kind of a glass, here serving up my favorite beverage in my favorite shop in Kyoto, Japan

And then there’s stained glass. This rescued piece on display in the Wellington Museum, Wellington, NZ

And, finally, no reflection on glass would be complete without a classic by Peggy Lee, one of my all-time favorite voices.

Empty Glass

Close the door and pull the blinds
Fill your glass, but don’t fill mine
Here’s to you now for the last time
Here’s to me your sometime past time
Here’s to love, an empty glass

Feeling low, but it will pass
With some coffee, demitasse
Black and strong and very bitter
I can think of nothing fitter
For a lover, second class

Deep inside I guess I knew
You were too good to be true
Still it rocked me to discover
You would kiss and run for cover
When I started loving you

Nothing could have made it last
Say goodbye and say it fast
Here’s to you now for the last time
Here’s to me your sometime past time
Here’s to love, an empty glass

Songwriters: Luiz Bonfa & Dick Manning

~ all lyrics are the product of my memory. Any discrepancies or divergences from actual fact should not be viewed as errors but as all natural variations proving that I did, in fact, live through the 60’s.

Til next time ~Here’s to the no-longer empty glass ~JP

Tuesday Flower of the Day – I just can’t get enough

Nanzen-ji

I just can’t get enough fall leaves. Until recently, I spent most of my Autumns overseas. China, Taiwan, Japan, Hawaii, you get the gist but no matter where we went, I always found my beloved Autumn leaves. Here the view from behind one of the temple buildings at Nanzen-ji, Kyoto Japan.

This post inspired by Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Til next time ~Think orangy thoughts ~JP

Walkabout Wednesday – A Day Without a Night

“As long as there is day and night. But three days hence, in Aquila, there will be a day without a night and a night without a day.” ~Imperius from the movie “Ladyhawke”

Our Sunday Stills prompt this week is “fleeting moments” and while I could certainly wax rhapsodic about the fleeting moments of life or love, I thought instead I’d take you on a walkabout through the photo archives of solar eclipses.

Here’s a shot from the 2017 total solar eclipse. The partially blocked sunlight creates interesting shadow patterns through the leaves. I was recovering from knee replacement and this was the best shot I got of the historic event ;-p

2012 solar eclipse – Southern Utah

A similar phenomenon from the 2012 annular eclipse. Annular eclipses are similar to total eclipses but leave a “ring of fire” as the moon passes in front of the sun.

2012 solar eclipse twilight

You can just make out the nose of that AWESOME Minnie Winnie as the light begins to fade to darkness. A day without a night.

2012 solar eclipse

and a night without a day, as the moon covers more and more of the sun’s light.

The next annular solar eclipse visible over the U.S. is due October 14, 2023, until then something to ponder “Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?” ~Neil Gaiman

Til next time ~Stay trippy hippies ~JP