Finds in the week: Chromation by Donald Jensen

Take a moment and watch this beautiful black and white time lapse of the Pacific Northwest created by Donald Jensen. Donald said this about his inspiration and wonder for what he creates, "There is something truly beautiful about the Northwest, and part of that beauty is shaped by the weather. While I love clear skies for shooting stars, I am more and more drawn to the variety of weather phenomenon in the Northwest. I have spent many mornings in awe of splendid bank of Alto Cumulous clouds. Watching lenticulars come and go has become a new favorite pass time. And, seeing a cloud bank seem to continuously pour out of (or disappear into) a void spot in the sky has been the source of many hours of wonder."
Chromation from donald jensen on Vimeo.

Happy St. Lucia Day!

Growing up my father's side of my family celebrated a version of the Scandinavian tradition of St. Lucia Day.  Ours took place on Christmas Eve because this was the time when we were all together and a way to incorporate our Swedish heritage into our gathering.  One of the girls in our family would dress up in the white gown with a red sash and wear the crown of evergreen and candles.  We would listen to the folk song about St. Lucia in Swedish as one of my cousins, or even myself, served cookies.  I love this tradition and the story of St. Lucy (check it out here).  In 1627 John Donne wrote a poem titled "A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day", my favorite part of the poem below.  Read the full poem here.

Since she enjoys her long night's festival,

Let me prepare towards her, and let me call

This hour her vigil, and her eve, since this

Both the year's, and the day's deep midnight is. 

 

 

 

Words in the Week...

An ample thought for the season...

"When I say it's you I like, I'm talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch. That deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive. Love that conquers hate, peace that rises triumphant over war, and justice that proves more powerful than greed."  ~ Fred Rogers

Small Stone #34

Christmas music plays and she reads out loud while I make lunch.
There is peace among the simple things we do.

In my notebook...

I wrote this after having spent a couple of days hunting with my husband close to Laramie Peak.  We hiked for miles and, on more than one occasion, I was able to gaze upon the panoramic views surrounding us.  It's just a small portion of our time out.

The land we move across is so different than other stretches of the western plains.  Rocks and boulders create the hills we move across.  Miles of golden grass stretch out in all four directions and a person can see all the way to Elk Mountain; a slight shift in view over to the Seminoe Mountains; 100 miles or more away.  I thought I could be looking down a map.  Only a map cannot compensate for the way the sun casts shadows and makes one hill much more prevalent or a stretch of a depression in the landscape that much more distinct.

Words in the Week...

"There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as the expectation of something better tomorrow."  ~Orison S. Marden

Small Stone #33

Snow to the Earth,
       flurries of words to grasp
       if only they would
       gather in my hand.