Aspirations

"Your aspirations are your possibilities." Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), England

Read this quote, decide what you want to do and then soar like this goose to get it done.

Tomorrow is not Promised

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning,
in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning
that sometimes there isn't "anymore".

No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together,
no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute."

Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away,
never to return before we can say good-bye, say "I love you."

So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and
heal it when it's sick.

This is true for marriage..... and children with bad report cards, aging parents
and grandparents, dogs with bad hips, and old cars.
We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away
or a sister-in-law after divorce.
There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special.
And so, we keep them close!

Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?

Let every one of your friends and family members know you love them.
Even if you think they don't love you back.

Live today, because tomorrow is not promised.

The Magic of Light

Sometimes it's difficult to believe how much difference a little light makes.  When I was photographing these geese, there was just a fraction of a second when they were in the magic glow of the sun.  As you

can see, the two geese on top had not reached that point yet.  A fraction of a second later the other geese were black too.   Just in case you're wondering, this picture was not altered using PhotoShop or any other photo software.  It's just the way it was.  Mother Nature did it all by herself.   :-)

Swans in the Fog

3

2

1

You can do all kinds of things with the help of PhotoShop or other editting software programs.   This picture was taken on a very foggy morning.  There was so much fog, in fact, that you could barely see the trees.  I love foggy pictures, so I just started shooting, knowing that I could make the necessary adjustments when I got home.

Picture #1 is a copy of the original file, with some minor adjustments done in Camera Raw, such as bringing up the brightness, fill light, clarity and adjusting the blacks just a little. 

Picture #2 was altered in PhotoShop using curves & levels to brighten the overall scene and to bring out the whiteness of the swans.

Picture #3  is Picture #2 with the NIK graduated fog filter applied to it.  I softened the effect to the point where I liked it and then saved the photo.

My oldest grandson likes picture #3 best, because he likes the soft, graduated effect of the fog.  I think I agree with him.  Which do you like best?

Swans in the Fog

I did some different processing on this swans in the fog photo to make it look like it was taken at night and illuminated with a spotlight.  I have fun trying different things. Hope you enjoy it.

Yellowstone Traffic Jam

Yes, they even have traffic jams in Yellowstone.  They're usually caused by bison who think they have a right to walk down the middle of the street.  Since we're invading their space, I think they're probably right & that we just have to wait until they decide to move.  It does slow things down, though, because you really don't want to pass them.  They can be onery and are apt to ram your vehicle if you get too close. 

If you want to see Yellowstone up close and personal, join one of my workshops this year.  We'll have a great time.  Send me a message if you're interested.  :-)