Meditation

"Meditation is a time of quiet when the mind is free from its attachment to the hysterical ravings of a world gone mad.  It is a silence in which the spirit of God can enter us and work His divine alchemy upon us."  Marianne Williamson

Foggy Morning in Yellowstone

"To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle.  Every cubic inch of space is a miracle."  Walt Whitman (1819-1892), USA

As you have probably figured out by now, I love fog pictures, especially when the fog is above a river.  To me, it creates a magical scene which transcends me to a peaceful place, a place where I can relax and be one with nature.   I hope this image gives you a peaceful feeling and adds joy to your day.

Retirement

Living in retirement beyond the world,
Silently enjoying isolation.
I pull the rope of my door tighter
And stuff my windows with roots and ferns.
My spirit is tuned to the spring-season:
At the fall of the year there is autumn in my heart.
Thus imitating cosmic changes.
My cottage becomes a universe.

Lu Yun (265-303), China

Camp of Man

"How hard to realize that every camp of man has this glorious starry firmament for a roof! In such places, standing alone on a mountain-top, it is easy to realize that whatever special nests we make - leaves and moss like the marmots and birds, or tents or piled stone - we all dwell in a house of one room - the world with its firmament for its roof - and we are sailing the celestial spaces without leaving any track." John Muir (1838-1914) Scotland/USA

This picture was taken in Hawaii. It's part of the Waimea Canyon. It's a beautiful area with a variety of colors. There was a haze present most of the time we were in Hawaii and I should have used my polarizer to cut through the haze, but I didn't. So, if you're in a similar situation, get out your polarizer and put it on your lens. It'll give you a better picture.

The Strength of Water

"Nothing in the world is more flexible than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it."Lao Tzu (c.604 - c.53/BCE), from the Tao Te Ching, China

Have you ever tried walking across a river? My husband's a fly fisherman and, a few years ago, he decided that we needed to cross the Madison River, in Yellowstone, so we could fish & picnic on the other side. So, we both started out with our walking staffs, hoping they would tame the wild water & allow us to cross. My knuckles were white, not only from hanging onto the walking stick, but from fear as we made our way carefully across the river. There were many times when I thought I was going to fall, be rushed downstream & slammed into a large rock. Lukily, although the water was powerful, it wasn't deep, so we did make it across, but I have a very healthy respect for rushing water & hope to avoid crossing another river. I'll just fish & picnic on the "safe" side of the river.

Have you tried paddling out to catch a wave when the surf is coming in? Have you tried swimming

against the tide? Water is stronger than we are. We cannot conquer it. We may be able to channel its' strength at times but, when it comes right down to it, we have to change our actions in order to work with.

Happiness

"Mans many desires are like the small metal coins he carries about in his pocket. The more he has, the more they weight him down. " Satya Sai Baba

People often think that more possessions, such as a new iPad, a bigger house or a fancier car would make them happier. The way to happiness, however, is not in the possessions we have, but in how we lead our lives and how we make a difference in the lives of those we meet.

The Woods

"One attraction in coming to the woods to live was that I should have leisure and opportunity to see the spring come in." Henry David Thoreau


Spring is here and it looks like today is going to reflect that. I hope you'll go outside and enjoy the beautiful world that we've been given.


Have a wonderful day!

Faith

Sometimes when we can't see where we're going, we can see the clearest of all. Relying on faith can show us the way when our eyes can't.