Give me one minute…

and three seconds and I’ll gift you with what we saw on a chilly beach walk this (Monday) night.

Lens-Artists Challenge #234 – Messages

My friend Donna at Wind Kisses is debuting this week as one of the presenters of the Lens-Artists Challenge, one whose thoughtful, lyrical words complement her lovely photos. “Messages” is the challenge she’s chosen, offering us a plethora of possibilities.

Sometimes messages are simply words, words that can be humorous as in these signs I saw recently.

In the natural world, a bright color can be a message that says: “Danger. Stay away,” the same message of the apple in “Snow White”, surface beauty hiding something deadly.

The cliffside at El Morro National Monument, New Mexico is filled with over 2,000 signatures, dates, messages, and petroglyphs carved by ancestral Puebloans, Spanish, and American travelers, allmessages from the past. I visited on a chilly fall day, almost the only person to immerse myself in the carved autographs of the past. It was magical, both historically and in the physical beauty of the park.

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive. ~Eleonora Duse

The passage of dawn to dusk reminds us to make good use of our time but also to enjoy the beauty along the way. This beauty is one that animates part of my life, a part that brings joy, wonder, a deep thankfulness for God’s goodness and creation.

Messages are often personal. Do these footprints say we’re not alone, that everyone needs someone beside him/her, or something else altogether? The answer is an emphatic “YES.” 🙂

Life can get overwhelming, wearing us down to the bone. Is that the message? Nah! I don’t think so. I think the message is just relax and laugh!

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. ~Rabindranath Tagore

What’s the message here? Pure and simple: lovin’ my grandson!

I do sunsets too.

While it’s true I tend to be a morning person, I’m sometimes on the balcony at our daughter’s apartment at just the right time for sunset. Although the one the night before was better, this one wasn’t too shabby. In both instances however, the company trumped everything.

Orange sunset in Arizona

Heading home from my parents’ house and no, I wasn’t driving.

for Life in Colour: orange

Road trip purple

Hurrah! It’s time for another road trip. Today I’m starting the 27 hours of driving time to go from our house to that of friends back in Naperville, where I’ll spend a week and a half visiting people and places. Thankfully the gas shortages aren’t in the area through which I’ll be traveling. Since it’s a travel day, here’s a photo from a trip going the opposite direction on a night I stopped in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the sunset view from my room.

As usual when I’m traveling, I’ll respond to comments but probably won’t be doing much online visiting. I might even update you periodically and who knows, I might come across some purples along the way. 🙂

for Life in Colour: purple

There’s nothing like a beach sunset.

for Squares: bright, Six Word Saturday, and Life in Colour: pink

Although I’m on the other side of the US from where this photo was taken, I might be seeing a beach sunset tonight. For Saturday, San Diego is on the agenda.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #138 – Natural Light

“Natural light” is this week’s theme, one that’s right up my camera lens. I’m enthralled by light. As a morning person who feels that if I didn’t get walking before sunrise I’m running late, I have lots of sunrise photos…so I’m going to avoid those. Those of you who follow me have seen lots of them in various posts. Let’s go with something different, something smaller than grand vistas, which have already been done beautifully by our hostesses.

I’ve shared this photo before, but it’s one of my favorites for showcasing natural light.

“May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Light in Descanso Gardens, California.

“O, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth.”
― Roman Payne

Light on milkweed pod.

“We went down into the silent garden. Dawn is the time when nothing breathes, the hour of silence. Everything is transfixed, only the light moves.”
― Leonora Carrington

Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, Gilbert, Arizona

“My first memory is of light — the brightness of light — light all around.”
― Georgia O’Keefe

Since I held off on sunrises, let’s grab a Wyoming sunset to close.

Costa Rican sunset

One Christmas some years ago, I opened a card from our older daughter that said “Good for one week in Costa Rica.” I thought it was a joke. A year later, after one aborted attempt due to a cancelled flight, we spent five wonderful days near the Manuel Antonio rain forest. On the way back from a day-long cruise where we saw whales, ate and drank well, and went scuba diving, we were treated to this glorious sunset.

for Life in Colour: yellow

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #136: Subjects Starting with the Letter–S

I didn’t have to look far for today’s Lens-Artists challenge, although I did have to virtually beam my self back to a summer in Wyoming, something I always enjoy. Here are my the “S” images for this week and I hope each of you is having a Super Saturday. 😉 Silly me.

So sleepy…

Soft and silent…

Stupendous sunset…

Travel photo 2

Su from Zimmerbitch nominated me to participate in this challenge. One photo, no explanation needed. One nomination: Tish from Writer on the Edge. “Requirements”: Post one travel photo each day for ten days, no explanation needed. Or as many days as you feel like. If you participate, pingback to my post. Nominate others if desired; repeat as desired. Enjoy.