There’s not a whole lot I have to say about this image other than the icicles make the rocks look like they have fangs. The past few days have been then coldest days in a few years. Winter is on and making up for lost time 
Stay warm friends!
Tag: Conservative Artist
Bridge To Today.
It’s a new day in a new year in the Three Rivers area of Gauley Bridge West Virginia. This is my first published image of 2018. We are creatures of the moment. It’s so easy to get lost in tomorrow’s plans that we miss the moment. It wasn’t until I got serious about photography that I began to appreciate the here and now. The moment you are in is more precious than gold and its so easily lost to sands of time. Once it’s gone it’s gone and looking back means you’re going to miss the next one coming. We are constantly on the edge of a moment. We can choose to stay in one place and let the moment pass or we can step on to the bridge and become a part of the moment. It’s all about observation, action and choice.
Back in the 80s I read a book that implied that seeing through the eyes of God meant that one could stop time and observe patterns in past, present and future. While actually freezing the space-time continuum and casually making notes about the nature of the universe isn’t actually within our grasp there is a way to enhance our perception.
I call it Rippling. When you drop a pebble into a calm pool of water it produces concentric rings. The waves travel outward in a even pattern. We’re very familiar with this because of the thousands and thousands of pictures on the internet. But there’s more to the event. Those ripples don’t just go out. They also interact with the edge of the pool and other ripples. Eventually they form patterns that an active observer can read like a map. It’s said that back in the day a Polynesian sailor could lay down in the floor of his boat and find land that was out of sight just from the pattern of waves.
We know that the ripples have a source and with practice we can learn what direction they come from and the size of the event that caused the ripples the moment is identified. Once we have mapped the event it becomes part of a larger map and so on. It becomes easier to predict the next event by the previous ripples and whether or not we want to step on the bridge and become a part of the moment.
Goodbye 2017
The old year is fading away like the last few minutes of the setting sun. I’ve spent the past few days listening to talk about New Year’s superstitious. If you’re to ensure a prosperous New Year there’s a laundry list of do’s and don’ts. Does it work? Well, that depends. Ceremonies formalize intention. It helps us focus on actions and actions bring results.
I can’t tell you what your 2018 goals should be. I can’t tell you what you should leave behind in 2017. What I can tell you is that resolutions without actions are just another wish list.
I plan to spend the last day of 2017 creating a playbook for 2018. Each entry will include a goal, actions that will be needed and a blank page for adjusting the actions.
My 2018 wish for you is that your plans are actionable. 🙂
Cathedral Falls, A Natural Sanctuary
About one mile East of Gauley Bridge West Virginia is Cathedral Falls. The cascade of water is about 60 feet high and the stream that feeds the falls is call Cane Branch. The little roadside park is easy to access so I stop by often. The path to the base of the falls is left in what is best described as a natural state. If you are sure-footed it’s no big deal. I water is only ankle deep in most places and if you can avoid slippery rocks you can walk right up the stream. If you can be there in the right light it’s one of our best photo ops. The image here was taken in the Spring. The air at Cathedral Falls is highly oxygenated due to the cascade. It’s a good place to go and just quietly exist as part of God’s creation. The cascading water seems to carry away the stress and anxiety that clings to the soul after a day of making modern life work. Green ferns and moss grows everywhere in the canyon. Birds and butterflies are often present. The birds sing their songs and butterflies seem to dance to the tune.
Cathedral Falls is one of God’s special spots. I’m happy to share it with you but you should see it for yourself.
Into the dawn
Every day is a new beginning. Every moment is the opportunity to build the future. Every child of 80s knows in his or her heart that the future is so bright that we gotta wear shades. 😎 I could focus on not knowing where the road goes but I choose to focus instead on the bright day lying just beyond the fog. I’m looking for big things to happen in 2018. I hope they happen for you too.
LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 