Life in progress

Category Archives: Photograph


by 20 Comments

Changes

Every once in a while I find something that changes me. Often it’s a thought, an idea that will niggle its way into my consciousness and take root. Often it doesn’t last; I’m relatively sure this won’t either.

This particular change in me was brought on by my vacation. I woke up this morning at 5:40 and I decided to get up. Just me, on my own. I was tempted to go back to sleep: sleep is a rare commodity for me. But today I felt like I needed the solitude that followed me around for eleven days in Japan.

It was strange, being alone with so very many people around. An experience unique for all of its sameness – because really, aren’t we all alone? When I consider the fact that at any given moment, I am the only one who observes what I am observing from my perspective I have a profound sense of being alone in the world. When, in Japan, I took that thought one step further to realize that all the people around me have grown up and experienced the world in a foreign setting, with few of the same cultural experiences, I am taken to a new awareness altogether. I don’t believe I really lived until I had this feeling – and it’s one I truly revel in, as long as I feel safe. From what I’ve seen and how I felt, Japan has one of the safest societies on earth.

And so one of my most treasured experiences while I was there was walking countless times across the street in Shibuya, Tokyo, amidst hundreds of people crossing in every direction.

DSC00361

panoramic view of Shibuya crossing

Ah, the humanity.

Life-changing. For me.

And yet for so many it is simply life. Routine. They come out of the Hachiko exit where the famous statue resides on the DSC00343entirely indescribable side of the train station (there are two “south” entrances on different sides of the building) and they go to work, or meet a friend, or… or… whatever. I was simply wandering around this vast part of a vast world, all alone. No one I knew knew exactly where I was at that particular moment in time.

Just like when I’m having a coffee at 5:45am, all by myself in my living room.

I love it.

 


by 16 Comments

Nano Poblano- Day 24: I Call Him Ralph

I discovered this guy when I was out delivering papers. It was his hair I saw first, and then his three eyes.

CAM00501

He hasn’t much of a neck, but as I stood back I noticed that he does have two arms and a body.

CAM00500

I call him Ralph. He kinda reminds me of the abominable snowman.

 

This monstrosity is brought to you in conjunction with Mr. Captain Mark

image98

and MoMoPoMo

NaBloPoMo_1114_465x287_blogroll


by 18 Comments

Nano Poblano – Day 19: Leaving Home

I saw these tracks in the snow this morning; they seemed odd.

CAM00495

I studied them for a while before I came to a definite conclusion as to what they meant. Obviously they were made by a disgruntled squirrel, dragging his wagon behind him.

And then I saw the note.

CAM00498

I’d say that pretty much confirms it. This snow is for the birds.

This post in aid of the cause:
image98
and:
NaBloPoMo_1114_465x287_blogroll


by 16 Comments

Nano Poblano – Day 18: What to do about a Book Sale

Don’t ever let me loose at a used book sale.

CAM00467

There’s more that one bit of good news in this though. The nine books only cost me $21, and the proceeds went to the Alzheimer’s Society.

But while I was browsing the thousands of books for sale that day, I got to thinking: what if I had my book published and gave away copies at events such as the Alzheimer’s book sale? Wouldn’t that be a neat way not only to get my novel out there, but to give to a worthwhile charity at the same time? Heck, I could even sit there and sign them. But then I got to thinking – does that make the sale suddenly more about me than the cause?

What do you think? Should this even be a tough call?

image98

NaBloPoMo_1114_465x287_blogroll


by 14 Comments

Nano Poblano – Day 17: Somewhere Between

Somewhere between fall and winter there’s a stark contrast. They fight it out to the death. The clash between results in a riot – of colour.

contrast

This post brought to you in cahoots with Mr. Mark:

image98

And:

NaBloPoMo_1114_465x287_blogroll

 


by 58 Comments

Nano Poblano – Day 13: Me compared to Stephen King

My manuscript is literally bigger than The Stand! I have proof!

CAM00486

But seriously, wouldn’t you love to be able to say that about your body of work and actually mean it in more than a literal sense? Even if I’m that good, which I suspect that possibly I’m not, (ahem) there’s no chance in hell, or even Castle Rock that I can catch up to the great SK. I didn’t start early enough. In fact, by my calculations I’d have to live to be a hundred and twenty five and seven-eighths years old to write as many books as Stephen King has and will. And honestly, I can’t see myself writing much past my 120th birthday anyway.

Conclusion: I’m destined to spend the rest of my existence wheezing on his literary dust. And enjoying the Castle Rock out of his books.

Mr. Mark’s deal:

image98Blogher’s deal:

NaBloPoMo_1114_465x287_blogroll


by 17 Comments

Nano Poblano – Day 10: One of THOSE Days

3DThere are mornings when I float in a sea of imagination, of blessed inspiration, where the shadows are in 3D and I even take a picture of them in hopes that the lens will pick up on that which my feeble, caffeine-deprived brain sees as magical.

 

 

There are nights–normally attached to those same mornings–when music presents itself in the muddle of my sleep-deprived brain as truly the most penetrating thing on the planet. Those are the nights when the guitar solo at the end of Comfortably Numb can move me to tears.

And my muse can move me to sing.

Do you ever have one of those days?

 

image98

NaBloPoMo_1114_465x287_blogroll


by 27 Comments

Writer’s Quote Wednesday – As I See It

I’m trying something new today. I’m participating in my dear friend Colleen’s prompt over at Silver Threading. Her rules in “Writer’s Quote Wednesday” state that the quote can be by a famous writer or by ourselves, since we’re all writers after all. So I’ve taken the liberty of writing my own statement, as I see it. I have to say it’s a little weird quoting myself. I hope it doesn’t seem too presumptuous.

 

quote lindaghill.com

 

Here is the link to Colleen’s prompt today: http://silverthreading.com/2014/11/05/writers-quote-wednesday-silver-quotes/ Please join in!

 


by 27 Comments

Day 4 – Nano Poblano: Invasion of the Teeth Eating, Six-Legged Creatures!

My pumpkin had pointy teeth.

 

CAM00463

Then the ants came. It’s the same every year; the infestation begins the moment the pumpkin goes outside. I know, I know there are ways to prevent this: I just wait until the last minute to put them out.

What really amuses me is the large chunks of skin the ants manage to throw out. You can see them on the step… and if you look really close you can see all the ants. Most of them were sleeping. Pumpkin must be to an ant like turkey is to a human.

So I propose the name of a new band. Who needs the Smashing Pumpkins when you can watch the Slowly-Being-Eaten Rotting Infested Jack-O-Lanterns?

nanoPoblano14NaBloPoMo_1114_465x287_blogroll


by 31 Comments

Happy Hallowe’en!

My house, this morning.

spiderman!

Spiderman looks more like The Fly

chefalex

Who was that masked man?