Santuary

The wintry weather seems to be in full force here in Central New York State. Tonight we are getting sleet and freezing rain mixed in with snow. And the wind is just howling outside, too. This lovely mixture is falling on our enoromous snow banks.

So, I am trying to think about more pleasant thoughts. I am posting this photo because of all of the soothing green hues. I took this photo last spring at my favorite local nature perserve. It is called Root Glen and it is located on the Hamilton College campus in Clinton, New York.

I like to visit the area with my camera in hand. (Many local photographers go there, too.) There are many trails for hiking. There are benches thoughout the area, too. Birds sing and streams babble and meander. You can just be alone with your thoughts and it is such a peaceful place.

This is another one of my special places to just sit and think. Do you have such a favorite place?

My Retreat~Perkins Cove

The winter weather woes continue here in Central New York State. We are suppose to get freezing rain and sleet tomorrow night. I hope and pray that the weather report is wrong and that we are spared from this next round of wintry weather.

I am weary from all of this wintry mess. So, I try to cope with the situation by imaging one of my favorite places to visit. Perkins Cove, Maine is one of my special places. This quaint fishing village is located along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean (southern Maine seacoast.) Visitors can see the fishermen coming back with their lobsters and other treasures from the ocean. Sightseers can go to the Cove and take boat rides or participate in deep sea fishing. The Cove also boasts delightful shops and art galleries.

Of course, I love to visit Perkins Cove during the summertime, but it is still an enchanted place during the winter, too. I took the photo "Winter at The Cove" last winter. The sun was just beginning to sink below the horizon when I took this photo. Sunset came early on this winter day along the Maine seacoast, but there was still a warm glow to the sunlight.

So, when the winter days here seem endless, I imagine being here at my special place. I can hear the rhythm of the waves,the smell the salt water and feel the sea breeze through my hair.
"Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think." ~ Robert Henri

Wildflower

I have heard some songs lately that have cheered me up during these snowy and blustery days. One of these songs is "Wildflower" by Skylark. (I really like some of the songs from the 1970's!) I can related to the lyrics. Here are some of the lyrics as well as a link to the Midi song version:

"Wildflower"~ by Skylark (1972)

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/wildflower.htm

She's faced the hardest times you could imagine
And many times her eyes fought back the tears
And when her youthful world was about to fall in
Each time her slender shoulders bore the weight of all her fears
And a sorrow no one hears still rings in midnight silence in her ears

Let her cry, for she's a lady

Let her dream, for she's a child

Let the rain fall down upon her

She's a free and gentle flower growing wild

Sometimes I want to be just like a free and gentle wildflower. (I took the wildflower photo last spring at my favorite nature park.) I would like to use the creative side of my personality more instead of worrying about little things in life so much. I want to stop and experience the beauty of nature during every season. And I want to learn about my life by thinking about the symbol of the wildflower growing in the spring.

Be At Peace

I often find it difficult to relax after a long day. My brain continues to race with thoughts and worries. Unfortunately, I seem to have very long lists in my mind at the end some trying days: work concerns, family obligations, weather-related woes, and lack of time to spend with friends.

One way that I use to slow down and just be at peace is to take some time to enjoy looking at my photos. I especially like to imagaine that I am back at the place that where I took a nature-related photos. I imagine myself setting on a bench by the lake, enjoying the cool breeze as well as a beautiful sunset. I look deeper into the lake and appreciate its mirror-like qualities. My breathing slows down and my mind stops racing. Soon, I remember what is important in my life. "Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world. "~Hans Margolius

And so I am grateful that I had the opportunity to take this photo of Skaneatles Lake (see above) on a chilly day, just before the snow came again. Hopefully, I will be able to make more photos that will help me to meditate on what is really important in my life.