convey a feeling
It's New Year's Eve and I am in my jammies, wrapped in a blanket listening to Levi and Peter play Minecraft together and hoping they don't overdo it on the junk I bought them at Bulk Barn...certainly not the New Years of the past but a pleasant one nonetheless. Mind you, I wouldn't mind being at the party where my sister and mom are...Anne made the yummiest dessert (we had a similar one on the weekend), they will be playing games with a very fun group of people and they are also in their jammies at a lovely cottage. My dad I suppose is celebrating solo in a hotel on his way to Orlando (more likely he is getting a good night's sleep before another long drive tomorrow). When I am finished this, the final blog of the 2015 Project 52, I will return to processing my India photos...the seemingly never-ending job...so that I can finally create a slideshow to share and a photobook or two.
When I was trying to decide on a feeling to convey this week (a short week with no room for procrastination), I immediately thought of "peace." The lazy side of me figured it would be easy to find such photos and the more introspective side (not often seen in this world) realized that peaceful is truly how I feel most of the time. I am extremely fortunate to have a happy, mostly healthy family full of people I love (and I assume, love me back), great friends who add so much to my day-to-day life, a job working with children who make me smile every day (often for very surprising reasons), the opportunity to explore the world (be it on my own steam or vicariously through others) and the pleasure I have in being able to pursue my creative side with photography. I believe that all adds up to "peaceful."
The lazy side won out and I took all of the photos on Tuesday at Whitefish Island...a little oasis of peace in downtown Sault Ste. Marie. I didn't feel quite so peaceful when I got there...I had just finished shoveling the foot of snow in the driveway (before the plow went by) and the birds were nowhere to be seen, except the pigeons. But the pigeons amuse me and I had the park to myself (it was a tad chilly) so I decided to just hang out, wander around and wait for the birds to appear. The blue jay pair cooperated although they didn't come very close this time.
As always, the squirrels were stealing the bird food. This one is trying to look sweet and innocent with the snowflakes on his nose.
I really don't know why it amuses me so much but pigeons in trees make me laugh.
Although it flits and flies about at break-neck speed, the chickadee is a bird that makes me feel peaceful, particularly when one is perched on my hand. I didn't manage to photograph one feeding from my hand - see above re: lazy and also cold.
To me, the Canadian flag symbolizes, among other things, peace.
This bead hangs from my rear view mirror.
I have a similar photo for the end of last year's project. This little guy is not in focus but you get the point.
Well that ends Project 52 for 2015.
My plan for 2016 will also be called a project 52 but this time I am going without weekly assignments and my goal is to create one photograph each week that I am really proud of (or at least quite happy with). I will have a list of ideas to choose from (man, that's three phrases in a row that ended with a preposition!) including some that I have done in the past but would like to try again (smoke, the oil and water thing, street photography (should be easy in Las Vegas)...wow, I guess I have a lot of work to do tomorrow to come up with a decent list). If you have any suggestions - of ideas you have thought of or seen or of photos I have done in the past but you would like to see again - let me know soonish. As always, anyone is welcome to join me.
Happy New Year!
You can stop reading here if you like, the next paragraph has nothing to do with photography but is about something that amused me today.
I listen to CBC radio and there's a science show that I enjoy called Quirks and Quarks. For the past couple of years I have noticed that most of the scientists that are interviewed begin their responses with "So..." For example, Bob McDonald: "What is it about the Nicaraguan earthworm that made you want to study its poop?" Scientist: "So when I was nine, I had a pet worm called Herbie. He grew so big..." Today, Lake Superior State University released its annual list of words and phrases that should be banned from the English language. At the top of the list...the preposition "so" used at the beginning of a sentence. Ha! I have to admit that I have not noticed this habit in everyday people but you can guess that I'll be listening for it (not necessarily of my own free will) in the future. I always hear when people begin responses with "yeah, no" or no, yeah" (including me) since this habit was pointed out to me three years ago. Sorry in advance.
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