Journal – Photos and thoughts on gratitude
I’ve been rather busy and frankly a bit more melancholy than usual recently, but no worries, I’m feeling so much better now. I have a tendency to be a bit of hermit and keep to myself in general, so this is nothing unusual. Please pardon me for not posting as much recently.
This morning I had an enormous sense of gratitude for all the things in my life. There are so many things to be thankful of. I sent my thanks specifically to the food that I had eaten the night before that was within me. It seemed as if I received and answer from the food as if it was a great pleasure for it to be within me as well, the gratitude felt wonderful.
There is a saying in Zen that, “The one who bows and the one who is bowed to are both by nature empty.” It is very hard to explain but deep gratitude and thankfulness seems to travel both ways and perhaps our food experiences life through our experiences.
After eating food recently at our favorite Indian restaurant I noticed a new art object nearby. I had to take this picture of it:
Art pole near the river – click for viewing full screen
I like the design but I’ve never seen an eagle looking anything like that perched on a pole. Sometimes around here you see cormorants spreading their wings on top of poles to dry them out, but the wings are bent a little and droopy. I haven’t observed eagles that much though, so who knows…
Maybe, just maybe, the eagle is supposed to be in flight, swooping straight upwards at high velocity. Or maybe this is a depiction of the bird in flight that is somehow oriented vertically using artistic license. (One would think the birds head should be oriented in the direction of travel then.) Or perhaps the birds wings have stiffened from rigor mortis or the corn starch used in taxidermy… LOL, just kidding, I’m really not trying to be an art critic and mean no disrespect towards any symbols where the pose originated.
The fish on the pole are really well done. The way the patterns are on them make me think the fish has eggs inside:
Art pole base showing salmon – click for viewing full screen
I’m not sure who did the art and was kind of in a hurry and didn’t look for details, but I think it is really wonderful that the city had it done and put it in the pubic area for viewing.
This morning I enjoyed looking out at the rock roses growing outside the window. This time of year they open up when the sun hits them and stay blooming a really long time. There are so many flowers it looks very nice:
Rock roses – click for viewing full screen
Another view of the petunias with the rock roses in the background:
Petunias in hanging basket – click for viewing full screen
Here’s and update on the potatoes. I need to keep adding more soil until I get these bags filled up. The plants are growing out the top and seem to be doing better this year.
I have another five bags of potatoes like these started in the backyard too. I think it is going be really easy to harvest them in the fall. I might even get some new potatoes soon.
Potatoes growing in bags – click for viewing full screen
Additionally, the corn, carrots and beans are coming along nicely. The lettuce is not growing as well as it did last year, maybe it needs some better soil or something. The raspberries are green but may soon turn red for a first crop, the blackberries and in full bloom and looking really good. Asparagus is doing fine and might be ready for a first harvest next year.
Thanks for reading! I always value your support and comments. The pictures were taken by me with my Galaxy S9+ with some modifications done in the digital darkroom using GIMP and Google Photos.
Welcome back mr @lightsplasher, i wait for your new post about 10 days, i understand you are very busy, very comfortable clean and beautiful park with awesome flowers, thank you very much for your sharing to us, success always for you, i have resteem your post to more than 2600 my follower, thank you very much for your attention and support to me
Success always for you as well, thank you for resteeming to all your followers. The park is wonderful to see, there is a farmers market there too during part of the year. The wall you see in the back of the picture is for flood control when the river runs high.
Thank you very much for your explain, as a minnow i hope you always support me, thank for your kind
hi my brother @lightsplasher how are you now i always hope you are healthy and more successful, oh yeah now you do not like my phothography anymore or brother busy finishing his work. but I've tried doing the best phothography so you're happy to see it, but if you do not see it I'll feel sad, I've made
wow, what message do they want to convey to us?
I don't know but perhaps a gratitude for the salmon and eagle which have been such a part of the history of this area. The last few years there have been very few salmon in the river here. There used to be so many that it supported a cannery employing a thousand workers. Perhaps the modern totem pole should have the domesticated cow and chicken on it as they have become the dominate life forms. :D
sorry my brother is a bit late honestly I feel happy if my brother is okay to like that my hope, and I believe that brother is a bit busy akir-end of this, but very beautiful the photo with a pretty good design, whether the picture is all composed in front of the restaurant which you eat,all the phothography looks beautiful brothers and very clear pictures of it, hope you stay healthy and the spirit of gardening and hopefully be the big rich
the white flower also looks very nice my brother @lightsplasher, the plants in the garden it also looks very fresh, maybe his harvest will surely menyenag right,with five bags of potato plants that how the results would be satisfactory, with five bags of potato crops how the results would be satisfactory, and soon get a new seed
I hope my brothers day in a few days are very happy and smile oh yes brother @lightsplasher, i feel happy brother likes my phothography and i in post will make phothography as good as possible so brother @lightsplasher not disappointed , best wishes from brother may be a worldwide person in cryptocuriencyy and in the garden.
I'm very happy, thank you. Best wishes for you as well, your photography is very nice.
Yes brother @lightsplasher thank you, I will always to make my photography with Good, so brother @lightsplasher not disappointed when see it, and I hope you are more successful, this is my little photography brother now, if there is less just give me my brother's response @lightsplasher thank you.
I am happy to see you post.
The first impression I get from the eagle is a cross between native American and ancient Egyptian like of the time of the Pharaohs. Of course what I think I know about art would not fill up a thimble!
I will say Michigan has turned on the oven. 93 yesterday! I kid that I need to move South to escape the heat LOL
Everyone gets a touch of melancholy from time to time. I take Vitamin D to help because we dont get much sun usually. Also with the price of Steem in the toilet, that is enough to depress anyone!
It has been very pleasant temperature wise around here and cloudy in the morning with some sunshine in the afternoon. It was really hot on the other side of the Cascade mountains though where we went camping.
Thanks for the advice, vitamin D might be helpful - I take some but I think I get deficient on it around here too.
Steem is more of a long term hold for me, but it does make you depressed and worried when the market takes a downturn.
yes my @lightsplasher friend is very depressed and worried when the market decreased in price.
Hello friend @lightsplasher.
you are present like a light of life
You hide behind the beautiful fingers,
with swiftly grasping is inseparable
Awesome photography @lightslasher.
that white flower looks so beautiful . i like them a lot . so thanks for sharing to us.
Thanks! Yes they are very nice to look at, the neighbors were just commenting today about them.
Haha . great
@lightsplasher how are you, always in good company, i always wait every post you @lightsplasher because i am very impressed with you, if you do not feel lonely in stemian, this is my comment tonight do not forget to come to my blog
I'm doing very nice tonight, thank you. It looks like it is going to be a very fun weekend.
this was a fun weekend for me @lightsplasher
thank you @lightsplasher you have posted again.
thanks also for your support to me and other steemians,
certainly become a pride for me.
title of your article is "Journal - Photos and thoughts on gratitude." very beyond can, touch and contain high spiritual meaning.
on the other hand I feel miss returning to the village by looking at photos of vegetables that you post very stunning.
in my opinion, the eagle represents courage, therefore many countries use it as a symbol.
this artist may imagine that the eagle is always at its peak.
the fish may have something to do with their culture.
once again thanks for your high quality articles.
regards @longberry.
Thank you for your support as well. There are so many wonderful people here on Steemit, I find it very fun to interact and hear all the different points of view.
That is an amazing piece of art, a very modern take on the totem pole. I love to see art evolve. A story is told in its progression. Let me try ... the salmon returns to home to spawn, provides the scaffolding for the earth and retires to become one with the sky. How did I do ...
Loved your garden pics and very glad you are feeling better. I find when the lows hit, it is good to get outside and interact with the intention of lifting the spirits of others. Your spirit will lift by default:):):)
Sending you light and love, Lightsplasher:)
Very good advice and wonderful interpretation of the modern totem pole. The salmon gives life to the eagle. Kind of freely after the eggs have been laid and it is time to go. (I've often thought it would be nice to have a Tibetan sky-burial when it is my time to go - becoming condor food down in CA maybe.)
Best wishes, sending you light and love too. :)
Welcome back, @lightsplasher. I'm a bit of a hermit, too, with tendencies towards melancholy... so I understand. This is compounded by a kind of mid-life existential crisis that has me questioning if being on Steemit is the best use of my time as a writer (due to diminishing returns, spammy comments and the sense one is speaking into the void, at times).
All the more reason, that I appreciate your reminder to be grateful, for the small and big things, alike (because, in a sense, they are one...)
Since, I've been fasting the month of Ramadan, I feel a heightened awareness towards food; I really savor the taste after breaking my fast.
Also, the gifts we take for granted, like good health, the love we have in our lives, the natural world.
Looking forward to Washington DC, within the next week or so, to tend to our summer garden, there.
Namaste, Yahia
Well hopefully time spent on Steemit will be productive in the long run, although there are more lucrative ways of generating a passive income. I have no complaints really with everything that has happened for me. I've found that just trying to make a living with writing, graphics or any client service work can be tough though. Even independent software development has its drawbacks. I feel like I have been very blessed and have found a way that fits with my personality and provides me the time I like for introspection and contemplation.
Thank you feels like a wonderful prayer in your body. Namaste.
Yes, I realize it's unbecoming to complain... As you say, making a living as a freelance writer, alone, is not exactly easy, either. One might be paid hundreds for an article or one might be paid nothing, in the case of literary magazines, other than exposure.
'Time for introspection and contemplation' is, ultimately, invaluable and that is why we are, in fact, lucky to by here.
Stay blessed and I wish you a pleasant and restorative weekend
_/|\_