Small pleasures . . .

"Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing."
-- Camille Pissarro

That's the beauty of being an artist. We see things slightly differently.

So when I noticed these condensation bubbles on the inside of a water bottle, I fell in love. Look at the different sizes of bubbles. Look at the patterns they make as they follow the bottle's contours. And how the backlighting creates a lovely warm glow.

What's not to love here?

We are so blessed to notice things like this.

Copyright ©2020 Carol Leigh

Focus . . .

Time moves on. You become more aware of mortality -- your own and others'. You begin seeing a larger picture. Beauty is easier to find. You have done so much in your life, and you want to do so much more. But your body begins betraying you just when loved ones need you to be strong. It's tougher to carry a tripod, heavy camera, and a long lens. Everything takes just a little more effort.

So it's often hard to focus. And when you DO focus, it's in shorter bursts because it's tougher to stand at a work table for any length of time, and it's tough to sit as well.

But obviously it's easier to whine! And feel sorry for yourself, as though you're the only one going through this.

So I focus on "small pleasures." The little things I notice and enjoy. The way the cottontail rabbit comes running up when I'm putting out seed for the birds. The sounds of owls hooting back and forth and being able to tell who is hoooooooo. The way the person I'm eavesdropping on talks about landing in the "sticker bushes." Sticker bushes? I love how that sounds! And who ever actually says "sticker bushes?"

And this quote, "Procrastination is totally a good thing. You always have something to do tomorrow, plus you have nothing to do today." Author unknown. Wish I'd written it.

So instead of focusing on what might be considered negative in my life, I am attempting to focus on what is positive. The camera/tripod/lens combo might be heavy, but how lucky am I that I can still maneuver it? Just the fact that I have the talent to create interesting photos of everyday things is a gift. That I have a plethora of art ideas; all I need to do is act on one of them! To focus!

And I'm so lucky to have a spouse who loves me unequivocally and enhances my life so much. I need to focus more on that.

Image ©2020 Carol Leigh

Little details

Small details found in the town of Edison, Washington. I liked the unusual shape of the "NO TRESPASSING" sign, and the fact that the scene was in shade really enhanced the original pale blue color.

The heart on weathered wood, however, was in bright sunlight, creating a feeling of depth and dimension.

I love finding little things such as these. And, as usual: small pleasures.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Small pleasures

I’d been photographing fishing nets, and as I walked back to the car, I noticed something different in the dark grey gravel alongside the parking lot. A light grey rounded form really stood out. What the . . .?

I picked it up. Heavy. Really heavy. Nicely rounded, a smooth, worn surface. How cool is THIS? Adrenaline rush. I looked some more. It was like an Easter egg hunt! I brought these five “mystery rocks” home with me. (I mean, wouldn’t YOU have?)

But what were they? Each had a hole on the bottom, and one had a hole and a rusty bolt. So, obviously they had been attached to something. But what? I’m thinking the metal must have something to do with fishing, that it probably wasn’t lead. What about zinc? I’ve seen hunks of shiny zinc attached to crab pots in Oregon. They’re there to prevent electrolysis, to prevent the metal in the crab pots from corroding. But they’re not round like these.

I determined that my “zinc balls” were worn, weathered, eroded, discarded zinc “anodes.” They begin their life as a thick (thicker than a hockey puck) chunk of zinc and gradually wear way down until they’re discarded and a new one is attached.

Mystery solved, but oh, don’t they look great gathered together like this, sitting on top of some very dark and very old Japanese papers?

Small pleasures.


All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Small pleasures . . .

This is the first time in 13 years that we haven't had to tie down the BBQ so the wind wouldn't blow it off the deck!