Halloween

Halloween is Not My Favorite Event on the Annual Calendar.  That said there are some things about it that I do like:

• the simple images - carved pumpkins, etc that are so easy to draw, cut out, etc
• candy!
• fireworks

I'm not wild about:

• kids going door to door getting candy from strangers
• scary stuff

I don't like

• the focus on evil, death, malevolent spirits

Here I am, a Christian in a secular place, uncomfortable with aspects of a celebration that I don't really believe in. 

When I was young we participated whole hog.  When my kids were young, I participated grudgingly, trying to buy them off with bags of candy, or to "out fun" Halloween by going out for dinner or to Watermania, instead.

So, what will I do this year? Turn off all the lights and curl up somewhere with a good book? Go out for dinner? Cave in and give out candy, because it is fun to see the kids?

A special Vancouver way to recycle

A special Vancouver way to recycle.  This previously useful building is being re purposed into a form of mixed material landfill, all, apparently without benefit of a building permit, as the stop work order on the door indicates:  

"Demolition to site without Demo permit" 

I wonder if the city is going to make them put it back together.  It takes such a long time to build and such a short time to destroy.

more autumn treasure

junk abstract

lane and arched plant

 a long look up a lane

I love this gently arching branch with side branches reaching upwards.


I thought that I had posted this before - last spring, but cannot seem to find it.

The muse is not a harsh mistress, but don't keep her waiting.

The muse is not a harsh mistress, but don't keep her waiting.  Some day she may be gone.

You ignore the muse to your peril.  She is a true lady, but it does not do to ignore her overtures.  Be prepared in season and out of season.  Where is the best place to take photos?  Where you are.  When is the best time to take photographs?  When you have a camera.  If inspiration hits, go with it.  See where it will lead you.  Learning to take photographs is not difficult.  The difficulty lies in learning how to see.  When the muse beckons, I think that it is because there is something worth seeing, but if we repeatedly ignore the nudgings, perhaps we will forget how to see, or else we just forget to see.  we cultivate our talents or we bury them.

night vision

Cold, rainy October nights provide us with lots of contrasts between darkness and light.  So as the daylight hours fade into night and we employ artificial light, photo opportunities abound if we have eyes to see and a camera at hand.  

Fall Colours Still Going Strong

 

I have been enjoying the long parade of coloured leaves we have been witnessing this fall.  After the deluge of last weekend and rains of this week, there were still some delightful offerings available whenever the sun came out. 

just a sampler

 Warning: pictures not thematically connected ...

Autumn Radiance