Guessing Game Time!

Guess what this is.

Did you guess? Here's the explanation: I made a corkscrew of a pipe cleaner that was sitting around the living room floor on Christmas morning amongst our unwrapping of the gifts. Why? Because I saw this patch of light and thought what a great shadow that would be of the curly-q pipe cleaner. So, I set down the pipe cleaner to stage my shot (I normally do not stage my shadow shots, just for the record). Picked up the camera to shoot and at that moment, Izzy, the kitten comes close to see what it is that I set down on the floor (in case it was for him, you know). My husband and I got a good laugh out of it. You couldn't ask for a better shot! Oh, and the pipe cleaner was a 'cat toy' to begin with, so I think I've explained all there is to explain!

This next shot needs no explanation. It is said kitten in the window...

Hard to believe that this is our last Shadow Shot post for the year 2012! Where did the time go? I'm looking forward to next year's crop of Shadow Shots. I hope you all have a wonderful time ringing in the new year!

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)


Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

Fa La La La La La La La La!

Here it is-my scaled down Christmas tree. For years I have been putting up a 7' tall tree. We've reached that point in our lives where scaling back becomes something we think about more often. I will say that decorating a smaller tree like this goes so much quicker and is so much easier! The only downfall is that  I can't put up all of my favorite decorations. But, I think it's a trade-off that I can live with. Maybe next year, put up the ornaments that didn't make it on the tree this year. Why not?

The one below was taken with my cell phone camera using the fish eye lens I got from Photojojo-I got the set of three clip on lenses-one of which was a fish eye, Polarizer and kaleidoscope.  Too much fun! It works on the iPhone and the Android smart phones. 

My 'angelscapes' scene. I have more angels, but this is all that fit on the top of this unit.
Maybe next year...

We gift wrap kitties for you too! Here's Izzy 'helping' me! He also made it a point to jump in the box that was getting packed up with presents to go to Molokai. Such a rascal!

Having a kitten in the house is one of the reasons why I scaled back on the decorations. I didn't want him getting in to everything and he has a habit of eating just about anything-even if it's not food related!

Stopped by the Golden Crown Panderia the other day to pick up some biscochitos (very much so a Christmas tradition) and discovered that the fence in the parking lot had shadow shots that I needed! Sadly, it didn't take long for me to make short work of those cookies!

Wishing you all the very best this holiday season. Have a Merry Christmas (a white one for some of you-a balmy one for others). We've decked those halls, so just keep singing the 'fa la la la la' part! The world didn't come to an end (no surprise, right?) so we can all look forward to enjoying our shadow shot posts!

Mele Kalikimaka!




"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

It's Beginning to Look at Lot Like...

Were you expecting a snow scene or a Christmas tree?    : )

Maybe next week. Sorry! Such a tease....

This guy was so colorful he does look like Christmas. At least, to me he does. He lives on the wall at the entrance to my friend's home. I love it.

"Had I not seen the Sun

I could have borne the shade

But Light a newer Wilderness

My wilderness has made."

-Emily Dickinson

Mr and Mrs. 'Spadoman' (Joe and Barbara Spado)

Got to have lunch this week with Joe Spado (of the blog, Round Circle) and his wife, Barbara as they were coming through this area from Tucson on their way back to Wisconsin. It's great to meet up with our friends in cyberspace and talk about so many varied topics and life all in a matter of two hours! It speaks volumes about friendship and this is what I consider to be an excellent fringe benefit of social media. Thanks, Joe, for stopping by!

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

Greetings From My Parallell Universes

Something different today: images from what I consider to be both my homes-Moloka'i and New Mexico.


This is a beach on Moloka'i-about 2 miles long. One of these days, I'll do the entire walk. I usually don't have enough time (or energy) to walk the entire beach as it would add up to a 4 mile hike in the sand (round trip)! What you see here is just the start of the beach-my back is to the rest of it. 

A historic old church in Corrales called San Ysidro. It was a Catholic church that got retired (probably because it was too small and too 'old'). The thick walls are made of adobe and every several years, the community re-muds it. Now, it is used for fine arts and craft shows and music performances (the acoustics are perfect in there).


"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

It's All In The Details

"Lift the stone and you will find me: Cleave the wood and I am still there." ~Jesus

A leaf with these colors are long gone now as fall has been here for quite some time, with winter approaching fast (although our days of late have been sunny and unseasonably warm).

Details like what you see here is what stops me dead in my tracks. Luckily, I already had my camera in hand. Something so simple. Something so mundane. Yet, worth celebrating just as much as any auspicious occasion, I think.

Always try to remember to stop and celebrate the moment, and by all means, celebrate the mundane!

Full force!

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.


It is this sense of acuity that I fully seek and embrace and am
always in search of in many of my images.

It’s about seeing beauty, transcendence and mystery in everyday things.

Is it really December already??? Argh...too soon!

It's a Gift To Be Simple and a Gift To Be Free

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."



― W.T. Purkiser

(bread basket at The Artichoke Restaurant in Albuquerque)

I am so glad to have stumbled upon this powerful quote. It's true, isn't it? So simple, yet so true. My mother always said that, "actions speak louder than words" and I think that this is a commission that requires daily renewal.

One that I gladly accept and can only hope to do well.





"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

The Art of Relinquishing

 "When you relinquish, then you will expand."

~Zen master Dennis Genpo Merzel

So simple, yet, for most of us, so far beyond our reach! One of those, 'easier said than done' kinds of things. It goes right along with the concept of living in the moment. There is another saying I've read that holds the same principle (at least, in my eyes, it does), and that is, something to the effect that, when you empty the bowl only then can you fill it. I think it is also akin to an open heart and an open mind.

In meditation practice, our greatest challenge is to quiet that 'monkey mind' of ours. All that chatter and dialogue that is constantly going on in our heads. When you can get to that state where the mind can be still, the magic begins. That peaceful flow of energy that enters your body, mind and spirit. In that moment, it is as though your feet are firmly planted on the ground while the rest of you reaches out to infinity. All at the same time. It's hard to get there, as we tend to carry everything with us! Yet, the simple act of relinquishing, of accepting what is and expecting nothing more is what transports us there.

I truly believe that when one is successful at letting go, at relinquishing to the Universe, it is then that the harsh edges of life soften and give way to more positive, loving experiences.

Yes, I know...easier said than done!

It is our life's work.

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

The ARt of Letting Go

Sweet little birdhouses make for sweet little shadows...

Although, these birdhouses are so small, I'm not sure if any birds would come to live in it! But sweet, nonetheless.

"Blessed are the flexible for they shall 

not be bent out of shape."

                                                                                                       -Michael McGriffy, M.D.

         "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he."                       

-Proverbs 23:7

Sometimes I have a lot to say (write), but yet, I can't say it. Does that happen to you? I've had a week full of unexpected drama. No, it had nothing at all to do with the election.  Or, politics, for that matter. But, suffice it to say, sometimes there are forces that occur in one's life that seem to be dead set on knocking you off of your path. In a nutshell, without getting into the details of what it was, that is what happened to me. By path, I mean, the path that I am on in my life. I'm sure you have all dealt with something similar on one level or another. It could be an event. It could be a person. It could be a person from an event. Any of those things. And more.
But I know that the unexpected drama I've dealt with this week pales in comparison to those who are still struggling with getting back the basic things in their lives from the destruction of hurricane Sandy. Pales.
And so, whatever it was that I wrestled with is nothing but a speck. A teeny tiny Whoville kind of speck.
I like that perspective. That Whoville sized speck is not worth fretting over.
And I release my troubles to the Greater Universe who is much wiser than I. And I gain my footing once again with trust.



"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

Letting Everything Be...

"You have absolutely nothing to give up

Nothing to surrender, nothing to let go of.

You are already liberated.

How can you believe that you have to let go of

something

That never existed?

You believe that have to let go of your attachments.

How can the Self have attachments?

You think you have to surrender all of your fears,

All of your depressions,

All of the things that have been bothering you.

Surrender to whom? Those things are not yours.

They do not belong to you.

You are pure Reality. You are the Imperishable Self.

Never were you born, never did you prevail,

And never will you leave.

You are the One. The All-Prevailing One.

Consequently, you have absolutely nothing to give up.

For you had never anything to begin with."

                  ~Robert Adams

And, writer, Josh Baran goes on to comment:

"It's not about letting go of anything. It's about letting everything be."

This kitten that entered my life in late July has been teaching me how to let things be. It sounds strange to be sitting here writing about a cat, but, truly, he has taken me on an unexpected journey and an unexpected relationship. And so, everyday, I learn this lesson with this sweet young thing, this lesson of letting everything be. This daily lesson isn't one that comes very easily and I am far from being good at it. But, I do believe that I have a very good guide!

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

Shadow Lovers: Take Note!

this is perhaps my favorite shadow image that I've taken this year...

Flash back to the last day in September. Weather is perfect-not too hot, not too cold. We had a business meeting at our house and decided to have it outside in our patio since serenity reigned supreme there. There reaches a  point in time as the day shifts from afternoon to evening where the sunlight is at eye level and for some brief moments in time, it becomes a 'ducking' game to keep the sun out of your eyes. But, it also makes for unusually exaggerated shadows. I looked down at my notebook and saw the most glorious image! Without offering any explanation as to what I was doing, out comes the ever handy cell phone and I take a picture of what I'm sure the others thought was just my notebook.
Ha!

I'm sure you all know that if the ones around you don't share your passion for being a shadow sleuth, there's no point in offering explanations. As for my husband, it is 'normal' behavior for me. The woman behind the camera. A snippet of my statement on my website states,

It is this sense of acuity that I fully seek and embrace and am

always in search of in many of my images.

It’s about seeing beauty, transcendence and mystery in everyday things.

My son grew up with this woman behind the camera. When he was younger, he would pose for me and not run away from the camera. When he hit his pre-teen years and beyond, it became, 'oh, mom' or not even that, but just that look. I happens to many of us parents-the children reach a point where they no longer want that level of 'paparazzi' in their life.

This Saturday, the 27th of Oct., our son turns 21 years old. It is so hard to believe that he has reached that milestone. It still seems like yesterday when my husband and my son filled the house with their rough housing and shenanigans. We are both very pleased and proud of what our son has grown up to be. I spent the last few days compiling a short video to commemorate his 21st birthday with. Yes, it's on You Tube for public viewing. And, I will share it with you all here:





"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

Dance of the Shadows

"Three Coins In A Fountain". No, make that, "A Dancing Shadow On An Exercise Ball".

Drats. That still doesn't roll off the tongue, does it?

Something a wee bit different today for you shadow sleuths. A moving shadow.



We are still enjoying incredibly gorgeous fall weather here-and I must say the light is at it's best this time of year. But I know that soon, all too soon, it will surrender to the cold and bareness of winter. In the meantime, I am relishing every single moment as though I were a theif!

What I especially miss during the winter is the lovely babbling sound of the fountain in our patio. It centers me, soothes me, calls to me. As I stepped out there the other day to fire up the gas grill, the light was at its peak. My green exercise ball had become a brilliant backdrop for a dancing shadow cast by the water in the fountain. Too good to miss, I did the usual dash into the house to retrieve my camera since I've learned too many times to count that light like this does not wait for you to be ready. You must act now! Instead of taking the still shots, I opted to record it on video-the still shot would not have translated it at all. No fancy edting with this one-just the shadow, that's all.

And, for this crowd, that is enough.

"Closer is He than breathing and nearer than hands and feet."  -Alfred, Lord Tennyson


"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)


Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

Carpe Diem!

Seize the day! I couldn't resist the play on words. Carp. Carpe. Tomato. 'Tomahto'. Potato. 'Potahtoe'. Yes, I know I am being absolutely silly. Oh, let's call the whole thing off!

Ala Moana Shopping Center in Honolulu has beautiful pools like this running lengthwise down the mall (it is an outdoor mall). Immaculately kept and landscaped to please the senses. The carp at Ala Moana is much like a mascot. They have been there as long as I can remember and have seen the mall grow to an internationally recognized shopping center.

Grapes leaves in my back yard earlier in the summer season. Perfect for collecting water droplets until the hot sun evaporates it all. Which doesn't take long in our dry climate here. Take a closer look at the image-you can see how some of the droplets magnify the surface detail that it rests on.

Ah, yes! I love the little details that life offers such as these.

Photographer, Philippe L. Gross (author of The Tao of Photography) wrote of his early experiences in photography: "One day I had a shocking experience. Someone who had taken a picture of a door won the first prize in a photography contest. I could not believe that such a common subject could be judged worthy of a prize. Of course, that was before I tried to photograph a door. I had no idea how difficult it would be to construct an image that would make an ordinary door interesting. The incident provoked me to pay closer attention to the ordinary. Over time, I began to appreciate, in photography and in my everyday life, a remark made long ago by the ancient Taoist, Lao-Tzu: "The secret of the Tao is found in the smallest detail of the ordinary day.""

And so, my celebration of the mundane and the smallest details of the ordinary day continues.

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

In Zen Meditation, There Is No Next...

Sitting in my patio the a few days ago on a beautiful fall afternoon I see this treasure right before my eyes. It most certainly added to what my definition would be of a quintessential autumnal afternoon.

Are you a 'list maker'? You know, a 'bucket list' or things that you have to get done today, this week, this month, this year.

Abbey Seixas writes, "list consciousness is a state of mind that is entirely future-oriented. With subtle but constant quality of rushing. It operates on the premise that life will happen once everything is crossed off the List...When you are in list consciousness, you are leaning into the future and completely missing the present. Practicing presence punctures the fantasy that somehow life will begin when the kids soccer season is over or when I lose ten pounds or even when I take that meditation course and learn how to be more present! Practicing presence is bringing ourselves to the recognition that life is happening right now---and it is inviting us to wake up and notice."

I will practice not leaning in to the future so much, but envelope myself in the here. In the now. There are many things that can and will distract me from that practice. All I can do is keep on putting myself back in the present when I found I've gone too far astray.

Join me in this moment. Join me in the here. Join me in the now. I invite you to share with us what this moment is-nothing elaborate. One simple sentence will do.

And with this, our practice begins...

Floating, Watery Worlds

Fall is definitely in the air-that bit of a chill in the early morning and at night. Much like that red flare shot up in the dark night sending a warning that more is on the way. Nevertheless, it is still my favorite time of year. The light during the day takes on a special quality-it is warm and golden, yet with a sharpness and clarity at the same time. Everything seems to be more in focus than usual. And I love how this golden light has a lingering quality about it.

Floating Leaf

I say to you-don't be in such a hurry all of the time. I noticed this leaf walking back to my car after finishing up my stop at Target. There was a pool of water against the curb and this leaf was floating there with some other debris. The water had enough oil floating on the surface from the asphalt, giving it a unique reflective property. I happened to like the weird shadow cast by the leaf floating in this murky stuff.

Stuff like this is easy to miss if you're always in a hurry to get from point "A" to point"B".

Pool Shadows

 I guess while I'm doing shadows in relation to water, I'll add this one to the mix too. It's the swimming pool at my brother's home. The shadow cast is from the roof line of the patio cover and the second story of the home. It really is an abstraction, isn't it?

I continue to celebrate the mundane!

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

PDC=Pretty Darned Cool!

Yep. That's what I thought it was when I took this photo. The wonderful spray art was what attracted me to begin with, but as I was clicking away,  I saw the wonderful, long and extremely exaggerated shadows cast by the rivets on this tank.

This tank sits just off the I 25 freeway just south of the La Bajada hill. Every time I drove by it, I kept saying to myself to plan on stopping on the way home to photograph it. Finally, I remembered to take the exit that I needed to to get the job done. The artwork on the tank changes out from time to time and there is a phone number that you can call to have the artist do spray art on whatever giant substrate you have handy!


"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

This Could be Anywhere...

But, it's not.

It is specifically in Santa Fe. In fact, I've probably posted several shadows from this particular location. It's not a large spot, this place where I took this photo. In fact, it's like a little patio kind of area that is part of a local shop. It is just so full of character and speaks of many years gone by. But, it gets enough sun and offers many different shadows that I am sure I am not done presenting to my fellow shadow shot comrades.

For me, it's about shadow=art=shadow.

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

Stunning Stag

Double the fun with this double shadow cast by two lights on this magnificent stag sculpture!

I also love the fact that this is an alternative (and quite an elegant and beautiful one at that) to having a stuffed animal's head on the wall-don't you?

This was in the Andaluz Hotel in Albuquerque-in what they call their business room-where you can read, connect to the wi-fi, print your boarding passes, etc. Class act, I say!

As a point of interest, it used to be a Hilton Hotel. In fact, it was the FIRST Hilton Hotel that Conrad Hilton built. He often stayed in it. I hope you read up on Conrad Hilton with the link through I've provided-he was a very interesting character and he grew up here in New Mexico. That in itself, I think is a piece of trivia that most do not know.

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.

Click here to view them.

Ainapua Shadows

Soft breezes gently

Caressing the sun's gold warmth

Lazy afternoon

Taken from the guest room at my brother's house in Honolulu where I had stayed on my trip home two weeks ago (I always stay there when I come home). It has become a steady beacon for me on each of my journeys home. Very comforting. Very familiar.


"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

Aloha Oe...

Aloha Oe in Hawaiian (in this context-it can have other meanings depending on your intention) means, "Farewell".

I've been back home in New Mexico for a week now after making the trek home to Hawaii. I consider both places to be my home. It always pulls my heartstrings heavily when I make the transition. But, I know full well, that I cannot live there (Molokai) full time. And, I DO love New Mexico.

I took this image in the backyard of my brother and sister in law's home on Oahu. It is a plumeria flower (a frangapani flower) that landed up on the top of their rain barrel. I love the contrast of colors along with shadows. Simplicity at its best, that's for sure.

Molokai from the air

Leaving Hawaii to return to the mainland last week-I made sure I sat on the side of the plane where I would be able to see my beloved island as we flew by. A mere 38 miles by 10 miles at best. That's the island of Lanai you see at the very top right hand of the picture plane.

On the flight over to Hawaii, our plane had a media screen in front of each chair and you could follow the flight path in real time. Just so you have a better idea of it's size and place in the chain of islands called, the Hawaiian islands.

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.
Click here to view them.

Scrolling Along

Photographing wrought iron shadows for "Shadow Shot Sunday 2" is quite like taking candy from a baby.

I'm always grateful that  someone took the time and expense to spend a few extra dollars to go for the fancier wrought iron with scroll work. So simple, yet so elegant and so visually pleasing!

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King)

Every week, a group of us from around the world post our shadow shots over at Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Entertain your muse and be amused by stopping by to see what others have posted! You can view all of my 2011 Shadow Shot Sunday images on my Flickr account.

Click here to view them.