Proof

Proof

That I did always love,

I bring thee proof:

That till I loved

I did not love enough.

That I shall love always,

I offer thee

That love is life,

And life hath immortality.

This, dost thou doubt, sweet?

Then have I

Nothing to show

But Calvary.

-Emily Dickinson

I hold Emily Dickinson in high regard along with her poetry. Her writing is uncompromising and so very well crafted in how she puts together words. A lot of her writing is so totally over my head though; it would take me a lifetime to understand it, if ever.

These are more enchanting images from the White Sands expedition; being there for the sunrise and the sunset is overwhelming beautiful on so many levels! This is from the sunrise series.

The first image are hoof prints of an animal that I have no idea what kind of animal would make these marks in the sand. I thought it looked like a heart with a long tail. The "heart" part of the print is about 2-3 inches across. The second shadow is cast from a lovely indentation in the sand. Both images seem to befit this poem.

Hungry to see more shadow shots? Go visit Tracy's blog at Hey Harriet!

On Finding Your Dharma

"Let The Beauty That You Love Be What You Do."

-Rumi

Oh! To have the wisdom and the ability to pen as Rumi did!

In his book, "Meditations from the Mat", Rolf Gates talks about dharma in a very practical way. He explains that dharma is the recognition that each of us is born with unique gifts, and that it is our path to discover these gifts and share them with others. He says that in sharing our gifts we live most fully, perform maximal service to those around us, and empower them to live out their dharma.

How does one begin to discover what these gifts are that are unique to us? And, if you do happen to figure that part out, how do you begin to share it with others? Is there a moral obligation?

Perhaps you've never heard the word dharma before. Or, heard it but did not understand what it meant. There are several meanings to this word (trust me, I am really oversimplifying here) depending on the context. It is probably known by most as the teachings of Buddha. My reference is within the context of yoga; dharma is one of the four aims of life. Yoga is not just about stretching into pretzel like positions. It is a philosophical and spiritual path. A path to enlightenment (a journey, really).

Literally translated, it means that which upholds or supports. Now, hang onto that thought as I delve a little further.

Let's go back to our unique gifts and figuring out what that is. If you didn't have to worry about your kids, your job, money, a place to live (not insignificant things, but material ones nonetheless), what is it that makes you happy? What is it that you can totally loose yourself in? I would contend that if you are a visual artist, you've already been there many a time when creating art. So, you know what your unique gift is. It is that which defines you, not your job title at work.

There are many ways to share your gifts. Sharing your experience and process with others is one way, as Bridgette often does with her work. Many of us learn from her generous sharing. Debi's writing and imagery is another unique example of what I think dharma is. You can share by teaching. Trust me, local libraries are reaching out to their community to provide more services. I'm sure they would love to have you come in and do a two hour program for them in regards to your art. It can be as simple as a demonstration. More and more people are home schooling their children and providing an art curriculum can be a challenge. Even within the public school system, many parents recognize their child's passion for art but can't afford to enroll them in art classes. They are at the mercy of what the school district deems important. You can become a resource within your community. By sharing your gift, you empower others, and then they too can live out their dharma.

The gifts we are given is that which upholds and supports us. To deny that within ourselves is a form of self destruction.

Quoting again from Rolf Gates, he says that dharma is a gift from God inscribed upon the heart. Once we begin to recognize it, we realize that it has been with us all our lives. Dharma is what makes you you.

Thanks Rolf, for sharing your dharma!

Image posted is of the dune shadows at White Sands Desert. Want to see more shadows from others? Click here.

Sunrise at White Sands Monument

Sunrise at the White Sands Monument

7 a.m.

Die hards we are. At the park gate at 6:55 a.m. waiting for the ranger to open up shop. Eager, but patient. We quickly scouted out where we wanted to park, got out with our gear and without speaking, my friend Linda and I went our separate ways, completely absorbed and bathed in the glorious light from the morning sun. We didn't mean to split off from each other, but we were both so caught up in the raw beauty before us, that all we could do was to record these moments in time. Magical moments. Quickly unfolding before us.

Yucca Plant

At sunrise and sunset, the light changes rapidly. There is no time to think. This is indeed 'being in the moment'. I was surprised that I didn't come nose to nose with an Oryx, a resident of the White Sands desert. My husband was worried that I would indeed meet up with one of those only to be impaled by its horns; a deadly weapon. Folks have seen them wandering around with a coyote on their horns (how would they get them off once impaled?).

Gosh, doesn't it look like you could ski down this? Well, that is, if you skied. A lot of people bring their snow disks and plastic sleds. Kids have a blast here. Sliding down on your butt is fun too! I'll attest to that. Part of this desert is a National Park. Part of it is known as the White Sands Missle Range. Holloman Air Force Base is the driving economic force behind the nearby town of Alamogordo.

These undulating ripples seem to be alive, dancing across the desert, singing as they go.

Skunkbrush Sumac

And then there are these formations. Linda says they are skunkbrush sumac. On a previous trip, she photographed one of the information signs telling you about these weeds:

The big round sombrero hat is skunkbrush sumac--"When skunkbush sumac is buried by a dune, it sends many stems upward through the sand. The extensive roots produced by the buried stems hold the sand in place, creating a pedestal of gypsum where the plant will continue to grow long after the rest of the dune has moved on. The hoary Rosemary-mint , a fragrant shrub with grayish-green leaves, creates smaller pedestals.

I'll post an even more magnificent one when I do the sunset images. Makes this one look like an infant! The bowled area around it always seem to resemble a sombrero.

There are picnic areas that have these aluminum coverings that remind me of covered wagons. Kinda covered wagon, kinda like Freddie Flintstone's car. Made for great photo abstractions!

It's easy to get caught up in just looking what's directly in front of you, but when you remember to look up and into the distance, this is what you see.

Scenes like this had me totally enraptured!

Did You Know? The white sands dune field is an active dune field. The dunes move from west to east as much as thirty feet per year (from the NPS site).

Cottonwoods. There are little Cottonwood trees trying to grow here. The one that this leaf was on was barely a foot tall. The size of this leaf is about that of a silver dollar.

There is nothing simple about this kind of beauty, and yet there is. It's hard for me to put into words. It's jaw dropping. Breathtaking. Humbling. Immense. Magnificent. It's not listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but perhaps it should be the 8th.

For more info on the White Sands area:

Geology

Mammals

Reptiles