Just a day off

 

 It was a usual day off with   some chores to do. Actually, we had to go to the post office, which is unusually  far from home, about 30 minutes of walk. It is a very picturesque  road that goes through  a nice park with a creek. ( The creek's name is Deerlick Creek, given by settlers from Europe in 1800s, just because at those times there were deers, that would come to lick the mineral deposits along that creek . There's no deers any more, of course, though I saw one around that area once and was not sure whether it was wild or belonged to smbdy.) Usually this place is full of sounds, but today it was very quiet, almost motionless. I had my camera with me (of course!) hoping to see something interesting and ...I don't know... something wow!  I didn't see anything like that , but enjoyed the meeting with the ugliest squirrel ever,

 

though it tried very hard to earn a treat by modeling.... 

 there was a wood pecker and a hawk, and a few other things I enjoyed...

    

 

So it turned out to be a nice day, kind of connection with nature, someting I had back since I started photography, and something I missed so much after we moved to Canada...

...

Thoughts of Vivien Maier...

    I was looking through the pictures of Vivien Maier. I don't know what touches  me so much. Simplicity of her pictures? Personality? Modesty? Devotion to her hobby? It was not a very usual hobby for a woman of that time.  Or it was not just a "hobby", it was an escape from loneliness, from herself, - it's mystery, that sometimes will be solved (or tried to be solved). She will become famous, will be talked about. Is that what she really  wanted? Why didn't she develop her films? Did she plan to? How could she keep them and never see them? Was she happy with her pictures?  They say, she had a french accent. There are may be pictures taken in Paris...I think she was happy TAKING pictures, that's for sure. This part I understand. But I think I would be too curious and anxious to see the result and couldn't just let them sit in a box. Digital photography is invented for people like me, I guess. We see prints right away, even though they cannot be touched.... Omg, I just had a thought - how horrible it would be to lose ability to see....

It's a view from our window. There are 7 minutes between the shots.  What a change in colours! (No photoshop!) 

This one was taken the next day. Can anyone get tired of it if it is so different every day?

Spring. Day 2

       It should be Spring, day 2, but it is real winter out there. I guess the snow storm, that weather people were predicting all winter, finally reached Toronto. Great. Better late than never. It was my day off and there was absolutely no sense to waste it. So I dressed up my new camera into a plastic bag with two elastic bands around - useful tip of Mr. Scott Kelby, put on two sweaters and two pairs of gloves (the top one without two fingers to be able to use rings and buttons), and left" to face the unknown". I had no plan, hoping that it will all work out by itself. Soon  the world disappeared - there was no coming elections in Canada, no " fight for Libya", no WOAC, nothing. I guess that's what I like about photography. Only things you see in a vewfinder, resolution, light.... and happiness that you can catch, or see, or even create the moment.

This is an American  Robin. They say one can be sure that Spring is here for real only when the Robin comes home. By the way, they arrive in three groups. First  - male, later female and the last come youngsters, a year old birds. It looks like I was chasing males - they are big and bright.

I wish I had 300mm lens.... Yes, a very expensive hobby....

Stability, Hope, Spring and...Tsunami

       I haven't written for two weeks. Checked today - there are 81 visits. Thank you! I have no idea who you are,  how you find me or follow, because  I absolutely have now idea how all this works. If I wanted to follow my friend's blog , I wouldn't be  able to do it. Thank you again.
       So, 21st of March, spring is officially here and soon will be in full bloom - it is obvious stability everyone can rely on. As for the rest - you know what I am talking about. There was a wundercountry full of wunderkinders  and wundertechnology, great history, culture and tradition -  interesting and  mysterious. The Earth's shake, huge wave - and the whole world is holding breath watching the disaster that have  happened and another that might happen. Eight thousand dead and twelve thousand missing...All happened within what? an hour? I don't even want to contemplate about it - it will lead to nothing good. I do look, though, at the same wunderpeople, listen and read their stories. Amazing! They are scared, shaken, they grieve and they behave as if they know A SECRET. I am sure, we will see another wonder soon. I deeply and wholeheartedly wish them success. They are our HOPE. And example. If they can get through, there's hope for us too.
      The Arabs suddenly decided to get rid of their leaders, who forgot that they were human and couldn't last forever. Those of them who woke up to reality, quit and already forgotten. The others happened to be not smart and are trying to prove, that they can RULE. They will be punished. Unfortunately the price will be paid.
      As for my family - two out of three got Norfolk virus. Not a big  deal compared to Japan or Libya, but who has  time to think about someone's problem if the only thought matters whether you are fast enough to get to toilet in time. All it happened suddenly too. Kind of tsunami . Yep, that's what I mean - nothing is stable, only HOPE. That brings us to Religion. No, to GOD.

        Ogogo, all this took me so far and so deep...  As for most of us, we want things plain and simple - spring, birds singing, leaves coming, sun shining... We feel younger and life is beautiful no matter what! And my dream came true - I bought Nikon D7000. Happy? Forget about it! Scared! Ufff, of many things...
  

Some thoughts about my uncle

Yesterday I was writing about dreams, moods, my hobby. I thought it was important, because it influences our lives... Yes. But only if you have nothing else to worry about.  How about grave illness of our loved ones, or just serious illness? No, I am not going to pretend that I know the answers. I am just devastated by the news I have got from home. These minutes my uncle is dying from cancer, suffering. I saw him last time a year ago, February 2010. After his wife passed away he never recovered. They were together over 50 years and in this case it's unfortunate that couples like that cannot die together, because the one is left behind has berried his sole, lost interest in life and is dying slowly. They lost their toddler son and since then they belonged to each other, they've been through a lot of good and bad. Their life was solid and traditional. They were patriots of their country and cried when  Stalin died. They believed in communist party and later to Lukashenka. They worked hard all their lives and thanks to the government (old and new, bad and good for paying the pension)they had enough money to enjoy their retirement.   Sick or not, they never missed elections. The newspaper they received and TV always delivered  truth. They had life long friends and had only vodka on his holiday table. My childhood, my youth was connected with them. They knew what was right and what was wrong. They taught me too. I learned, that I had to take care of my husband and to make sure that he always looks neat and crisp, because my husband is my face.( I was 17 at that time and never had a date yet.) I learned that smoking makes a girl look like a bad woman; that I shouldn't keep my boyfriend late because his parents will think low about me... They were great representatives of their time and life seemed so simple and secure. And today my heart hurts...   I understand it's circle of life, but at the time like that heart doesn't want to listen... I will miss you too, dear uncle Peter

The Moon and the mood

      Do you remember what I wrote at the beginning of my blogging carrier?   Why one day is always different from the other? I know for sure that full Moon or no Moon affects me. Don't smile, please. I am talking about myself, not somebody else. Believe me, I had time to notice some things about myself. I had time to look for explanation.Yes, the Moon affects everybody - more or less. Dogs, wolfs howl. Do you know why? I don't know either. But I know that I feel down, I worry, I feel edgy, smth. bothers me and all customers that I would qualify like special ( they might be very nice, but special) come to see me that day... Sometimes nothing goes right on days like these.  I learned to take it easy, not to get frustrated, that sales don't go well. I try even to warn my friends that I feel bad and edgy, so they could know that it's not them, it's me... It's interesting that I never asked my friends or even relatives whether they know why they feel bad sometimes.  They are influenced probably by other stars and have their own moments... May be if we all knew our "special" days we could avoid (or forgive) some conflicts, tension, pain... Bottom line is that tomorrow will be ANOTHER day. May be we could be a pinch happier with ourselves and with others....

To dream or not to dream ...

Suddenly I realized that I don't really have dreams.... Not that I don't want anything, it looks that I just cannot dream. You know like some boy who was dreaming to fly, all his life. And he became an austronaut. Ok, when I was a girl my dream was to work at a factory on a hard pressing machene, work hard all day and be tired by the end and feel good because of that.... And be the best.... Socialist realism. After that I didn't dream, I kind of worked, studied, did what I had to do.
And now I have something I like to do, I enjoy to do, I want to do , I look forward to do....And I am almost embarrassed to admit it, as if I am doing something wrong, something not important, something shameful to admit. Is it because I never learned to dream and that's why feel this way? Do we have to be taught how to dream or it comes naturally?Does ability to dream influence our lives, helps?  Do we have to teach our kids to dream?  I never taught mine. Can they dream? I should ask them and may be talk to them about it. Now I dream to buy Nikon d7000, go shooting, take that wow picture, be noticed... wow, it is difficult to write about it...