If. And. Then.

Loyalty

If:

 Proverbs are short sentences drawn from long experiences. Cervantes

And:

The best substitute for brains is silence. Anon.

Then:

May my pictures not speak a thousand words but heal a million wounds. 

The clouds reaction.

What Alice found there....bread and butterfly.

Bicycle petal.

I have entered the Maine Photography Show for the last three years, limited to only 3 submissions in any category- I decided to submit some runner ups from the Abstract category...I had a very hard time choosing.  Wish me well, it surely would be a feather in my cap to even place- the competition is extraordinary.

Thank you T.M, a photography blog it is...

Take care-

Recognition

Good morning, and only one week between posts- Me?  Somewhat organized?  I'm really not...although I do trust my internal orneriness, stamina and damned stubbornness in getting done what needs to be done.  Lists would be easier, I do keep those but they're pretty jumbled up too.  I get hard to live with when I cross things off the list, and the Big Fish just hums as he is apt to do when he knows it's far better to hum than to cross my pluckiness.  Imagine a broody hen with menopause... afraid of nothing!  Bound and determined!  Incorruptible!  Emblazoned!...

... as the leaves dripping with color that tastes like wine to the eyes!  Vivid is the ending of the day when the full moon shines her face upon the sun's last efforts-  Does she long to share the sky with the sun, a romantic time for two to hold sway there in the last and full light adorned below by rapturous color?  And I wonder more and said out loud on a rocky romantic road-trip with the fella,

"I understand the logic behind the science of leaves falling, season's changing, the temperature fluctuating and the sun and moon phases...but I do not understand, why such beauty that goes along with it?  I mean, what would the point be?  As long as those seasons change and unfold, change and unfold- what could possibly be the logic behind making it more?!

Why not garble it all up in a cement mixer, like man does when he lays a foundation- rocks and dust, water and motion, grey is the outcome and yet, there lies a strong foundation after it dries...
But I must question that logic further when I wonder- what if love was part of that man made mixture?  Would the rocks not be then, the most beautiful to be found?  Would the dust blend beautifully with but never totally saturating the rocks?  And wouldn't that foundation touch more people as they strolled by it,  I mean really touch them in such a way that would bring about a harmony of hearts, echoing each others joy at such a marvelous sight?!

And I can't help but wonder then, if each would recognize in the other a similar spark of adoration for what is created with love?...."

"Take the picture...." he hums.

And so I do.

Shuttering at all the Beauty

Leaf Laden Path

All along the roadside, trees are covered in jewels.  Again I find myself thinking about the old year, the droughts and rain, the sunny days too few- but all resurrects itself in the colors that greet me at every bend.  Maine- Washington County to get specific, is one of the most wondrous places I've ever seen and I get to live here.  I had to drive to Addison for a part time job testing,but even in the rain- how could I be testy?  So what if I'm following an inconsistent moving log truck or a car with across-the-river-license-plates that speeds then pokes, speeds then pokes- these colors are to die slowly for.  Even in the rain, an oil slick upon my windshield- how does any of the little miseries compare, how can any sorrow stay when what I'm seeing still cannot fully be absorbed- fall in all it's splendor, even right out my back door?

Dress rehearsal for the peak season...

I hope the sun shines as it will or won't on Thursday, I'll take my Canon and shoot; shuttering at all the beauty.  My oh my, I wonder if I'll cry should I come upon a Moose?  Only if he steps quicker than I can brake, otherwise- even a silhouette as big as a barn door is welcome.  In fall, in Maine- is a glad time.  Happy or sad, bumbling to boot- it won't matter, I haven't got a care when the moon is hanging and the pantry is almost full of my garden's goodness.  You can frown at me, sigh long and hard, merrily I'll swap smiles with you and wonder out loud, do you see it too?  The Autumn way, the roadside paved with the golden rush of all the fallen.  Mother, please take them in- the leaves so full of rich blood red with deep bright veins of the last of the greens for the year.  It is enough then, to simply see and be ever so grateful for valuable sunshine, worthless rain and the glow- the golden gracious glow!

Mama Moose beautifully drab next to the fallen 

I aim to bring you plenty more color in the days to come...
Take care-

Wherever the sunlight dappled...

Crab Spider 

I just had to share this observation.  I walk around with my camera in hand or in lap, whatever the transportation mode may be at the time of my "ah-hah!"  moments or my "the light, the mist, the moisture that Iris blue sky- grab the camera!" distractions to whatever it is I may be doing at the moment.  Yes, even driving...but only on back roads and only when I'm putting along, ready for that moose to step out or to catch that bear streaking away from a blackberry patch.  Those moments of moving mammals aren't often caught with any great focus other than my absolute shift to awe and wonder, then and only then- does the camera become meaningless and I just mentally make note, or as I like to say- moments like that are carved somewhere within me and I draw upon them when I get to thinking that this old world is such an ugly place sometimes.  (Although, that kind of thinking is pretty fleeting with me and not carved anywhere as I am able to shift away from those dark, dampening spirit thoughts and move directly towards the sunny spots that warm and revitalize.  That's just how I roll people!)

Yoga-like position

So, onto the subject of the matter...Ron Howard's collaboration with his daughter and Canon in an open call to all photographers,( professional and dabblers- like me, to submit theme related photos that basically they're going to be building a movie around-Imagin8tion) really got my juices flowing.  By golly- I was going to get their attention with some fantastic shots or wondrous event unfolding right before my lens...well, that didn't happen- I didn't get their full attention, but no matter!  The thing that caught mine, and is now etched and carved into my wonder vault- was a tiny little creature potentially easily missed and so very well hidden in plain bright sunlight that I almost didn't see her.  And taking the shot was extra difficult, even after adjusting to the bright light and bright pink of the rose she boldly perched herself on- this little Crab Spider, this clever huntress made me stop and really observe.  She sat in sun spots on the rose petal as to camouflage herself...in sunlight!
I could have sat there all day, learning from that little lady- watching her make the most out of her brilliant abilities...she mesmerized me and to this day, I'm still caught up in the web-less wonder of it all.

Wherever the sunlight dappled, that's where she fixed herself.

  Deception-"an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers", that'd be me...


Take care-

oh the high hopes...!

Those that till the soil and plant the seed, till the souls too of all who share in the bounty of the garden. 

Oh my, I sure have had a full dose of humanity this week...and tomorrow, it only gets better.

Our first farmers market begins Thursday in Princeton Maine.  Trouble is...not many crops to speak of.  Sure, they're all mostly in the ground, but the ground is boggy, cold and the sun hasn't shined much since...geez, I can't even remember!

I do have a fine crop of fresh photo greeting cards though.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute to get all those finished, but- I was feeling vulnerable.  My heart and soul in those pics, deep and quirky as it may be- will others follow along, see the logic in a tiny frog sitting on a leek?  Or the small spider on a fallen leaf floating down a spring fed brook, brown on brown and yet the light just hitting all the high marks- an arachnid sailor with eight legs and countless eyes; a tiny spectacular bug in all it's brilliance- will that compute?
Whether or not the thought that I put into it leaps off the surface I suppose isn't really important, but the story of why or how or when- that would be plenty to take in and then tell- although I do hope folks will be willing to share some of their Hallmark dollars with me too.

Ahhh, the wondering of it all consumes me- happily I might add.  Well, maybe there is one exception- I have to deal with an insidious sort...all the patience I must bear.  All the tolerance I can stand...  To a point and then, well- that's another vulnerability popping up.  A few people around here are under the impression that I don't get angry, or impatient or wobbling mad.  I'm a champion wobbler, let me tell you!  I get just as balled up as anyone I suppose, though I seldom strike out as it seems to serve no purpose other than my own...and what's the sense in that?   Usually I gather up my camera- mad, glad happy or sad- off I go and find expression in all sorts of landscape and fauna.  I get those pictures downloaded and see just why I took a certain shot.  Only then do I fully understand my motivation- in the light and the dark, the shadows and the shine; always I see that life is composed of opposites.  Pictures tell the story that I could not- in all my humanness, comprehend until the shot was fully exposed.  

So there you have it, a telling of the days and weeks leading up to a tomorrow that so many are looking forward to.  What started with a tiny dream comes to full fruit tomorrow as we give this community something that gathers all the opposites together in what seems to me, a sacred place of opportunity.  Story telling, art, hand crafted Maine-made creations, food- (this our commonest bond) will somehow I hope, blend us all together for a time.  When that first car comes rolling in the parking lot- oh the high hopes we'll all have!
I will have the camera, I will take the pictures, I will historically depict this great day for our little community.  I know it's not Washington crossing the Potomac- but it is a moment in my life I don't want to forget because of it's tiny triumphant message.

"He who digs a well, constructs a stone fountain, plants a grove of trees by the roadside, plants an orchard, builds a durable house, reclaims a swamp, or so much as puts a stone seat by the wayside, makes the land so far lovely and desirable, makes a fortune which he cannot carry away with him, but which is useful to his country long afterwards." 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

sputtering away

Apple butter is sputtering away on the stove, canner at the ready to take it all in and preserve it through a boiling water bath.  The weather here in deep east Maine has been so beautiful, the roadsides washed in blazing colors- the likes I've never seen before.  Wherever I go, in my lap rests my old rickety camera- as some misguided soul stole my new one on my last trip to Illinois.  My zoom now is more like a sputter, my wide angle seems more like a key hole and there is no eye piece, which I really don't like.  I have my heart set on a new Canon but am waiting for some matching funds to come through.  I still take pictures and  have even been trying my hand at videos.  Luckily, the Big Fish and I have encountered three moose in the last week and have video taped with hilarious results.  He grunts like a moose and I laugh...all caught on audio.  I have shared one film with my friends and family, the others are damning...though when friends and family visit, maybe the shameful flicks will be just the ice breaker most needed to loosen things up a bit...hopefully, their curiosity getting them in gear to explore.

"See how foolish we are?  And you can be too...C'mon, let's go for a drive!"

 When my kids come to visit, even though what is going on outside is far more interesting than what's being played on the mind numb-er, they still spend too much time in front of the set and have made all the necessary adjustments to bring about the best programming and picture.  I always have work for them to do on our communication devices- so, I can't complain too much.

"Can you change the ink in the printer?"  "How do I upload this?" "Burn this CD for me...please?!"

We are nontechnical savvy folks...we can't for the life of us figure out our Wii, and how we might stream movies right to our television set.  I truly don't like TV and mainly watch PBS and documentaries.  Netflix has proven to be a great source of entertainment though the man and I do not see eye to eye on which films are best, so out of two choices- we have agreed to sit through each other's movies, out of love and respect I tell myself.  (Though I usually read a book while he watches his History and SyFy stuff.)  Is it just me or have times really gotten rotten when the life of a hokey haired exterminator is entertaining?  OK, it's just me...and reason enough not to watch what passes as entertainment these days.  Thank goodness for the library!

Times up...the canner calls.  Have a great weekend, may these pictures of "the season of fullness" inspire you to get out and wander.
Take care-

The Truth About Squirrels

My name is Munk...

  I am a Nectarholic.  

The saga began when a self righteous old bitty,

 Ms. Nuthatch- came to call at our little homey cabin in the woods.

"Mrs. Squirrel, now I am not one to tell tales, but let me warn you!  Your husband has been hitting the hooch pretty hard!!"

"Oh No!!!!  

 I must speak to my mother!!!"

And she began to cry.

"HE DID WHAT??!!! 

 I warned you about him, I told you he'd never be more than a nut chucking ninny, didn't I?!!!!"

Oh I begged her to believe me when I said that I only had a snort here, a snort there...but she would not listen.  My lowest lows came to be. I began to hit the hard stuff more and more every day-

Even the hummingbirds no longer buzzed me, they just looked away.

"Hmmph!!!

But I didn't care, my mother-in-law had moved in...I had fallen from the grace of the Great Tree.

But then one day, it was like a light went off in my noggin'...I realized what I had to do!!!!

I explained to the little woman that if the wise dog knew what I was up to, maybe she could save me by keeping me away from the nectar bar!!   
"OOOHH that is a good idea, Mother is driving me off my nut!"

And so it came to be that dogs chased squirrels and sometimes vice versa...because if the truth be told, we all need a little nip now and then.  

THE END

A Fractured Fable by T.L. Starks...2010

through this frame

(I could look through this frame for hours!)

Well, what do you think?  Do you like this new look or should I stick to the basics?...I'm rather a basic person anyway.  I like it...only, I'd rather have my own photos as background but I'm just not savvy enough on the computer to figure it out.  Besides, I've got better things to do with my time than to try and wrangle with programs...matter of fact- I have too much to do this Monday.  Like housework. Weeding.  Yard Clean Up.  Homework.  Laundry.  Travel arrangements.  Building material pick ups.
  But you know what I'd rather do...right now, or maybe later?  I just want to aim and shoot.  My camera is calling, nagging actually...here's some pics from the start of this beautiful June in Maine.  Hope your day is less filled than mine with chores and more fulfilled with beauty.
Take care-

Schoodic Point~Acadia

(Who knew the Play-Pen had a pot of gold in it?!)

it's all a blur....

My Maine adventure thus far...picture-less posts no more!

Downeast photo taking is like walking into a candy store and being allowed to consume whatever your little heart desires.
 Everything is beautiful.  Real.  Splendid.  Scrumptious.  Inspiring.  Dizzying.  Stimulating to an intoxicating degree.

 Enjoy...

Big as a bedsheet welcoming sign...

Sea and shoes meet finally in the surf at Roqe Bluffs State Park, Machias Maine.

And here are pics I took from my window at Cohill's Inn (& Spirits...), the following morning found me entranced by the snow and scallop draggers.  These photos literally taken from my bed, camera pointed towards the Bay of Fundy...and the food and folks who run the place- ever lasting friends.   And Irish.   Landing in one of my favorite points on this here earth- Lubec Maine.  No one knows for certain how they find it or why they stay...there's something deep and mysterious about it.  Definately a mystical place...I absolutely love it.

My first snow.  In Maine.  And the lighthouse posed perfectly, don't you think?!  I literally could barely breathe at the sight of new snow...tears of joy came all to often that morning.  Emotional woman....

Even indoors, the reflection of the outside is enough to keep a gal humbled for life...

Pictureless Post

I have precisely 8 minutes to post, I must get into town to take my daughter to work, insurance and all keeping us imprisoned in our carless universe. Though not truckless...but it's cold outside, and the old girl does not heat up until you get from point A to point Be...that is when the heater kicks in. Fun, exciting adventures every cold day. Oh, and in the summer? Yep, she'll blast you with an internal engine combustion that makes a sunburn pale in comparison. No electric beaches for me, nope- I just naturally redden on engine fumes. Ha, the life...
But real quick, I work in a local cafe- "The Wild Hare", imagine, me- working some place like that! We never know who we might be entertaining...ghosts, musicians, politicians, and angels?! Yep, met another one again Saturday... a picture taking angel. I was in the company of a profoundly gifted artist, her pictures spoke of a different dimension- one that cannot be seen with eyes, but felt within. This young lady blew me away, so beautiful were her photos that I felt compelled to say so...in my analogical Terryese. Hope I didn't scare her, she was beyond the typical tourist, artist...her visions captured on film, well- you wouldn't believe your own eyes, and you shouldn't either- something of her work is spiritual, higher-profound.
So- good day to you, perhaps I'll link to her some day if she is open to it. I'll have to get permission, and hopefully some focus on a family issue seen through her lens. Take care-