The Natural World in Photos

Click on a circle to start the slideshow, see a bigger version, or see the caption.

One reason I love taking photos is that it helps me look and SEE.  I can get so caught up in my thoughts that I forget to really look at what’s around me.  The thing is not to get too caught up in taking photos, as opposed to just being there.  I wonder about how our lives change for the good and the bad when we record everything, and yet, I love to look at these pictures and remember and appreciate the beauty and elegance (okay, maybe not the beetle, but look at those studs on his back, very haute couture, no?) of nature.

The Beautiful Paradox of Alone: Not Alone

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This photo was taken at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania on a trip a couple of years ago.  For me it conjures feelings of satisfaction, deep breathing, and connecting with nature.  There’s a sense that in meditation (formal or informal) we are one with everything, it’s a solitude, and yet the very opposite of solitude.  The beautiful paradox of alone: not alone.  Inside and outside, alone and not alone.  Kinda hurts my brain.