Archive for the ‘Thoughts’ Category

Yellowstone: The Trio

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Here is the last photo of otters while I was in Yellowstone. I saved this picture for a friend but here it is now, the trio. Three little rambunctious river otters that teased us all day and finally gave us some good pictures, they even posed.

I will miss them, I miss the quiet of Yellowstone the serenity, the wildlife, and the feeling of being a part of nature, not an adversary of it. Life seems so much simpler in the wild, yet so much more complicated. I hope I can come back again soon.

P.S. There is one more Yellowstone photo, I am saving the best for last. I am saving it for a friend, so it will show up sooner or later. Just wait for it, the best will come as long as you wait.

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Reflection

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Even the murkiest of waters can still reveal a reflection that is true. Many people forget a major aspect of their lives and aren’t even aware of it; they forget to reflect. Not just on their actions but upon themselves. It is so easy to forget that to truly understand others, you have to first understand yourself and the only way to achieve this is through self-reflection. So I say to you, take a moment and look in a mirror, or a puddle on a rainy day like this, and take a good hard look. Not at what you look like but who you have become over time. Is it someone you like, is it something you hate? Or is it who you always said you would be? Take a look at yourself and tell me what you see.

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Dichotomy

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

My question for you today is this; do you believe in dichotomy? Are there really only two sides, two options, black or white. One side or another to choose from. Or is there a third path that is yet undiscovered that you must find before you travel.

I believe it is easier to think of the world in black and white because it makes the world a little less complicated. But that doesn’t mean it is true or right. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems, as I say and it is true. It can be hard though trying to find the third path in life. There is no denying the fact that the third road is the hardest to travel because it is unpaved. Many people believe in a dichotomous world because it is much easier to travel the well beaten path. This is not how I live, this is not how I think anyone should live.

So I say, seek the untraveled path and find a new way. Escape the black and white to live in a new world that you create.

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Saint Patrick’s Day

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

You may be wondering at this point in connection to the title, why the flowers. They aren’t green, there is no leprechaun hiding inside of it, and there is no possible way this photo can be related to Saint Patrick’s Day. My response to that would be:

You are correct. There is absolutely no correlation between Saint Patrick’s Day and this flower.

The question now remains as to way I chose this picture out of all the pictures I have (and that is quiet a collection to choose from). My answer, I don’t like Saint Patrick’s Day. To me, it is pointless, almost as pointless as connecting a totally unrelated photo to an irrelevant day.

No, a little leprechaun didn’t steal my gold or my four-leaf clover when I was little, I just never saw the point in this day. That is, until now.

It dawned on me today while I was downtown Santa Cruz just how genius of an idea Saint Patrick’s Day is. Think about it for a moment. On one day of the year, every person has been convinced to wear one color, green. As I was walking around I saw this, everyone was wearing the same color. Crowds of people all dressed in various shades of green.

These people are smart, we should pick random days throughout the year for each color. I just wonder how exactly did this idea get so deeply engraved into the mind of every man, woman, and child to wear green on March 17. I want to know the secret (I promise I won’t use it for brainwashing the random populace… well most of the time)

The power of suggestion it seems is a powerful one, or just the fear of being pinched. Who knows, at least I have somewhat more respect for Saint Patrick’s Day.

Slán go fóill

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Sneak Peak: Yellowstone Coyotes

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Sneak peek of lots more photos of coyotes coming up, because I didn’t get any great wolf photos I am making it up with great coyote shots. I know what people think,

Oh great coyotes, the lesser more whinny wolf.

Yes admit, I too have spent many hours yelling at the coyote out my window to shut up as you all know. This trip however changed that thinking. I always thought coyotes as pests but in Yellowstone they were still just such majestic beasts. They like everyone else there would have to fight for their life and had earned their living out there in Lamar Valley. Yellowstone definitely gave me a whole new light on coyotes.

There will be more to come.

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Yellowstone: River Otters

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

I had never seen a river otter before I went to Yellowstone, and let me say

THEY ARE ADORABLE

We heard that at the confluence of the Lamar River and the Soda Butte River in Lamar Valley, Yellowstone there were some otter lodges. So we all hiked out of the car dragging our giant cameras and all the equipment out of the car and then walked a half mile to the second otter lodge along the river. We set up the tripods and waited for quite some time when we finally spotted one otter. He was bobbing in and out of the water regularly teasing us with his appearance as we tried to catch a good picture of him. We were about to head back in when Mark turned around and saw the three otters playing.

Keep in mind we can’t exactly yell at each other to tell us that the otters were right behind me and I hadn’t noticed; so there was a lot of frantic gestures and quiet yelling. Not to mention as we ran in the snow with our equipment to relocate in a better spot for the magnificent otter trio. It was quiet the mad dash.

They were rolling around on their backs, sliding in and out of the water just having a good time. They were climbing all over each other, this picture captures some of the playful spirit I got to witness from these little creatures. They really look a lot like little Loch Ness monsters as they crane their necks out of the water, it is really funny to watch especially because of their whiskers.

It really was an amazing experience watching these guys play around. We wanted to let them have their fun and not disturb them so after they crawled back into their lodges we left them behind with a very satisfied day behind us.

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Yellowstone: Lamar Valley

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Here is the site I got to see everyday when I was in Yellowstone. This picture can’t truly describe how beautiful this place really is. I must say it is extremely different than Santa Cruz and this is one of the hardest parts of being back home.

I keep looking outside expecting to see snow and gorgeous mountains but instead I see rain and lots of trees. I am not complaining, it is just such a shock because it is so entirely different. It really reminds me just how lucky I am to get to travel like this because I can experience all the different terrains and lifestyles of the world around me. That is why I believe it is essential to travel because people have to get out of their normal atmosphere and see the world in all of it’s different lights.

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Let it all Hang Out

Monday, February 1st, 2010

I know Hawaii is a place of relaxation and time to let all your worries go, but somethings do need to be held onto. Your bathing suit top for starters and your decency. This really cracks me up because I don’t know what it is about vacations but for some reason the second people go on vacation there is a little switch in their heads that says

Hey I am on vacation all that normally applies no longer does as long as I am vacationing.

I am not saying I don’t do this because I definitely do, not to the extreme this woman took it to with her bikini top hanging as low as it can go, but I am much more lax about things I wouldn’t normally be. Letting it all hang out doesn’t even begin to cover this woman’s idea of vacationing I am sure.

Maybe it is because we feel we have no credibility due to the fact that we know we will never see these people again. Maybe it is just pent-up stress being expelled through this small form of rebellion, aka breaking from the norm of our daily schedules. Who knows, I just wonder what goes through people’s minds when they leave their hotel room looking like this woman. Seriously, the poor children of the beach and their virgin eyes. Well for me I had a good laugh but really? Have some decency or at least retain some common sense from normal life.

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Posted in Candid Photography, Photos, Thoughts |

The Final Bow

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Why is it that right before some plants die they become so beautiful? Like this one, it was so colorful yet so close to its death.

Is it to remind us what we will be missing when it finally is gone? One last bang to always remain in our minds. It is like a person’s final bow as they look at the audience, with a wide grin that speaks miles. It says

It has been a good run, through the ups and downs, the good and the bad, it all turned out. It was a good long run and now it is over. A final goodbye.

Or maybe it is a desperate plea to hold on to life. A denial of the next step. Its beauty blossoms fully, trying to make up for all the time lost and spent on other things.

But my question is, did it work?

Did all your beauty, all your effort change that the end was so near? And if not, then what was the effort for? Was it for yourself? Trying to cling on what you know you will miss forever, or one last laugh at all who laughed at you. Tell me your secrets, I am listening. To the young, the old, the living and the dead. I am listening and waiting for your answer always and forever.

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Flamingos: Nature’s Idiot

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

I may be alone in this belief but I might as well put it out there, I believe that the flamingo is natures idiot. I have never encountered an animal that just instantly strikes me as stupid, except for this weird looking bird. It may be its color or even the way it is shaped but when I walk near one I swear I can feel my IQ dropping.

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