Into The Woods

Just a quickie post, one from the visit at kuipto forest earlier in the month.

Early August Morning...

You know, every single morning I get up, and go into the family room of our house, and open the blinds, and look into the valley below for Fog. Yea. Fog. I'm a little bit obsessed by it. I see it, and I have this irresistable urge to  grab the camera and go on a fog chase...

And every time I open those curtains, it seams to me that the fog only ever appears when I have to work that morning, or get the children ready for school or go somewhere else that day.... Till yesterday. Ahhh. A foggy morning on a Sunday. So So Awesome! It was 7am, and I awoke before the children did, usually it is my little girl ready and rearing to go at 530am, but she had a sleep in. Something in me said get up.... GET UP!! And I was thinking, but the kids are still asleep, how often do I get that extra snooze time? 

But get up I did, and did the daily first thing in the morning fog check. 

Y.E.S! My day for fog photos!!!

So, here you go, some sunrise and fog photos, from the Adelaide Hills!

The view from Mount Barker Summit.

A little bit of Spring.

Oh my goodness, how I adore spring! The blossoms are starting to open on the trees and bushes, and there are sweet little daffodils and jonquils, peeking from the earth. A change is coming! How I love the change! I really hope I get to enjoy photographing some of the foggy spring mornings too! What better way to start the day than with a few photos of the blossoms, growing near my house! Sweet with colour, and filled with the buzz of busy bees! Beautiful!

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

A Letter to the Soul.

I just read this, a letter a friend received while on a retreat somewhere. It struck me, the words said exactly what I try to be, try to attain. Try to remove my ego and become a true human being.
Had to share it.

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, 'Yes.'

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.