Two-toned hibiscus outside one of my hotel rooms
I admit it must be an age thing.
After wearing just monochromatic clothing, usually black, for years, as I grow older, I dress in brightest coloured clothing. Forest green, magenta pink, yolk yellow, cherry red, I love them all!
Am I asking the world, “can you see me?”
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
My mother would often say about other women, “Oh! she is so photogenic!” meaning, whoever she was referring to, was beautiful. I wonder how she would define beauty now in a world of pouting selfies, filters etc.
Growing up in a family where my mother was considered to be beautiful by all who met her, as was my older sister, that bar was set too high for me. I chose my own path and from a very young age, found beauty in words, lay on my back to watch clouds above, stared at a full moon in awe, watched waves lap the shore, and was curious about the behaviour of birds. When the family chattered excitedly on the annual summer trip by train to the coast, I watched the landscape. I didn’t know it then as I do now. I loved being immersed in what nature offered. The child in me, remains alive and well.
So it is not surprising if given a choice of being in nature with camera, or beauty salon … the decision making is easy for me.
Now, not all would consider this tiny Triops australiensis to be beautiful. I do. I’ve shared another picture of this creature in a different post but, I love the Betty Boop face in this one!
Triops australiensis – Found in a billabong, outback, Western Australia
We find, see and define beauty in so many subjective ways. I’m an amateur with camera and know very little about manipulating and editing pictures. And to be honest, I don’t have the time nor inclination to learn any more than I know. What I know is this … if I have a visceral response to something I see, I take a picture. What I see, is what you get. I like the authenticity of this.
So it doesn’t come as any surprise, one of my favourite quotes by F. Scott Fitzgerald hangs in my home. I regard the words a personal message to me from the child I was, to the woman I became.
“She was beautiful, but not like those girls in magazines. She was beautiful, for the way she thought. She was beautiful, for the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful, for her ability to make other people smile, even if she was sad. No, she wasn’t beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful, deep down to her soul. She is beautiful.”
I often wonder, would my late mother see me through this lens?
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
Succulent in the outback, Western Australia
I love the colour green in nature, especially in the outback where the land is drought red and the sun unrelenting. It is a small green explosion of the celebration of life.
It reminds me, the smallest plant is resilient, if it is planted where it is meant to grow. Much like us.
Here’s to you. Happy St Patrick’s Day!
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
RDP Saturday : Hidden
I recently visited Kalbarri, Western Australia, some 600 kms (or approximately 400 miles) from home. It was my first visit to this region in 40 years. I first went there when Dr T and I were dating. It was a sleepy, tiny hamlet where river mullets danced across the river with pelicans in hot pursuit. Dolphins silhouetted the horizon at sunrise and dusk. It was a magical place and still is, despite the changes over the years.
Kalbarri is now a thriving tourist destination. The area has gorges, wildflowers, river and ocean activities that draw folks to this region. I used to fly low over this region in a five seater plane and the view was always amazing. Silently, I would promise myself I would visit one day but work always got in the way of plans. There is so much to enjoy in this small place, there is grandeur and minutiae to see and experience.
With some trepidation I impulsively booked a sunset cruise on the Murchison River. It was the perfect thing to do for a couple of hours on a warm night. The small group of tourists from all around the world were soon chatting like friends. My heart was filled with nature and photo ops. Soon my fear of being on water was a distant memory.
With a stunning landscape around us, I suspect the views became ‘more of the same’ for some folks.
Not me! I was enthralled.
Murchison River, Kalbarri, Western Australia
It was moments like this that took my breath away.
I could not get enough of this region and will be returning in spring when it will be awash with wildflowers.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
A Shared Space 
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