Nature

Reverse Reflections – Baby Alligators in Picture to Ponder – Volume 5 – Issue 8

by Sheila Finkelstein on March 11, 2009

Reflections #1 of baby alligator in water at Green Cay Nature Center

Baby alligator photo #2 in water reflected in aquarium in Green Cay Nature Center

Baby alligator on rock in Aquarium at Green Cay Nature Senter

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
Reflections of Baby Alligators in Water in an Aquarium in Green Cay Nature Center in Boynton Beach, FL and one out of the water.

I was, and am, captivated by the reflections I saw of the underwater alligators as I looked through the glass of this aquarium. Rather than the usual upside down image reflection to which I am accustomed in water, here the “reverse image is above, rather than below, the subject.

The added fascination for me is that in both the top and middle photos the alligator and reflection appear more as one unit rather than a separate segments. The colors and textures are about equal, very different from the reflection of the smaller alligator seen in the bottom photo.

Contributing to the aesthetic element are the structures within the aquarium created specifically for these alligators.

The Story
Green Cay Nature Center is devoted to education and preserving the environment. Thinking that some of you might have a concern for the alligators, before completing today’s issue of Picture to Ponder, I called and spoke to a Naturalist at the Center to get more information on the “babies”.

The alligators we see here have been brought in from an Alligator Farm. They are approximately one year old and will stay at Green Cay for another year or two until they get to large for that environment. They will then be sent back to the Alligator Farm where they will continue to be hand fed.

Usually my interest in Green Cay is walking on the boardwalk, luxuriating in visual discoveries, very often as found in the sunsets so many of you love when they are featured here.

I rarely go into the building unless it’s to take out-of-town visitors or attend a Palm Beach Poetry Festival’s “Bards of a Feather” quarterly poetry reading. So it was an added and exciting treat for me to make the discovery I share here in today’s photographs.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
I stated above that ordinarily I don’t “bother” stopping into the Nature Center when I go to Green Cay. I assume I already “know” what’s there and I won’t find anything particularly new that will interest me. And, of course, as we’ve read above, when I went in and looked with “open eyes” I found something that got me quite excited. Perhaps, it will also result in new openings for you.

Today I invite you to look around you in your world at the places where you usually spend time at work or home. It could be en route to a customary location. It could even be the supermarket. Pause to find something you’ve never noticed before or something you can look at in a new way. Then spend a moment or two simply “being” with it.

What is it you are seeing “newly” AND what is the feeling of that experience for you? Describe it to yourself. Perhaps you’d like to share it with another.

Then I invite you to look at one or more situations in your life that you have been taking for granted. Is there anything you’ve learned from the above that you can now transfer to the situation(s)?

As always, when you’re finished, I invite you to share your experience on the blog. See the instructions below if you need help.

And do have fun with this today.

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Wild Irises in Wakodahatchee – Comparisons and Connections – Picture to Ponder – Vol. 5 – Issue 7

by Sheila Finkelstein on March 3, 2009

center of a dying wild iris in Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
Centers of “fading” Wild Irises in Wakodahatchee Wetlands

I love the folds and textures in the top photo and the total mystery of it. Feeling like I’m looking at fabric, there is no way I would think, “iris.” The lower photo is a little more obvious, as a flower center. In the full image the two petals on the side at the top of the flower look like they are waving at you in full greeting.

See WILD IRISES for views of the complete flowers.

The Story
Last year was the first year I had the delightful surprise of happening on wild purple irises as I walked along the boardwalk in Wakodahatchee Wetlands. Heretofore my experience had only been with garden irises in the Northeast.

Last week, I was thrilled that there was once again a showcase of iris blooms. This time I had the pleasure of sharing them with my cousins. Since the battery on his camera had died, I lent my camera to Michael, one of our younger generation of cousins. I loved a couple of his iris photos, but “of course, I couldn’t use them.” (My rules and today I did resize one for you. See Michael Klein’s Iris.)

I went back a few days later, walking with a friend a little earlier in the day, and took several photos, two of which I used in the header I created for the GARDEN OF THE SOUL promo mailing I did last week. In her book, as I mentioned, Lynn refers to the iris as the symbol for “receiving.”

After I looked at my photos on the computer, I made the decision that Michael’s were better. Usually, when I compare and I come out (in my opinion) on the “lower” end, I’ll put the differences in cameras down as one of the factors that might have me “not measuring up.” This time it was MY camera on which the picure was recorded!

A few days later I made the decision that perhaps it was the difference in lighting. So I went back yesterday at what I thought was approximately the same time. What I neglected to do was check the actual time on the photo record on the computer. I realized as I was writing Picture to Ponder today, I was still one half hour off. I spent a lot of time in my head “working out” the time and never thought of the much simpler solution – simply check the records.

Finally, what I was faced with yesterday was that nine days later the flowers were past their prime, many dying off, or in the final stages, as was the iris featured in the upper photo today.

I am sharing this whole “story”, not for you to compare, reassure me, or agree that Michael’s IS better (smiling). It’s simply that I want to remind both you and me of the processes and stories we put ourselves through as we go through life.

By the way, there is still one more justification for why Michael’s photo might be better than mine. He is about a foot taller (maybe less) than me. He physcially brings an entirely different point of view, one there is no way I can replicate.

To conclude, as my friend Marifran pointed out when reading this, things change from moment to moment, person to person, and are never exactly the same.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
My story on the photographic experience discussed today went into much more detail than usual. Mainly I wanted to emphasize the humor, or the irony, of what we put ourselves through.

1 – I am inviting you today to look at your life. Is there a place where you have been doing a lot of comparing of yourself with another and, in your estimation, coming out on the “less-than” end of the picture? If so, I invite you to pause to reflect on your assets, your uniqueness, what you bring to the “picture.” I also invite you to write down YOUR attributes so that you remember what they are, especially at low times.

2 – One more quick story related to the Iris Walk and then a second self-reflecting query – Last week, when I went back for a Wakodahatchee walk with a friend, I paused to take some more iris photos. I sensed my friend’s restlessness and, after we moved on, she commented that sometimes she likes to walk without her camera so she can be fully with the walk.

Reminded about the exprience yesterday as I was walking in the same place, I realized that for me it’s the camera that at times is what aids me in being fully present with a situation, people, nature or myself. It often is my unconscious way of communicating with myself, my soul, as well as with what I am photographing.

I invite you to look at what methods you use for being fully connected with yourself. Are the people with whom you may be interacting at the time fully aware of what it is for you?

As always, when you’re finished, I invite you to share your experience on the blog. See the instructions below if you need help.

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Inner You – Woman in a Tree Knot – Picture to Ponder – Vol 5 – Issue 2

by Sheila Finkelstein on January 22, 2009

Wood knot in a tree in Key West with a hidden lady image

Image enlarged of a lady in a tree in Key West

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
Lady in a Wood Knot in a tree along a sidewalk in Key West, FL

The upper photo shows the image in the wood knot; the lower, a close-up of the woman I saw, with her full face looking to the side, a bow in her hair, a white chemise and bare arms.

The Story
I had forgotten that I featured wood in the last issue of Picture to Ponder when I decided to use today’s image as the featured photo(s). Returning from a cruise last week, I am still catching up, so I’ll not “worry” about “duplication” though the images are quite different. Last week’s tree trunk was the “whole”, or the external parts that were signficant. In this week’s photo, it’s the internal segment that’s most important.

Not surprisingly, for those of you who know me, one of the highlights for me of the whole trip was the discovery of the woman in the tree above. “She” caught my eye as I was walking down one of the the streets in Key West after seeing an exciting show of Seward Johnson’s ICONS OF HISTORY at the Key West Art and Historical Society’s Custom House Museum.

I tell you about the exhibit because I’m thinking that, in part, I might have been even more open to immediately seeing the woman in the wood knot, possibly having been influenced by the art I had just seen.

I was already familiar with Seward Johnson’s work from the Grounds for Sculpture in Trenton, NJ and found some of the work here in the Key West show even more intriguing. Perhaps because some of it was more contemporary. Johnson replicates famous paintings and photographs, creating them into life-size sculptures which include the environments that were in the paintings. (Click on the Grounds for Sculpture link to see some examples. To fully appreciate the scope of the sizes of the pieces be sure to read the small print describing the dimensions.)

I will get some photos up from the Key West exhibit and share them next week, probably on my FlickR site.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
1. Given the discovery of the “hidden” woman, it seems fitting to invite you to take a few minutes to explore the, possibly “hidden,” parts of you within, both the masculine and the feminine. Are they trying to tell you something?

2. I invite you to take a moment or two to reflect on and honor what most excites you in your life. Perhaps there is an action or two you might like to take. For me it’s making discoveries and then sharing them with others.

I found it interesting that at breakfast a few days after our trolley car return to the boarding area of the ship, two of the women sitting behind me then remembered me and the photos I had excitedly shared.

3. Are you aware of what you would like people to think after first meeing you? I invite you to consider an encounter or two and reflect on what you think their perceptions might be. Are these aligned with how you would like to be viewed?

4. For what is it that you would like most to be known?

As always have fun with this, and why not share in the Comments following this post on the blog.

Upcoming Programs
Speaking of reflecting on inner selves and outer selves, my dear friend Adela Rubio is launching the Self Care Mastery Revolution teleseminar series featuring 15 experts over a 15 week period. You can claim your spot now in this f*r*e*e* program – See SELF-CARE – or watch for further details from me in a mailing tomorrow.

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Picture to Ponder 4th Birthday – Celebrating with Bougainvillea – Vol 4 – Issue 46

by Sheila Finkelstein on December 10, 2008

Happy 4th Birthday Picture to Ponder and subscribers.
Special thanks to those of you have been with us since
Issue 1 – December 9, 2004. Click on the link to see what my mission was.
I think you’ll agree that together we’ve been
fulfilling on it. Much delight and joy to all as we enter our 5th Year!

bougainvillea 1

bougainvillea 2

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
Bougainvillea from a bush outside our community in Boynton Beach, FL

In the upper photo the flower on the right looks like “lips” to me. Thus, I thought the picture would be great for sending kisses to us all as we celebrate Picture to Ponder’s birthday.

The lower photo shows the full range of colors and the subtle differences that attracted me.

The Story
The other night I was driving into the community where I live and from a distance the large plant in the front of a center island caught my eye. It looked to be a plant with multi-colored leaves. See photo 3 to view a fuller expanse of the leaves and flowers. “Fascinating,” thought ,I and, of course, I pulled in front of it and parked so that my camera and I could investigate. (Note – Photo 3 was taken in morning light. Thus a different feeling to it.)

What I thought were different kinds of leaves turned out to be the flowers colored by the many stages of their life cycle, from beginning to their “death.”

I had been pondering, off and on, for a couple of days as to what photos I might have, or would show up, to honor our Picture to Ponder birthday. Then the noticing of this bush showed up, offering both pictures and a theme.

The flowers in today’s featured bougainvillea represent, to me, the beauty of all the stages of our lives. The parts of the flower that are dying off are soft and lovely and, seemingly for a while, stay and show off their full range of beauty within each petal, rather than suddenly “dying off,” which seems to happen with many plants.

It therefore became fitting to use these photos for this issue to acknowledge all the pieces of our growth. The presentation of Picture to Ponder has mellowed and changed somewhat during these past four years and yet the parts remain an integral part of us.

EZezine, the publisher we used until recently, kindly still holds the ARCHIVES for people to visit at any time. (Though please do not use their subscribe or unsubscribe buttons. They do not link to our current publisher and list. If you are a visitor, use SUBSCRIBE at the end of this issue)

All Picture to Ponder issues can also be accessed by following the links at the bottom of any issue in the eteletours.com site or by simply changing the numbers in the URL. See this issue, as an example, http://www.eteletours.com/v4-issue46.html or Issue 1 mentioned to at the top of this page.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
So how does this all relate to us and our Self-Reflecting Queries? For me, it brings to mind many of the different facets of ourselves. Therefore, I invite you to look into your life and query,

“Are there pieces of me, in current or past experiences, that I have “cast off”, dismissed as dead and gone, perhaps useless?”

If “yes”, I invite you to take some time to reflect, see how they contributed to who you are today, to the beauty of you and the fabric of your life AND then CELEBRATRE ALL of  YOU!

Castera Rose on a Pillow in the Nature Art Gift shopCelebrate our Birthday with us. Gift yourself, or a loved one, with a pillow, clock, tile, mug, or one of our many other gift items enhanced with a Picture to Ponder Photograph. Go to Nature Art Gift Shop (first link on that page is by photo category, others are by product)

Coming to you with love and appreciation. Happy LifeDay, LifeYear.

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Cactus, Rocks, Support and Connections in AZ – Picture to Ponder – Vol 4- Issue 38

by Sheila Finkelstein on October 15, 2008

Red Prickly Pear cactus in Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Lindy Erwell photographs Sheila Finkelstein in Boyce Arboretum Sheila on Rocky ledge in Boyce Arboretum

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos

Top photo is Red Prickly Pear Cactus in the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior, Arizona, between Scottsdale and Phoenix

In the bottom left picture is Lindy Erwell photographing me as I (in the right photo) aim my camera at her

As I poured through my almost 500 photos from Boyce, for some reason the top photo, with its pinks, contrasts and shadows begged to be the featured photo for the day. So I followed that “little voice.”

In the meantime, since similar cactus plants seemed to be almost everywhere in Arizona, I realized that you would not get a sense of the Boyce Arboretum from this photograph. I, thus, selected the bottom two photos to give you some visuals of the environment and our hike.

The Story
Ordinarily when I am on outings, my camera and I are intent on the elements of Structure and Nature as we meander through wherever we are. On this particular day I became totally captivated with the different postures Lindy assumed as she photographed whatever she was intent on capturing with her camera. Starting with her lying flat on the ground to photograph a grasshopper, as close up as she could, I took many photos with her as subject. (See the start of my Arizona Set on FlickR for a few of the others.)

I was enthralled with the rhythm and the flow of the lines of her body and the ease with which she assumed the postures necessary to fulfill on her intentions. The featured photo of her, I think, gives a sense of that.

Aside from being the “candid camera” subject of so many of my photos, Lindy also volunteered her arm for support for me as I went down many of the rocky paths. She even offered, and managed, to add my camera bag and water bottle to her slim shoulders. I agreed with some reluctance. See LINDY with camera bags.

One of the most exciting aspects of the outing with Shellie, my hostess, and Lindy is that I “met” Lindy when she was a participant in one of my Through and From the Lens Teleclasses, more than two years ago. We have maintained occasional email contact since, mainly as a result of her having become a periodic commenter to various issues of Picture to Ponder. Knowing that she lives in Scottsdale, when I planned my visit, I contacted her, in advance, to see if we could get together.

After our day together, we both shared our delight on the “connections” made through the course and how it seems like we’ve known each other forever.

Although it’s been some time since Lindy has updated her photos on FlickR, you can see many that she took during the four weeks of our course on Lindy’s FlickR Photos.

Reminder – Through and From the Lens is being offered in-person for the first time in South Florida on Saturday, October 25th. “Connections” are one of the bonuses of the course. See Saturday Workshop It will be resumed as a teleclass series starting in November. To be on the list for more details for these classes, fill in your name and time preference on the form on the blog.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
As I think, and write about, my experiences with Lindy, her support during the climbing up and down over rocks at Boyce Arboretum becomes a prime part of my experience and memory.

Today, I invite you to look into your life to see:

1. Are there areas in your life where there are people who want to be helping you and supporting you and you, in your need to be “strong” and “independent,” are either ignoring or outright rejecting their offers?

If so, I invite you to open yourself up to the contribution being offered and see what opens up for both parties. Keep in mind how much you, presumably, enjoy helping others.

2. Are there people in your life with whom you’ve had some connection, would like to have more and, for whatever reason, you haven’t taken that first step?

Again, if “yes”, I invite you to reach out, have some fun and see what opens up for you.

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Anhinga at Wakodahatchee Wetlands

by Sheila Finkelstein on September 5, 2008

pair of anhingas at end of day at Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Birds at Wakodahatchee Wetlands

 

 

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Unconditional Love of a Maranta – Prayer Plant

by Sheila Finkelstein on September 2, 2008

“Unconditional Love” – Can plants love us? We could get into a philosophical dialog here. We could say anything is a reflection of ourselves, so if we are putting love out to someone, or something, it reflects it back to us. This may not always work with people.

They do say that animals often love their owners unconditionally. And for this post, I am standing in – Plants CAN grace us with unconditional love.

View of inside maranta plant in 2005

Prayer Plant in 2005

It is my experience with my “maranta” plant that has generated this query/discussion. My prayer plant has been with my husband and me, now me alone, in some form, for close to 40 years, or more! It would seem, based on this one plant, that they can love us unconditionally, beyond all measures of neglect.

Three years ago in Picture to Ponder, I wrote about the “abuse” this plant had taken over the years and how it always bounced back, no matter how much I neglected it. See Maranta Photos for the other photos linked to in that article.

A few months ago, I was sure the plant had finally given up on me. I was on my way out for a 5-day trip when I remembered to water it before I left. When I went to it, I discovered that most of the leaves had dried up from lack of water AND the plant was infested with, seemingly, hundreds of minute insects.

No longer could I simply pull off brown leaves. There was no way I could debug it. I took it outside to dump. Before leaving it, I did detect a very tiny, stem with 2 leaves and a very faint root. I found a smaller, clean pot and fresh soil and planted this tiny seedling, before leaving for my trip, then forgot about it. I was so sure that it was “gone” I never even thought to photograph it.

Fast forward three months – Miraculously that plant is growing and bringing on new shoots. Unfortunately, so sure was I of its demise, I never thought to photograph it. Six weeks later it was blooming healthily, already having unfolded several new leaves.

maranta 6 weeks after having been transplanted

maranta inside - 8-27-08

In the meantime, the bug infested plant that I had discarded as completely lost, I had thrown in a corner close to the house against a fence. Then about two and half months after the upset of discovering what I had considered the “hopelessly infested” plant, I glanced over at where I had tossed it and saw that a portion of the plant had survived, although the plastic pot had broken down.

maranta outside - plastic pot deteriorated

After several weeks of seeing a couple of leaves, still somewhat alive in the deteriorating plastic pot, I decided to put it in the ground.

unfolding leaves in center of maranta planted outside

Maranta in Ground

Now it has become an almost daily practice for me to photograph both the indoor and the outdoor plants, as I spend a moment or two, with each, in gratitude.

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Red Onion – Peeling Layer 7

by Sheila Finkelstein on August 11, 2008

red onion day- peeling layer 7

Most of Layer 7 Peeled from the Larger Bulb

  red onion - peeling lay 7 from small bulb part

Surprisingly the Layer surrounding the smaller section is thicker than that around the larger. Do we more tightly protect the smaller, perhaps the more sensitive, components of ourselves?

  red onion layter 7 peeled from both segments of the onion

Both parts are still together. Per my fears expressed here yesterday, I find it interesting that it never occurred to me to trust that the basal structure (in onion language) would, in fact, keep the parts intact.  It was difficult to peel off the layers between the structures. Note the resulting bruising.

  red onion in dish with all the pieces peeled from layers 7

 The onion with all the pieces peeled away this seventh day. I love the way the smaller section, though apart, curves over and looks down on the larger part of itself.

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New Layer of Self Revealed – Onion Day 5

by Sheila Finkelstein on August 9, 2008

peeling away onion layer - day 5

To start peeling the layer on Day 5, the section I had started separating on Day 1 now opened up. The remaining piece that had held it to the onion was layer 5 and now it had to go. Reminds me of the rare times I allowed myself to feel that I was hanging on by a thin thread.

Top of onion separates from the rest

The separated inside of the top of the fifth layer also has layers within. I love the beauty of the inside of that start of the layer I will be peeling off. How complex and beautiful are the many parts of ourselves!

two sections of red onion now revealed

As I finished peeling layer 5 a whole new section of the onion was revealed!! – the two parts of it – the Ying? and Yang? – the Masculine and Feminine parts of ourselves? One larger than the other!  – Ponderings for the day.

On a final note – I do not like the background of the cloth here, especially in the night light. This week’s lesson in the Photoshop Elements 6 course I’m taking is “Isolating Parts of an Image.” What synchronicity! I’m thinking I’ll use one of these photos to put the onion in a more natural background.

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Peeling Away the Next Layer – Veggies Day 4

by Sheila Finkelstein on August 7, 2008

Peeling away at the onion - Day 3

Once again, I started in immediately with my knife to peel the next layer. When I saw how I was scraping the inner surface, I immediately switched to gently peeling away with my fingers.

I wonder, “Is this how I treat myself (and others), immediately cutting in? What will be available as I become more gentle with myself? ” How about if it’s simply – not always so simple – appreciating the unaltered beauty of what’s underneath?

How about you? How do you treat yourself? With a knife or with loving tenderness?

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