lying down in the grass

"...Come spring
You can find me rolling in fields
That are exploding in
Holy battles

Of scents, of sounds--everything is
A brilliant coloured nova on a stem..."

Hafiz as translated by Daniel Ladinsky



I got a new camera for my birthday from my sweetie. It's a little red Olympus, just a pocket digital, but wow, I haven't had a new camera in years and I'm in love with the fine detail, good colour, and the fabulous SUPER MACRO lens!! The macro lens has changed my walks. I walk every day; it's more meditation than exercise, more of a contemplative wander-and-explore than a cardio session. I live in the midst of amazing beauty, ocean and old forest, streams and meadows and slow country roads. I truly feel blessed to be able to soak all this in every day, and it feeds both my spirit and my creativity. I love to slow down and look closely at things - stones, flowers, clouds, waves. Sometimes I'll just lie down in the grass to see things from a different angle. Thats where the macro lens comes in! Yesterday I took my walk in the evening, violet clouds were spread out across the ocean and the air was soft and warm. The sap is starting to rise in the wild roses, combining with the sweet hay smell of the dry grass heads to create an incredibly gentle world of smells and sensations... so I lay down in the grass. I took these pictures, which are actually of TINY weed and grass heads against the sky, from my bug's eye view. And yes there was a little photoshopping involved later, but mainly I just increased the colour saturation a bit and cropped strategically. Let me know what you think.