Early Dismissal

oakville, indiana

i remember how fun and exciting it was when i was a kid to have school dismiss early because of a winter storm. even though i’m no longer the student, the feeling is still the same. teachers stop in the hall and discuss in hushed tones their hopes for an early dismissal. during one of those conversations today, i learned how to say ‘it’s snowing’ in french. 

this storm may bring quite a bit of accumulation, so i’m glad i was able to stock up on  snacks, veggie soup fixins, and books from the library. i’m keeping my fingers crossed that the mail will make it out here to oakville tomorrow for my netflix delivery.

it should be fun to get out and about post storm and see what mother nature has created for my camera to capture.

Blizzard

by William Carlos Williams

Snow:

years of anger following

hours that float idly down —

the blizzard

drifts its weight

deeper and deeper for three days

or sixty years, eh? Then

the sun! a clutter of

yellow and blue flakes —

Hairy looking trees stand out

in long alleys

over a wild solitude.

The man turns and there —

his solitary track stretched out

upon the world

peace,

julayne

Pastoral View

henry county, indiana

i’m always on the lookout for idyllic scenes like this. whenever i get caught up in a scene, it gives me great pleasure and a simple, peaceful feeling. another favorite scene for me is spotting a red-tailed hawk sitting majestically on his perch surveying the land around him. to enjoy moments like this, i can’t be zooming down the road or talking on the phone or  going through my to-do list. i have to be in the present; taking it all in with great observation.

nowness.

peace,

julayne

ps it actually felt warm on the prairie today!

Wintry Sunday Morning

henry county, indiana

i have always found gravestones interesting.  what i really like about this photo are the shadows and various shades of gray. i like the composition too. i took this on a recent cold and blustery sunday morning trip to miller cemetery where my parents are buried. i wanted to see if dad’s information had been engraved yet. it had.

i sure do miss my parents.

“fly away through the midnight air
as we head across the sea,
and at last we will be free”

- lyrics from ‘blubird’ by paul mccartney & wings

peace,

julayne

ps the sun has returned to the prairie! ~ welcome back, old friend.

Winter Garden

henry county, indiana

the seed catalogs have started to arrive!

iwas told in the library today that we have had nine consecutive without sunshine.

i knew it had been a long time.

while editing through my latest photos, i came across these shots i took of my garden through a very foggy window.

i’m starting to understand how the garden must feel this time of year.

this coming spring, i’m hoping to get an early start. i enjoy growing (and eating) early greens and i also want to be a successful carrot grower. i love the smell of freshly tilled earth; you can’t get more organic than that. i’ll spend my long winter nights pouring over gardening books, seed catalogs and dreaming of the day that i have my hands back in the soil……until then…..

peace,

julayne

Winter Thoughts

oakville, indiana

winter gives me a time to rest and reflect.

foggy and warm here on the prairie.  this weather seems a bit unusual to me for this time of year. the fog came in early saturday morning and hasn’t lifted yet. something else a bit unusual for me is that i’m not out there roaming around in the fog. does this mean i’m getting old? i hope not.

i did get out a few weeks ago during our first arctic blast. it was cloudy with glittery blowing snow that morning. i took some photos i liked of an old stone bridge. 

i’ve been reading no impact man’s book. i was such a fan of his blog! it’s a great read as far as ‘annualism’s’ go. there is also a doc that should be released to dvd soon. i can’t wait to see it!

i hope everyone is warm and happy and enjoying their winter.

peace,

julayne

2009 Retrieved | Abandoned Tracks

wilber wright fish and wildlife area, henry county, indiana

it’s quite foggy on the prairie this morning, a good day to make a pot of veggie soup.

 i took this photo last winter while hiking one of my favorite trails at wilber wright, near  rural  hillsboro, indiana.  if you venture off the path a little, you can find some ruins of the old state hospital. according to what i’ve been told, the grounds are haunted. cool.

i’m not much for resolutions. however, i think i’ll stay focused on the path i’ve been following: yoga, meditiation & prayer, vegan diet, anticonsumerist (is that an actual word?), mother, photographer, teacher, friend & lover. it’s all good stuff.

happy new year!

peace,

julayne

2009 Retrieved | Winter Sunset

henry county, indiana

winter sunsets are the best, i think. they are especially brilliant when it’s very cold out. i took this one last winter along state road 3 , probably looking toward mt. summit.

thinking back over the last year, i’m really happy over some positive changes i’ve made. one change in particular was very sad but it was a good life lesson that i’ve been working on for a better part of my life- wisdom, finally. it hasn’t dampened my positive spirit, in fact, it has encouraged me to continue to practice:  love, gratefulness, kindness, and compassion in all situations.

i feel blessed.

peace,

julayne

ps warming up a bit, better get errands run before the next snow/ cold wave. i’ll hope for calm winds.

Retrieved 2009|RustandRocks

henry county, indiana

cold, snow, moving toward sunshine…oh my! what a wonderful day it’s become.

i took this photograph late last winter or early spring. i took it in the driveway of my friends who live on the hill. it’s part of an old rusty jack that was holding some spring thaw and driveway gravel. i liked all of the colors, shapes, and textures. even though the photos never came out the way i envisioned them, i thought i would go ahead and post this just for a little fun.

let me know if you like it .

peace,

julayne

ps i adjusted the brightness and contrast for the effect you see.

2009 Retrieved +

cowan, indiana

happy snowy morning!

it’s been fun for me to go through the photographs i’ve taken in the last year, it’s really encouraged me to keep working on the blog. i took this  photo last winter during a snowstorm. it’s of a church window in the little town of cowan. cowan is about 1 1/2 miles north of oakville. i went to school there (1980) and now my daughter sierra will graduate in 2011. where does the time go?

we were living right outside the beltway in wash. d.c. when i decided to move the kids and myself back to indiana. that was 10 years ago. i had a hard time feeling comfortable in an urban environment. it’s one those things that make up our being that cannot be changed. my kids were just starting school and it was hard for me to send them out into that everyday.

looking back now, i think i made a good decision. the kids are good and so am i.

peace,

julayne

ps cold, snow, and a strong west wind here on the prairie.

2009 Retrieved

oakville, indiana

i’m about to upgrade to the 21st century! i have an new computer and am now busy trying to better organize my photographs. i’ve decided  to post a few photos that didn’t make it to the blog this previous year.

this photo , taken in janurary or febuary 2009, is the view out my west bedroom window looking southwesterly toward henry county, indiana. i wonder if i actually opened the window to get this? (i have old, dirty windows.) i love how the subzero temperatures make mother natures colors more vivid; it makes me feel like i’m in a maxfield parrish painting. looking back now, after photographing all four seasons, i know for sure that winter is my favorite.  followed closely by spring.

what is your favorite season to photograph?

“i am on a lonely road and i am traveling

 looking for the key to set me free” ~ Joni Mitchell | All I Want

peace,

julayne

ps the cold wind is blowing across the prairie; along with a few  inches of snow.