Two snowballs to remind us that we are just like them: we come from the sky, we are shaped into a being and we will eventually disappear absorbed by the earth. Let’s enjoy the stay; greetings from the photographer.
I find it difficult to leave this magical place. I can understand why people build monasteries up in the mountains.
“Silence is inhabited by countless beings, in forests, lakes, seas, mountains, and underground too – the Creator has placed inhabitants everywhere. Even fire is inhabited, so too is the ether, the sun, the stars – the entire universe is inhabited. So wherever you go, in the mountains, in the forests, by rivers, lakes or oceans, if you want to be like a child of God, aspiring to a life that is subtler and filled with more light, do not disturb the silence of these places. Show that you are aware of the presence of etheric creatures living there. When you approach them, begin by greeting them; show them your respect, your love, and ask them to give you their blessings. These creatures will catch sight of you from afar and, filled with wonder at your attitude, will come running to shower you with their presents of joy, light, love and pure energy. And you will return home with a much greater idea of what life is.” Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
This is what Joëlle sends me. She’s known me for 15 years! I am grateful to her, and I use this text to think of our animal friends. As for the others, I must confess I do not know how to capture them with my camera. Of course we could take into account the orbs; I have some in various pictures, but it is difficult to photograph the invisible with a standard camera. I am already in awe of the Spirit in the living beings, and I don’t feel the need for more. Abundance is an intimate feeling.
Do you see what I saw? Some birds know how to become perfectly invisible in their environment. It is then up to the hunter (even the photo hunter) to know how to spot what is hidden, just like the soothsayer sees in the present things others don’t notice… and can then tell what lies in the future…
Other birds are perched very high to observe their environment because they are very small, like pine cones. Usually they are the best singers! Who can tell me the name of this one?
I let you meet the ancient spirits of this old polished trunk, which has been watching the sea for many years (or watching you maybe?). Here, they leave very old trees on beaches to protect them from the waves or storms. They make up an efficient barrier and prevent the sand from being taken away by the tide.
We go on an early morning hike, and after a few miles, we go down towards a lake and stop to look around. I take a few snapshots of what I see. I listen to the silence. I learn to see what is not yet visible.
Suddenly, further away on the right, I hear a splashing sound and I zoom in quickly with my camera to catch the animal.
The elk, two old males, are coming towards us. I hold my breath: they are simply enjoying the chilly morning temperature in the swamp.
After the Rockies, we decide to continue towards Mount Olympus, Washington State. It is located by the Pacific Ocean and is covered by primitive forest. Meeting our vegetable ancestors, feeling immersed in a green ocean, sleeping under those trees hundreds of kilometers away from civilization: what a privilege! These will be the two most important things in the future: silence and space.
We have the chance to pitch our tent right under those trees: many encounters with very old trunks.
Some birds on a quiet river…
I find out that the river is named after a French fur trapper from the 18th century: Payette. According to the legend, he was murdered by one of his many spouses and was one of these French explorers who came down from Canada to explore the Rockies. I could write an entire blog about the history of this country from the travels of the native people to the first settlers’ adventures. However, this is not the aim of the blog: this site is the testimony of my encounters with wild life. Sometimes even with a glass of white wine on my host’s deck to celebrate the animals around us.
I saw another few deer and doe. I did not photograph horses as I consider them pets…However, there are still some wild mustangs here; let’s see if I meet them. Some birds also fly by: a quail, a bright red bird, and also some baby swallows spotted a few days earlier. I felt like seeing birds, so I concentrated on “looking up” to spot them. The quail is often on the ground, however that time it was perched high and I could see it thanks to its cry. Listening to the birds is a way to communicate with the air element. And in the water, I enjoyed creating a mysterious submarine shape… you will see tomorrow.
After looking around for a suitable spot, we pitch our tent by a lake… YES, it was just like that: no editing guaranteed! I don’t reject living in a postcard-like scenery. At night, I have the privilege of seeing the mountain lit up by lightening for two hours.
Some meet the rocks by touching, reaching out, clutching themselves to them, climbing up then down along their gentle slopes or steep cliffs like the one in the photo below: the orange shape about a quarter of the way up.
Others leave their mark by engraving their names. Like the native people who left their petroglyphs, they share their personal history with their mineral ancestors, and these are now the witnesses and story-tellers of these people.
Here are two other friends; find their names.
Two rocks are called the Twin Sisters. A geological investigation actually revealed that these two rocks are MILLIONS of years apart. However, they are next to each other. It makes me think that the same is true among human beings in relation to their level of awareness or consciousness. Evolution is a fact; not something there to increase our sense of self-importance. The older rock tells us about the past of the Earth; the younger one is a testimony of its evolution. Love is what connects all. This is what I learnt from the City of Rocks…
You probably have recognized his shape…
This evening before night time, I walk around the plains and my search is rewarded: a dark spot in the distance gets closer. I have to wait a while longer to identify him, but his slow movements give me a clue. Finally, I sense him coming towards me…
It is time to get in and experience the floating sensation on the Salted Lake: we can sit without drowning… I still won’t go to the Dead Sea just for this! My kayak also floats in a weird way, and I find it hard to keep steering in the right direction…
Hundreds of years ago, another group of people symbolized the breed which used to live on the American continent and that they were called ‘antelope’. Their antlers are turned upwards and they have a white rectangular mark on their bellies. I often see it represented on Indian pottery from the Pueblos, similar to the ones from the Mimbres people. Now, those same animals appear in front of me, and I feel like I am going back to a different period of my humanity.
I also witness the movements of a young male and a young female, which are separated by a gate. They finally manage to go around the obstacle and meet in order to run happily together: just like runaway teenagers!
When I arrive in the old town of Salida, Colorado, I discover that many of the deer come here to find refuge, escaping the predators of the mountains: coyotes, foxes, eagles, and even bears. It’s the time when the females are ready to give birth, and they prefer being near humans for protection. Once again, a world of opposites, but this time in a way that honors us as humans.
In the evening, I’m overjoyed to discover a little fawn about a week old leaping extraordinary heights; he is like a loaded spring, waiting for his mother who watches him. I bless him wondering if he will know how to live in the mountains far from the humans who protect him.
One of the deer comes to rest after leaving her babies in a safe place. The fawns don’t leave a moment of respite for their mother, whose heavy eyelids show her exhaustion. One of them comes to take a short nap in the garden.
We quickly enter the Rocky Mountains; leaving the plateau of Santa Fe, which is already at 2000 meters. We hardly notice the higher altitude as we drive into Colorado. Here, there are several 14,000-foot peaks, which people often strive to climb. I’m happy enough to walk with my friend from the region, a former Colorado park ranger and river guide. He knows how to look, but more importantly, how to see. He takes me on a rough, gutted road in his 4X4 – hold on Marcel! A few kilometers later by foot brings us to a mountain lake.
And there, in its beauty, we find a brown trout.
I finally start this blog. I would like to share with you my way of communicating with nature: without drugs or in a complex manner. You just need to pay attention to what is around you. A camera lens allows me to show you what catches my attention. The frame is as important in a photo as in life: you choose what you want to see. Sometimes you see the whole picture; sometimes you zoom in to focus on a particular detail. That detail will give you a clue to a mystery or a discovery.
I’ve just returned from a trip, and here is what I saw: dunes floating above a nearly dry river bed.
Deer tracks: am I going to meet them? I will follow them and watch out…