Connecting

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Technology achievements - more choices - more opportunities - and more need to prioritize behavior.

The image below makes me wonder. Are cell phones detracting from our best connecting or improving our connecting with the living world? The question comes to mind as I capture an obviously avid early morning paddler at Green River Reservoir State Park, north of Morrisville, Vermont. The young lady is using her cell phone and missing a fleeting moment of magical seasonal peaceful transformation on calm waters.

Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, You Tube, Emails, Texts, Twitter, TruthSocial, TikTok, a zillion apps - What improves connecting and what detracts from good connecting? Is it best to smell, touch, feel, and speak directly to who or what we are in the presence with? Are we satisfied with the convenience of connecting via a screen, without a number of senses present? Is it necessary to multi-task? I pride myself in multi-tasking, but what am I missing? Are we overloaded with the options that technology has advanced? Why am I less trusting of contradicting media alternatives? It is obvious to me… slow down, breathe, pause, prioritize, live love.

connecting

time out

Delight

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During a Friday morning walk with Jess, Paul, and Rob we noticed monarchs attracted to an Aster bush along the beautiful Burlington Lake Champlain path. With Fall foliage peaking I decided to use my monopod as a photo monopod and not just as a walking stick. I am glad I did. One monarch posed in just the right place for an image to reflect on.

I correct myself - our walks are really saunters. This is good for us middle elders. Not only are we maybe a little slower naturally, it provides us an opportunity to notice beautiful living nature as it noticeably changes early October

Attracting Asters

It's Out of Hand!

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Duality would be ok if separate realities were accepted with interest, curiosity, edification. But no; it seems canceling, lying, ghosting, are more the norm now.

I believe strongly that without trust there is nothing. Think about it - how is it possible to have any kind of meaningful relationship without trust. I have lost trust in ‘talking heads’, politicians, others. I understand exaggeration, cynicism, tongue in check, black humor. But, the sense of humor, and having fun, accepting Don Rickles type of shtick, is not acceptable any longer. It is an untrusting, combative, mess out there now - it is out of hand. Loosen up man.

I look to non-duality now. I want not to judge. I long for more - ‘Just the facts, ma’am’. Opinions are ok though. I accept yours. Let’s not fight. Let’s love.

out of hand

Big Moon Light

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Sometimes Nature just doesn't cooperate. I wanted a big, well defined full moon, nicely positioned over Camels Hump, to make a piece of art. Like usual, I work with what is gift. Last night was a beautiful night to be looking at the full moon rise, while the sun was setting. I love it.

Later, 10:30 or so, a partial eclipse occurred. I went to the driveway, well showered and in my PJ’s to catch a photo, no art making, just the facts ma’am.

Big Moon light

Partial Eclipse

Go with the Flow

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I emphasize living in the present. It seems all the gurus speak of living in the present. It makes sense. The past is gone. The future is nice to provide for, but the present is where it’s at. Now is all. It is so easy for me to miss something I want to be there for when I am not aware, mindful, in the present. It is joyful to be alive and aware of all the natural living wonder that is going on in front of my nose. Not that I want to hear all the shit, or be in the middle of turbulence, but if I am going to be in the present I need to go with the flow. I can’t control the uncontrollable. I can choose to participate in life in an authentic, joyful, upbeat, loving manner. I can be kind, not judging or comparing. I can be patient, listen to different realities. I can forgive when necessary. Doing the opposite of these positives is not so joyful. Why would I want to do that?

Go with the flow


Resilence

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As I open my reticular activator to living wonder I am finding myself saying unf@#$%^&*beievable. This is new for me. What I am concluding is, believe it man! There is unbelievable wonders in nature, in us. Believing is half way to feeling the joy of the journey.

My heart brain and my autonomic nervous system are avenues to my inner wisdom - my unconscious, that I so desire to access. I believe we have abilities to heal ourselves, to overcome the undesirable, to get thru tough times - being resilient. And, doing it with a good feeling.

It may be an emotional move, it may be financial. I know it is not just a mindset. I know I need to participate, do my best. Bucking up, helping to the extent I can, with a good positive attitude, goes a long way - acting with God given resilience.

RESILIENCE

Benevolent

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Benevolent

I woke this morning with a great grateful feeling - maybe my mantra taking hold, maybe my recent readings by Dr. Joe Dispenza, maybe my birthday month and thinking about life after life. Maybe my new wonderful connections. Whatever, it is unfxxxxxxbelievable. I know it won’t last, but I hope to get glimpses now and then. This overwhelming feeling has happened to me a few times in the last few months. Maybe it is part of my new spiritual journey, post Patty. I love it!

Abstraction - What?

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What does abstraction mean to me, in regard to my new BIG photo-reflection project I call ABSTRACTION? I have been altering images to my liking for some time. There has been a movement, for me, to abstraction for a while. I have less interest now in sharpness, depth of field, documentation. My interest now is light, color, design, message - altering the original view even to the point of non-recognition. I strive to raise question, not answer them. I strive to insight imagination, not clarity. I like when an image is affect, an intangible; a feeling, mood, philosophical or theological message. Be it positive. Be it delighting. Be it inspiring, Be it hopeful. Be it beautiful. Be it honoring natural awe. Flowers are a recent awe for me! I have even set up a gallery of flowers on my gallery site MESipe.com. I love it! I am not sure where my new bent will lead, but I am open to my universe. God, I pray I see your living wonder.

Fleeting Beauty

see SKYWARD

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It’s complete. I am done with my latest BIG photo reflection book - SKYWARD. All 240 pages of sky photos and reflections are posted on MikeSipe.com at the tab SKY REFLECTIONS. Please take a look. I like it as much as WATER REFLECTIONS. Now onto the next BIG photo reflection book, ABSTRACTION. I suspect it will take a couple years, like the others - a work-in-process - like me.

felicity

Close Closer Closest

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True beauty is often invisible to the naked eye. Look closer, and closer to see the essence. The inner beauty, if you will. It’s the third eye, through heart and soul that sees the inner beauty, essence - in nature, in humanity, in everything.

Day lilies really only flower one day. Talk about loving the present. Tomorrow is another day and another new and fleeting bloom. Love the moment; each new moment - that may be the message I hear.

Fleeting Beauty close

Fleeting Beauty Closer

Fleeting Beauty Closest

Lilies of the Field

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Thousands of lilies - a half dozen large plots of a variety of lilies that bloom at different times - This is Susan’s Lilies of the Field. Basically, they take up home on the majority of her large yard, on a scenic hill, in rural Vermont. I love it - nature’s coordinated colors and exquisite designs. It is new to me, to look so closely at flowers. They are something to behold - such perfection, such art. Nature’s living plants are unf……believable. I wish to photograph more flowers, wild plants.

Lilies of the field

Ground Cover

Finding Essence

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A recent photo of a lily pond reminds me of finding essence. I like the original image, but it is cluttered with detractors to the beautiful essence. I work to eliminate detractors, in my imagining, and with my meaningful living connections. I want to focus on what’s important, as I attempt to live my higher self. Are my contributions to my family, spiritual communities, and myself in balance with my basic goodness, my essence?

Decluttering

It’s complicated

GOLDEN HOUR GOLDEN YEARS

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What a beautiful time of the day - 5, 6am - calm, quiet, colorful, first light - Golden Light. It’s a wonderful time to capture a beautiful image, to reflect, to be. It’s analogous to my Golden Years - not always sunshine but often enough to be grateful for what IS.

I know it is unfathomable to believe, but I recently celebrated a 60 year reunion from St. John’s Prep school with a dozen other preps, at an all school reunion. There was not a seventieth reunion. In fact we were, ostensibly, the oldest attendees. What does that tell you? I say - we’ve gained wisdom, gratitude, love, longevity. Yes we are getting a little old, but I feel the care, the interest, the love, the spirit. I hope there is a 65th and 70th for me and others, but I don’t know. We may have to leave that up to the LEGENDS - The graduates of 1961 - not us Hooligans of 64!

The Golden Hour

Metamorphosis

LIVE LOVE second edition

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Photographing, reflecting, writing gives me pleasure, and evolves me! I am particularly happy with the completion of the second edition of LIVE LOVE. Changes with the second edition include 15 of my favorite images, my current whiteboard, and an added AFTERWORD which speaks about my latest revelation about SCG. My journey of seeking the significance of LOVE is my highest purposeful priority. You can view the full 62 pages of LIVE LOVE, including images, at MikeSipe.com/Live-LOVE.

David Stromeyer sculpture Love’s not Time’s Fool moving apart and coming close (my interpretation) is below. Shakespeare says about love: “Its constancy can hold the mutability of Coming close and moving apart”

Moving apart

Coming Close


I FEEL IT AGAIN!

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I wake at 4am at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire to walk the beach a couple recent mornings. It is low tide. I hope to catch the beauty. 4am or predawn was a habit for rising, to walk the shores of Lake Champlain a while back. What a delight - I remember - calm, peaceful, colorful, solitude, music of water lapping, birds singing. Time to focus, reflect, love. I capture a few images I can use for my new photo project, ABSTRACTION

Hampton Beach 5am

Noble Vue

Skyart

First Abraction

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I have my first image for my new project, Abstraction. I believe my approach is to going to be, look close in nature for light, color and composition, then look closer. I was amazed at seeing tens of Yellow Swallowtail butterflies, along the river in Woodstock, Vermont. It was a special experience - what beautiful creatures. The metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly is miraculous.

Yellow Swallowtail buttrfly

Yellow Swallowtail Close