varner

Right down to the sun shining through the body of the bee.

Hi Stephan... Wow. Now I think I may have to run out and get a 4G :-)  What fun! I can see why you are excited about the possibilities. This one is amazing. I haven't taken advantage of my 3G but you've inspired me. Thank you.

Delilah "Lila" ... how to say good-bye. I don't think your folks that loved you so much, ever will. Instead, we celebrate you with a poem from John O'Donohue.

Though we need to weep your loss,
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,
Where no storm or might or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn
Brightening over our lives
Awakening beneath the dark
A further adventure of colour.

The sound of your voice
Found for us
A new music
That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze
Quickened in the joy of its being;
You placed smiles like flowers
On the altar of the heart.
Your mind always sparkled
With wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief,
Your spirit was live, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer
From the old distance of our names;
Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,
As close to us as we are to ourselves.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,
We know our soul's gaze is upon your face,
Smiling back at us from within everything
To which we bring our best refinement.

Let us not look for you only in memory,
Where we would grow lonely without you.
You would want us to find you in presence,
Beside us when beauty brightens,
When kindness glows
And music echoes eternal tones.

When orchids brighten the earth,
Darkest winter has turned to spring;
May this dark grief flower with hope
In every heart that loves you.

May you continue to inspire us:

To enter each day with a generous heart.
To serve the call of courage and love
Until we see your beautiful face again
In that land where there is no more separation,
Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,
And where we will never lose you again.

I love all the wispy, rhythmic webbing among the stiff, dried foliage. It feels as though it is connecting each pod together for one last celebration. A very whimsical capture, Stephan.

Oh, to walk along this river this very moment... to smell the dampness, to breathe in the crisp air... to acknowledge the turning of the seasons that hold memories of what was and what will be... to be filled with gratitude for all of it.

Thank you, Stephan.

Wonderful, poetic intricacy... ah, yes, I see the star. Indeed, a gift of the season. Thank you for sharing this with me, Stephan.

:-))  -  :>))  -  ;o))))))))))))))     -    I am... thank you!

This youngster is definitely embracing all that Halloween has to offer :-)

Happy Halloween to you, Stephan. Thanks for making me smile.

Beautiful, exciting, serene, mesmerizing and indeed, evoking reflection... . Really nice, Stephan, especially with those very BRIGHT colors.

A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kari! Hope you're out celebrating as I write this :-)

This image is spectacular, Stephan. It begins with the perfect composition and then explodes with those luscious colors. The watercolor texture gives this a luminous glow that only enhances the overall feeling.

Why am I not surprised that you also do paintings??! A man of many talents. Thank you for sharing this with me.

There is a quality to this one that I REALLY like... almost feels like a graphite drawing. Incredible detail and tones.

Wow, just gorgeous!

Absolutely love this one! The painterly quality coupled with the motion is wonderful.

Really lovely. Your macro images give an intimacy and perspective to all your images in this series.

Wow. This series is spectacular! I feel like I'm taking a wonderful walk through these mystical woods this afternoon. Thank you.

Gorgeous, Stephan. I love your thoughts about this tree and all those it has shaded and inspired. There is definitely a spirit within all of nature that  transcends time and generations.... this image definitely speaks of this.

There is a quietness here that pulls at my heart and summons me to walk in and be present with it. Very meditative image, Stephan.

A beautiful series, Stephan! Keep walking and exploring before work :-))  Thank you for leading me to these.

This one has a more epic feeling to it. I can see why you are moved to stop the car and take in these scenes, Stephan, as they are beautiful.

I too love the fog. It has been a sunny January here on the coast with the exception of a few days. I've missed the mystery and possibility that arrives with the fog. The vagueness, as you said, often defines those mystical details that get lost on brighter days. 

Wonderful composition.... the convergence of two paths into one! I especially like this image for the hint of color coming through.

Wonderful sense of light in the fog. I LOVE your quote with this one, Stephan. It definitely adds the depth that one tries to find in "foggy" times such as this image conveys.

Ahh, gorgeous... the long winter shadows that speak of short days, the fine icy detail on the delicate baby-green vegetation, and the moss covered oaks have been allowed to remain in their natural habitat. I have watched these areas dwindle as the oaks are cut down and their floor-bed covered with cement in the greater Sacramento area. A wonderful tribute to the natural beauty that is being lost.

Stephan, this is beautiful. I love the winter colors, the fine detail, the swoop of the composition that makes one lean into the scene but most importantly, the feeling that this image conveys.... quietness, solitude and yes, PEACE.

There is something a little haunting about this image. The lighting, detail to texture and composition are well done, bringing our focus on the statue that demands our attention.

Exceptional!