Sunshine and the Rain
Simultaneous sunshine, rain, and shadows not only make for a nice macro image, but also are a pretty good illustration of my life!
The Beauty of Nature's Asymmetry
This leaf's slight asymmetry—revealed in macro—reminded me of the fact that even the most aesthetically pleasing human faces are also not perfectly symmetrical.
Youth
Natural Art
What time away from social networks allows one to accomplish!
I've caught up on a number of work issues and even had the chance to revamp one section of this website. What initially started off as one project, "In the Snow," has transformed into Natural Art. (Yes, you should click on that link!) So I needed to explain why I keep returning to this difficult-to-control medium (have you tried rearranging tea leaves to make an eye?) and update the slideshow.
The direction that I'd like to pursue here pertains to myth and myth-making, and, in particular, those of the Slavic Dreamworld.
Oh, and maybe now I can reconnect Twitter and--eventually--the greatest distraction of all, Facebook!
Still Life with Raspberries and an Espresso Cup
I needed to get away from the computer for a while, so I stepped outside to pick some raspberries.
This is the result:
It's not that berry picking requires a special photo session, but that I knew they'd be too delicious not to get consumed right away!
And I was right. :)
Beets!
Here is a selection of smaller-sized seasonal organic food that we get from a local farm here in the Rockies.
Of course, in many places around the world, and as I recall growing up in Russia, it is simply known as "food"! ;)
Last year's Stanford study found surprisingly few noticeable health benefits between organic and conventional fruits and vegetables. Of course, the issue is not solely about how much damage our bodies can handle, but rather the loss of soil nutrients from massive corporate-style farming, the limits of technological invention to produce more and more food exponentially, and the loss of traditional farming knowledge--as a result of displacing local farmers by the former---should such technologies fail in a crisis, among others.
Simply put, it's that impossibility of infinite progress again, upon which contemporary West--Europe and especially North America--is based.
On a lighter note, why beets?
Beets are the quintessential Slavic vegetable!
They proudly stand alongside the potato in their purple uniforms so that we, Russian women, could make a gazillion billion traditional dishes out of them. (I can only do about half a dozen.)