Dark Shadows

No, not the TV series that ran from the mid-60s to the early 70s, nor the current movie w/ the oh-so-popular Johnny Depp.  I'm talking about the dark shadows found when you're walking in a heavily wooded area . . . the kind that seem to muffle sounds and heighten your hearing and make you a little jumpy.

Sure 'nough, I was back at a MetroPark this afternoon, walking through some pretty well shadowed paths.  I went to a different entrance for Englewood MetroPark, and took a short journey.

I wasn't anticipating decision making almost as soon as I entered the trail . . . if you're interested, I took the left trail.  You can see there's quite a bit of shade, but this was actually not very shaded compared to some of the rest of the trail I was on.

Once again, the extreme contrast between the sunlight and shadow was amazing.  A momentary shift of leaves and everything seemed to change.  Light became dark, and dark became light.  It made me walk slower to appreciate those changes, the shifting patterns of shadows, the spotlight moving around.

One thing I definitely marveled at was the number of VERY tall trees.  It seemed that they were all unbelievably tall, even those that had toppled.  I'm not talking just tall to a shrimp like me, but tall to the Jolly Green Giant . . . I kept looking up in pure appreciation and insignificance.

You wouldn't know from these pics just how deep the shadows were in some parts, but when I was in those sections, I didn't get pictures.  I know I could have used my flash, but there was something almost cathedral-like about the experience that I didn't want to disturb that image.  The shot above made me think sculpture (this would have been great for the Crafty Nature post!).

You know the sun has to be very bright to cast shadows through the leaves that make the shadows appear to be a shade of green.

I'm thinking this is evidence of woodpeckers, but it could be insects too . . . I did hear several woodpeckers, but didn't get to see any of them.  :-(

This tree startled me.  Does anybody else see the face that seems to be peeking from the middle of the tree?  Yikes, and yet another shot that would have been good in Crafty Nature.

I do NOT like spiders.  But I keep trying to get good pictures of their webs, and the spiders in/on the web.  It's one of those challenges I've imposed on myself and don't think I've met.  I like this one, but . . . I know I can do better.  No, I don't go looking for spider webs (I probably wouldn't have to leave the house for that!), but when I see one, I try to capture it.  One day I will be satisfied with what I get.

I don't know why, I just like it.

There were bugs everywhere!  I was glad I had my Off battery powered repellent thingy with me.  I'm not sure what this was, but he's pretty darn big.  I heard a couple of mosquitoes, but supposedly the silent ones are the ones you have to be wary of . . .

Yes, another shot that would have been great for Crafty Nature - I saw this one and thought of Bruce, the mechanical shark from "Jaws" . . .

And not a dozen steps from "Bruce" I saw this delicate flower.

It was a nice first venture into this section of Englewood MetroPark.  I'll have to go back another day and either try to go further on the same trail, or take another one.  That's a decision to be made another day though.  The rest of today I'll ponder shadows and light.  By moving light around, we can change what is highlighted and what is basically hidden.  What happens when that changes and the hidden becomes highlighted?  What's being highlighted in my life, and what are those things I'd rather stay out of the spotlight?

Dark shadows have brought on introspection.

J O Y

I had a hard time with my name as a child.  No, not spelling it, just having it.  The "jokes" got old very fast.

Everything from being asked if I washed the dishes the night before (Joy dish washing detergent), to being in church and singing a hymn with the word joy (not even a capitalized "J") that made my friends all look at me.  We won't even discuss my least favorite Christmas carol (I would LOVE to make it through just a single Christmas without hearing or singing it . . .) or the Three Dog Night song.

I always appreciated having a name that's easy to spell, but not that people expected me to be, well, happy.  ALL of the time.  Honestly, that's my preference, but sometimes life just doesn't cooperate, and I get a little angry, upset, moody, and/or downright hostile.  Sometimes I get a lot angry, upset, moody and/or downright hostile.

Tonight, I was out running a couple of errands  when the clouds caught my attention.  Yes, I pulled over to the side of the road to catch the pictures.

When I took the first one, I thought I was focusing on the clouds and burst of sun coming through. But when I reviewed it on my phone, I thought it was out of focus.  So, I took another one, and it seemed to be in focus.

Technically, both of the pictures are in focus.  The first one had it's focal point on the raindrops on the windshield.  The second one was my intended point of the clouds/sky/sunlight.

The difference in how the pictures turned out made me think about what I've been focusing on, which led me back to my name.

Quite a few years ago, I read somewhere that the only way to find real joy or to maintain that joy in your life was to follow the directions of the letters of the word.

J - Jesus

O - Others

Y - Yourself

If you prioritize your life in that order, you will have true and lasting joy.  

Nope, it's not easy.  There are many days I'd rather it be spelled either yoj or yjo, with a few of yyy thrown in for good measure.

But for those times I actually put it into practice, there can be a lot of craziness or drama going on around me, and I don't get sucked up by it or in it; there's a calmness and peace, knowing it will eventually be okay.  I hope that calmness and peace reflects like the sunlight shining through the storm clouds.

The name carries a reminder and a responsibility.  I hope I remember more often to follow the responsibility of not putting myself first and it becomes an ingrained habit.