True friendship and Dolphins. Magical Moments. Making a Rock Pile. Color Challenge. Saturday Indigo. Original Photography.
Settling over the beach.
The sand-dune scrub. A blaze of green and purple.
Light fading. Something whispered: Make a rockpile. QUICKLY. ~Ally.
It had been the most Beautiful Day spent walking along the shoreline of Boomerang Beach (See the note below) from one end to the other.
The day has been filled with so many Magical Moments: The highlight was being given a crimson red starfish while photographing the rockpools at the other end of the beach.
Coming to the other end of the beach: I photographed the steep slopes covered in wild scrub: Tea Tree, Cotton Palms and Old Man Banksias, moving down into Lomandra and other native wild grasses surrounding lichen-covered rocks, moving down into the white squeaky sand. I hope to publish a series of photographs of this escarpment area for the Color Challenge, Thursday Green soon.
All of a sudden it was twilight and I was ready to call it a day. However, my attention was drawn to the enlivened contrast of the orange lichen on the steel blue rocks in the early evening light. Without thinking too much, I started picking up, holding and looking at some of the smaller rocks surrounding the larger rocks. And then something whispered: Make a rockpile. QUICKLY.
I made the first one: The one in the foreground of this image.
Something whispered: Make another as a companion. The light was so dim at this stage. It would be a total waste of time and energy to photograph it, I thought. But just for my own record, I did.
Often secrets. Lie concealed in the silence between the words or in the depth of what is unsayable between two people. ~John O'Donohue.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 800: 35 mm: f/4: 1/1000 sec.
Something whispered: Make another. And I did.
One of the tasks of true friendship is to listen compassionately and creatively to the hidden silences. ~John O'Donohue.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 800: 35 mm: f/4: 1/1000 sec.
The steep slopes covered in windswept native trees and shrubs, directly behind the rock piles. Photographed before the creation of the rock piles.
Our real life comes to the surface and its light awakens the concealed beauty in things. When we walk on the earth with reverence, beauty will decide to trust us. ~John O'Donohue.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 800: 35 mm: f/4: 1/1000 sec.
As I was about to walk away from the rockpiles, I looked out to sea and saw a pod of dolphins. Can you imagine how I felt?
All I can say is that I had a heartfelt sense that these simple piles of rocks that had been created to stand there for who knows how long (Maybe just for that night before someone would rearrange them the following morning? Maybe they are still there?) had an energy in their making that was somehow intertwined with the dolphins being there.
I am delighted to present these images now. Especially as I'd held no expectations that the rock piles would be at all visible.
Boomerang Beach.
Towards the end of last year a friend and I stayed in a house that was only a 10 minute walk, skip and a jump away from Boomerang Beach.
Named for its boomerang shape, Boomerang Beach is 400 kms north of Sydney and is renowned for its crystal clear waters, white sand, sheltered reef outcrops and some of the most ideallic surfing waves.
Not surprisingly this beautiful beach attracts surfering enthusiasts from near and far. A surprise awaits anyone who can tell me what else I saw in the water, apart from swimmers and surfers, the day before I saw the pod of dolphins.
'True friendship and Dolphins' is for:
- @barbara-orenya's Beautiful Day
- @sunscape's 'Nature's Beauty'
- @magicalmoments 'Magical Moments'
- @kalemandra's Color Challenge of Saturday Indigo.
Wild guess: a jellyfish or a turtle. I'm dying to know!
Love the mysticism and poetry in your post (writing and photos). I never think to take photos at dusk, but you've just sparked an interest. Thank you for sharing @allyinspirit
Loved sharing these 'rock creatures' with you @osm0sis.
Most photographs I've tried to take at dusk have been so disappointing ~ Which was why I was surprised and really elated to see these 'rock creatures' were quite visible in the images.
I've always loved indigo tones too ~ The cool version of sepia. So it would be interesting to experiment more with twilight to dusk photography. Let me know how you go. 🦋
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Thanks so much @boomerang. 🦋
There could have been jelly fish in the water. Not sure if there would have been turtles though. But what I saw was something else again: In much the same area as the dolphins ~ Out to sea, but close enough to see. 🦋
Uuuuh, a shark? a whale? a seal? a shipwreck? a mermaid?
You have it now Sylvia. Not all of them. But a WHALE. So you now have my 100% vote and another little 'surprise' will be on its way to you soon. 🦋
Yaaaaay!!!! I love guessing games :) I'm lucky there wasn't too much competition this time. Thank you so much!
No competition at all this time Sylvia. Then again, the question was rather subtly integrated ~ On purpose. But you saw it ~ Which I'm so happy about.
🐬C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S 🐬
The little 'surprise' from @boomerang wasn't quite as big as I'd hoped for. Last time, about a week ago, the 'surprise' was almost 3 times as much. Will have to find another source for my 'surprises' next time. 🦋
Are you kidding?! It's more than I would ever expect (in fact I wouldn't expect anything at all). A lovely little surprise - with many thanks my dear.
Question for you: How do you get these cute emoticons (butterfly, dolphins..) in your posts and comments?
I use Firefox: Where you go to 'Edit' and scroll down to 'Emoji and Symbols' ~ Hope you can find them. 🦋
thx for sharing
Love this sweet balance you have found here, in your post and with the stones...I take them and this beautiful day with me ^_^
So lovely to be able to share this beautiful day with you now Barbara. And thanks so much for continuing to share the love and balance that I found there. 🦋
With pleasure my dear ....
So lovely to see Wonkie's big smile as I prepare to slip off to Dreamland Barbara. I am so far behind once again but hope to catch up with you and Wonkie again really soon. 🦋
This is such a wonderful post I've actually just read it three times! You've described the magic of the moment so beautifully.
I love that you listened to the voice and built those 3 rock piles. My mind is wandering now to their purpose! I know that if I were to stumble upon 3 rock piles I would feel particularly blessed that day. :)
And the dolphins! And the gift of a starfish! And (I read the comments...) you saw a whale! Just wow, wow, wow.
Learning to listen to that voice more and more Johleen. Somehow it's easier to hear when you are by the ocean.
I've always loved rocks and stones. I can remember as a really young kid, the first time I saw a picture of Stone Henge, I wanted to BE there, amongst those huge rocks. Still on my 'wish-list' to visit but not so much the formations that have become popularized, but more the out-of-the-way cairns in Scotland.
There is a spirituality behind the making of the ancient cairns and today we have rock stack artists making them as spectacular sculptural art formations. My little 'Rock Creatures' are very humble relative to these. However when we do anything with love and care, it heightens our sensitivity and awareness and I always feel that this energy will be imparted into whatever we make, or do.
Some conservationists are now discouraging the practice of making rock-piles in that they can alter the environment for some sea creatures. But we are talking about beaches that are literally covered with thousands and thousands of small rock piles. I know of two such beaches in Australia but have yet to visit them.
I took this photograph just before making the rock-piles. Just below the horizon you can see a white breaking wave line ~ Just in front of this waveline, to the left of the rock in the middle of the image ~ Is where the dolphins were. 🦋
Oh lovely, thanks for sharing this picture!
Funnily enough, Ialso love rocks and stones. Mostly because my husband has always loved them and he kinda got me into it too. We even have a little stone that we found that seems to have both his name (Tim) and my name (Joh) etched into it just by virtue of the time worn crevasses.
My step mum recently did a 7 day hike in India and on the last day, on the top of one of the mountains she made a rock pile for my Dad who passed away a few years ago. When she told me, I thought it was just one of the most amazing and beautiful things she could have done.
Wow - I didn't know that about conservationists discouraging rock pile making. I guess I can understand it, but it is such a magical act that we, as humans, seem to have been doing for millennia... so I don't think it's going to stop any time soon!
THREE times. WOW. Thanks so much Johleen. To be continued as it's time for me to visit the Land of Dreams. 🦋
Beautiful things lye on simplicity. Love your photos, love your post. Cheers, my friend!
I've been attempting to work with simplicity for what seems like my entire life.
I'm drawn to minimalism in the work of others in art and photography and writing ~ Yet it seems to allude me so often in my own work. Still, working with rocks in this way, I feel I'm on the way.
So pleased you resonate with this work Isabel, as I feel you often are able to capture the essence of a beautiful simplicity in your own photography. 🦋
Thanks for your words, I can see it in your work, the quest for simplicity and spirituality. I guess is my quest too. Big hug, sweetie!
A beautiful and never-ending quest for us both to be on. 🦋
It really is, my dear :)
Nice images of balanced stones again :) They look somewhat spiritual all the time to me, i even do not know why...
Thanks so much David.
We don't always need to know the 'whys' to appreciate the spiritual qualities of a person or people, a flower or garden, rock or group of 'rock creatures.' Although the feeling I have is that when we handle (or gaze upon) something with care, we can be more in touch with its 'essence.'
Also, in order for the rocks to balance like this, you need to find their contact point. And to do this you have to work in harmony with the rocks. 🦋
Exactly, i think it should be an amazing therapy i have to try to connect with nature in such an intimate and sophisticated way. Takes time patience. I will try and then will post my results if i manage to get any higher than 3 rocks lol
It's such a wonderful practice ~ Incredibly stilling. To start with: Give yourself some alone time. Find two smallish rocks and just place one of them on the ground. Try to have a sense of which side the rock wants to be placed on.
Even a rock that seems to be reasonably smooth will have one or a few little indents. So with the second rock, keep it in your hand as you move it over the first rock. You will feel or have a sense of when they connect. And you will sense the stability of both rocks together.
Then find a third rock and follow the same process.
The first stones I helped to balance together came from a mountain stream ~ Only 3 rocks and they took on the resemblance of a little Buddah ~ I felt anyway.
I'll look forward to seeing your rock creature now. 🦋
Sounds really inspirational. But i have to hurry, the winter is coming, and from what i understand it takes time :)
Understand. It can take time ~ At the same time, making a rockpile ~ Even a small one will give you a sense of time expanding.
The thing is, now that you know how to make one, a situation/environment may present itself to you where you will find yourself simply making one.
Maybe in the Spring. 🦋
Your Photos are Amazing <3
Thanks so much Yu.
There was a beautiful energy in the air that evening. Maybe some of its magic seeped into the images. So pleased you like them. Love your painting. Wonderful to connect with you. 🦋
<3
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