Weekly Photo Challenge: Inspiration

On 08/02/2015 By Kat at travelgardeneatIn Photography4 Comments

If you Google the definition of the word “inspiration,” the first definition that comes up is:

the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

Even though I did not get out when it was technically still full, last night’s waning Blue Moon was inspiring, particularly when combined with another source of creative inspiration – Lake Superior. I felt compelled to load up the camera and tripod and head down to the water’s edge as the orange-pink orb crept up over the horizon of the big lake.

The higher the moon rose, working its way through wispy strands of clouds, the more intense the reflection on Lake Superior’s water became.

Moonshine as brilliant as sunshine, the water embracing its light, encouraging it to climb ever higher and then do it all over again tomorrow.

Ciao! ~ Kat

This post was in response to the Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge. “Inspiration” is this week’s theme. Everyone is welcome to join in the Challenge; further details on how to participate and links to others’ responses are found here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreamy

On 10/12/201410/12/2014 By Kat at travelgardeneatIn Photography5 Comments

A full moon hanging over Lake Superior, the vast waters glistening below, always creates a dreamy scene.

Ciao! ~ Kat

This post was in response to the Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge. ”Dreamy” was this week’s theme. Everyone is welcome to join in the Challenge; further details on how to participate and links to others’ responses are found here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above

On 05/04/201305/04/2013 By Kat at travelgardeneatIn Life11 Comments

The moon shining like a beacon from high above, a night-light casting that magical bluish light throughout the trees surrounding me . . .

Ciao! ~ Kat

This post was in response to the Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge. ”From Above” was this week’s theme. Everyone is welcome to join in the Challenge; further details on how to participate and links to others’ responses are found here.

Moonrise Over Split Rock

On 09/30/201209/30/2012 By Kat at travelgardeneatIn Gratitude, Quotes, Travel5 Comments

Remember how I mentioned that one of the privileges of being the driver is having the ability to decide where and how often we pull over for a photo op? I admit to feeling a little guilty about this one, but how could I just drive by the highway overlook when I can see in my rear view mirror that the moon is rising over Lake Superior, just as the sky is turning pink with the sunset?! Never mind that I have a car full of hungry people, including my parents visiting for the weekend, after we have spent the day hiking and geocaching at various State Parks up and down the North Shore, already running late for something we had planned that evening, with dinner deteriorating into an option between fast-food drive-through lanes another half-hour down the road . . .

The small wayside was full of folks, many with cameras in hand, all with faces turned toward the big, beautiful moon rising above Split Rock Lighthouse. I have stood on this same spot many times. I have plenty of photos of the Lighthouse from this same angle, taken at various times over the years. Yes, one always has the ability to try to revisit scenes such as this through the lens of one’s memory. But, to just drive by a scene like this and not try to capture it with the camera lens (even if that lens is only attached to a little Canon PowerShot SX130), seemed to suggest a callous regard for the magic the scene represents.

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” ~ Albert Einstein

I suppose that is why I have many photos from this spot – different times of day, different times of year. Each time I view the scene, I cannot help but admire the beauty of that old Lighthouse, standing so proudly on the cliff’s edge, looking out over the vast waters of Lake Superior, a graceful blending of the manmade and the natural. Add the white light of the full moon, the soft hues of the sky surrounding it, and you have one of those moments where your senses remind you to stop and never lose that sense of wonder.

Ciao! ~ Kat

Weekly Reflection of Gratitude: Be Glad of Life

On 08/26/201208/30/2012 By Kat at travelgardeneatIn Gratitude, Quotes2 Comments

Regularly pausing to reflect on my blessings helps remind me to be grateful for what is important in life. I hope you enjoy my first weekly “reflection of gratitude” blog post. Ciao! ~ Kat B.

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“Be glad of life because it gives you a chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.” ~ Henry Van Dyke