As I mentioned in my previous post, even though I have gotten a bit slack about writing, I have still been traveling a lot- for both personal and professional reasons. My trips have taken me all over the country and also outside of it, covering a wide variety of environments. No matter where I go I try to remember to take pictures, whether relaxing on vacation or on the move for work. It seems that no matter where I am, if I stop a moment to enjoy what is around me, I always find myself amongst beauty.  It is so easy to take this for granted and let it fade into the background of daily existence.

We all are in constant motion; everyday we go to work, we move from place to place, we are occupied with tasks, doing this and that. I am guilty of this myself, when I leave my house, whether to go to work or heading to the airport, I am thinking ahead to reaching my destination and the things I have to accomplish that day. We rarely take a moment to pay attention to our surroundings and just “be” in the moment. Too often it seems that only when we are on vacation or otherwise escaping from the chaos of everyday life do we take the opportunity lift our heads and really notice our surroundings.  Consequently we miss the beauty and magic we are in the midst of every day.

As I was downloading my photos and remembering the wonderful vistas I had photographed it really emphasized that we should pay more attention on a daily basis to this beauty– it is everywhere and wonderful!  We don’t have to be on vacation or anywhere special.  Everywhere is special and we have to take the time to notice it.  I think it is best if I emphasize my point with photos. Hopefully it will help you think about stopping and paying more attention to the world around you and its inherent beauty as you go about your daily business, too.

Rainbow of blue seen while on St. Lucia at sunset.

Sunset: I find sunsets to constantly provide some of the most spectacular views possible.  How many of us take them for granted?  I mean they happen every 24 hours so it is hardly an unusual event.  But if you start paying attention to them you realize each one is different each one paints a different palette of colors across the sky. That is 365 days a year of different, year after year; each one unique.  Admittedly, they are best appreciated when out in the open- cities tend to block the potential of a sunset.  When you have the chance to watch a sunset under an expansive sky you see an amazingly beautiful rainbow of blue emerge. 

Tree shadowed by sunset in Colorado Rockies

The same tree a few minutes later as the sun dropped below the horizon.

Clouds reflecting sunlight as the sun is setting. Dynamic and beautiful. You have to watch carefully or you miss it.

Forests:  I don’t know how many shades of color the human eye can discern (there is probably a website on that somewhere!) but while hiking through the forest the various shades of green present seem to be never ending.  Coupled with sunlight flirting through dense foliage, the emergent shades of greens, browns, and blacks, are soothing and uplifting all at the same time.  An occasional splash of color from an errant flower makes the scene all that more impressive.  Of course in the fall, when the leaves change colors, the restful canopy of green becomes a vibrant noisy splash of color, almost as if the forest was putting on one last finale before going to sleep for the winter.

Forest trail in the mountains of Vermont near Stowe. It was not too sunny that day but still beautiful and serene!

Another view of the trail. It looks like a secret door to a magic kingdom beyond!

The texture and color variety of the river rocks is amazing. Sometimes you just have to spend a moment noticing.

Water:  Earth is a water planet- blue is the dominant color whether looking down into the depths or across the horizon.  On the horizon the blue of the oceans merge very easily with the blue of the sky and the horizon usually can only be detected with the presence of a stray cloud.  Looking down through the depths, the colors vary dramatically depending on whether you are over the deep ocean where the blues rainbow into deep impenetrable blacks or whether you are in the shallow areas of our planet’s seas.  The shallow areas, such as the Caribbean, are especially striking as the color changes dramatically depending on depth and ocean floor structure.  It is one of my favorite areas to fly over for this reason.  If you are not glued to a window when flying over the Caribbean you are missing a very special experience!

The clouds help break up the horizon from the water, which seems to go on endlessly. Another beautiful rainbow of blue.

A view from the plane window flying over the Caribbean. Note the clear blue shades highlighting the different depths around the island. Imagine this on a grand scale as if you could see the whole Caribbean at once!!