Why Blog?

On Saturdays, I love to have breakfast out before doing my marketing.

Some years ago, when I first created a blog, it was to have a place to put my pictures and connect with other people around the world who also enjoyed sharing their photography.

These days, blogs are being abandoned everywhere and many of my blogging friends have disappeared, sometimes without a word, other times to post on Instagram and Facebook.
I miss by old blogging buddies and their blogs and the easy exchanges we all had with one another.

I suppose I need to ask myself why I blog. First and foremost, it's to have a collection of my favourite photos in the same place for a given period, usually one or two weeks. It's a journal in images.
I also like to write, but to do that I need to be in the right frame of mind, so sometimes there are mainly photos and other times there is mainly writing.  I go by how I feel in the moment.


Is it important for me that others be interested enough to want to visit my blog and maybe leave a comment? Yes, it is rewarding and I really enjoy exchanging with other bloggers and visiting their blogs or sites too.

Does it touch me that I get less visitors and less comments than I used to get a couple of years ago?
I have sometimes wondered what visitors expect to see or read. It is possible that what they find in this space is personally uninteresting to them!

Am I posting here for my own pleasure? Does it really matter if others appreciate it or not?
I do not put up images or write because it's what I think others want to see and hear - I would lose myself and my integrity if I did that. Yes, I am posting for myself, sometimes just writing things out makes me see more clearly, but I do love to get feedback from my visitors when they have the time to linger!


Above all, I need to be who I am in depth and I always speak from the heart, so what you see or read here is really me, not someone I pretend to be!

So for the time being, I will continue this space here, because above all, it's a place I like to be.
When you visit and when you leave a comment, I am happy too, but this cannot be my main motivation. It's a gift when others come in to leave a visible trace of their presence.

This is what I wanted to share today, and these thoughts have been weaving themselves in and out of my mind on the subject for a while now.

I shall be interested to hear your voice and what you feel about blogging today.

Wishing you all a wonderful day and may February bring us fresh thoughts and new beginnings from wherever we were before!

Sandra


When there is a sunrise or a sunset in my neighbourhood, I first see it reflected in the windows of the building opposite.  
This capture is a recent sunrise.
It prompted me to go out on my balcony and catch the faraway trees
and neighbourhood church steeple:



***

The Treasures in my Neighbourhood

This early morning scene takes my breath away!

Continuing my slow and mindful walks in my neighbourhood,
I was thrilled to see this beautiful clear sky on Saturday.
The crescent moon was just lovely
and the branches seemed to want to retain it a little longer.
It was around 7.30 am and the horizon behind the mountains,
was taking on a pink hue.
I had decided to walk downtown and have breakfast out, always such a treat,
before doing my marketing!

An afternoon stroll up the hill towards some fields,
made me notice these curly seedpods.
The trapped red-brown leaf, caught in their tendrils,
matched the colour of the pods.

Just a little further up the steep hill, I noticed the delicate details of this mossy branch.

This morning, the sky was a little hazy and had taken on an orange pink colour.
The street lights were still lit up.
Although I live in the upper part of town, I can still enjoy the beauty of nature.
I stood in the middle of the road to eliminate all buildings!

When we really look for it, there can be so much beauty wherever we live,
even in a town environment.
It all depends which way we look.
My goal this year is to seek out all the loveliness I can find
and as close to home as possible! 

Scene & Story: December 2017

My neighbourhood

Now when you live in the town, 
you have to look that little bit harder to find beauty
away from all the buildings and busy streets.

So I decided to make that my mission, I would look out the beauty
in my own neighbourhood!

I started off by walking more slowly and seeking out nooks and crannies
which I had never thought interesting before.

I chose different times of the day for my walks, so that I may see things in different lighting.
I started to look at things from another point of view,
as if seeing them all for the very first time.

The winter months had revealed all sorts of new things to notice
because hedges and trees were without their leaves
and there was simply more to see!

One day, I came across this partially hidden garden,
I had never taken the time to really notice it before -
maybe I was always walking too fast to get somewhere else?

I took lots of different shots, from different angles and on different days.
This is the image I finally chose because it perfectly captured the atmosphere
I wanted to convey.

The little lantern seemed to be the main subject.
enhanced by the red berries which acted as an embellishment
and the lines of the branches seem to bring it all together
as a whole.

Although I first discovered this garden in December 2017,
I know that it has encouraged me, in this New Year,
to continue seeking out the hidden beauty in unusual places 
and what better place to start than in my very own neighbourhood?

***

Linking up for Scene & Story
for the very last time.

This has been the wonderful project of Sarah and Lee
who had the grand idea of starting these monthly gatherings.

I shall miss these gatherings very much,
but I know I shall continue writing stories!

***


I Sometimes Wonder


I do sometimes wonder what all the fuss is about
as we leave one year and enter a new one.
I have always preferred it to slip in gently overnight when I'm asleep!

I do like to feel though, the gradual return to light, which I spoke about in December,
not so very long ago!

My daughter gave me this very pretty tree hanging in December.
I filled it with golden tinsel as a further symbol of light.
I thought it was perfect to wish you a beautiful start to your own year!

This second photo, is the first page of my new calendar for the year.
I found it so dainty and refreshing to represent these sweet peas
for the month of January, much more colourful and inventive
than a snow scene, don't you think?

For the time being,
I just like this first month of this year to unfold in harmony
and then it can be seen which paths to take
and how to take them.
There is no rush.