“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” Frank Lloyd Wright
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE… Deer in the yard
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE… Searching
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE… grazing
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE… Foliage up close
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit. Contd Below
This week’s Photo Challenge -CLOSE- is particularly interesting because it focuses on a theme that can be interpreted in several ways. “Close” could be all the things Sara mentioned in the WP post; a feeling, proximity, people, places, and objects. It could also be the ending, unfolding, deciding on a new direction to take, shifting winds, or even the completion or closure of a phase in our lives. When things are up close, we get a chance to observe, examine, and learn from them. However, proximity doesn’t necessarily provide all the answers because, sometimes, when we are in the thick of things, we miss clues and mix up facts. For clarity, we must ask questions… In this week’s challenge, I’ve turned to nature and a few other places for my answers and photos. Stay Inspired: A grazing deer stays close to nature in all weather conditions.
“Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE… an emboldened bird
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE… I see you
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE… fighting comrades
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE… Flora growing nearby
Life is odd with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow, Contd Below
A while ago, I photographed the birds at my local Sam’s Club and learned so much from them. We often talk about the birds of the air being completely reliant on grace and on their resilience to shift with the winds of changing weather conditions; this is true as they must compete with other prey for food and survival. My favorites were these shots. The first bird battled to get some of the bread I tossed to her comrades. Then she got bolder and came closer. She soon discovered that while closeness could be dangerous, it could also be hugely rewarding. How? Her determination to be fed and to survive was fired up. Because she dared to come close, her fear diminished. Because she wasn’t discouraged by the other fighting, fickle birds, she got fed. Press on!
“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” Alexander Graham Bell
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE… Tangy lounging on a laptop
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE… Ready for his closeup
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE… Tangy Take 2
Weekly Photo Challenge: CLOSE…Rain or shine, he plays.
Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit. – Author Unknown
Our family cat is a study in steadiness. From the first day we picked him up at the animal shelter, Tangy has been a playful, steady and loving companion. He loves to cuddle and sit up close whenever we gather at home. He loves his close ups too and has taken to modeling like a pro. Closed doors are meaningless to him; he goes about accomplishing his goal of pushing things under the door until someone opens it to retrieve them and then he playfully does it again… moving from door to door until he finds one he can open. And he does. Doors open and close on us all the time; that is the nature of life. It would be foolish to linger at a closed door in a vast world with endless opportunities. It would be equally foolish to assume doors close only on other people. They close on us all; sooner or later, somehow, some day. As Donne wrote “Therefore, send not to know for whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee…” Tangy teaches us to play and press forward. More below!
