Weekly Photo Challenge: Water, Water Everywhere…
“Water is life’s mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Weekly Photo Challenge: Water, Water Everywhere... Hakone, landscape and lake - view from an elevated cable car in Japan
Weekly Photo Challenge: Water, Water Everywhere... Punting/Boating in Cambridgeshire, UK
Weekly Photo Challenge: Water, Water Everywhere... still waters in Caen
Do you know that 70.9% of the earth’s surface is covered by water and 97% of it is ocean water? Water sustains life and without it, much of life; human, plant and animal life, will perish. Even our human body, depending on size, contains anywhere from 55% to 78% water. The water we consume on a daily basis, and the water we use for household and other chores make our lives easy. If water were human, I will call it an enigmatic soul; for water is both healing and destructive… We use it to clean ourselves, baptize our babies, put out fires, grow our crops and make things. Yet, like a huge flood, a broken dam, or a tsunami, water can destroy things.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Water, Water Everywhere... a koi pond at Omega Institute, NY
Weekly Photo Challenge: Water, Water Everywhere... Spillways at Hiram Chittenden Locks, Seattle, Washington
Weekly Photo Challenge: Water, Water Everywhere... Halsey Pond and her ducks in NY
Unless we live in regions that are starved for water, areas that speak to the other half of my post title (water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink), most of us don’t give our water supply much thought… We should. We can make a difference by paying attention to efforts made by organizations like Charity: Water; a non-profit organization that brings clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. We can moderate our use of water by turning taps off and monitoring how we use/waste water in our households. I love water. I love using it and being close to it, and I understand the challenge of taking it for granted. I find that I am reminded of how precious water is when I travel to countries that ration their water… We can all do more.
My selection of photos are from bodies of water I have visited; they cover the range from rivers, lakes, to ponds, to spillways, punting in Cambridge, a koi pond and more. Enjoy the selection and let me know your water experiences… 🙂 More below.
“In Amsterdam the water is the mistress and the land the vassal. Throughout the city there are as many canals and drawbridges as bracelets on a Gypsy’s bronzed arms.” Felix Marti-Ibanez
Weekly Photo Challenge: Water, Water Everywhere... Approaching Amsterdam water views
Weekly Photo Challenge: Water, Water Everywhere... water around the Golden Temple in Kyoto
Weekly Photo Challenge: Water, Water Everywhere... Burlington, Vermont, Waterfront
During hot and humid summer days, one thing kids look forward to in parts of NYC is the free-flowing water that spews from opened fire hydrants. You’ve probably seen pictures of kids playing in it, and it always puts a smile on my face when I walk by one in the summer. They still have them but not as many are turned on in the city anymore…
Another memory of water that comes to mind is the body(ies) of water I sometimes see from my window seat on a plane when I travel… I love capturing those shots because they give us another perspective on how beautiful water looks on any landscape… It is a beautiful force of life and well-being and I can’t imagine a world without water. Water = Life. What are your thoughts? What watery finds did you make? Was your Water Image what you expected? Do share? 🙂
“Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing. The force of character is cumulative.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
New: beginnings: Light Shining and Healing...
How would you describe today using only one sentence? Tell today’s sentence to one other person. Repeat each day.
Today is a new beginning for my work and journey in the healing arts…
This part of my post was inspired by a prompt from RalphWaldoEmerson.me: How would you describe today using only one sentence?
Positive Motivation Tip: Water is one the most powerful elements in the world; we can fear it or choose to embrace its cleansing qualities. Explore it
Related articles
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Water (stillanightowl.wordpress.com)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Water (nrhatch.wordpress.com)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Water (mikevictorinophotography.wordpress.com)
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos from my personal collection. Light to heal via Wikipedia.
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Always such magnificent photos! 🙂
Sharon, you are so kind. TY! I wish I could find a way to adjust my template so my pictures can be larger… A lot of neat details are lost in these formatted small prints. 🙁
Water is such a wonderful reminder that we are Pure at heart.
I love that explanation… purity and water do go well together. 🙂
Love your celebration of water, Elizabeth!
Whenever I see a waterfall, I imagine myself blending and flowing with the water.
Yes, TY! I love the magnificence of waterfalls… I find them both breathtaking and intimidating… 🙂 I love water.
and today? we celebrate “Father’s Day” in Germany. some stories?
Happy Father’s Day to all my friends in Germany and especially to you Frizztext! 🙂 Stories? 🙂
I remember a Star Trek quote that I wish I’d used in my water post – we are ‘ugly bags of mostly water’ 🙂
Oh that is funny… 🙂
I’m glad you didn’t use it because we aren’t all so ugly. ;-(
TY!
A wonderful variety of photos Elizabeth – superb!
I live on the driest continent in the world and we are taught how not to waste water as we are often on water restrictions.
Here are some of the ways to help save water – use washing up water on garden beds instead of the hose, take short showers, don’t let the tap run whilst cleaning your teeth and so on; it all helps.
Thanks for your feedback Barb and for the tips too… I like them all and wish more of us would be conscientious about water usage; myself included. 🙂 TY for enjoying the photos even as I wish they were a tad bigger. 🙂
TY!
Such a nice collection of water photos, Eliz, I have a water barrel that is filled from one of the downspouts. It came in handy recently when our water main was being repaired. In school I make the kids count to three when they are rinsing their hands!!
ps. good to see Kyoto again
I like what you taught the kids. The water barrel sounds a great thing to photograph; especially those weathered ones. I remember that back in the village, we had earthenware pots to hold rainwater and they had a unique taste. 🙂
Wonderful photos, Eliz. I am especially drawn to the photo from Vermont. I’m ready to pack my bags and head to that dock right now!
Oh, I do love Vermont and wrote a post last year or so on the plexiglass cows for charity, and the time I spent with one of my daughters in Burlington.
It is such an artsy and calming city and the waterfront is beautiful. I’m glad that I looked in that folder for this challenge… lots of water there. 🙂
The Golden Temple ( Kinkakuji) in Japan is nice.
I went to this temple when I was a high school student.
Many high school student go there to study history.
We enjoyed our visit there too. I went with my daughters and we had a great time. There were a lot of people and school groups visiting on the day we went so it took some time to get around. It was a memorable and wonderful experience. 🙂
Earth, Air, Fire & Water . . .
Physical, Mental, Emotional & Spiritual . . .
Life balance is key.
And so it is… 😉
I am so dried out living here in the desert! These photos were a much needed ‘drink’ for my eyes!
What desert area do you live in? At least you get lots of interesting forms to paint, no? 🙂
Water is one of the most powerful elements of the world-I love being near the sea-it’s the best medicine for whatever is bothering me !! Great Photos and a great post.
Penny,
I thought of you and the beach when I was writing the post. Water is so soothing, and has a calming effect on me that I find myself pulled to live near it and spend time around it. I usually like to sit or stroll, watch, and listen to the sounds coming form the water… 🙂
great pics Eliz! you sure have been a lot of places!
Thanks Stacey… I’d love to travel more; gotta win that lottery already. 🙂
The Koi pond and the lake, and the photos in Japan all speak not only of water but of peace of mind. Water absorbs the harshness of sounds. When it is still is gives me calm. Like Penny, I believe water is great medicine for a great deal of what makes us feel bad. You do have quite the talent for photos!
Yes, water is healing and i find that being near it calms me too. TY for your kind words. I am learning every day but not anywhere near where I’d love to be as a photog. 🙂