Tag Archives: Judy Dykstra-Brown Photos

Emptying

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daily life color173 (1)

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/empty/

Heliconia: Flower of the Day, May 22, 2016

 

https://ceenphotography.com/2016/05/22/flower-of-the-day-may-22-2016-bearded-iris/

Singlish

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Singlish

When Papa grabbed his squeezebox and baby hit the gong,
all the other children ran up to play along.
Henry played the drums and Molly the kazoo.
Oscar blew the tuba ’til he started to turn blue.

Sally on the saxophone and Henry on the flute,
Wanda on the trumpet went rootie tootie toot.
Mama led the singing and Grandma hummed along
as one-by-one the children joined them in their song.

All the kids went swaying, rocking on their toes
as they sang a song embellished by cardinals and crows.
The cattle in the pasture joined in with soothing moos—
the cockerels crooning descants with their cockadoodledoos.

The mourning doves sang background, telling of their woes,
while all the little sparrows cheeped neatly from their rows.
The horses voiced their  whinnies and sheep all baaaahed along
until the  world surrounding us had joined in on the song.

Woodpeckers beat percussion until our song was done,
joining us in music that proved that we were one.
Goldfinches and burros were next to join the throng,
all speaking the same language in this singalong.

I heard it from the mockingbird who heard it from the jay.
It was a pretty chorus that rose up from that day.
Now most days thereafter, we’ve sung in harmony.
If everyone would join us, how grand the world could be.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/sing/

CCY Challenge–Landscapes

Click on photos to enlarge.

https://ceenphotography.com/2016/05/11/reminder-for-ccy-photo-challenge-21-landscapes/

Day 2, Seven Day Nature Photo Challenge

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I love the different levels of reality this photo seems to reveal.  The clarity and brilliant colors of the fish nearer the surface are echoed by the dream fish farther below.  Then that ultimate reality––the clouded sky––reflected in the water, as well as the trees. Even the shadow in the water of the gargoyle of a nearby building as well as this picture itself reflect man’s desire to become godlike by creating beauty in imitation of nature.  We are all part of one big circle and for me this photo reveals that truth. 

 

I’m honored to have been invited by master photographer Cee from ceenphotography.com to participate in a challenge called Seven Day Nature Photo Challenge. (Check out Cee’s nature photos as well as her thousands of other wonderful photographs by clicking on the ceenphotography link above.

As part of this challenge, I am to post one nature photograph a day for one week and to ask one other person to join the challenge each day.  Today I ask you to check out the excellent and varied photography of S.M Kelly , whom I have asked to play along. Go here to do so:   http://smkelly8.com/

Aloe: Flower of the Day Apr 5, 2016

Click on first photo and then on arrows to enlarge.

Composed Shapes

Cee’s challenge for this week is Geometry in Photography.  Here are my thoughts on the matter:

Click on photos to enlarge and read the extensive commentary under each photo.  Oh c’mon–do it.  I took a lot of time and effort to dissect these photos as Cee requested. If you read my comments, you can point out what I missed in your own comment below! (If you can’t read the commentary under each photo, I’ve copied the commentaries below.)

 

Here is the commentary for photos if you can’t read it above:

  1. I pulled off the road in heavy traffic to get this shot. I loved the soft shape of the clouds sliced through by the telephone lines. The triangular shapes of the sign, the intersection of the lines and the wooden crossbars, the insulators and the top of the Norfolk Island pine are in contrast to the square shapes of the building in the background.
  2. I love this detail cropped from a larger view of my friend Carol’s studio. The round end of the paper towel roll ties in colorwise with the square/rectangular blank canvasses and the jumble of paintbrushes furnish triangular Vee shapes. The straight sides of the bottles contrast with the rumpled “O’ shapes of the inside-out rubber gloves. Order juxtapositioned with disorder makes for an artistic whole.
  1. These straw hats stored on-edge behind the grillwork of Carol’s house are one of my favorite images. The round shapes of the hats and curliques, the rectangular divisions on the grilll and the zigzag/triangular weave of the hats create busy detail in what is otherwise a simple scene.
  1. Round balloons, square box, plaid blouse, the triangle of the girl’s legs and sidewalk edge, long rectangles of the tree trunks, round wheels, zigzag of the stacked chairs. Shapes abound in this picture made more intriguing by the revealing details of the girl’s attire and stance.
  1. The triangles of their perky ears and pointed noses accented by the shadowed patterns and the trapezoid shape of the exercise machine in the background, the circular screws and platform on the machine echoed by the round studs on the collar of the dog, the commanding stance of the white dog with the black dog in a near bowing position––all intriguing details in this shot.
  1. Mexican Train offers an excellent opportunity to play with shapes. The round shape of the “station” is echoed by dots on the dominoes. The train tracks formed by the rectangular dominoes form semi-straight lines–all in all, a collage of rectangles and circles.
  1. I hesitated to include this shot of a Pemex station, but couldn’t resist the repeated patterns and shapes–squares, rectangles, T shapes––and the one round manhole cover. I also love the positions of the attendants next to the gas pumps at the rear of the photo. The clouds are the only soft thing in the photo.

To see Cee’s Geometric Photos, go HERE.

Old Farts at the Beach

Old Farts at the Beach

How do we choose what to hold on to as life slips away faster––
pulled by a stronger tide?
We want to fall through days with no plans,
like teenagers in a small town,
wandering around to find adventure where they can––
last minute expeditions
to small places
that prick delight.

From beaches piled so high with coral that it shreds our shoes,
we collect shells and driftwood shards and sea skate egg casings––
treasures with no larger price tags than precious time––
hints of another world we have earlier viewed like voyeurs from above,
our goggles misting over as that world darts by
too quickly to catch by hand or camera lens or
anything but memory.

None of us desire to waste time with anything else but wasting time.
“We are in this world to fart around,” Kurt Vonnegut once said,
and we want to have tattoos of it so we won’t forget––
all too aware that soon some of us will.

(Click on first photo to enlarge all photos, then on arrow to view all. When you have viewed all of the photos, click on X on the upper left side of thepage to come back to this page.)

 

Update: Want to see where we went for lunch? It’s called Restaurante La Mosca, aka The Fly Cafe. You can see photos HERE.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/fleeting/

No Perfection in the Universe

If my bedroom were to open onto the beach side of my rental, this would be my early morning scene:

(Click on first picture, then on arrows to enlarge photos and view. When you’ve viewed all four pictures, click on X on upper left of your screen to return to my posting)

The only sounds I would hear? Gulls, the wash of waves on the shore, Bobino’s mute plea to be fed. But, in fact, my bedroom window which must be kept open for circulation, faces onto the street and at 8 o’clock, my reality is this:

No Perfection in the Universe

After only four hours’ sleep,
my slumber should be sound and deep;
but very early in the day,
mufflers seem to be passé.

My window opens to the street
to try to beat the daily heat,
so the sounds of ATV’s
enter freely with the breeze.

When motorcycles rev and roar
just outside my bedroom door
and trucks come rumbling two by two––
there is nothing I can do

but grab my computer and write my blog
when I should be sleeping like a log.
It’s true I might be way less surly
if I got to bed more early,

but you see it’s not to be
for when the bars all close at three
the motorcycles are just as loud
their drivers young and motor-proud.

They shout and roar and spin their wheels.
Their music beats and thumps and peals
as they do one pass or more
right outside my bedroom door.

Outside the other side of my rental
all the sounds are elemental.
The surf’s loud roar is more relaxing,
but here the engine roars are taxing!

So when you picture my vacation,
just think of the daily ration
of engine angst that I confess
and perhaps you’ll envy less.

The parade of mufflerless motorcycles, cars and revving trucks begins at eight a.m.  Here is one minute of traffic passing in front of my house.  The blue wall with the open door and window is mine.

(Click on first picture, then on arrows to enlarge photos and view.When you’ve viewed all 11 pictures, click on X on upper left of your screen to return to my posting.)

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/longing/

Beach Bamboo Barrier: Thursday Doors, Feb. 25, 2016

                                                                 Beach Bamboo Barrier

The bamboo and wood security screen/door on my beachside entrance for the house I’m staying in for two months at the beach finally was reinstalled after being damaged and removed by Hurricane Patricia. The barriers are usually open and flat agains the wall, but when closed, they give me a bit of privacy as my porch is right on the beach. They also add extra security at night so I can keep my sliders open and catch some beach breezes.  I love the view of Pierre and Fred as they trade a few riffs on my porch.

(Click on first picture to enlarge and  view gallery.)

To view more Thursday doors, go HERE