(He)art of Stone, China
"In the end it all comes to choices to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones."
Amber Frey
This week Donna gives us an opportunity to feature rocks . If you're anything like me you have way too many examples of earth's beauty shown in its many mountains, rivers, cliffs and even pieces of art. I've tried to limit myself to subjects or scenes that are a bit unusual or especially breathtaking but I'll admit it was difficult to keep my response to a reasonable limit. Who would've thought rocks of all things would prove so challenging?!
Going to the Sun Road, Glacier National Park
"The fall of dropping water wears away the stone."
Lucretius
Honestly I would have no problem filling today's entire post with glorious scenes like the one above from Glacier National Park . But that would be unfair to some of the other amazing rock formations I've seen throughout our beautiful world. The incredible red rocks of the US West, for example, offer many astounding vistas as shown below.
Red Rocks Across the US West
"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."
W.B. Yeats
There are places that can bring us moments of profound stillness and awe. Those I featured above were that for me. So too, some of the colorful individual examples of formations that drew first my eyes and then my lens.
Nature's Colors
"Colours are nature gone wild."
Raheel Farooq
The examples above includes rock configurations from France, Israel and Argentina, but you might never guess that the top left image is from a national park in Ohio. It comes from a small world of wonder we visited with good friends who live nearby. The image below is another from that surprising adventure - proving there is wonder in our own back yard as well as across the globe.
"The Stairs" - Cuyahoga Valley National Park
"There is an ancient conversation going on between mosses and rocks, poetry to be sure."
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Yes, rocks of many colors and varieties can be quite beautiful - perhaps that is part of the reason so many critters love to rest, feed and catch some of the sun's rays on them.
Critters "On The Rocks"
"We have forgotten what rocks, plants, and animals still know...how to be still, to be ourselves, to be where life is: Here and Now."
Eckhart Tolle
Of course, there are critters and then there are critters. Some live, others only facsimiles. I love both of course. Here are two examples of the latter.
Stone Critters
"What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to a human soul."
Joseph Addison
I realize I've gone way too far on this one but you should have seen the list of images I culled from my search of "rocks"! I'll close with two images that are nothing other than simple rocks but to me they deliver a message. The first is the beauty of unadorned rocks kissed by a late-season snow, while the second is a symbol of meaning left by human hands.
Natural Rock in Snow, Sedona
"Natural rock formations looked like ancient temples, while ancient temples looked like natural rock."
Storm Constantine
Rock Cairn
"I've just used cairns to get from here to there and there to here."
Jim Whittaker (first American to summit Mt. Everest)
If you're like me, you probably didn't know those little piles of rocks you see everywhere these days are called cairns, and that in fact they have meaning and have existed in one form or another for millennia. For today's post, they signify the end of the trail at last 😊. For those still with me, many thanks for hanging in until the end. Thanks also to Donna for a fun challenge - be sure to check out her terrific original here. Please remember to link your response to her post, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Thanks also to John for last-week's Before and After Challenge. Sometimes it's just fun to see how creative we can be and other times a simple tweak can make a big difference. Sincere thanks to those who participated. Finally, be sure to join us next week when Egidio leads us on his beautiful Through Brazilian Eyes site. Until then as always please stay safe, be kind, and enjoy the journey.
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