The Wilderness Outside My Window...

One recent morning I woke-up to the surprise of a few inches of snow. The meteorologists had predicted a little snow would fall, but to be honest I didn't really believe them. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised when I awoke to a beautiful winterscape. If there is such a thing as the perfect snowfall this would have been it: all of the grass and trees were covered with a light coating of snow, while the streets and sidewalks were just wet - all of the beauty of snow without the hassles of dangerous driving. As I looked out of my window I also noticed a set of paw prints passing by...but they didn't seem to have a beginning or an end.

Around my neighborhood there are plenty of "wild" animals, including cats, rabbits, squirrels, and even the occasional deer! Out of all these critters, the cats have been the most visible lately. With the recent warm weather, I can only assume they have been roaming around in hopes that their "animal neighbors" might also be on the move. I think this particular morning one of the cats was on the move again. The amazing thing was, like I said, it was hard to tell where the tracks started or ended. All of surrounding snow was completely untouched, with just a single line of paw prints that seemed to begin out of nowhere. Maybe the cat jumped off of the adjacent railing...but still, there would be some sign of him or her landing on the ground, which I did not see. Each print was perfectly shaped, no signs of "shuffling" like you would normally see when a person walked through the snow! Looking at these prints in the snow I was reminded of how amazing wild animals can truly be - even the ones I do not ordinarily like.

Anyone that knows me knows that I am not the biggest cat lover...there are a few cats that belong to friends for which I have a small affection, but on the whole I don't enjoy these "feline friends". With that in mind, I do however enjoy watching the cats roam around outside in my neighborhood. Ironic isn't it? I think I have an appreciation for them because they are not inside my house...they're not climbing around on my furniture, just my front porch. When I stop and watch these wild cats they are quite interesting. The other day I saw one sitting motionless near the front path watching a little hole in the ground. Obviously, he or she had seen something crawl into the hole and was waiting to make its move in an effort to catch breakfast! I am constantly amazed that in a completely residential neighborhood, a family of wild cats can live and thrive, for generations, on "natural resources". I don't think any of the neighbors feed these cats; if anything people usually run and lock the doors since they aren't the nicest animals around - as they shouldn't be having lived in the "wild" since birth. Watching these cats I have a glimpse into the natural "circle of life"...survival of the fittest being lived out in my backyard!

After taking this photo, I started to wonder...were the tracks really left by a cat or some other animal? The beauty of nature. Just another reason to love snow days!

That's the Golden Perspective...what's yours?

A Moment to Relax...

Have you ever sat and been totally amazed by something extremely trivial? Many times people associate this behavior with children, but I think it is more connected to individuals who are completely relaxed. Sometimes allowing your mind a few minutes to decompress actually helps to relax you; and once you are calm the possibilities of what can be achieved are endless.

Recently I was taking a few minutes to enjoy some fresh air when I was suddenly mesmerized by melting snow. Ever so slowly, water was dripping down from the roof into a large pot on the ground, then making its way down through the dirt till it accumulated in the bottom tray. At the same time, the water was dripping directly into the tray - filling it up at an even faster pace. Since there was so much water everywhere the tray was in a constant state of overflow, which led to a perpetual, slow drip of water onto the pavement. This process may sound mundane - even bordering on foolish - but for some reason I found it captivating! As I sat watching the water slowly drip down onto the blacktop, I could feel the stress slipping away from my body. This had the same calming effect as sitting along side a flowing river. Have you ever noticed how relaxed you feel whenever you're near a body of water? That must be why people enjoy going to the beach so much.

When I took a step closer I noticed many of my surroundings staring back at me from the reflection. Isn't it amazing how the world looks so different in a reflection. Even though it is the same object(s), a new perspective changes the entire appearance. Then when you look up from the reflection, the object looks like itself again. When I stared into the puddle I could see the trees across the street, the blue afternoon sky, and the pot itself with its faded mums hanging over the edge. Individually these things wouldn't say much, but when put together they create a clear picture of the many pieces that form a person's environment: the sun starting to set on another day, the constant flow of water, or the trees and mums that have gone dormant for another winter! Each piece adds its own dimension and purpose to a landscape, whether it be for beauty or functionality, and is necessary when trying to understand how a place came to be.

After a few minutes of gazing at this dripping water I was completely refreshed. I got up, exercised for a little bit, then returned to work even more productive than I had been before. There is definitely some value in stopping to enjoy the simple things in life!

That's the Golden Perspective...what's yours?

A Meeting at the Corner...

After all of the talk last week about "old buildings", and the character that is usually embedded in their walls, I had to share this photo. I was driving through a little town, that I think literally has only one stop sign, and spotted the local Post Office. Granted it doesn't have a tremendous amount of ornamentation or elaborate design work, but I think it still tells part of the story of this small town.

The more I look at this brick building the more interesting features I notice. I didn't realize how ornate the wood trim was around the roof line or the design above each window. Remove that large metal awning from the front of the building and it has a simple, classical look to it. (Don't ask me what type of "classical look"...remember, I have a film degree not an architectural...) I imagine at one time the building had a very stately appearance standing prominently on the corner. Much of the story of this building, I believe, is hidden...

I wonder what was around the area when the building was first built and was it even a post office. I would think, originally, most people used to walk to this post office instead of driving up in cars as they do now. I wonder if its lobby or front porch used to be a common meeting place for the local residents. The building sits at the main intersection of this particular town, so I would not be surprised at all if people did congregate inside or around the front door. Since most of the residents don't live near each other, small towns such as this usually some sort of meeting place. A spot where they can catch one another up on their lives or speculate about the upcoming farming season...well, you know most of these towns were probably farming communities, right! Imagine what life would have been like walking to the post office instead of driving there in 2 minutes; the trip became more of an afternoon adventure than a "quick errand". Once you arrived, there were probably "neighbors" you had not seen in awhile so why not stay for 20 - 30 minutes to socialize?

This building has experienced many comings and goings over the years; I wonder what kinds of stories it has gathered along the way. As a witness to the perpetual growth and decline of a town, I'm sure there are many amazing details...

Have you ever witnessed one of these "centers of town" before?

Do you live in an area where one might still exist?

Old buildings do so much more than impress a passerby visually, they can also share a part of the local history.

That's the Golden Perspective...what's yours?

A Passageway to...

In the course of my travels I take many pictures, but I have to admit, this particular shot is one of my recent favorites. Even though the image is vacant of many people and movement, I still feel like there is so much going on - looking at this image sends my mind racing in so many different directions.

My mind first focuses in on the design of the building. I am still captivated, today, by the blocked ceiling in the same way I was when I first took this photo. The design is so simple yet full of perfect symmetry. The order and peace created is a welcome contrast to the chaos and crowds that normally fill this downtown train station. I love how these rectangles seem to build on one another and appear to continue endlessly into the shadows of the tunnel. Mirroring these cement blocks is the track itself. The glowing steel races through the middle of the station and into the tunnel, much in the same way as the blocked design does on the ceiling. The two seem to be challenging one another to see which can reach the tunnel first - racing toward something off in the distance...

After my initial amazement from this station's design, I start to think about other old buildings which are similar in beauty and mystic. Is it me, or have modern buildings lost a bit of character - a charm that seems to tell a story? Why do modern buildings sometimes leave you wondering, "Ok, but what else do you have to offer?" Don't get me wrong, this train station certainly isn't that old, but it appears to have been built at a time when buildings still told a story. How often have you walked down a city street and stared at buildings, trying to picture what they looked like when first constructed? Did you ever marvel at how human beings could take solid cement and bricks and create such curved, ornate masterpieces? How many times have you said, "They couldn't afford to build a structure like that anymore?" Old buildings seem to be full of minute details that are lost to the average passerby. Unless you stop and study the building you will not find some of the hidden beauty: the phrase inscribed in Latin, the fabled character resting atop the roof, the curves that appear to have been carved with a butter knife, the design work set above each window...all of these details help to tell a story.

I wonder what the story of this train station could be...one of thousands of yearly commuters traveling to and from work or play; a witness to the many successes and failures of daily life; or maybe the passageway to new opportunities.

That's the Golden Perspective...what's yours?