Blog Archives
Giving Winter Notice at Eben Ice Caves
Giving Winter Notice at Eben Ice Caves was the Superiorland Photography Club and I was on board, as well. I hiked in wearing Keen boots and YakTrax but switched to my Brooks Trail Runners and STABILicers to handle the ice and the interior sections of the cave. I went a little wild in the winter woods and even jogged parts of the trail. I crawled into tiny caves and my feet stuck out. I lay in snow taking macros. I played with flashes with my MagicMan; check out his slideshow here. It was the most creative effort all week and I am proud of my Eben Ice Caves Flickr Set.
Slowing it Down
Photograph copyright ~ Kim Nixon ~ All Rights Reserved
The goal is to slow down enough to read, stretch, and breathe deeply. The goal is to snowshoe, ski, hike and take photos of frozen white crystals of ice. The goal is to play with my grandson, connect with my children, and make family meals we all enjoy. The goal is to decorate and create a home, a safe nest from the world, a retreat that replenishes the soul.
The best $10.00 you will ever spend may be on this book, Write It Down, Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want And Getting It [Paperback] by author, Henriette Anne Klauser.
Please share what books have inspired you to make changes and create abundance in your life!
Snap goes the Winter
All around the dogwood bush the frost chased the ice…? Snap goes the Winter! (Wink)
Photos taken on November, 28, 2010 at Piers Gorge, Norway Michigan
Finding Creative Ease
“Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.”
~ Francesca Reigler
I have been taking what I’ve entitled my “Fly North (or is that South)” series of photos that are from Uplifting Walks. When the world feels a little too fast, or I am attending to information that might become overwhelming, I am taking my concerns out into nature.
Francesca says that amount of work is the same?
Oh Francesca! It seems so much easier to make myself happy in nature! I find ease with my world among the colors of sky and with the scent of autumn.
How do you find ease in your world?
21.5.800–Day Eleven
What change do you desire? It is a whisper of a question. Movement. Art-filled joy. Laughter.
Now imagine you can have your deepest desires!
I look at these photos and I already know that part of my dream for change is in progress. In fact, I am living it! Writing these words means, I am living it! Each choice I make takes me closer.
My feet are on a path. Yesterday, I kept watching through the lens of my camera at the paths opening before me. Sometimes the path was the simple framing of a photograph, a pathway in the community garden. Sometime the path appeared much more subtle–not a footpath– an angle, curve, or blossoming.
I stepped past the angry thistle to the wild iris, carefully. I saw a whole field of purple and blue wild iris open, focus and blur, bokeh and breath. The light was fading away from golden magic light to the blue of night. Would I have enough time? Enough light. To show, clearly the path I discovered on Thursday night.
I have written about the nearly back-to-back shifts of Wednesday and Thursday. A 3pm-1am shift followed by a 9am-3pm shift. Followed by a nap and a camera walk with Mike.
My sleep patterns are off. My digestive patterns are off. With Celiac Disease this is a no-no, folks. So when I think of changes I desire they come with listening to my body and not forcing it to mold and meld with the lifestyle of shift-work.
I dream of a day when I support myself fully with my creativity.
I am planning a couple of Ebooks and expanding my Etsy store. I’m in the gathering phase for a gift card series. And I am envisioning a swing-set in the backyard. Every grandmother-goddess-yogini-artist should have one.
I am cleaning out my art studio making room for my massage table. I am dusting off my books. I am offering art supplies to those who have none. I am digging in the dirt of my flowerbeds and vegetable gardens.
I am breathing, healing, and my nutrient levels are rising. With this change, I become stronger and more energized.
I have many paths open before me. Some are clear. Others have blossoms to which I must peek within, gently, tender petals, pollen, like magical dust from dreams.
Nothing to sneeze at (wink).
~Namaste
Word Count: 400
The other 400 words will appear on one of Kim’s other blogs TBD.
Color in Winter
Winter normally leaves me longing for color. It’s early winter here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and winter can last into April with cold arctic blasts the norm thru January and February. Today I spotted green on the cross country trails at the Blueberry Ridge Pathway (for more on this outing visit Running Marquette).
Then I spotted this vacant duplex out on Presque Isle today. The color of the bark was warm and inviting and quite a contrast to the biting windchill temps. Mike and I were shooting the waves of Lake Superior which I will end up posting over at A Winter Journal. I plan to continue to seek out color all winter. I also promise to learn filters, and actions, to bring unique takes on art in winter.
Marquette Area Blues Fest, 2008
Marquette Area Blues Fest, 2008–Watermelon Slim & The Workers
This week my anticipation for The Marquette Area Blues Fest is growing. I picked up tickets tonight! The following photos were taken during a very hot blues fest! Good thing many of the artist’s are from the south. It felt like home to them! But heatstroke was a real concern for me and many others. Mike and I have been attending Blues Fest in Marquette since 2004. The festival is put on by the Marquette Area Blues Society. This Year’s Blues Fest is Saturday, September 5-6, 2009
A Runner’s World–Surfer Sunday
I took a day off running on Saturday mostly due to heavy rains and a sore foot. But today I woke to sunshine and was back at it. I had to detour around a section of Lakeshore Drive due to water over the road–a big yellow piece of heavy construction equipment was scrapping the road and pushing rocks back into place.
I planned on a long run adding in my new one mile section, even if I had to go slower and walk more. The goal is to up the mileage and get the balls of my feet and my arthritic great toe used to more distance.
It takes discipline for a photographer to get down to the business of running when the sun is shining on Superior and the surfers look awesome in the waves. But I pushed thru my run so I could do my cool-down walk with camera.
It’s a promise I make myself–run this “fill-in-the-blank” distance and then you can take all the photos you want.
After my run this morning I was 154.8. I had already eaten 3/4 a cup of Honey-nut Cheerios and a small Banana and about 16 ounces of water. I’m getting there.
Below is a shot of the beach on my way home. The road is on the other side of the rocks and where that large splash is–that is where the road was closed before my run. It has since been scrapped clean and rocks piled up, again. The road was open, but splashes were still wetting the rocks on the roadside. I love the power of Lake Superior. But I worry this weather pattern has been very November-Like.
Another Sublime Run on Saturday
On Saturdays I run Presque Isle, waking early I get into my running gear and grab my grocery bags for the farmer’s market on my way home. Today I was happy to also have my camera. As I turned onto Lakeshore Blvd. I noticed the high seas of Lake Superior and worried about what type of headwind I’d have to contend with out on the island. As I rounded Picnic Rocks I saw this ore boat headed out and pulled into the parking lot. Buffeted by winds I had to use my car roof to steady the shot. I was excited. The lighting was dramatic and my dread of running into headwinds was averted–I decided this would be a sublime day!
I was excited for my run or I would have taken hundreds of shot. There were at least a 1/2 dozen young surfers on the sunset side of the island. All in wet suits, of course, as Superior is pretty cold. I figured if they could brave the waves, cold, wind and unknown bottoms of the lake I could certainly circle the island twice. I got in my 4 miles with a 12 minute average per mile–pretty good (for me) considering the weather conditions.
After a run on Saturdays there is the Marquette Farmer’s Market–combining the two tasks makes me feel like a hunter-gatherer–still sweaty from my run I gathered yummy produce and goodies. Today I picked up a Head of cauliflower and broccoli grown locally by Seeds and Spores. I purchased 5 mini red-sweet peppers from Farmer Q’s and then stopped by to get treats from Peter at the Marquette Baking Company, two pear-rosemary scones and two chocolate-chip walnut cookies.
PhotoFriday: Young & Old
PhotoFriday.com Submission for the theme, Young & Old. The Photo “Liam Faces Shed” was taken by Kim Nixon during her Grandson’s birthday party. The image can be seen full size at Flickr.
Create With Kim 
You must be logged in to post a comment.