shadows in the light

  saturday afternoon seemed especially long - longer than usual for a midwinter day.  just before the sun sank down behind the mountains here on firefly road, walter and i piled into the car and drove up to an undeveloped development (i know) at the very end and top of the road, where the views always manage to take my breath away.  no one else is ever there - not a single house, nor car, nor other human being.  it can be a little scary, that way - but lovely, too.
this really is the view from there; my house is nestled down the way somewhere.   what a lovely world this can be, when seen in the right light.  my son calls this the magic hour - he, who works with photographs and film.  i love that technical name for this light, all golden and soft.  it makes everything seem like, for that moment anyway, every little thing will be okay.
walter got to run around without a leash, i got to stand and stare and stare a little more; when it looked like the sun was getting ready to dip, we began slowly heading back down to where i had parked the car; shadows were long, the light was the color of honey.
it was a sweet few minutes, time spent hovering there with just walter and me, without a single noise other than the wind in the trees and the calling of overhead crows.  welcome to my natural world, the one that you don't normally see.  i love sharing it with you.  i love opening the door to this, so you can take a peek inside and maybe sense a little of its pure and gentle beauty too.

Comments

[Denise S.]

It really doesn't get much better does it Nina.

Nature,beloved dog,and you ;o)

[vickie]

I have a movie I love called The Education of Little Tree. It takes place in the Smokey Mountains. Every morning the three main characters and troop of hounds walk up to their place at the top of a hill and sit and watch the sun come up-watch the day come alive. It is so beautiful; peaceful yet alive. It so blends with what you picture here. I have been through those mountains and it takes my breath away. I miss it.
vickie in kc

[Hazel]

Mmmmm...the shadows of you and your Walter in that golden light...magical!

[susan]

Lovely, lovely photos, Nina.
What a wonderful adventure you and Walter had - wish I could have tagged along.

xo dusan

[Helen]

Gorgeous, gorgeous... as always we get to benefit from your wonderful artistic eye, your sensitive spirit to the beauty around you, and your generosity of heart in sharing with us. Thank you! Bless you!
Helen

[Sue]

Your are blessed to live in such a special place.
I love your posts, you inspire me to see magic in the reality of every day dear Nina. Thank you. xo

[sheila]

thank you.
xxxooo

[Pam]

Nina, you need to be writing books, wonderful books!

[Leigh]

Seeing your photos, how you abstract them and then reinterpret in your new necklace is engaging.

[susanc]

Beautiful photos Nina and the light in the last two is magical! I love your new blog header too! Thank you for taking the time to share this part of your world with us. xxx

[carol]

love the you and walter image!!!

[Karen]

You live in a beautiful place! I feel lucky to live near the beach but your mountains and woods make me want a Firefly Road of my own.

[Farmlady]

I know this feeling and I can feel this place that you and Walter drove to. Your description is beautiful. Sunset is a very special time and the colors are like no other.
Absorb Nature, my friend. It has a very special remedy for whatever ails. It is magic.

[Nancy]

loved seeing a bit of your world..living in the city makes me long for country living ♥ thank you for sharing ♥

[Kelley]

I love Walter's shadow near your own in the last photo from the golden hour!

[Jan]

You're a brave woman. Does having Walter along boost your courage?

What a peaceful, lovely interlude on a mid-winter day. We have much to be thankful for, and it's heart-warming to see someone appreciate and take notice of the abundance around them.

[Kim]

Awesomeness. *sigh*

[Vickie]

winter honey. love

[Barbara]

It's lovely to think of you, Estrella Nina, and Walter out in that golden light - adding your own to it, to be sure! I spent the MLK,Jr. holiday in Durham with some friends of 25 yrs. and we talked about the quality of light in the a.m.'s and p.m.'s. I make sure to be near a window at those times to savor all those hues. Thanks for your bit of sunshine this chilly morn ;0

[kathy dorfer]

smoky mountains are really beautiful.
it is nice to see your view .
xxoo

[Sandy]

What beautiful world you live and dream in. I love that very last photo, dark shadows laying on top of golden light, stunning!

[Tina in McLeansville]

photo #3 full screen and a cup of coffee....wishin' i was sittin' on the porch right there. thank you! hugs...xo

[LeAnn]

Ahhh, the mountains. I do not get up there often enough. I love that time of day too. It is a magic hour when the world somehow seems in between and suspended from ordinary reality. When I lived in Adelaide we used to sit on the beach and watch the sun set over the Gulf of Spencer. Did you know that there is one magic moment where the sun flashes a bright sort of green just before it drops below the horizon? You have to be quick or you will miss it. I've only seen it a couple of times. But it reminds me of your golden light just before sunset. Thank you for sharing your magic hour with us.

[gigi]

Oh my gosh...beautiful! I especially love the last golden photograph of you and Walter.

[delila]

it is lovely to see other parts of your woods! such a beautiful place to go for a walk. hugs.

[Jeff G.]

Great photos of a great place. Ain't nature grand?

Really like the ones with the trees and shadows. The honey color truly comes out during the magic hour.

Thanks for sharing your world.

[sandra]

ohhhhhhhh so......peaceful
thank you for this...

[sandra]

forgot...love your new masthead...

[Ina]

I love the first picture, it makes me curious about what is around the corner. Ina

[Marti C.]

Lovely...simply lovely! Looks like home to me!

[Sophie]

Thank you for sharing all this beauty with us! That golden light is very special!

[gloria martin]

Incredible photo's and amazing light. Just sorry to hear they keep digging and building upon our precious mountains.
Thinking of you, and sending loving energy. xo

[Mary G.]

I love your new header -- it is really beautiful.

[hol]

FAB last photo!!! XO

[Lilylovekin]

I know that scary feeling,and I could revisit it after seeing your photos. I,m sitting at work and will carry your images with me as I go through the day.

[minnie]

nina your photos are just beyound amazing.....you could publish them as greeting cards.... xxoo

[Carol Weiler]

Seeing those photos was a spiritual experiance-that's why I'm here. Beautiful- Peace be with you.

[Cindy Dean]

I love when all you can hear is the wind rustling through the trees. It's my FAVORITE thing. That's why I bought those earrings from you a long time ago...they said wind on one and song on the other....Love it!

[Mary]

I hear the crows...

[Lee]

Love the last photo the most!! DUring out lat snow storm, there were a few crows in the trees that line our field. Big black marks in the trees, hunkering down. They are the coolest birds, so smart! I wondered who was taking care of them, and how would they eat?? Guess we know the answer to that one... You can see Mt. Washington from the back of our property. We have really amazing views. But my little camera just doens't seem to capture it!!

Do you want that tape measure? xo

[Pati]

You've talked about writing a book (as have others) and with all love and effort that goes into your blog, I for one would miss it so if you stopped sharing your artistic view of the world around you. If it were possible to gather all your past blog post into an e-book. I would buy it as I imagine others would. I always wish I had time to go back to the beginning of your blog and enjoy the journey from the outset and be able to keep it forever like a favored book. You could divide your e-books into volumes. I know your wonderful words and photos are free for the savoring now--but the thought they could be gone or unavailable one day makes me sad. In the meanwhile I'll continue to smile and click when I see a new Nina post!

[Nell Morningstar]

When I worked in the film industry, we too referred to this time of day as the magic hour. No matter what we shot during this time, it was beautiful, beer commercials, ads for ridiculous, unnecessary products etc., all became golden and glowing, and it was wonderful to see how something as ethereal as light could change everything. Thanks for the memories! Beautiful, luscious images tha make me grab my camera and go hunting for the light.

[Renee Troy]

Tonight, walking my dogs, I contemplated what beauty meant to me and how to appreciate it in a better way. I didn't find an exact answer...today...but you came close with your beautiful photos of the peace that life can share with a mortal sole.
I have much to think about regarding my time and how I spend it.
Thank you for your post.

[Lorri Scott]

I sense the serenity you must feel in this place and the shadow photo of you and Walter is magical.

[connie freedman]

love, love the shadow of you and walter! absolutely beautiful!!