The Lens-Artist Photo Challenge this week is to illustrate how we find a quiet moment as we are staying home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I had to give this some thought because with just two people in our home my days are very quiet. I don’t need quiet, as in the lack of noise; what I need is quiet in the sense of gentle colors and order. What makes for a quiet moment is a focus on where I am in the moment while blocking out all thoughts of chaos, death, sickness, meanness, killing, corruption, hate, and destruction.
I have been mostly staying home and not in the mood for photography. My friend, Julie, and I used to go on weekly photo shoots down dirt road within a 50 mile radius of where we live – until she moved 120 miles away. My heart aches from missing these hours of being quiet and apart, together with a good friend. I miss making time to see, really see what is before me and explore the simple, looking for how to capture its greatest beauty.
I have been going through old photography files, sometimes just to remember, sometimes to find pleasure in photos I love, and occasionally to find the perfect photo for a post. Sometimes I even clean out photos that I am confident I will never use and tag the keepers so I can find them again. This activity brings me pleasure when I need order within our social disorder.
These photos were taken at an Audubon Sanctuary on a foggy August morning in 2018. As I meandered my way through the file I knew these were the perfect photos to illustrate what I need in my quiet moments during these times of fear and rage.
I hope you will join me as I walk the wildflower-edged paths once again, looking for beauty during our quiet moments. I promise not to make any noise to distract you from whatever you are focused on. And I’ll save my words about change and social injustice for another post.
Please take good care of yourself and practice appropriate safety measure when you are in contact with others.
A New Day: Living Life Almost Gracefully 
A very beautiful series, Pat. So sorry your friend moved away… The beauty of nature is comforting.
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These are very beautiful photos, peaceful in color and content. Possibly they are reflective of what you are going through — as all of us are going through — in dealing with so many crises at once.
Thank you very much for following Oh, the Places We See. We have a lot in common!
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So sorry that your photography friend moved away, but your images remain a testimony to what the two of you learned together. I get a sense of calm from this post.
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What a wonderful way to think about our time together that we have lost. Thanks for nice comment.
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Hi, Pat. I am sorry your friend moved away. I hope you can find another photography pal. It is a joy to see the world through the lens of our cameras. Your shots are beautiful, too.
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Thanks, Patti. I think I am going to have to put some effort into finding a safe way to go out on my own. But most ideas I come up with have too high of a COVID-19 risk. I’m just glad that I have lots of photos in my files.
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So beautiful – and I feel exactly the same. Sorry your friend Julie moved away, sharing with a friend is precious.
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Some lovely images here, Pat.Restful
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Thanks, Sue.
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😊
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Thank you, Pat. I need quiet from the same things as you. I’m needing to declutter my home because it seems order helps me cope with the outside world.
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Lois, your note has brought tears to my eyes because everything I do has an underlying current of gaining control, making things right. Both Jim and I seem to be on edge and I’m not sure what has changed to cause it. Maybe it is because things haven’t changed – for the better. Stay safe, take care of yourself.
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Beautiful photos!!
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Thanks, Nora.
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I quite enjoyed our walk…wish Julie could have joined us. 🙂
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🙂 She would have liked it too.
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A very beautiful post Pat – I understand exactly what you mean about the different kinds of quiet. And I share your pain about the friend who moved. I had the same thing happen to one of my very good photography friends and it leaves a bit of a hole in one ‘s heart, doesn’t it? thanks for joining us this week.
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Thanks, Tina. And thanks for the shared shoulder. I have thought about going out alone but don’t feel comfortable going on country roads alone. There were times when men would stop to ask if I needed help and I was glad there were two of us. It does leave a hole because I enjoyed her company as well as having a photography companion.
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Excellent photos. I think the second is my favorite. In a rather severe way, COVID has done us a back-handed favor in keeping us ‘somewhat’ remote from the killing and protest destruction, both of which I abhor. Enjoy the quiet time.
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Beautiful..
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