PHOTO-A-DAY CHALLENGE

Clarity in the Moment

The last days of December, first days of January

Day 1

I visited family in Michigan for Christmas and stayed a few days after. On one of our chilly walks in the woods, I captured this frozen puddle with a crystal clear view of the greenery preserved.

I shared more photos of this adventure in Winter in the Woods.

Day 2

The area I visit in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan offers only a very small airport. This picture shows the whole place. There is one gate. Many of the staff serve multiple positions. Flight times are limited.

Taking off on a slippery, snow-dusted, dark, morning is not my favorite scenario, but being cleared for take-off is a blessing. I have been snowed in many times.

Being safe while traveling is stressful, time to go home!

Day 3

My husband and I were on the couch resting and recovering from the busy holiday season. This squirrel stared at us through the living room window for an extended period like he was in awe of us.

Even though the photo is taken through the screen and lacks clarity, I found it interesting. And besides, I rested a lot that day so there were not any better photos to choose from.

Day 4

This bloom was refreshing in the crisp Pennsylvania air. We don’t have any snow here yet, but we have had several touches of frost. I was surprised by this hardy ornamental.

I looked very closely. I wondered how the plant manages the green and white parts of the leaves. Some of the white ruffles have green fringes on the edge. Some of the mostly green leaves are splashed with white. Does the white bleed out from the center and will all of the leaves eventually be white? There is a pink heart right in the middle too. The pattern isn’t clear.

Wonder and the pursuit of clarity keep us living.

Day 5

After all of the precautions I have taken over the last two years, it is very unclear to me how I ended up at a large New Year’s Eve wedding. It was my husband’s wishing, I can’t believe I agreed. The newest covid outbreaks and large crowds are not a good mix, but there I was, in the mix.

It was a beautiful venue. There were many gorgeous crystal chandeliers. The one pictured below spanned two stories, framed by the embrace of a grand spiral staircase.

This is the first time in over two years I have seen large groups of friends and extended family really living and showing love to each other in person. I guess seeing this side of humanity made it worth the risk. But, now, back to my regular testing and much more strict precautions.

Day 6

On New Year’s Day, we traveled back from New Jersey, crossing the Delaware River on the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. It was interesting to see how fog enveloped the bridge. It was all clear on the bridge, but we couldn’t see past the railing.

This scene symbolized the puzzling transition from 2021 to 2022. Some of what happened (and why) in the past year and some of what may happen in the coming year is still unclear, completely foggy to be more precise.

We were traveling slowly on the bridge and I was the passenger. But, to my surprise, my husband saw that nobody was following us and he stopped the car for a moment so I could snap another photo.

The mist in the air gathered to form droplets on the rail. This shot emphasized just how unclear things were beyond the exact place I was sitting.

The water is dripping like time is ticking. Clearly, all we really have is the moment we are living.

Day 7

Another rest and recovery day. No traveling. My mind wandered back to the super peaceful snowfall I experienced on one of my last days in Michigan. The cover shot is from my mind’s eye too (taken several days ago).

The reflection in the rearview mirror showed an interesting perspective of the snow-covered road behind me. Snow blew into the car and onto the dashboard while I was capturing a few shots.

With moments of quiet come clarity. I am ready to turn my eyes to the front and focus on the future. Happy New Year!

Thanks for reading! I hope everyone gains the clarity they need to take their next steps into a productive and fulfilling 2022!

Thanks to Dennett for starting this challenge. Check out her latest week in photos and see how to join!

Also, check out the awesome entries from the other inspiring participants:

Erika Burkhalter/Eileen Vorbach Collins/Anne Bonfert/Sasha Meyer/Tracy Aston/Lisa Bolin/Juan O. Aguilera/David Wade Chambers/June Nguyen/Mia Verita/Susan Alison/LensAfield/Barbara Radisavljevic/Diana Lotti/Barbara Dalton/Kim Zuch/Sandra Barrett/Shruthi Sundaram/Gustavo Mendez/Olive Wilson/Jane Frost (Jane Grows Garden Rooms)

Here are my other Photo-A-Day Challenge Stories: