“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow! What a Ride!”
~Hunter S. Thompson

This balance came about through a short visit to the creek at sunset… I almost didn’t go, thinking there wouldn’t be enough time to balance anything… but i forced myself to go anyway… and the short visit yielded this small gem of balance :) <3  When I look at it I see wisdom.. or the keeper of wisdom… the Owl.. :)

So next time you have any doubt about going somewhere, just do it anyway, but with NO EXPECTATIONS.. because that is the best recipe for flow that I’ve realized :)  ps: the streak of light in the following photo is the headlight from a passing car in boulder canyon above the creek. :)

”Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

As many may have noticed… I LOVE RED!! :) especially the deeper reds I find in many creek rocks here in Colorado.. mix that red with an intriguing shape… and we have perfection.. (in my mind) :)  Here is yet another example of a BEAUTIFUL red rock I stumbled across recently in one of my favorite spots on the creek.. upon discovery, I instantly found the perfect balance point, as if the rock itself was screaming “balance me” :D

To add to the magic and enchantment, the time of day had created a such a calm feeling in the air as the sun slowly set behind the mountains.. I wouldn’t trade these moments for anything!  Crossed with creating a difficult balance with a beautiful red rock, the moments pictured here were pure magic… sometimes i just can’t help but take continuous pictures, in order to capture all the subtle changes.. Then upon later examination of the photos, all the beautiful details begin to emerge from the sequence of glimpses.. :)  GRATEFUL for yet another day’s end.. :)

“The moon asked me to meet her in a field tonight. I think she has amorous ideas.” ~ Hafiz

It’s always interesting to see how gardens develop over time, wind allowing.. in the winter months I normally consider it safer to leave small gardens standing due to freezing water. I love the idea of random people discovering something completely mysterious, with no agent in sight. This photo came about through 2 days of visiting this site.  First day was spent learning the site and playing around with different shapes.  Second day I came with intentions of expanding on the 2 balances I’d left overnight.  I was pleasantly surprised to see both still standing.

The final garden came together through a bit of struggle in order to finish before the twilight colors in the air.  Last balance on the far right was realized just as the colors began shifting into brilliance. The photo has negligible color enhancement, which is to say, the colors mixed with the reflecting garden was purely magical to experience… I went out yesterday with shear happiness and this vibration trickled into my creative process and the space around me…. It can be amazing to witness the way a purely happy, worry-free, state of mind can affect here and now.  Another perfect example of Divine Alignment… Colors, balances, variety, reflections, playfulness, timing, mood, wind conditions, EVERYTHING figured into this magical moment in time.

As I write this I’m looking out my window seeing the arrival of heavy winds.  The wind started last night just as i left the site.  No joke, as soon as I stepped out of the creek to pack up and leave after dark, the first strong breeze rolled though and reclaimed one of the six balances. I was sure when hearing the wind last night that all balances had collapsed.. None of these pictures would have been possible if I started a day or even hour later.

“Talent hits a target no one else can hit;
Genius hits a target no one else can see.”

~ Arthur Schopenhauer

Twilight balance.

Another brilliantly warm sunset glow as the sun continues projecting its light off of the visible clouds while itself disappears behind the mountains.  The result is an intense shift in light and mood; surreal in its affection. And the affect grows more intense as I move further UP creek under the growing loom of the mountains.

I had to use the more extreme white balance settings on my camera just to make the colors look normal. Multiple times per week, people from all over the front range in Colorado post photos of radiant sunset colors on Facebook.  Possibly my favorite times of day to shoot photos of rocks are sunrise and sunset. Especially in the colder months.  It takes more determination to work in the cold, but in exchange are some of the quieter, more peaceful experiences.

This balance took some high discipline and endurance to realize. For size comparison, I was barely able to lift the top rock with one arm. All the big ones below required both arms.. Not to mention freezing water.  I invested in a pair of waste high waders for these cold months. They work for being waterproof, but no temperature barrier really so my feet will still freeze after extended non-movement.  This balance was slightly frustrating in the sense of cold water and precision.  Part of me wanted to give up as the light began to fade.  But I KNEW it was possible. I could see the balance points and I had come so close to realizing it many times. Couldn’t use gloves for this one. Extreme sensitivity required, which was already slightly depressed by the cold water all over the rocks…  But DAMN it felt good to finally get it after working for so long… And the best part was that the sunset glow began moments later and lasted for about 20 minutes.  I worried that it would fall as I hobbled out of the creek to get my camera.  But I had a deep down feeling that it wanted to be recorded with twilight in all of their collective genius. :)

“It’s beautiful when you find someone that is in love with your mind. someone that wants to undress your conscience and make love to your thoughts. Someone that wants to watch you slowly take down all those walls you’ve built up around your mind and let them inside.”

- Unknown