Gold Dust Day Gecko, I

This Gold Dust Day Gecko was sunning itself on the trunk of a tree, probably hoping a tasty insect would wander by, when I noticed it.

 

Making The Mandala

I normally post a single photograph at a time but today we visited the Virginia Holocaust Museum where a group of Tibetan monks was working on a mandala.  It was an inspiration to witness the patience, concentration and precision of the monks at work.  To give you a better feel for the whole scene I decided to post a series of photos.

The Tibetan Buddhist art of mandala is a practice in which the participants create an elaborate, beautiful mosaic of colored sand.   They work on the mandala for many days, adding little bits of colored sand to fill in each section.  The sand is added slowly and precisely to create crisp, clear lines.  When the mandala is finished the monks sweep up the sand and discard it in a river.  The process is both meditative and a practice in impermanence.

This monk was working alone when we arrived.  His concentration was remarkable.

Despite the crowd of people watching, the monks remained focused on the task at hand.

One of the monks gets more blue sand to add to the mandala.

Up to three monks worked on the mandala at a time.

Here you can see some of the vibrant colored sand used to create the mandala.

I’ll leave you with a classic Buddhist wish, part of the metta bhavana, or “loving kindness”, practice…

May you be well.

May you be happy.

May you be free from suffering.

Wilting Camelia, I

The camelia flowers have had their run.

Their work is nearly done and their time is running out.

In a few more days this flower will be gone.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Vivid

Traditions De France

During the walking part of my commute through Old Town Alexandria I kept my eyes open for vivid images.  Normally I walk on the same side of the street as Traditions De France so I pass right by without really seeing it.  Viewed from across the street it really does make for a vivid image.

Vatican Guard

I’m not sure what this guard was protecting in the Vatican but the doorway looked impressive enough.

Red Bark

This tree stood along a trail I was hiking one morning.  I thought the vivid, rusty bark contrasting with the greens of the moss and pines made this an interesting study of color and texture.  The early morning shade provided the perfect soft, even light to produce the deeply saturated colors just as I remember seeing them.

Damselfly On The Rappahannock

Colorful damselflies roam the shoreline of the Rappahannock River in Virginia.  I photographed this one during a summer canoe trip.

Grand Prismatic Spring I

As hot mineral water seeps out of the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park it leaves tiny layers of minerals.  The heat of the water provides an ideal environment for bacteria, which grow in colorful mats over the wavy mineral deposits.  The end result is an amazing display of color and texture.

Western Tanager

While hiking in Yellowstone National Park I noticed flashes of yellow in the pine branches overhanging the trail.  I stopped to check it out and saw a small group of Western Tanagers flying through the pines.  They didn’t remain in sight for very long so this was the only worthwhile photo I was able to capture.

Pearl Crescent

This Pearl Crescent butterfly rests peacefully in a bed of white and yellow flowers.  According to “An Instant Guide to Butterflies” by Pamela Forey and Cecilia Fitzsimons, male Pearl Crescents patrol their territory and will fly at other butterflies and insects.