Seize The Day And Mark Your Calendars

"Wake up, Oh sleeper! Arise from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14)


This Scripture came to my mind recently when I was reflecting on the sudden and tragic death that occurred recently when my boss, Nic Hood, died from a brain aneurysm. It was such a jolt and wake up call! Nic was a great manager, friend and mentor. About 4 years ago I was really struggling as a manager under the leadership I reported to at the time. I need a change and that is when I changed jobs and reported to Nic. He was such a great encourager! He helped to get me back on my feet again. My career has continued to be so successful at Boeing ever since.

His sudden passing was a "wake up call" for sure for me. It has been like a splash of cold water on the my face and has reminded to the importance to "seizing each day". To not take for granted any day. To remember to be thankful always and make the most out of each day. It is so easy to "fall asleep" to the preciousness of each day. Let's not do it! Wake up, Oh sleeper!

Speaking of seizing the day, I wanted to make sure that you mark your calendars for Blue Skies Photography has been selected to participate in the Fremont Fair in Seattle next week (Father's Day weekend, June 19th and 20th). The Fremont Fair is held annually in mid-June to coincide with Summer Solstice, the event draws more than 100,000 people to shop, eat, drink, mingle, groove and enjoy all manners of creative expression. The free-spirited Summer Solstice parade will begin at noon Saturday. The fair is open from 10am to 8pm Saturday and 11am to 6pm Sunday.

My booth will be located on N. 35th St (south side of street) near the intersection with 1st Ave NW, just across the street from dining area.

I am very excited to be in the Fremont Fair and have been working very hard with my partner, Mark Shander, who has created some amazing new finely crafted woodworked frames to pair with my photography! So I say, "Seize The Day and Mark Your Calender" and come down to the Fremont Fair and enjoy the sights, sounds and fun and stop by the Blue Skies Photography Booth!

P.S.
This past week I was greatly honored to have won 2nd place for May in the BetterPhoto.com. More than 18,000 entries were submitted to the online photography contest from all over the world. The winning image is called the "New Orleans Jester" and was taken during a recent vacation to New Orleans. I was also selected as a finalist (top 5% of the 18,000 entries) in May for a second image that I took during our trip to New Orleans of a old plantation called "Oak Alley Plantation". Both images will be for sale at the Fremont Fair and have been paired with some amazing custom designed frames.

P.S.S.
If you miss Blue Skies Photography at the Fremont Fair next weekend, don't despair, I have been also selected to be in the Shoreline Art Festival the following weekend (June 25th and 26th)! I will also be at the opening of the Edmonds Summer Market on Saturday July 3rd.

Rising To New Life

I had surgery to on my right shoulder almost 2 months ago to repair a torn labrum (labrum is a type of cartilage found in the shoulder joint). It was an injury that I had many years ago and I finally decided to get it surgically repaired. I had my surgery on Fat Tuesday the day before Lent began. I told folks that I decided to give up the use of my right arm for Lent.

Lent lasts roughly six weeks which turned out to be the exact amount of time my arm was in a sling. When you give up the use of your dominant arm for that length of time you get reasonably good at using your left arm/hand. In fact there is research that says it takes about 6 weeks of practicing something everyday for it to become a habit.

You are probably wondering why I have this picture of a Western Skunk Cabbage along side this blog entry. Well, Skunk Cabbage for me has always represented the season of Lent/Easter so well. It is found here in the Pacific Northwest during the early Spring time each year. What I find so amazing is this great plant grows from the ugliest and most foul looking muddy bog areas (areas you definitely want to avoid walking in!). So out of this ugly, dark and messy bog of mud comes new life! Amazing isn't it. Just like what God is doing in our lives. He raises up out of the mud to create in us new life! Just like my right shoulder surgery. Over the 6 weeks I actually learned something new. I could actually do things with my left arm and hand!

We are all constantly dying and rising to new life in so many things in our lives. Let's use this image of the Skunk Cabbage to inspire us on to those areas in our life where we need to rise up to new life!

P.S.

I also really like the huge Skunk Cabbage leaves. They are very cool to photograph like this image from my Closeups Gallery - Good Green.

Walking On Holy Ground

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike." (John Muir)

I was reading a couple days ago some Scripture from Exodus. It is the story of Moses and how God appears to him in a burning bush. Moses approaches to see why this bush in not burning up. God then speaks to Moses and tells him to remove the sandals from his feet for he is on Holy Ground.

I thought to myself how appropriate it is that when we are in the presence of greatness or something that puts us in awe we are indeed on Holy Ground. After watching the wonderful PBS series called "The National Parks - America's Best Idea" a few months ago I remember a scene where a Yosemite Park Ranger comes across a women standing in the middle of Cook's meadow in the central part of Yosemite Valley. She was looking up and around her, and just kept saying, "Oh, oh my, oh my." He went up to her and said "Ma'am, are you all right?" And she said, "Yes, I'm just fine. I just...oh, oh my." Now that is Holy Ground. Indeed, our National Parks are a place often where words simply do not seem adequate to describe the experience. You just feel it.

I am sure you have had this experience at least once when visiting a National Park. I know I have had my fair share of Oh, oh my, oh my..." experiences. Many of you may know that Mount Rainier has a very special place in my heart. I have been on a mission for many summers now to explore as much of "The Mountain" as I can. I also made a vow to myself I would never miss a summer hiking at least once through the meadows of the mountain. Now that is "Holy Ground" for sure!

I have pulled all my Mount Rainier images into a single gallery on my website now. http://www.blueskiesphotos.com/-/blueskiesphotos/galleryindex.asp?c=13532

(If you go select the slideshow mode you get music with it as you view the pictures)

Up Among The Angels

Terri and I fell in love with Zion National Park the first time we visited there in the early 80's when we traveled to the visit Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyon National Parks. We revisited Zion again in 2008 and over the last several months I have been busy reworking many of the images again in my digital darkroom. I hope you enjoy some of my more recent Zion updates.

This image of Terri and I is from Observation Point. A hike I would recommend if you get the chance. It is takes the better part of the day but it is worth it not just for the views at the top but for the interesting landscape all the way to the top.

Another very popular hike in Zion is one Terri and I did when we first visited Zion. It is called Angels Landing. I think because you need Angels on each side of you as you get near the top! Here is a picture of the trail leading to Angels Landing. As you approach the top of Angels Landing it gets even more exposed with a narrow trail to top with some handrails to help you.

These words from Psalm 138 I read recently seem very appropriate to close this out with!

"in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at you holy temple and give thanks to your name."

"though I walk in the midst of dangers, you guard my life when my enemies rage. You stretch out your hand; your right hand saves me."

Waiting Is So Hard

I read a quote the other day I really liked. It is by someone named Nikos Kazantzakis.

"God, it seems, is never in a hurry, while we are always in a hurry."

I like that. It would seem that if we believe this than to wait and to be patient and to not always be in a hurry is divine.

I am not sure I am a very patient person. I do not like to wait. This time of year especially seems to jump up the pace of our lives. So much to do in so little time. We are less than a week now to Christmas. Got to get those cards done for sure. Got to get those last minute gifts. Too little time it seems to get it all done. You have to hurry.

Work is another one that drives me at a frantic pace. I race from the moment I arrive till I walk out the door. Whatever happened to that "lazy B" anyway. I never seem to take time even for lunch. People don't even respect lunch time and schedule meetings through lunch time regularly. Hurry, hurry, hurry. Got to get it all done.

But wait. I need to slow down. I can't take this pace. That is what I love about Advent. Those 4 weeks before Christmas. If we follow the practice of Advent then we should be slowing down and thinking more. Waiting. Good things do take time they say.

Let's not hurry this Christmas. Let's let things slow way down. Let's let Christmas come to us in all its fullness. Let's all practice patience and waiting this Advent season.

Waiting for the fullness

I read a great excerpt from a book by Anne Dillard called the " The Holy Firm" that speaks to the importance of patience and waiting.

The story goes that late one evening, alone in her cabin she was watching a month slowly emerge from its cocoon. The process was fascinating but interminably slow. At a point she lost patience and needed to get on to other things, so she picked up a candle and applied a little heat to the process. It worked. The added heat sped up the process and the moth emerged more quickly from its cocoon, but, since a natural process had been interfered with and unnaturally rushed, the moth emerged with ill-formed wings which didn’t allow it to fly properly.
It is so hard to wait. It is so hard to let others we know and love to be fully themselves without selfishness, impatience or unwillingness to violate their reality and natural unfolding. That ability to remain in this tension field is important to maintaining healthly relationships that allow them to reach their full maturity.

Let's use this Christmas to practice our patience and waiting!

Merry Christmas, to you all!

John

Taking Flight

It was with great delight and joy that I was able to witness first hand the first flight of the 787. It has been almost 10 years of my life that I have been working on this airplane. As many that know me it has been a huge part of my life for so many years and I have experienced many highs and lows. I could go on and on but I only want for now to say it is finally here! The "baby has finally been born" (even it it was a breached birth).

I was so fortunate to be able to be invited to Dick Gee's party at his hanger on Paine Field directly facing the runway and I got some awesome pictures the airplane as it roared down the runway in front of us and rotated for a wonderful takeoff just a thousand feet from us. I was jumping up and down and screaming like the Seahawks had finally won the Superbowl (which they should have right).

This is a special airplane and I am so proud to be one of the pioneers of its history!

You can enjoy some of the other picture I took during the First Flight at my Smugmug website:
http://blueskiesphotos.smugmug.com/Events/787-First-Flight/First-Flight/10664932_SFVx8#742289844_TFsQr

Taking Flight 2

I thought this image I took of the some Canadian Geese taking off from Lake Ballinger was so appropriate to the events of this week. I worked to create a pleasing image. I think I got it right.

These Geese work hard to get to the take off speed that will allow them to fly. The almost look like they are walking on water. To get the 787 to first flight was a most difficult journey indeed for the men and women of Boeing. I think in some ways they have almost had to "walk on water" to make it fly!

Congratulations to the great Boeing team! We did it!

John