Monday, February 04, 2008

Twilight on the Purple Ridge

Overnight, the graphic issues at Blogger seem to have been cleared up, and before I say anything else this morning, a deep bow and a hearty "thank you" is owing to the technicians who sorted everything out. It was traumatic yesterday to log on here and discover that most of the photos posted in the last year or two had gone missing and could no longer be seen.

This was to have been posted here on the weekend, an indigo study and stray thoughts about what the world looks like from the top of a much loved ridge in the Lanark Highlands at nightfall in winter. The snow here is at least four feet deep, judging by its depth around the fence uprights, and the shadows cast by those uprights are long and deep inky blue. Every element in the image forms a rich and elegant curve that is easy on the eye, and everything is intensely colored at twilight.

Standing here in winter, one feels as though she is on top of the world, a pilgrim and seeker in the Himalayas who is experiencing a fleeting moment of kensho (awakening) and has become one with everything she sees. Achieving the deeper and lasting state of satori (enlightenment) is still a long way off, but as the saying goes, "it's all good". Whatever other winter memories fall away, I shall remember the perfection of the deep snow unmarked by human feet, the drifting clouds and the song of the wind.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Kate - what a beautiful picture, such a relief that we can all appreciate your wonderful photos again. Jane

Endment said...

Each morning I eagerly travel with you through the Lanark Highlands and long to see these beauties for myself. How I enjoy each post
So glad your photos are back!

Karen said...

So glad you are back and the technicians sorted it out.
Beautiful picture - thank you
K

Weeping Sore said...

Purple and twilight - perfectly paired! The "Lanark highlands" recalls to me, the streets in the neighborhood where I grew up. I lived on "Kinross" and one of the major cross-streets is "Lanark".

In winter, we used to sled down the hill on Lanark. It wasn't until we were older that we learned many of the street names are taken from places in Scottland.

I quoted your poem (from your recent post on Light) today. A single word - tatterdemalion - caught my imagination.

Shelli said...

Oh what a spectacular view! Thank you for sharing it.

Dianna Woolley said...

Oh, I did gasp when I read that your photos were gone!! I am a relatively new blogger and I accidentally removed all of my links and photos last week and it seemed a minor catastrophe to me! I did manage to retrieve everything but I was disappointed for 24 hours to say the least!! So happy that your masterful photographic essays were saved! They are beautiful!