WPC – Numbers

June 3, 2016 by spiritofdragonflies 10 Comments

Equations. Clock faces. Cash registers. Numbers are everywhere: this week, share a photo that puts them front and center.

When I first saw this week’s challenge, numbers, it seemed that I wouldn’t find any photos in my files. Then an amazing thing happened, I had numerous photos with numbers whether on clocks, signs, tickets, and tombstones. If you are mindful and live in the moment you can capture interesting subjects wherever you are.

In the photo below I noticed these very large playing cards in an antique shop with the numbers 5 and 9 hanging above the garage door. The metal drawers jumped out to me and if I wasn’t flying home on the airplane those would have found a place in my home.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Sometimes I travel to Hogansburg and have to spend the night. The hotel is across the parking lot from the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino so I take a $20 bill and have a night out. The last time I traveled with my supervisor, my lucky charm, the bells started ringing and the coins danced across the screen. As you can see this was the penny machine and a 9 cent bet was a winner. Those are some nice numbers.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Traveling for work or fun, either nearby or far away, is a main part of where I find joy in my life. Having the camera bag in the car is a must because you never know what you will discover. Part of the fun is snapping photos and the other is to sit and take in the sites. For this week’s challenge I decided to share some number photos from along the way. I have never actually walked the Canalway Trail and was surprised to see that you can walk the trail to Schenectady from Buffalo. That would be a nice long walk and more than a day of travel. http://www.canals.ny.gov/trails/about

Schenectady near the Mohawk River

Thatcher Park

Rte 73 in Keene, NY

SubAlpine Coffee

Heritage Deli and Bakery

The Indian Ladder Trail is located in Thatcher Park near Berne, NY. The stairs leading down to the trail are quite steep, the view is well worth the voyage down the stairs. In previous posts you may remember seeing the beautiful autumn photos of this area. http://nysparks.com/parks/128/details

The trip from Akwesasne to home is quite long, almost 4 hours, yet filled amazing views of mountains and lakes. After working with the staff I head out knowing that I can stop and capture some photos of the lakes along the way, stretch my legs in Keene while stopping for a ‘last coffee’ before reaching I87. SubAlpine Coffee is well worth the stop for some have delicious coffee and treats. http://www.subalpinecoffee.com

I love taking photos of the chalk boards in restaurants and coffee shops. My own handwriting is not what it used to be so I am amazed at the art of writing on the boards. The one in this photo was found at Heritage Deli and Bakery in Chester, VT. The coffee and treats were delicious.

The one thing in New York that can be found in every town, village, city not matter where you travel is cemeteries. When I lived in California the first thing I noticed was a lack of cemeteries. I’m still wondering where they bury their dead. Here in NYS the cemetery is filled with history and plenty of dates from the birth and death of the deceased. These tombstones are from the 1700-1800s. Each cemetery is very unique. The Albany Rural Cemetery is 41 acres with stones ranging over centuries with trails and waterfalls. The Mountain View Cemetery has a wonderful view of the Adirondack Mountains. The stone from Kingston was found in a Church yard. It took me years to overcome my fear of death and cemeteries. Now I find peace and calm while sitting under a tree in a cemetery.

Albany Rural Cemetery

Mountain View Cemetery

Cemetery stone in Kingston, NY

The tombstones reminds me of the importance of time and how it is spent. The dates on the stones tell stories. Several stone in the Albany Rural Cemetery had sculptures of fallen trees with roots clinging to the stone. These men you young and died during the Civil War. The tombstone means cut down before its time which was quite appropriate. Seeing the years between birth and death reinforces my belief in living fully every day. Numbers are calculated and many worry about those numbers as they wonder How much time do I have?

If you want to truly live, add in more ME time to your daily life whether that be meditation, exercise, reading, writing, being creative and add in plenty of fun and laughter. Become more mindful. Slow down and enjoy the food you eat, fluids you drink by noticing the color, textures, tastes. Slow down when preparing your food and send love to your food prior to eating. Slow down and ‘see’ the world around you. Do you take time to enjoy nature, listen to birds, hug a tree or sit under them? Beauty is always around us because the sun shines and the moon glows for everyone. The air is shared and breathed by everyone. Enjoy this gift. Don’t let the numbers of age cause you sadness, rejoice in being alive to enjoy another day. Instead of focusing on the numbers, focus on your life.

If you would like to view other entries for this week or would like to add your own photos click on the link below:

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/numbers-2

Release the numbers that are holding you back. Live mindfully, adventurously, and joyously!!

Love and Light!

http://albanyruralcemetery.org http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~frgen/franklin/brighton/mountainview.htm