The morning light on our sailboat is indeed wondrous.

As it falls on the table, it illuminates everything…including our newest vessel, a bowl in my very favorite colours, watery bluey-greens. It undulates in a way that suggests soft waves — a perfect vessel for a sailing vessel, I think.

Processed with Kim Klassen’s “linda”.

I hadn’t planned to create something for Texture Tuesday this week — The Free and Easy Edition — but when I saw the luminous vessel, I couldn’t resist.

Does light ever do that to you — change your plans?

I got my first dog 14 1/2 years ago…a wonderful little Westie we named Angus. Angus is with us now on the sailboat, along with Charles, who we rescued two years ago. (They have made several appearances on this blog.) These two little guys have taught me so much, and have opened me up to a love of dogs that I did not have growing up. There is nothing to compare to the connection I have with my boys.

The lovely boy below is named Virgil and he is a gentle companion to a friend of ours in Florida. I spent part of one night recently trying to capture Virgil on camera. I have chosen this image for Kat Sloma’s Photo Heart connection for February because it symbolizes a heart that has opened more and more to dogs.

Eckhart Tolle calls dogs “guardians of being” because “the dog keeps you in touch with being — the innermost core. You can look into the eyes of the dog and see that innermost core. ”

“Just be alert as you watch a dog, playing, resting; play with a dog…you can learn being present from an animal. Your dog can teach you to be present because the dog is ready to enjoy, celebrate life any moment…the Now. The dog is in the Now so it can teach you or remind you. When you become burdened with problems, look at your dog and see how the dog is always ready to celebrate life.”

Tolle believes that dogs play a vital role in keeping many people sane right now in this alienated and alienating world we live in. I don’t know about keeping me sane — the jury is out on that one 😉 — but my two definitely remind me of what is truly and deeply important every single day. What does your dog bring to your life?

For in dreams we enter a world that is entirely our own.

J.K. Rowling

Processed with Kim Klassen’s “roid-love”.

Sharing with Kim Klassen’s Texture Tuesday. Why not go on over and check out the other dreamy images in the Dream-like edition?

Let us learn to appreciate there will be times when the trees will be bare, and look forward to the time when we may pick the fruit.

Anton Chekhov

Processed with Flypaper textures

I’m learning about light…and when I see thrilling light, I jump on it. So when I was munching on this luscious tree-ripened peach this morning, I had to grab my camera. The morning light falling on its juicy beauty reminded me of a Renaissance still-life painting.

Without darkness, nothing comes to birth. As without light, nothing flowers. 

May Sarton

Bougainvillea image processed with two textures from Kim’s Downton Abbey Collection. (For Kim’s 2 B class Week #5)

This image is for Week 4 in my online class Beyond Beyond with Kim Klassen. The challenge was to take something from indoors and photograph it outdoors.

This proved to be not too challenging for me since outdoors is not too far from indoors on a sailboat — just a few steps up from the cabin — and we live out there a lot of the time.

Nonetheless, I brought my grandfather’s binoculars (which I brought for good luck) outside, along with an old map of the Bahamas and a set of dividers, and placed them on the cockpit table.

I used a couple of layers of Kim’s “Violet” texture from her new beautiful Downton Abbey set. (Coincidentally, we started watching Season 2 last night as we settled in cosily and listened to the rain start to pelt down on the boat.)