Astronomical Wonders & a New Anthology!
Northern Lights over The Olympic Range, from Union WA, September 4, 2022.
12:15 a..m. ISO 2500, 6 second exposure.
My Summer of Astronomical Wonders!
Welcome to September, Dear Ones. May the coming of fall bring cooler weather and relief from drought or flooding, or whatever adversity climate crisis has brought to your environment. For my part, this summer has been a welcome relief after the devastation of wildfire that destroyed both my sister-in-laws' homes in August 2020, and the death of those sweet sisters in August 2020 and 2021. So far, we have not been plagued with wildfire smoke, or marine life die off as we have in the past two summers, and only one seal pup died on our beach (evidently they have a 50% mortality rate).
The hot temperatures and clear skies have been the perfect opportunity to turn my attention in earnest to the night sky in "my big backyard" which provides open views from north to south. I've been photographing the Milky Way during the new (no) moon, and though light pollution prevents me from producing astounding images that only truly dark sky can provide, it's a thrill to see the faintest outline of the Milky Way in the night sky, and to produce images that show our night sky far from black! I have also been able to capture the Northern Lights in my camera on several occasions. Here in Western Washington, when the Aurora is visible to the naked eye, it appears white or gray and subtle against the N/NE horizon, but color is revealed to high shutter speeds & exposures of a few seconds. I've been putting my natural night owl nature and insomnia to good use, and I get a good laugh on the nights the seals congregate on our floating dock growling at each other like grumpy siblings sharing a bed.
When I was describing my night-scape photography activities in conversation, my soul sister and amazing abstract painter Tarah Trueblood, noted that I'm a lifelong learner, and my dear friend, fellow writer and MFA alum Carol Park, said she heard my joy. (Click on their names to find what brings them joy). As a writer, I'm not sure a picture is worth a thousand words as the saying goes, but I'm finding that venturing into this new creative endeavor that is shaped by the planetary or astronomical rhythms and sharing the resulting images with others is soul satisfying. Thank you for being part of my adventure, and may you find joy in learning something new!
Creatively yours,
Cathy
I'm delighted to announce the publication of my third poetry anthology.
Poemographs for Peace began as a community poetry project. From September through March I emailed a weekly photo as a writing prompt to a wonderful and widespread group of poets. When April, which is National Poetry Month, came around I sent a daily prompt, as has been my practice. I felt the weight of unprovoked violence in the world, and believe creativity can offer hope in response to the bad news that bombards us. So I asked recipients to contribute to a charity aiding the people of Ukraine. Most had already made contributions to charities including: The Red Cross, The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Yoga International, DrumStrong, International Rescue Committee, Media Lifeline, and direct aid to a teacher housing refugee families. No wonder these poets inspire me.
From Monday September 5th through Friday the 9th, the Kindle version of Poemographs for Peace is available to everyone free of charge. I invite you to download it, and if you like it, to purchase a paperback copy (where the formatting of poetry is so much better). All royalties will be donated to the Ukraine aid projects of World Central Kitchen and UMCOR, where 100% of donations are passed on without administrative fees. Please help us spread the word and buy a copy for a poetry-loving friend!