We awoke this morning to the first real flurries of fall-into-winter time, the children wishing the flakes were bigger and icier to bring on a Snow Day, a respite from school (no such luck!). There was a thin coating of powdered sugar on all the rooftops, crunchy crystals on the fallen leaves, a stillness in the air that comes only on certain gray days when winter is slyly peeking around the corner. But within a couple of hours, not a trace of white flakes--all melted, despite the chill. We are perched right on that crisp, familiar edge between the seasons. For me, the true excitement in life is all about the edges, the new territories we enter, the things we leave behind to make room for growth.
This blog is right on the cusp of new things as well. When I began Joyfully Green in July 2012 (has it really been that long?!), I was writing it as a "green blog." Rather organically (pun intended), it has altered its course. Why? Without a doubt, the thing I hear about first and foremost (in the comments section and in "real life") is the photography. And perhaps not coincidentally, that's the part of blogging I now enjoy the most--finding the "perfect picture" to bring to a post. Yesterday, I was invited by a fellow blogger/new friend in Austria to be a part of her upcoming e-book on iPhone photography. Seven out of the ten posts at the bottom of this page are about photographing nature. More and more, I'm finding my footing and hitting my stride among photographers--mostly people I've never met "in real life"--because we share the same favorite space: behind a lens, looking out into the world.
Is this still a "green blog"? At its heart, yes. I follow the school of Richard Louv, who believes that in order to encourage people to "save the world", first you've got to give them an appreciation of nature. They need to see (and love) what there is to protect (or lose). So, although I will be concentrating mainly on nature and wildlife photography, there still will be the occasional post on purely "green" topics of conservation, minimalism, non-consumerism, unplugging, simplifying, and substituting more eco-friendly options into our homes and lives. Too often, unfortunately, I think "being green" in these times has a political fight written all over it, and this is not a political blog. Yet I hope everyone can agree that there is heart-stopping, skin-tingling beauty to be found out-of-doors, if we care enough to look for it.
A few posts ago, I said there would be some big photography news ahead. This isn't it. But you will hear it soon here, I promise! For now, since you know my course is veering a bit and I'm entering a new territory of what this blog will focus on (quite literally), I hope you will welcome the changes and join me for the journey ahead. Because I'm so grateful that you're here with me, right now.
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Your turn: What photography sites and blogs do you enjoy? If you are reading this post via email subscription or mobile device and would like to leave a comment (please do!), click on the title or go to www.JoyfullyGreen.com from a computer to see the comments and leave one of your own. (Don't forget to click the box for subscribing to comments so you can follow the conversation.)
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