Day 78: How to Measure Time

Day 78: How to Measure Time, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I've lived in my home for over twenty years. These trees have stood here much longer. There are some details in this image, difficult to make out, that measure how much time has passed. When I first moved in a metal wire went around the tree and was attached to the bit of metal fence at the bottom. Its purpose? I'm not sure - perhaps to keep out the neighbouring children. If you look carefully you will see a slight bulge and a line on the trunk on the left; the tree tried hard to push off that wire. The scars remain, like lines drawn on a wall to measure a child's growth.

In the tree on the right, there is a string hanging down. There was once a usable clothes line. The pulley has been swallowed by the years of growth. The tree's girth now hides all but the string.

Time can be measured in many ways. Sometimes it is more interesting to measure it through signs rather than in the artificial notation of years, months, days, seconds.... Measuring time through change.

Day 30: Feeling Blue

Day 30: Feeling Blue, originally uploaded by susanvg.

My eyes are now trained for looking and the result is sometimes frustrating. I was driving through the city today with my son - doing messages and passed so many photo ops, but could not stop. So, once home, I looked around for something that reflected my mood - a little bit blue.

However, in looking at the photo I saw an inner glow and peacefulness. The bowl is one I love - the crackled glass reaching up to the smooth rim. Taking time to look also gives time to reflect. The blues don't have to be down. Blue winds through many moods from the exhilarating brightness of a February sky to the serenity of a still lake. Taking time is what this project is all about - time to look, time to stop and time to think. Feeling blue is not bad at all.