Saturday – a day to get out and about with my camera, a day not to sit still in front of my computer editing or writing, a day to use for breaking out of the box in terms of subjects photographed, a day to push my never dones … finding that which I haven’t yet photographed. Most of us in the northern hemisphere are no doubt in kindred spirit, waiting in what seems a long-suffering stance for spring’s thaw, a thaw that the Woodland Cree assert brings with it a thaw in people’s inhibitions. This period of time prior to spring’s full-on melt is notorious for people’s crumbling inhibitions and for people saying what’s really on their minds. In this season, one’s behaviour and how it’s judged tends to count for more than legitimate investigation of the inner life that produces it – it becomes easy to fall prey and victim to other’s perceptions. It’s a season when minor social injuries can occur, when a spade is often inaccurately called a spade, when you can be caught having said a wrong thing, when the day before can look just like the day you’re presented with, a time when it can be difficult to see the forward movement toward and into spring. It is a smart time, however, to focus and pursue a never done, to break out of your mould and to extend yourself into new reaches of growth, learning and practice. Saturday’s endeavor has been about finding new subjects to photograph, subjects I rarely photograph … but ought to. Here, four horses and three lamas are the subject of the photograph presented here.  Three and half hours into my southward drive toward Fairview, Alberta I encountered the animals on the west side of the road in the last ten kilometres traveling into Fairview. The day was warm with wind and temperatures hovering around freezing.  Snow was melting, light was bright and intense and the day’s heating of the world caused dramatic interplay among the clouds being created, shaped and blown around – a windy, tempestuous start to our March, 2012.

Listening to – Eric Clapton’s Unplugged Album; songs drawing attention Before You Accuse Me, Tears in Heaven, Walkin’ Blues and Malted Milk;  also listening to Martyn Joseph’s Far From Silent album – songs standing out include Good Man, The Mayor of Candor Lied and All this Time.

Quote to Inspire – “Photography is an immediate reaction, drawing a meditation.” – Henri Cartier Bresson