241 / altered photos

At some time in the 1980's I realised I could add 

a bit of paint to my photos

(Dalhousie)

to bring out things that were almost visible

(London)

sometimes just a couple of strokes were enough

& I liked that it should be such a surprise, since

people were expecting just a photo

(Bangalow)

some photos were old, & I didn't find the hiding folk 

till later, at other times I took the photo because

they were visible

& sometimes it reflected states of mind,

no doubt

Some I've subsequently used in books,

& then I usually had to fix them up a bit on the computer

I stayed at this hotel while I finished the I Ching book,

in San Miguel Allende

Some friends were renting a place here, in southern Mexico.

With the photos, its possible to turn them in the light,

& see where the paint is, this one comes slowly

without that aid

& the tree person/spirit I could see in this

rather mysterious forest in Chiapas

Although I'd been at least one winter in Canada, in Colorado

it was really full on, in the country

the forest was full of entities

there were very few people around, & you know that

hush in snow, & when you hear the plop of falling snow:

I felt they were playing with me

as I've probably said before, nature seems to love

to be admired.. thats not quite the way to say it, but there

is a sense of something reciprocal ~

wouldn't you say?

193 / faces

My theory: the faces in landscapes

are a kind of residue of the people who have passed by

in rock terms that could mean a whole human lifetime

passed in one spot

as nothing is separate, what's before you is noticing you too

so.. when one loves a certain area, it thrives on our attention... 

that theory doesn't quite work in these places, there was 

apparently a 500 year drought 

in what is now known as the usa southwest - 

too bad that humans don't seem able to think

in extended time frames.. 

146 / at last

So.. it's a very long way across China

along the Silk Road

remnants or copies of earlier times, I took in the museum

in Dunhuang, I presume most were found in the area

this worked well, though many were useless

due to poor light, & multiple reflections

looks like a mermaid, how did she end up in the midst of the desert?

an old photo of the Mogao caves ~ which are built into a 

cliff face amongst the dunes ~ after long neglect

Now they have been shored up with concrete, &, inside, restoration

continues; its a Unesco World Heritage site.

The first one our group entered was a profoundly moving experience

for me, a truly spiritual space & so beautiful.

Look on YouTube, as there is no photography allowed now.
Theres also an old 12 part series 'The Silk Road', music by Kitaro
which is worth watching on You Tube.

Better yet, go there.

137 / Bingling grottoes

After hours of nondescript country, we came to the water

& marvellous hills & cliffs, dotted with holes

as well as many suggestive shapes, like a
country of the imagination

It was cold & wet, we got a small boat to go up the river

I couldn't bear to go inside the cabin, I loved this unusual landscape

the colours don't seem quite right, because everything was

shining with an other worldly glow

the water this pearly green,

no obvious habitations.. space..

I could have stayed there for weeks..

months..

No idea what causes this kind of geology, though I'd expect water.

The river (?) feeds into the Yangtze,

so the water levels fluctuate, according to that damn dam,

in fact many of the grottoes were flooded.
Were they photographed & described before that happened?

I knew we were coming to Buddhist caves, but not much more,

enjoyed this small building near the entrance

all the figures around were looking too

a large Buddha, not my favourite style, but a solid presence

small scale niches that somehow survived, perhaps due to 

some difficulty in reaching the site.

& a great silence.
It feels as if the country itself contains an inner peace.

I felt that these monks & artists (clearly from many countries)

had been very devoted,

due in no small way to the inspiring surroundings

136 / from this

Just scanned these old photos from the Yangtze River

- pre-dam

This was the morning after a big storm,

pink waterfalls everywhere.

Flat desert after this would have been..

very difficult indeed.

I forget how long it took from Chungking

(to Shanghai) but I certainly recall the great beauty

of the river banks through the gorges

129 / Jingshan Gardens

Surprised by the lovely trees here

& by the happy relaxed crowds of people 

practicing Tai Chi, music, dance, mahjong, you name it..

gardeners screened off their new work

an adjacent park had a big lake with small boats,

not much action as it was a week day.
One could forget the pollution, more or less.