Posted in Alternative Lifestyle, animal rights, Colombia, Colombian life, Color and Colombia, expat life, minimalism, nature, Nature Symbolism, Perfection and Peace, Uncategorized

An Avid Photographer of Nature

Out and about at VM 003
Chacalaca bird in bamboo tree
Out and about at VM 005
A river on my hikes
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One simple butterfly
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a cow
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who is very comfortable with me
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One lone piece of bamboo

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/avid/

I am always hiking near my Villa . I can’t give an exact amount of days per week. It depends on my hair. Yes it does. I am after all still a woman who likes my hair and nails to be  perfect, even if I live in the Rainforest. Yes, I am revealing something about myself. I usually walk on days I have to wash my hair. OH, so you think why do we need to know this? Because you do. I live in the forest. I am not always interacting with others. I like being alone. I like reading, I love writing and I love my space. I really love being alone. I worked for years as a flight attendant. I don’t care if I hear a bunch of people complaining ever again!

“Worry less about what you want to be, and more about what you want to do.” – President Barack Obama in Chicago today. I love this quote because it describes me and my life to perfection. I want to be successful in my small business. But if I am not I can accept that. I want to be immersed in nature as an avid  photographer. I love getting up early and going out on my own with one of my dogs to walk and photograph the beauty that surrounds me. Photography is part of me. I am part of the photos I take on my hikes. I see people and talk to them. There is no such thing as a Colombian who ignores someone they pass, whether in an office, or on the street. Even if they dislike you they acknowledge you. I find that a wonderful way to live. What is the use of hurting others? With that I share some photos of my life around and about as an avid photographer and the life I lead as an expat.

Posted in animal rights, Colombia, Colombian life, Color and Colombia, expat life, nature, Nature Symbolism, photo challenge, Uncategorized

Earth Day

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/earth-2017/

Earth day is April 22, a favorite day to me. The Earth is substantially more than just us humans. It is every little creature that surrounds us to bring our ecosystem in sync. Look at my cover photo carefully. You will see the tiniest little waspDucklings and wierd catapiller 026Ducklings and wierd catapiller 037birds and ducks 002birds and ducks 015Horse riders and walk 002Horse riders and walk 007.

Ducklings and wierd catapiller 021
The arrow points out the tiny wasp on the Canna Lily

Without bees, wasps and all insects we would not have flowers. We would not have pollination, we would not be alive on Earth. So when any of us use products from Monsanto, or any poisons we are killing the Earth. We are destroying the planet for future generations. These little insects that bother us are very important links to the salvation of  the Earth. They are an important part of the chain of events that allow us to live on the planet Earth with water, air and food.

So when I take my photos of nature I always keep in mind that all of nature is intertwined. We humans are not superior to any animal or plant that lives in this Universe. Remember that when you see the ice melting, the water being polluted, and the fish dying in the oceans. We humans are the murderers. We are killing this planet with greed to make money. We are the ones who can stop this before it is too late.

 

 

Posted in Alternative Lifestyle, Colombia, Colombian life, expat life, minimalism, nature, Perfection and Peace, photo challenge, Uncategorized

It is just my life I am secure in.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/security/

 

Awaking to the sound of birds, falling asleep to the sounds of  frogs and crickets. The cool breeze that comes through my window while I write in my office. The sway of the leaves of the banana trees. The sun that is an orb of fire as it sets over the valley. The fog that comes up suddenly over the mountains. A high-pitched wail that I hear every evening around 6 pm coming from the mountains surrounding my Villa.  Like clockwork I hear the shriek of some bird or animal calling the day to a close. Comfort like a warm blanket over me when I am snuggled in bed, secure in the knowledge a new day will come in the morning with new adventures to discover. Where I see horses grazing, livestock who are so friendly they follow me on my hikes. The sound of a rushing river, and a random butterfly who finds itself trapped in a window at my home. The little church I own here in my pueblo, having a mass where the dogs participate also. This is my life in Colombia. I am secure in the knowledge that I have found my paradise. As I hike and look up to the clouds the sun is shining on me with an embrace I can feel in my soul.

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Rainforest frog
Pure nature

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Posted in Alternative Lifestyle, ambiance, Colombia, Colombian life, expat life, minimalism, nature, Nature Symbolism, Perfection and Peace, photo challenge, Uncategorized

It’s a Jungle out there!

Out and about on the Rainforest hike 026
Trees growing high into the sky while the forest is the backdrop
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Clouds descend upon my mountains surrounding Villa Migelita
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The condensed look of one sweet horse on a hike
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Foliage captures the sun as a Chachalaca hides in the trees
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A butterfly sunning on leaves in the forest
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The capture of an intense rainstorm coming towards Villa Migelita
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The sounds of silence of the forest captured in this one photo

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/dense/

Living in the forest makes for wonderful photo opportunities. The jungle is real in Colombia. The forest is dense, the trees seem impenetrable, the cloud cover comes and goes as I hike. A close-knit Eco-system of  beauty that has to be seen in person to take in the three-dimensional quality. A step inside a real life painting. That is how I live. I am constantly amazed by the views I see when taking my tourists and adventurers out on hikes. It is like a Disney movie in 3D. Here are a few photos I have captured while on my hikes around Villa Migelita  . They will never capture the beauty you can see when visiting Colombia, but hopefully you will be able to see how dense the forest is, how the clouds descend upon the mountains, and how I embrace my minimalist life. Nothing can compare to what I feel when I wander the mountains near my home and Bed and Breakfast Villa Migelita.   I sense freedom from the hectic lifestyle of the Western world, I feel empowered as a woman who moved to a new country and often want to shout to the sky,”Look at what I have done! Look at how I live! Just look at this substantial life I have made for myself!” This is a tiny semblance of how I am touched when I roam the mountains  near my Villa.  Remember this: I spent many years wasting money on things that are not important to a meaningful life. Now I spend my time instead of money on things that are important: my quality of life and my love of nature. I just want to live surrounded by the clouds, trees, birds, butterflies, and the calling of nature to my soul.