The place I'd chosen had worked out pretty well. No one had walked by, the ground was a little uneven, but passable. And, I slept okay. I packed up and headed to McDonald's for a coffee...
Something about this closed restaurant - the design,
the non-plastic appearance, the details? - whatever it was, I liked it.
At McDonald's I noticed that, at a back table, someone had loosened the wall outlet cover plate, turning it off the bottom outlet, and removed the blue masking tape that had blocked it. I immediately put my pack there, ordered my coffee and then returned to see if the outlet worked. I did, and that gave me a charge. I worked all morning, finally publishing the blog post at about 10:30 am.
I have a system now, where - if possible - I transfer and process all the picture files from each day on that same night. then I go back to the blog in the morning, locate my last sleeping place (if a new one was used) on Google Satellite and then fill in the text. Since the pictures upload in the order which they were taken, it is then easy to remember what I was doing at the time I took each one. On this day, I had a theme in mind for the photography that would come: Pattern, Form, Distance and Duration. By that, I mean...
1) Pattern - Nature is filled with patterns. In fact nothing happens with living or non-living things, that does not follow patterns. Now, as I discussed a few posts back (in relation to the ripples in the sand formed by wind) about Chaos Theory, although the patterns I focus upon do not exactly replicate themselves in precise copies, there are certain parameters, limits--in a calculus sense, that related forms will follow. Sometimes this is by design--in human works, DNA--in animated (living) matter, and the laws of quantum dynamics in non-living matter. I wanted to show examples of this through my photos that day.
2) Form - The forms that arise from pattern are always conceptually imperfect--no matter how perfect the intentions of the pattern are. By that, let me give an example for what I mean: Conceptually we can say that a "perfect" sphere has a volume exactly equal to 4/3 p r3, or 1.333... times pi, times the length of its radius, cubed. That formula is a pattern that can be replicated at any scale. In the human MIND, or in the cyber mind of a computer, perfection is achieved with the aforementioned formula, as long as it stays within that respective mind. However, as soon as this perfect shape is printed, molded, carved, or otherwise presented in the real world, it ceases to be perfect. Its material parts are limited by the material world's ability to - for instance - make edges perfectly smooth, or surfaces perfectly flawless. No circle ever drawn in the history of humanity has ever been a perfect circle. Similarly, nature "draws" forms in the real world, based on perfect constructional systems--patterns. But, because of the limitations of material systems, which at their most fundamental levels are subject to the Second Law of Thermodynamics (being related to the Quantum Uncertainty Principle), tiny, random processes conspire to skew perfect concepts into imperfect objects. I wanted to show examples of this as well.
3) Distance - Pattern, leading to form, expresses self-similarity over distance. Without distance, we can't differentiate how forms can be so diverse, when arising from the exact same pattern.
4) Duration - The final ingredient is the effect of time, upon form. While time never changes patterns--they are eternal, it can produce new causes that retire old patterns, creating new effects. Since, in the real world, there is an overlap between the production of old forms from old patterns and the productions of new forms from new patterns--while the resulting forms also interact with each other, the predictability of future form production becomes closer to impossible the further one projects ahead.All this technical stuff may be interesting to some folks, while others have to prop their eyes open to keep from falling asleep, I have to mention them, because I am obligated to express what motivates my work each day. And, on this day, it was the above.
With all of this in mind, I present the following photos...
Dried roses stuck in a tree. The effects of duration upon once-living form.
The trestle bridge uses a repeating pattern of support, no section is exactly the same.
The results of human-created forms, based on architectural and structural patterns.
Of course the well-known example of tree leaves ca be seen,
presenting a great display of the variation which can result from a basic pattern,
expressed originally by DNA, and then altered by subatomic and environmental forces,
over the duration of moments, years, and sometimes even centuries.
Close-ups of the structure under the trestle bridge showed the obvious intention of a pattern. Through these, patterns express themselves imperfectly in the actual form, there is enough of the original pattern to almost seem like I was standing between two mirrors...
This is one of my favorite photos, as it relates to the theme of this post.
The living plants and the man-made bridge--over a distance,
follow a non-living geographical landscape (that followed the patterns
of weathering and geological forces) that formed millions of years ago:
Pattern, form, distance and duration.
Along the roadside, were small sections of elm tree groups, located at about 25 feet from each other. They are all near the same height, indicating that they grew up together. I hypothesized that originally there was probably only one tree (now long gone) in each section, planted like a colonnade. It reproduced, leaving several in its absence. It may be that someday these small groves will combine to make a wall of trees that border the road leading down to the park...
See how the blue of the sky is reflected from the leaves behind these trees.
Color is the one thing that does remain close to being perfect,
since light itself only appears to move, but actually exists on a non-temporal level of reality.
In truth it is more appropriate to say that the world moves through light,
rather than the other way around.
The trees of the parking lot, near the beach area, are very tall. Mostly, these tall trees that don't spread out much laterally, are maples. The distance of their heights is inherently expressed through the latent patterns of their DNA. The form may be imperfect, but if all patterns were expressed perfectly there would be no variation in nature. And, this is true, not only of the height attained but also at the scale of the bark produced...
Moss grows alongside lichen. Each follows their post-pattern forms,
diverging only so much, while still being diverse within their own species.
An image highlighting the blue-violet range of light on moss and lichen.
The same image in white visible light.
A new sprout juts out of a living stump.
Two trees sprouted at the same time. Early in their lives they combined at the bases of their trunks, until at some point they separated and then grew parallel with each other,
staying in contact, and slowing twisting around each other as the years passed.
This tree was especially illuminated, by being tipped away from my
position and catching the late afternoon sun.
Upon a more careful inspection, this tree delivered quite a few photo-worthy images, especially since a white feather had lodged itself in among the green. The metaphors and symbols seemed endless to me: The plant and the animal kingdoms, the patterns expressed through each of their forms--now combined, the distance the feather traveled, the duration of time necessary to develop the growth of moss. All conspired to unknowingly deliver a set of very interesting images for me to now capture and share - as they were - for as long as people will view these photos...
Under the shade of a natural canopy, I caught sight of a branch that split the image of the sun into tow light sources, making a kind of binary star effect...
Perspective is a good way to express distance. In the next picture, distance is more apparent by the perspective of photographic nearer the surface of the table. If I were to have taken the picture from above, the edges would appear equidistant. Even though the photo you see now is projected upon the plane of your computer, phone or tablet screen, you get a very clear idea about how the table is indeed a three dimensional object, where that impression would not have been so apparent with a top-view...
Sometimes the scene has so much variation and pattern-alteration, in its many forms, and because of the nearly-unlimited effects of duration on those forms, that its chaotic appearance can demonstrate the "soup" of complex processes that might frighten a mind that needs structure, while inspiring a mind that longs for the structureless...
Cobwebs are a great example of the way a cob spider (as opposed to "spiral" or "orb" web producing spider) THINKS. It uses a "plan" (a perfect, instinctual, conceptual pattern) to fill in the spaces it deems necessary in order to trap its prey. It looks messy to us, but the spider has very definite reasons (that we don't understand) for why it does what it does, the way it does. Because of the intention to attempt achieving the perfection it knows should be reproduced in the real world, it constantly repairs damage made to its web by outside forces. In doing this, the spider may trash original patterns, and adapt new ones that are more successful over time.
If the environment that the spider lives in is changing irrevocably, the rate at which the species will repattern its efforts may determine whether it can keep up--evolve, or fall behind--become extinct. Humans have the most potential for adaptation.
The problems humans run into is that they are often adapting to the results of their own former patterns. The effects of this human adaptation upon the material world becomes a kind of feedback loop, that can either produce a progressive transformation over time, or destroy the very ability to further adapt. We seem to be occupying a strange point in history right now. We are just becoming aware of how much we impact the planet we live on, at the same time that we have the potential of destroying everything we've done in the past, through an over-development of technical achievement juxtaposed against a profound lack of moral or spiritual achievement. We will need to find ways of not committing suicide as a species as our own technology becomes ultimately less understandable to us, while the self-control of being able to use it WISELY is brought up to speed.
All material things age. All the things that shine will someday rust, all that is made of stone will turn to dust...
Nature takes over where we leave off...
Moss, rust, drying, cracking and splitting--the patterns of the human
mind can not stand up permanently against the patterns of nature.
The beams will disconnect and fall. They will need to be replaced...
Feeling as though, I'd made a point for myself, I went back to simply taking picture of interesting things during the afternoon...
My sitting spot; one of hundreds along the many paths in the park.
Sunlight from the side.
The beginning of the end of day.
The ice cream man having relieved many children and adults of their hard earned money.
Golden trees illuminated by the sunset, shine like a light themselves, behind the green of closer trees.
I wasn't totally sold on my last sleeping spot. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as private as I'dwanted. so, on a whim, I explored down the river a way, walking past the LED-lit trestle bridge...
The colors slowly shift each moment. Neat!
At the time I was searching, no one was around this area of the river. I found several fair spots, until I ran across a really good one. The ground was level and not too rocky, the plants were not prickly blackberry bushes, and, except for a little entryway, the spot was hidden from all directions.
Nevertheless, after I turned in for the night two guys with backpacks came walking up - wouldn't you know it? - to a spot on the trail exactly where across from where I was lying. They didn't see me at first. And, as they sat down to smoke a pipe. I rolled my eyes, wondering if they would be choosing to camp four feet away from me for the whole night!
I heard them talking. Apparently they had just recently met - maybe on the road - and were getting to know each other. the older guy have a real gravelly voice, and talked about when he was in the army, serving in Iraq. the younger guys, perhaps looking to this elder for acceptance and protections, played the dutiful role of "follower".
The older guys would brag about this or that, and the younger guy would tell him how right he was. This ego feeding went on the whole time they were there. Finally, they stood up and the younger guy pulled out a flashlight, looking for trails leading from the beach into the woods. He walked right up to my "doorway" and saw me. He suddenly pulled the light off of me, turned around and told the older guy that there was someone sleeping there. He said to me, "OK if we hang out here for a while?"
I just grunted, and they decided to move on. And, frankly, why not?! There was 3,000 feet of riverfront to hang out at. Why the hell would they choose to be right next to another guy who was trying to sleep? Anyway, they came to this same conclusion, and I was finally at peace enough to actually sleep.
Not gonna lie, this IS one of my most favorite blog entries I have read. Though I have not read them all, I gave read many! In the pictures I found the stump with new growth to be my favorite photo of the day. I think, possibly, because it resinates with my current physical issues. In your writting it was all attention grabbing and I learned quite a bit of new information, but found myself most intrigued with your bedtime visitors and the gift you had in being able to listen to their conversation without their knowledge (at that moment) that you were present. A great way to close out your day, with a grunt that was understood and respected. 👊
ReplyDeleteThanks SO much, Laura! It is funny how much I've developed my conversational-ears. In a way I can't help it now. I hear and remember what other people around me are talking about. Glad they don't know it, most of the time. Ha!
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