Finding Serenity

DP Photo Challenge, Photos, Travel, , , , , , 61 Comments

This is my take on ‘Serenity’ for the  Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge. 

Can you coax your mind from its wandering

and keep the original oneness?

Can you let your body become

supple as a newborn child?

Can you cleanse your inner vision

until you see nothing but the light?

Can you love people and lead them

without imposing your will?

Can you deal with the most vital matters

by letting events take their course?

Can you step back from your own mind

and thus understand all things?

Giving birth and nourishing,

having without possessing,

leading and not trying to control;

this is the supreme virtue.

-Tao te Ching by Stephen Mitchel 

These photos were taken during a trip to Scotland, a country that offers breathtaking views – even with bad weather. Most photos were taken in the island of Skye, except from two photos taken in St. Abbs.

I made the sunset photo while crossing the North Sea by ferryboat from Holland to New Castle in England.

North Sea
St. Abbs
St. Abbs
Island of Skye
Island of Skye
Island of Skye
Island of Skye

Camera: Canon Digital Ixus 960 IS

Posted by

Sharing sights & insights captured with diverse angles. Ex-corporate, now my own boss. Cycling, hiking, cooking, reading, yoga, writing and photography, are no longer only hobbies listed on my resume. It's what I do when I want.

61 thoughts on “Finding Serenity”

              1. No worries, I went to sleep, it was 1am, but then I did not go to sleep because a spider landed on my head and much shrieking and spraying of pest spray ensued. I barely survived 😁😜
                How is your dear phone? Did the genius do the trick? X

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                1. Lol I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh…you barely survived? How has that happened and was the monster a dangerous one?
                  Well, the genius wasn’t so genius and didn’t solve the problem. He found a solution that didn’t last long as when reinstalling all apps, the issue returned. Needless to say that my husband is relentless trying to resolve the issue – I guess it now became a fight against the genius – and I am seeing steady progress here. Let’s hope he sorts this out.
                  And stay away from these monsters.. Lol

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                  1. Good luck to your husband – very nice to have an in-home genius 😊
                    Um, yes it was hilarious and terrifying at once. Here’s the post I put on Facebook in the early hours of the morning:
                    So it’s 1:30 in the morning. I was just going off to sleep when there was a noise and something fell on my head. I thought it was a water drop at first because my air conditioner is above the bed. But it bounced. I turned on the bedside light and there was a SPIDER on my pillow. I shrieked like a little girl and hightailed it out of my room. Came back and rescued my pillow. Got the Mortein and did what I needed to do, wrapped said OMGSPIDER up in the sheet and ran to the back door, opened it and threw the whole lot out there and slammed the door shut. I’ve changed the sheets, the vapors have dissipated, but what if it was the baby??? I may not sleep. I may move to the couch. If you don’t hear from me, it was the baby.
                    Oh I forgot, while shrieking I was messing my hair with my fingers in case there was still SPIDER in my hair!!! OMG.

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                    1. Omg. This was really freaking scary. I would be screaming too and running fast. I’m here picturing your actions and laughing a lot though. It would be a good movie scene.
                      Did you make a picture of the deceased? Lol.
                      And where did you sleep after all?
                      There are many spiders and rats here in Amsterdam but I guess they’re not wild anymore and acquired all bad habits of city people. Lol.
                      I used to kill many spiders during summer time until a friend told me that they eat the flies. I had to decide which ones bothered the most…well, the spiders won. But they don’t enter the house and like to live on the balcony we have next to our boat in the canal.

                      PS. Husband’s smiling after I shared your comment. I’m not sure if he’s happy or nervous to hear that as he may not find the solution. Anyways, he’s trying hard.

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                    2. I am glad he’s smiling, he might be getting the upper hand over the genius.
                      I sat next to my pillow having a funny FB conversation with a friend in Chicago – she is petrified of coming to Australia because of the terrifying animals (😄) so I knew she would appreciate my story. At about 2am I turned off the light and went to sleep on my bed with the blanket over my head.
                      The flies win at my house, but I have screens on the windows and doors so they mostly stay out.

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                    3. Fingers crossed!
                      Lol. I can imagine. I watched on national geographic last week, a report about a big wild bird which is scaring everyone. They migrated after a big fire. I forgot the name. Vety big and scary! Tell her to watch! Lol
                      I’m still finding your saga with the spider hilarious! A blog post? Xxx

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                    4. Oh birds! I don’t know which is scarier to me – birds or spiders?!
                      Yes, maybe a blog post. I have a good spider pic…
                      Oh I forgot to say, yes I did snap a grainy pic of the offending spider last night before I sprayed it!!
                      Happy to make you laugh x.

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      1. Oh, I realize that (you said as much in your post). But we saw so many windmills in Scotland (and nowhere else) that it’s an image inextricably tied up with the place, for me. I wonder if there are sea-bound windmills there. Hmm. Probably.

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  12. Perfect poem and photos to describe serenity!
    What lovely shots…I’ve never been to Scotland nor the Isle of Skye but your photos make me dream 🙂

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  17. Lovely photos! I still cant decide between the windmills at sea being an eye sore or not, tho im leaning a tad bit more towards it being a beauty….

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  18. Really, really serene photos. I feel a sense of calmness even just looking at the photos, do it would have been twice as good in reality. Second last shot is my favourite. Excellent light in that one.

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  19. Lovely lovely photos! I especially like the wind turbines. They seem to float above the sea. Just great!
    Good to meet you by the way. I found you at the Harsh Reality site.

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            1. As long as you actively comment, you start being part of a mini-community and from there you know many more people. Some friendships even are formed here.
              I am only blogging here since September and joining the courses of WP was a great way to know more people. Joining events is also another way.
              After the course photo101 some of us regrouped through an event, called ‘The Clinic Photo Rehab’, that I host for those of us who wanted to keep posting photos and learning from each other. This is how we keep in touch.
              There are self hosted blogs in all these events. Don’t worry.

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