A new year

So I haven't done much writing- or blogging in the past couple of days but I have been looking for inspiration and I have been doing a little bit of research. But I will be getting back into it.
It's a new year for me - it was my birthday yesterday. So now with another year down and a new one just beginning I will be more motivated and I will write every day!!

Perfect innocence

Swan on the River Avon

Photograph by Jason Wickens

Captured one morning along the River Avon, this beautiful swan was cleaning itself before stretching its wings in a classic pose. The early morning sun rays add to the surreal image as they burn away the river mist.

 

Painted Hills, Oregon Sunrise

Photograph by Glenn Traver, My Shot

Sunrise on the Painted Hills at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Painted Hills, Oregon. I had to travel three hours on very rural winding country roads in the dark, with steep drop-offs to get there for this opening shot of the day!

Lake of the Moon, India

Photograph by Dhurjati Chatterjee

The azure waters of Chandra Tal—Lake of the Moon—in Himachal Pradesh, India, reflect the vivid hues of a bright Himalayan day.

Baobab Trees, Tanzania

Photograph by Tom Schwabel, My Shot

Baobab trees frame a serene view of night skies in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Some species of baobab trees can live for a thousand years—potentially reaching a stunning height of 80 feet (25 meters) and a diameter of 40 feet (12 meters).

Pantanal, Brazil

Photograph by Mike Bueno, Your Shot

Birds in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso in central-western Brazil

Balance

Photo and caption by Bret Webster

An entire central band of our Milky Way balances precariously on THE “Balanced Rock” of Arches National Park in Utah. Although unquantified to date it appears that many materials are more resistive to natural erosion while "under load" than surrounding material with less load imposed upon it. This phenomena helps explain not just balanced rocks but many of the spectacular arch formations that are seen throughout the American Southwest such as those in Arches National Park, Rainbow Bridge of Lake Powell and thousands of others. The erosion reveals the hidden load path!

Ghost Panel Night

Photo and caption by Bret Webster

The Milky Way provides many contrasts in time and space with the famous Ghost Panel portion of the Great Gallery in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. The Ghost Panel is of the Barrier Canyon style pictographs peppered around the region and are sometimes dated as old as 9000 years although controversy remains. This image is a single exposure photograph which captured the Milky Way while the famous panel was carefully illuminated for several seconds. Elements of the deep past, the present and perhaps the future are seen in this image.

Storm Clouds, Utah

Photograph by Steven Besserman, My Shot

Storm clouds move in over a Utah cornfield at sunset.

Chapel on the Mourish Castle in Sintra

Photo and caption by Miguel Neves

Photo taken in Portugal, Sintra on the Mourish Castle Chapel.

Tunda Vala

Photo and caption by David Ligeiro

Tundavala Chasm Situated on the southern plain at a height of 2,225 meters with an impressive decline, this is one of the most spectacular sights of the Mumuilas with natural stone arenas and splendid belvedere from where the village of Bibala (ex. Vila Arriaga) can be seen. Huíla - ANGOLA

Autumn Landscape

Photograph by Olegas Kurasovas, My Shot

Autumn colors are a beautiful subject to shoot. This place has a special aura all year long, but at autumn it reveals its best.
I used a tripod standing in cold water. There were a few moments when I could have slipped in the water from slick rocks, but glad it didn't happen.

The Fog is coming...

Photo and caption by Georgi Doychev

Snowy morning...
...hours of waiting...
The wind takes clouds away.
And soon disappeared the color of grey.
No more cold and dark in the mountain.
The cusp was lit by the sunshine.
And the snow began to melt,
to watered valley,
and the sunny ray,
change this gloomy day.
For a minute,
from the top of the the hill,
the Fog is comming to hide the field.
...
Moment later,
and everything was under the fog's mantel

Bromo sunrise

Photo and caption by Bibi Warmerdam

The sunrise at the edge of the Bromo vulcano gave a spectaculair view.

The Granite Staircase at Fort Camden, Cork Harbour. Ireland.

Photo and caption by Joleen Cronin

Fort Camden is internationally recognised as one of the finest remaining classic coastal artillery forts. It is located on Ram’s Head near the village of Crosshaven overlooking the entrance to Cork Harbour, Ireland.
This hand-cut granite spiral staircase is located in one of the many passageways that occupy almost 60% of this 45 acre site and leads to an underground ammunition store.
The staircase is in complete darkness and night-light candles were used to illuminate the scene.
The Fort is now owned by Cork County Council and has been unoccupied since the 1989.

Shooting star at Mont Saint Michelle

Photo and caption by Max Bondarenko

The famous Mont Saint Michelle, packed with tourists during daytime becomes a silent and mysterious place by night after all the illumination lights are shut.

Nat Geo - amazing

The Great Glen

Photo and caption by Angus Taylor

While driving through the Great Glen, the clouds broke and a few rays of sunshine hit the ground, revealing the history and majesty of possibly one of the UK's most spectacular landscapes.

The Last of His Kind

Photo and caption by Jody MacDonald

Rajan is the last ocean swimming elephant on earth. Initially trained using very cruel methods to log the Andaman Islands, he was forced to swim hauling massive loads. At 60 years he is the last of the group to survive. Now retired, he spends his time with his caretaker and enjoys swimming and walking through the forests he once logged. He is truly the last of his kind.

Microburst and Duststorm

Photo and caption by Nick Moir

In the days leading up to the devastating bushfires in 2009 in SE Australia , fast moving thunderstorms created havoc by dropping lightning and creating "microbursts" powerful downdraft winds which wipped up fires and duststorms. Here a storm creates and duststorm near the town of Temora

Morning Light at Deadvlei

Photo and caption by Bill Young

Centuries-dead camelthorn trees stand sentinel in a dry pan, surrounded by huge red sand dunes.

Frozen Lake of Campotosto

Photo and caption by vincenzo mazza

This is the lake of Campotosto in Abruzzi, Italy. The mountains in the background are part of the Gran Sasso d'Italia mountain range, the higest mountains in the center of Italy. This image would show the beautiful wilderness that surround the city of l'Aquila, shocked by a dramatic heart quake less than two years ago.

Tjörvafell, Hnausapollur - Iceland

Photo and caption by Rasmus Hartikainen

Looking down from the top of a hill one can see the harsh, yet surprisingly lush, volcanic landscape of Iceland.

The Grandstand

Photo and caption by Alison Domzalski

Joshua trees and jackrabbits were encountered on the 4x4 adventures to the Panamint region of Death Valley National Park. To catch a swiftly setting sun on the Racetrack playa, we ran to its outer edges. Looking back towards Ubehebe peak, I was then transported to an unearthly planet. My eyes were drawn to that strange rock island in the middle of the dry and cracked lakebed--behold, the Grandstand.

A touch of heaven

This is an amazing photo I came across on the nat geo website.  It is just beautiful - the photographer spoke correctly when she said that it was a little touch of heaven:

Photo and caption by Natalia Luzuriaga -

Ki Gompa
This picture was taken when I visited the Buddhist Monastery of Ki. Ki is a tiny village in the middle of the Himalayas, and next to it is Ki Gompa (Ki Monastery). I lived with the monks for about a week, and this picture reflects the peaceful, almost heavenly atmosphere that characterizes this place. The Monastery is almost 4000 meters high, and I had to climb almost 500 meters more to get this panorama. This place is a touch of heaven.

One

A cool breeze blew gently through the balcony door, lifting the hair from her brow. Trinity closed her eyes, inhaling the clean night air. A storm was brewing, the scent of rain on the wind. Swallowing she opened her eyes and stared out into the night. She had come to the realisation earlier that she was done running. She was finally ready to return home. To face her past and the foolish mistakes and misunderstandings of her youth. Maybe she had over-reacted and run off without waiting for an explanation. Maybe she had stolen his car - ok so that was a definite. But that was all behind her. She wasn't a scared little girl any more. No mow she was grown and she was ready to jump into the future with both feet. After the storm she was going home. But first she was going for a run - her other-self wanted to feel the wind on her face and the grass wet beneath her paws.

Enchanting

to go along with my re-reading The Mists of Avalon just wanted make everyone aware of the enchanting music of Lorenna McKennit.  She is amazing - truly a hauntingly beautiful voice

The Mists

Re-reading my all time favourite book, Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists if Avalon. Love it

peaceful

Mini-stories

So I think I'm going to do a few mini-stories to help my character development and to get the background if my story plotted out ...

a start

I've made a start.  I've written my opening paragraph and a bit there after... not sure if its how I want it to begin but at this point I'm liking it and it sets everything up nicely.  And if I'm not happy with it - that's what editing is for.

Some Beauty, Heart and Soul

Perchance to Dream

So this is my first post.
It was going to be something inspirational so that when I look back I'll remember how much enthusiasm I had at the beginning of this venture, but instead it is just this.  I'm going to write a book, or rather I am going to write a story.  It's been a dream of mine for so long (I'll never admit how long) but now I'm going to follow through.  I'm taking all those scraps of paper with all my thoughts and ideas on them and I'm going to make something of it. 
Bless xxx