Monday, February 28, 2011
Slushee Ice Snow
Last night the weather gave us an interesting treat. Freezing rains mixed with snow probably made the roads a mess, but from the warmth of my bedroom, I enjoyed the sound of rain hitting my window. This morning there was a layer of what looked like a slushee across the ground. It wasn't a flat, shiny sheet of ice like we sometimes get, but a beautiful and unique ground cover. Here are two pictures of what was left on our back porch after the sun melted most of it.
Emergency Onboard
Today I flew across the country. It was a long flight, unlike my usual 1-2 hour hops. I rarely fly on flights offering a movie, and it was a nice treat to have that option of entertainment. I got to see the Columbia River Gorge, the beautiful, snow-covered mountains, and the willingness of 4 medical professionals to help out a stranger in need. Not yet halfway through our long flight, a woman behind me lost consciousness. I don’t know why. The flight attendants immediately responded with oxygen and a call for any medical professionals onboard. It was reassuring to see people throughout the plane start getting up to allow doctors and nurses out of their seats. The woman seemed to pull through and walked off the plane without seeking further assistance. Things settled down after a bit, but I admit I was worried about her because we were so far from our destination and also far from the ground in general even if we wanted to make an emergency landing. It was beautiful to see the response, beautiful to experience the beauty of the country from an aerial view, and beautiful to see the ability of a body to bounce back from a medical issue, whether temporarily or permanently.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Around the Mountain
I had a great morning at work. While I may work anywhere from 2-18 hours in a workday, I have never had a project last only six hours before. Our projects are designed to last a minimum of 8.5 hours, and they can last 40 hours or longer. It was a fast project with minimal staff and minimal production, but the people we encountered were kind, glad to work with us, overly accommodating, understanding of our need for the project, and in general very helpful and qualified.
Because of the short duration of the project, we had some free time afterwards. Being from a flat section of the county, we decided to take the opportunity to drive around a nearby mountain, which, because of the clouds, we never saw outside of our sunrise commute to work. What a beautiful, incredible sunrise it was. Our drive around the mountain was no less spectacular. It had just snowed recently, which completely changed the steep scenery from evergreen to dusty white. A shining, white pile of snow rested on each green branch. The snow created snow sculptures on bushes, froze bare branches into an icy translucence, and populated rooftops with hundreds of wintery, foot-long icicles. Throughout the drive, ice froze waterfalls in time on the mountainous slopes.
To punctuate our journey, we stopped at the Bridge of the Gods and Multnomah Falls. The Bridge of the Gods is a steel bridge over the Columbia River that was originally a natural stone bridge across the river. (http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2141/places/12113/) Multnomah Falls had been completely transformed in the below-freezing temperatures. The gal I was with had been there earlier in the week, and we compared her pictures of a lush, green landscape with today’s ice-bound falls. The water falling was diminished while the surrounding cliffs gathered accumulating designs of snow and ice collecting on the bright green moss clinging to the mountain walls. It was as if winter descended onto a summer scene. While I was in awe of the beautiful ice sculptures, I was also rejuvenated near the end of a long, brown and white winter, as I saw such vibrant greens unhindered by the freezing temperatures.
To top the night off, I wandered the city with an old, faithful friend. It was a wonderful day, a refreshing escape from the recent monotony of flat lands, flat demands, and a flat spirit.
Because of the short duration of the project, we had some free time afterwards. Being from a flat section of the county, we decided to take the opportunity to drive around a nearby mountain, which, because of the clouds, we never saw outside of our sunrise commute to work. What a beautiful, incredible sunrise it was. Our drive around the mountain was no less spectacular. It had just snowed recently, which completely changed the steep scenery from evergreen to dusty white. A shining, white pile of snow rested on each green branch. The snow created snow sculptures on bushes, froze bare branches into an icy translucence, and populated rooftops with hundreds of wintery, foot-long icicles. Throughout the drive, ice froze waterfalls in time on the mountainous slopes.
To punctuate our journey, we stopped at the Bridge of the Gods and Multnomah Falls. The Bridge of the Gods is a steel bridge over the Columbia River that was originally a natural stone bridge across the river. (http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2141/places/12113/) Multnomah Falls had been completely transformed in the below-freezing temperatures. The gal I was with had been there earlier in the week, and we compared her pictures of a lush, green landscape with today’s ice-bound falls. The water falling was diminished while the surrounding cliffs gathered accumulating designs of snow and ice collecting on the bright green moss clinging to the mountain walls. It was as if winter descended onto a summer scene. While I was in awe of the beautiful ice sculptures, I was also rejuvenated near the end of a long, brown and white winter, as I saw such vibrant greens unhindered by the freezing temperatures.
To top the night off, I wandered the city with an old, faithful friend. It was a wonderful day, a refreshing escape from the recent monotony of flat lands, flat demands, and a flat spirit.
Behind Unveiling Beautiful
I begin this blog as an attempt to recognize and appreciate the beauty around me. I have friends that not only see and cherish the beautiful things in life, but they regularly create new beautiful things as well. They are my role models. Those who see beauty beyond the digitally edited pages of magazines and scripted passions of movies. My hope in writing this blog is that I form the habit of seeking out the beautiful things in my daily life so that I can really cherish these things and not just pass right by them. My hope for those who read this blog is that you would begin to do the same. There is a phrase, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I believe this to be true, and I also believe that I can train my eyes to see beauty and train my heart to take note of and cherish the beautiful in life.
From Dictionary.com
un•veil
–verb (used with object)
1.
to remove a veil or other covering from; display; reveal: The woman unveiled herself.
2.
to reveal or disclose by or as if by removing a veil or covering: to unveil a monument; to unveil a secret; to unveil a truth.
–verb (used without object)
3.
to become revealed by or as if by removing a veil.
World English Dictionary
unveil (ʌnˈveɪl)
— vb
1. ( tr ) to remove the cover or shroud from, esp in the ceremonial unveiling of a monument, etc
2. to remove the veil from (one's own or another person's face)
3. ( tr ) to make (something secret or concealed) known or public; divulge; reveal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Word Origin & History
unveil
1599, in ref. to sight, "to make clear," from un- (2) + veil (v.). Sense of "to display or reveal" (something) is from 1657.
beau·ti·ful
[byoo-tuh-fuhl]
–adjective
1. having beauty; having qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind: a beautiful dress; a beautiful speech.
2. excellent of its kind: a beautiful putt on the seventh hole; The chef served us a beautiful roast of beef.
3. wonderful; very pleasing or satisfying.
–noun
4. the concept of beauty (usually preceded by the ).
5. ( used with a plural verb ) beautiful things or people collectively (usually preceded by the ): the good and the beautiful.
6. the ideal of beauty (usually preceded by the ): to strive to attain the beautiful.
From Dictionary.com
un•veil
–verb (used with object)
1.
to remove a veil or other covering from; display; reveal: The woman unveiled herself.
2.
to reveal or disclose by or as if by removing a veil or covering: to unveil a monument; to unveil a secret; to unveil a truth.
–verb (used without object)
3.
to become revealed by or as if by removing a veil.
World English Dictionary
unveil (ʌnˈveɪl)
— vb
1. ( tr ) to remove the cover or shroud from, esp in the ceremonial unveiling of a monument, etc
2. to remove the veil from (one's own or another person's face)
3. ( tr ) to make (something secret or concealed) known or public; divulge; reveal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Word Origin & History
unveil
1599, in ref. to sight, "to make clear," from un- (2) + veil (v.). Sense of "to display or reveal" (something) is from 1657.
beau·ti·ful
[byoo-tuh-fuhl]
–adjective
1. having beauty; having qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind: a beautiful dress; a beautiful speech.
2. excellent of its kind: a beautiful putt on the seventh hole; The chef served us a beautiful roast of beef.
3. wonderful; very pleasing or satisfying.
–noun
4. the concept of beauty (usually preceded by the ).
5. ( used with a plural verb ) beautiful things or people collectively (usually preceded by the ): the good and the beautiful.
6. the ideal of beauty (usually preceded by the ): to strive to attain the beautiful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)