5000 Posts: just saying….

5000 Posts!!!

5000 Posts….I have been posting along since 2008. But why? It does challenge one to be honest. Self satisfaction/ego…yes. I am here and a few souls of great compassion care enough to reaffirm I matter, if even in a moment…a photo. Self fulfillment: yes. I share me, my experiences, my heart, my understanding, my emotions…being ever mindful that in any given moment others are surviving, struggling, holding onto life, finding themselves, clawing back to the edge…..what an absolutely life affirming journey this is. Maybe we take it for granted with a cursory ‘I am a sensitive soul…yes I am’….but we all know that a real, to your knees moment awaits us all or has had us there before. We understand fragility, harshness, darkness. Thank you for letting me offer this little blurb about me…I am cognizant this weekend is truly about others that gave and perished. I squeezed this in on an ebb of compassion…thank you!

Pointing the Way toward Excellence…..

I am sincerely pleased to acknowledge a nomination from Aquiliana at the enormously popular La Audacia de Aquiles for the Excellence Blog Award. Audacia de Aquiles is a most fascinating journey into Greek Mythology, history and the underpinnings to Western Civilization. Always fascinating to visit and learn. Thank you so very much Aquiliana!!! Gosh, I hope I got those vowels right.

As is consistent with the awards, I am to pass on this award to ten or so worthy creators and point the way to their site. There are so many wonderful bloggers out there and each award provides me the gift to point toward those amazing minds. With this award, you are kindly spared knowing the minutiae about SwittersB, so let me immediately point the way to my selections for the Excellence in Blogging Award.

Circadian Reflections   Gossamer Threads   Storyteller   Fabulous 50’s   Lipstick & Coffee

       Abstract Art by Sharon Cummings   Sherry Lachelle Photography   Serendipity

Foxxie Cinnamon’s Blog   Passion through Poetry   The One Thing I Know for Sure

                                   Rosie Smartie Pants   Simon Bowler Photos

 

Feeling the loves…..

I have, yet again, been remiss in acknowledging two award nominations from two decidedly awesome blogs. I want to extend sincere thank you’s to Amanda at Inside the Life of Moi for her rewarding me with the Liebster Award and to Trish at Digital Trish for her bestowing the One Lovely Blogger Award. 

 I typically consolidate the requirements for multiple awards to admittedly make it easy on me as well as the recipients (go to Amanda’s blog and look at the multiple nominations for multiple awards and you see what a class woman she is by complying with a gazillion requirements). So allow me to combine the Liebster and One Lovely Blogger requirements and adhere to the thanks you’s, responses about SwittersB and the nominations. Again, I am very thankful for the recognition and loyal following of kind visitors.

So, what are the rules for the Liebster Award?

To accept this award, the nominee must:

– give a link back to the person who nominated them…did that in thanking Amanda at Inside the Life of Moi.

– answer 11 questions set by the person who nominated you

– provide 10 facts about yourself

– choose 10 more people and ask them 10 questions.

1-If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?  To start over? 1966…I would take the wisdom I have gained from a multitude of mistakes and go forth being a better man. If just visiting then, 1920’s to witness my Dad’s origins in the then primitive hollers of McDowell Co. West Virginia…his stories were very intriguing…he left home at 13 to start working in saw mills. 

2-What is your greatest ambition in life? To be a better man…more spiritual…to forgive myself in the end.

3-University or life experience, which do you feel best prepares you for life? Life experiences hopefully coupled with adults that guide and mentor.  

4-If you could listen to only one song for the rest of your life, which song would it be? If the appropriate medicinal aides are available for such an extended dose, then Sweet Home Alabama…hell I don’t know.

5-What’s your worst pet peeve? Sheeples, Lemmings, Puppets of any stripe…dangerous lot.

6-What was your favorite toy as a kid? Realizing I am a bit over the hill…Lionel train set for indoors and all the basics for outside: bike & balls of all kinds. 

7-Last thing you bought? Hmmm? Same day: Pressure cooker, battery for Pentax Optio W60, fly tying materials for Winter steelhead flies.

8-T.V. show you secretly enjoy? Nothing now…in the past…brace yourself: Teen Mom 2, Catfish, American Idol. Darn women in your life rope you into watching all manner of fluff.

9-One place you could travel right now? South Pacific

10-Who would you want with you if you were stranded on a deserted island? Wife, extended family. All hard working, skilled, warriors, giving, loving.

11-How would your friends describe you? Hmm? Loyal, generous, a good listener, intuitive, supportive. 

 Now 10 (more) facts about myself (I know, I know…this is way more than you wanted to know about me! But, we are almost done) Born Portland, Oregon in 1948. I worked for 32 years as a cop and then 11 years managing a non-profit business unit seeking employment for folks with disabilities. I have four wonderful children and for now two lovely grandchildren. I love retirement. I love snowy, quiet nights. I acquired multiple tattoos later in life. 

Now enough about me. More importantly are my nominees for the Liebster and One Lovely Awards. My personal criteria for selecting are passion, heart, compassion, spirituality, fun, humility, wisdom and an eye for beauty. You know how many worthy creators there are out there. There are a multitude of amazing artists that I follow, but today I am pointing the way to these favorites of mine. Show them your appreciation please. If for some reason life’s demands are a bit much right now, don’t feel bad if you can’t fulfill the routine. Just know you are appreciated.

Here are my Liebster nominees: (Liebsters you can answer the same questions I answered should you choose to accept)

Spread Love Everywhere You Go      Waldo Tomosky        In Touch with Emma      Heartafire~House of Heart

Isabella Rose Photography      John Poet Flanagan       Mieux Vivre Jardin          Living With My Ancestors

I didn’t have my glasses on….      iblogstr8sicit’s Blog

Here are my One Lovely Blogger Nominees:

Reject Reality         Taking One Day At A Time       SilkAnnThreades         Worldly Winds        Second Half Woman

Granny’s Garden       A Swift Current~Letting Our Parents Go      Dealing With Dementia

10 Legs in the Kitchen            Captivating Bitter                 She Kept a Parrot

 

An Award: Nonchalant, but secretly pleased

SwittersB & Exploring has received the nomination and accepted the ‘One Lovely Blog Award’. A sincere thanks to Hollie at My Blog Is My Boyfriend. Her stylish, adult wit and wisdom is always a captivating read.

One, I sense from others, is suppose to exude the casual, nonchalant demeanor toward such bothersome happenings as award nominations. And, we all agree life can close in like a fog bank and narrow one’s to do list to only life saving activities. But, frankly, it is nice to be recognized with an award, your visits, your comments, you positive energy. And, that brings me to the ultimate reason I like these awards: it allows one to point toward others that one deems significant. My reasons for choosing a blog may well be different than yours. Actually, there have been many templates over the past few years I have used depending upon my place in life, my mindset, my awareness of something beyond the tip of my nose.

This time my selection template will be grace-charm-love-sacrifice-strength-wisdom. Pretty broad based, but again what I have enjoyed and gained strength from, and you might too.

So without further ramblings from a non-writer type, I will conclude the sequence of requirements. Let’s see, I mentioned a thank you to Hollie. Now I am to offer up 7 things about me, unique from previous offerings. Hmmm? 

1) I retired in January at the age of &% and have been truly enjoying the enormous freedom from budgets, timelines, management, herding, meetings, emails, being on call, travel, sales, marketing, HR issues and resolution, customer relations. In fact I have so far divorced myself from these demands that I often don’t remember the date, but usually the day.

2) Photography is my means of expression. I cannot write poetry or string together a coherent beginning, middle and end for a story. I use the camera to express and often I seek the why’s of what attracted me to the shot. I have difficulty attaching words to images and probably should just let the image speak for itself. Sometimes I do. I never say it, (until now) but often the shots I love most are the least appreciated on the blog. Fascinating.

3) We lost our yellow Lab, Emma Louise, in June. We are all in varying stages of grief. Love those animals. And know that those animals left behind grieve too. Their habits, routines are disrupted yes, but they know and sense the loss. Aren’t I a softy?

4) I love Black & White movies from the 30’s to 50’s. I particularly love Nick and Nora in the Thin Man series. Comedy or Crime Noir, I love them.

5) I wish I could play the guitar and passably sing too. 

6) As a father, I love my four children and they know it. They in turn can tell me they love me. Something I never had as a child.

7) My, those are somewhat somber aren’t they? So in closing on the what’s SwittersB like, I will conclude with I prefer Lagers to Microbrews, a full figure to a skinny one, a beautiful, smiling face regardless, steak medium rare, the desert, the mountains, a river, a lake. And love (needy tonight it appears).

Oh now the time consuming, but most worthy part of this whole process. How to select but a few of the beautiful, inspiring blogs out there. I arrived at these wonderful souls because they practice giving. I will list these in no particular order of importance. They, to me, are all special, magical. I am a better man because of them and so many more loving souls.

Sacred Touches with Natalie Scarberry

Finding Your Middle Ground with Val Boyko

West 517  Inspiring vintage photography

Myas Writes with Margaret Prezioso-Frye

The Gravel Ghost with Merilee Mitchell

Blue Jelly Beans with Giovanna

Sue Bee & Kat Exploring SoCal

The Hopeful Herbalist…Understated Beauty

Tell Me About It with Michelle Marie

Lemanshots with Josephine

Blissful Blog with Shyla Cadogan

Busy Mind Thinking with Belinda

I know some of the above may be awarded out….understood. Do as you see necessary. But, these wonderful, creative souls have massaged my mind and heart of late and I have enjoyed it. There you have it. I didn’t swear…I only alluded to a woman’s physical characteristics twice…and I thoroughly enjoyed putting this together. Thank you Hollie!

 

Writing & A Vintage Oliver

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down to a typewriter and bleed.” Hemingway

As Dirty Harry said, ‘A man’s got to know his limitations.’ I know mine. A few words, a photograph and a nice tidy little ‘gem’.

SwittersB’s 4000 Posts

For what ever reason, this millennial bench mark feels right to celebrate or personally acknowledge. Not because, I am so darn special, but rather because the creative experience via this medium has been special in my life. Via some career opportunities and through beautiful relationships I have been, at times, able to use my self expressions to show my inner self.

However, the blogging (such a clunky word isn’t it?) experience has allowed me to explore, learn, share, create and enjoy so much in this crazy world. The wisdom, energy, heart, creative vibe of fellow photographers, writers, creators is a daily joy to behold. 

So the post before this one was my 4,000th post at SwittersB. Fly fishing, fly tying, photography, travel and life’s pathways have motivated me along the way to share my creative visions…some bright, some dark, some blurry, some spiritual. Thank you to those of you that are traveling along with me. 

May the visions, creative juices and good health be with us! May we learn more, love more and find inner peace. Thank you!

Ever notice my banner?

My son, Tony, then 17 y/0, perched this Adams Dry Fly atop his thumb and snapped the shot with the sun setting in the distance behind the fly. Always a creative eye. I adopted the image for SwittersB’s blog banner. A perfect combination of photography, fly fishing, nature, imagination and creativity.

SwittersB’s Banner Image by Tony Muncy (2007)

Awards: Remiss with Thank You’s……….

I have been remiss in acknowledging two award nominations from kind followers of SwittersB. First, in the chill of Winter, Margaret Prezioso-Frye at Myas…A Tragic Lady was generous in pointing the way to SwittersB for The Lovely Blogger Award. And, just recently Gavin at Sedge808 was gracious enough to nominate me for The Versatile Blogger Award. I mean Lovely and Versatile both…wow! Margaret captivates with the written word and Gavin stirs the mind with Black & White ‘Noir’ photography..check them out!

And the beauty is I have two spots where I can conspicuously present the awards for consumption……..

This screw in the wall is begging for a significant object to be hung right there.

As luck would have it, a bare spot exists too on a vintage shelf…

As you no doubt know, each award has a set of requirements that should be scrupulously adhered to……….

The usual requirements call upon me to share 7 ‘interesting’ facts, or assumptions, about me….hmmm?

1. I had a fractured front tooth extracted yesterday and it hurt like hell, even with Novocaine and laughing gas!

2. I have visited a nude beach before, without clothes of course, but I wore dark sunglasses.

3. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and find it a labyrinth of mazes and compartments to sort through.

4. My right wrist is fully fused with gobs of hip bone and a titanium bar affixed with 7 screws…I don’t set off metal detectors.

5. I am fond of Fuchsia, Roses & Clematis.

6. I refrain from Judge Judy, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil and hockey.

7. I have an affinity for old, vintage photographs…something in them does something in me.

And now I am to suggest several blogs that I personally enjoy and you might as well. Now the crux, I see, is which award am I nominating them for? I kind of made a muddled mess of this mentioning two different awards. 

Let me first say that if life, time constraints, mental fog and such just make following through with the award nomination difficult, I totally understand if you don’t pass on the process. Just know you were nominated and that you personally lift my day as well as other folks too. As for the specific award and because I have two nominations, I will leave it to you to select the one that suits your tastes.

So here are some pleasurable diversions that SwittersB enjoys and again sorry for the delays Margaret & Gavin…………..

Merilee Mitchell at The Gravel Ghost

Livonne in the Blue Mountains of Australia

Leyla Garza at I Lost My Lens Cap

Belinda at Busy Mind Thinking

Cynthia Baker at Simple Pleasures ~ Visual Poetry

Jim Work with Southwest Texas Photography

SwittersB & Fly Fishing: 6 years of growth

I received my Anniversary notice from WordPress this morning. Six years and over 3700 posts later, I have a sense of evolution that is overall very satisfying. The growth has been because of exposure to other creative bloggers, their works and their shared discoveries. Images, wisdom, kindness, tolerances have combined to touch me and mellow me out. 

The process of creating something for sharing on the blog in itself is a pleasant distraction. Creating something that I am interested in or excited to share is most enjoyable when it is appreciated by others. But, I have come to equally enjoy the magic created by others with their camera, the ‘pen’, their imaginations. I see other’s discoveries in life and their growth. It has helped enumerable times reconfigure my life decisions and continued growth. Thank you out there!! You are very special.

Photography &/or Fly Fishing: John’s Advice Poses Questions

At the risk of waking John up, I have a consideration perking away in my mind.

I know I can be rather energetic and prolific when I accumulate images that have inspired me and I feel I cannot pace out the sharing of them. I just want to share. But, John is not at all pleased with, not just the annoying email alerts that I have posted, but also, and most importantly to me, the content of my posts. He does not appreciate my photographic focus, so to speak.

In the five + years that I have been posting at SwittersB & Fly Fishing no one has ever commented upon my content or judgment on content. And, as many of you might respond, do as you will and ignore the comment.

It is not that John’s comment is devastating as much as it raises a question that has been admittedly irritating me: SwittersB & Fly Fishing originally was indeed only peripherally about photography and then usually about fish or flies or water or nature. So, when I ventured toward areas away from water and fishing was I confusing the situation for the visitors?

SwittersB has evolved toward the appreciation of life, imagery, nature, fish and art with a dash of soulfulness. Should SwittersB branch out to SwittersB Photography and perhaps also a separate SwittersB & Fly Fishing or just combine my passions into one brew and let it be as it has been? I just seem to have ventured hither and yon over the last few years, as I have in life. 

“The prince looked hither, thither, and yon for the beautiful woman who had lost the glass slipper.”

I will have to think about this more. I always viewed my photographic efforts as just gravy or icing on an otherwise decent offering. I hope I didn’t wake you up with an email notification yet again John.