But why does it impress? That's what fascinates me!
Yup, that is fascinating to learn about. This place has another aspect for me personally.
When I did a long walk, and come back to where we started, this is the place where "Tanka" my dog and I sit for a while and have a rest. I roll a cigarette and observe the tide, the birds, and the skies.
It is my favourite spot to rest. When we are on our way back and I would say to Tanka; "Come on, we go back to "our rock", he looks at me and starts increasing his speed, arrives a good bit earlier than me, sits there and waits on me. <smile>
The first picture in this thread, when the tide is in, all the stones you see here are completely submereged. I like that place so much for that reason. There is something very peaceful about it to me. The puddle of water in the front, and the gentle slope causing the flow to start in the midsection towards the Atlantic. What appears to be static is not, everything is constantly moving and changing. Even the rocks are, just so slow that it remains hidden to a humans eye and observation, usually.
When I was leading the hectic life of a big shot management consultant, it was one book in particular that was forming my style and my approach in management, The Book Of Five Rings.
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Five-Rings-Classic-Strategy/dp/0517415283
Since more than 25 years now I think about this book and I always come back to it and find something new. It is a book about swords fight, but it is so much more, and this picture has a lot to do with this book for me....To be like water....
IaiDo and AiKiDo were martial arts disciplines that helped me keep my sanity in this sickening lifestyle. I share a little story with you that I remember well. I was a beginners student and every time we finished our training session at the dojo, and bowed to Sensei, he bowed back and the lesson was finished. On one occaison I raised my hand, not knowing this is not entirly appropriate, however, he granted me to speak and in this public situation I asked Katsuakai Asai-Sensei whether he would be willing to organize a japanese sword for me. You have to understand, I was a total newbie, and a big mumbling, shaking heads in disbelief and whispering started amongst the other much longer training students. Asai-Sensei looked somewhat astonished and smiled. Then he asked me why, and I answered, I started AiKiDo, but IaiDo belongs to it like I have two arms, a left and a right arm, and I also want to study IaiDo. He nodded and said he thinks about it.
My question was innocent and blunt, straight and had no second thoughts. I sure blushed as Hell when I realized the disapproving reaction of the other people in the DoJo.
The following week he brought 4 swords and asked me to choose one, which I did and I still have this of course, it is a long sword and well balanced. Well, no one mumbled in disapprovement anymore when he unpacked 4 swords and everyone stood around and gave me a pet on the back. <grins!> I started training IaiDo the very same week.
The powerfull and relentless tidal forces and the weather have carved these rocks like time carves a human face and leaves its fine wrinkels and lines.
Once the tide is out and you can walk deep down, you find that it is a place where life has carved a niche and flourishs.
This place can be as peaceful as it gets, and as violent as can be, the whole spectrum of nature can be observed over the changing seasons, this is what fascinates me so much, the power of creation and the forces at play.
An hour after sunset, when the houses on the other side are lit up and the moon appears over the bay, my dog beside me sniffing the gentle breeze, I am at peace with myself and the universe, total content...
If I can manage to bring a glimpse of that peace and content to a viewers perspective, I succeeded in my attempts to capture this....
