remember that challenge i am taking part in?  no, not that one.  that one is a photo a day with hashtags and such.  no, this one is the photo a week one.  yeah.  with a new challenge each week to keep you on your toes and get you thinkin creatively…yeah, that one.

this week’s challenge was “peace”.

there are so many sounds and images and moments i think of when i hear that word.  peace.  so many cartoon symbols, hand gestures and gangstas.  peace.

i just kept coming back to snow.  falling so softly, muffling the sounds of the world.  slowing everything down.  quiet.  this bizarre quiet that only comes to a new morning with surprise snow.  such a peaceful quiet.

i almost considered using an image of snow drenched trees that i took back in november.  it was perfect.  at the beginning of the week, when we didn’t have snow here, it was perfect.

but then it snowed.  even better!  i didn’t want to use an image from the past!  where is the challenge in that?

and this dock.  i have seen it 117.  everytime i think “i should stop there and take some pictures!”.  but thinking never led to much for me.  the fall colors fell.  the sunshine stopped shining.  all of those moments were peaceful at this dock.  but snow?

silence.  partially frozen and still and deserted.  peace.

i couldn’t decide between the two images but commited to the top.  while i love the image below, i was told by a trusted advisor (that rhymes with sister mallard) that the image below is uncomfortable as the audience tries to figure out what is going on in it.  he is probably right, but i like it more that the first.  just so we are clear.

partially frozen pond, staring into a reflection.  daydreaming.

peace…