What’s This

https://youtu.be/GmX0wRODV1A

    

Yes, that is Jack from Nightmare Before Christmas above. One of my favorite songs, What’s This? From one of my favorite movies. Much to my families chagrin I ran around the house endlessly singing this song. (I still do now, only I can do it Risky Buisness style because I’m cooler now.,and more coordinated)

When I’m in the woods I’m always Jack. I want to see everything at once. Im entranced always as if I’ve never been in the woods before. Never gets old. I could chase butterflies all day.

But when I get home and it’s time to look through all those pictures that I resemble Jack the most. As each new picture unfolds, telling it’s own story.  I’m singing again:

What’s this? What’s this?


Everyone enjoys taking beautiful nature and wildlife pictures to post on social media and to look at fondly down the road. But when you're taking pictures out squatching everything is different. Your using a whole new lens.You're taking those pictures as part of a bigger picture. You're more in tune with nature. Your listening, looking, feeling and observing everything around you at once.

What’s this?..Colors everywhere..what’s this?

It's what happens to those pictures later that can be the nightmare. No matter the location, time it is always the black shading that ruins the Christmas part of the experience. 

When I’m out there I hear things I can’t explain and sometimes you just know,you may not be alone. But when I get back to those pictures it always tells me the same tale. Black shadows were I think I am seeing something. But I literally have no idea what. In the Freetown Forest this past fall. I felt hunted, the air felt thick. I heard things but saw nothing. 

What’s This?..White things in the air..

Then examining those pictures at home was frustrating. And not just because my sister actually put circles, yes circles on my pictures. (Does she read this blog?) For all my love of photography and playing with different light filters. I don’t understand what is happening to those pictures in the forest. 

What’s This? What’s This? There’s something very wrong..


This last picture I took above. To me, the newbie. I’m seeing a black bear. (Or something very scary with large eye sockets..dammit). But what am I really seeing? What are we all really seeing out there? I had someone tell me they called it blobsquatch. Because when we are all done trying to figure it out it’s so blown up and blurry, it could be anything our minds wants it to be. It’s never good for a mind like mine to make the guesses. It will never ever be a bear. Im saying to you now, “I think I got a picture of a bear today.” But I’m totally thinking King Kong. And of course I will get taken away in this scenario).

What’s this?Whats this? And absolutely no one is dead..

Most of the shading is probably just that, shading. And more leaves and trees etc. looking at the pictures is almost like taking a Warshak test. ( I took one of those before, teacher thought something was wrong with me, to wild. Needless to say she didn’t like my answers). Point is we will see what we want to see, like a crystal ball, we can see our hearts desire.Why can’t that be enough for us al? We know what we heard and what we felt. We don’t need anyone’s approval we have nothing to prove. 

What’s this? What’s this? I must be dreaming..

And I believe they can’t all be filler. Not all of Jack’s What This? song can be right. The Monsters can’t all truly be missing. Can they?

What’s this? Wake up Jack, this isn’t fair..


This blog is dedicated to all of you. Out there. Taking those pictures all over the country. Those big, hairy, smelly and wonderful monsters are real..(Sorry Jack)

And to my older sister who had to listen to me singing this glorious song and suggesting Jack needed In this blog too. 


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