Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The Night Sky In My Back Yard - Yosemite

Having grown up it in the country I was blessed to have had exposure things that people only see in pictures and on television.  I would take for granted that everyone knew where their food came from (aside from the store) or seen a eagle launching from the bluffs behind my house.  I would spend many nights looking for the little and big dipper; exploring the night sky and the mysteries it held.
This beautiful print can be found in Etsy shop TwigStudioArt at http://ow.ly/dPa4G

Since moving to the city; I forget what it was like to be in the complete darkness and to be able to make out clearly the stars, planets and even the aura around the moon.  During my childhood it was common to be able to see the ghostly lights of an aurora borealis haunting the skies.  While it wasn't colorful like the borealis near the poles it would cast an eerie glow of shifting white mist through the night sky and I can remember thinking how it look like giant spirits passing silently over head.
This beautiful photograph was found in Etsy Shop LandscapePhotographs at http://ow.ly/dPalj
I was also the "falling star" expert growing up; for what ever reason I would always be the person that would catch the first glimpse of stars burning out or the small meteors streaking through the sky.  While at times I was envious of the kids in the city I wouldn't have traded these once-in-a-lifetime experiences for anything.  Just having the chance to see the night sky without all of the light pollution was well worth the sacrifices of the modern conveniences.  

Unfortunately it seems that there are less and less areas that people can actually view the night sky like I had as a child.  In fact the area where I grew up is now developed and no longer provides that clear connection to the heavens.  The following video was an amazing reminder to me of how important it is to always bare in mind that everything we do as human beings leaves a footprint on mother earth.  Even something as simple as turning on the light switch in our home changes our environment.  I hope you take the time to watch this beautiful video showing one of the worlds most beautiful natural parks at night. Yosemite is one of America's treasures.



I may be slightly biased since this wonder is just a mere hour and a half away from where I live now. It is a must see and cannot be truly captured on video, television or pictures. I've spent many hours day dreaming over the pictures in Natural Geographic, but it wasn't until I visited Yosemite for myself that I realise their attempts to bring this amazing place to life with spreads and complexly colored images were no way close. There is nothing that could replace the sensation of standing next to the giant redwoods, the scent of pine, and the sounds of the forest while you dwell with trees that are over a thousand years old. They have no method of providing their viewers with the strange vertigo that you feel as you look out towards Glacier Point standing thousands of feet above sea level. My first visit to view the falls and the valley literally moved me to tears; I can honestly say I have never seen anything so amazing.

As beautiful as some pictures are, they are flat, unchanging images, that forever freeze one moment in time, making it easy for people to forget about protecting these amazing places. It is simple to dismiss the impact we have on our world when we only live by experiencing snap shots.  Once people have actually experienced how awe inspiring our natural world is most become very passionate about preserving it. It can be disheartening to see how easily removed we can become from our own planet.

1 comment:

Twig Studio said...

Beautiful post and blog, thank you for featuring my painting! :-)