Camas flowers in the sunset...

Sunset through the trees...

Columbia River Sunset

Sunset over the Columbia River, near Inchelium - Saturday.

El anochecer sobre el Río Columbia, cerca de Inchelium - Sábado. 

Fog

Fog arrived in the late afternoon, and as the sun began to set, the upper clouds seemed to catch fire. It was a beautiful sight!

Neblina

La neblina llegó a finales de la tarde, y cuando venía la puesta del sol, las nubes superiores parecían encenderse. ¡Fue una vista hermosa!

Sunset on the Spokane River

Flames of Orange and Gold

My friend Connor is visiting Spokane from the East Coast. Yesterday afternoon, we drove to Wellpinit to see my uncle, but as we passed the petroglyphs at Riverside State Park, the gray clouds burst into flames of orange and gold. It was one of those moments that would have felt wrong to ignore or dismiss. We simply had to stop and offer our respect to the sun and the beauty of creation. 

People who follow my blog regularly will notice that I often post sunset pictures. I am fully aware that photographs never fully convey the magic of those moments; however, I am perhaps foolish enough to believe that simply pointing to the beauty will inspire others to seek out their own connection to the Divine.  

The trail seemed to lead directly into the sunset. 

The Little Spokane River. 

The fiery sky was reflected in the water. 

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As an aside, I am experimenting with taking pictures in RAW format, rather than JPEG. So far, it reallly does seem to offer greater flexibility in editing things like the white balance and such. All of the pictures in this post were taken in RAW format and then converted to JPEG. 

Moses Road

The setting sun as seen from Moses Road on Sunday afternoon. 

Encounter

Martin Buber was a Jewish philosopher who emphasized the notion of encounter, a moment when two beings meet one another in their authentic existence. Authentic encounters allow us to experience the divine in others, thereby transforming the nature of the relationship. 

As one article stated, "Encounter is an event or situation in which relation occurs. We can only grow and develop ... once we have learned to live in relation to others, to recognize the possibilities of the space between us" (Smith, 2009). Buber also wrote, "All real life is encounter" (As cited in Smith, 2009). 

If authentic living requires us to encounter the other, then indigenous spirituality provides opportunities for encounter with our fellow human beings, along with all the beings of nature. 

Over the years, nature has often awakened me from the dull, object-based awareness of my day to day existence, and opened my connection to the mystery of being. That sense of connection often brings me to a state of mindfulness, gratitude, and beauty. Sometimes a fallen leaf or a ripple on the surface of the water is enough to facilitate an encounter with the divine. 

This afternoon, my moment of encounter happened as I drove from one job at Spokane Community College to my other job at Whitworth University. My mind was heavy with thoughts of student concerns and ungraded papers, but a burst of sunlight brought me back to my heart-awareness. Suddenly I experienced myself in relationship to the earth and sky.

Sources:

Smith, M. K. (2009). Martin Buber on education. Retrieved from The Encyclopedia of Informal Education: http://infed.org/mobi/martin-buber-on-education/

Saint Francis Xavier at Sunset

Everything looks more radiant and beautiful during the golden hour - just before sunset. 

This afternoon, I drove a friend home after her purse, car keys, and credit cards were stolen. She happens to live near St. Xavier, so just as she settled into a frustrating night, the sunlight turned to gold on the bricks of the church. The sun offered warm consolation after a moment of loss.  

Even the old school, through half abandoned, was more vibrant and alive.  

...and the leaves turning red. 

They inspire me. 

Sunlight and bright red leaves. 

The moon was nearly full. 

Mountains and craters were visible 

on the surface of the moon. 

The image of the sacred book on the highest tower of the church.

Wellpinit Sunset

During our pit bake this year, we experienced the full range of June weather: thunder, lightning, and torrential rain, followed by clear blue skies and a resplendent sunset.   

Yarrow.

Yarrow amid the leaves of arrowleaf-balsamroot.

Brown-eyed Susan...

ec'xił t sur'šict

łuʔ sp'q'niʔ ec'xił t sur'šict n sččmasq't.

Crossing

A railroad crossing at sunset in Hillyard. 

Cheney

After the Riverfront Powwow, we went to Cheney to visit our niece. Just as were getting out of the car, I looked out and saw the sun setting over a beautiful wheat field. I motioned for Dakota to follow for another impromptu photo session. 

I was still dressed for the powwow, so it made a wonderful opportunity for a new picture. I rarely wear two braids, but that day it turned out perfect. 

The sunset over head of wheat. 

Sunset

Sunset on a cold afternoon in January.

Mt. Spokane

Blogging today from the Las Vegas airport 

and trying to get caught up. 

Before our trip,

Whitney and I visited the summit

of Mount Spokane. 

The pictures deserve to be seen. 

The sun over Mount Spokane. 

Whitney had never seen the summit of Mt. Spokane. 

Man-made rock formations. 

Exploring the rocks atop the summit. 

Father and daughter. 

A green field at the base of the mountain. 

Sunset at the end of our trip to Mt. Spokane.