December 15, 2012
-
Reflections about a reflection/Lost in the fog at the top of a tree.
Réflexions sur une réflexion .
Reflections about a reflection: .English version below the picture
Nous nous promenions le long d'un petit chenal à côtéde la Somme et nous vîmes cette étrange image .
Sur la photo nous voyons deux ponts . Evidemment notre cerveau nous dit qu 'il n ' y a qu 'un seul pont et que celui du dessous est une image donnée par réflexion . Notre cerveau reconstruit la réalité perçue par nos sens . Cependant il ne peut le faire que dans les limites de sa propre structure physique et chimique .
Le cerveau humain depuis des siècles a construit des outils de pensée : mathématiques , modèles physiques , théories etc ..qui poussent plus loin la connaissance de la vie et de l 'univers et permettent d ' agir . . Mais ces outils sont liés aux capacités et aux structures du cerveau humain . Un ami me citait une phrase du philosophe français Bachelard : " le monde n ' existerait pas sans l ' homme " , une manière de dire que le monde n ' existe pour l ' homme que tel qu 'il peut le concevoir . Il y a donc un relativisme dans nos connaissances et nous restons nécessairement enfermés dans notre sphère humaine . Il restera toujours un énorme mystère .
C ' est ici que nous rejoignons Noël . Il y a les réalités que nous pouvons construire et les réalités de la Foi. Elles ne sont pas incompatibles
Qu ' en pensez - vous ?
Petit pont sur le chenal . Little bridge on a chanel Photo M.Fauquet December 2002
We were walking along a little chanel at the side of the river Somme and we saw the strange image above .On this picture we see two bridges . Obviously our brain tells us there is only one bridge and the one below is an image given by reflection . Our brain re - build the reality discerned with our senses . However it can do it only in the limits of its own chemical and physical structures .
For centuries the human brain has built tools of thought : mathematics , physical patterns , theories … that bring knowledges about Life and Univers forward and allow to act .. But these tools are linked to the human brain ' s capacities and structures . A friend told me a french philosopher Bachelard ' s quote : " The world would not exist without the Man " , a way to say that the world exists only as he can conceive it . Thus there is a relativism of our knowledges . and we always remain within our human sphere . There will always be a huge mystery .
This is here we join Christmas . There are the reality that we can build and the reality coming from Faith. Both they are not incompatible .
What do you think about that ?
Amiens'cathedral in the mist and its reflection in the river Somme.
La cathédrale d'Amiens dans la brume et sa réflexion dans la Somme. photoM.Fauquet Dec 2002______________________
Perdu dans le brouillard en haut d'un arbre
Lost in the fog at the top of the tree
photoJanine Fauquet Dec 15, 2012This Saturday in the afternoon I decided to cut the young branches at the top of an old tree( a mapple tree ) . Janine helped me to put up the heavy ladder. In doing that she got the sliding ladder on her back and head in trying to maintain it . But she says all is OK . So I was climbing with shears .
Photo Janine Fauquet December 15, 2012When I was at the top, the fog came then the rain . I remained up there and ended to cut the branches .
What we see far behind me are the branches of the neighbor's walnut tree . I thought I looked like a big black bird lost in the fog .
Not sure it was very prudent . This was not a reflection , it was an ACTION but always through the water of the air this time .We have the pleasures we can!!! but the work is done.
Samedi dernier j' ai voulu couper des jeunes branches en haut d 'un vieil érable . Ma femme Janine a voulu m' aider à dresser la lourde échelle mais ce faisant elle l' a reçue sur le dos et sur la tête . mais elle dit que tout était OK . Je grimpais donc avec mes cisailles .
Une fois installé dans mon arbre le brouillard arriva puis la pluie mais je suis resté là-haut à couper les branches . Ce que vous voyez en arrière plan sont les branches du noyer du voisin. J ' ai l' air d'un vieux merle perdu dans le brouillard
Pas sûr que c' était prudent . Ce n' était pas une réflexion mais une action mais toujours en rapport avec l' eau, de l'air cette fois!!!
Nous avons les plaisirs que nous pouvons et le travail était fait!!
Comments (72)
Love the pictures.... :heartbeat: And God....I keep my focus upon the Lord always....I would be a very confused
person otherwise, thinking I'm seeing two, when it's actually a mirror image.....God Bless Your Day!!
Very thought-provoking, Michel. Lovely pictures, too! All the best to you and your family at Christmas!
When I saw that picture, my first thought was, "Wow, that would make a great jigsaw puzzle!"
I'm not a philosopher, so I don't agree fully with the words of the quote. The world would still exist without us; we simply wouldn't be here to observe it.
Hello my friend.I love your pictures as always. Your question is a hard one to answer--giving lots of things to think about. I just know God is with me always and helps me make it thru the day. God Bless you my friend !
Michel, you asked how we heat our home...........electric furnace. The county of Washington state that I live in has its own hydroelectric generating plant on the mighty Columbia River (Chelan County has 2 of them). So our electric power generated from those Hydro plants is very inexpensive even compared to other plants in the US, as they are fired by gas, coal, etc. We still keep our house only about 68-70 F degrees as it is healthier. We have air conditioning for the hot summer months. Depending on how cold the winter temps we pay less than $100 a month, most of the time about $80 ....... we are billed once every 2 months, so it looks like a big bill, but isn't really. But our area pays higher rates for everything else than the rest of the US.
A skiff of snow overnight, but by noon was all gone, just damp and cold out....typical December.
You and Janine keep warm in body and soul. Spring is only about 3 1/3 months away. lol
love, Marilyn
Beautiful and love the reflecting world
I think that evolution has played a part in the development of technology, architecture, healthcare, etc., but we make the world we live in by our perceptions and thoughts. We are creatures of habit and psychologically need routine; henceforth, our cultures. However, I've seen with the increase of technology, humans haven't necessarily gotten smarter, in fact, their senses and rational reasoning have been dulled down by machines that do most of that for them. On the other hand, technology has been responsible for connecting an otherwise, disconnected, world. But, then why isn't there Peace? That's when we are responsible for our decisions we make and that is where the God or higher power theory comes into play with the use of free will. Like in my case, we ask the hard questions that science can't answer, why? The bridge picture is how we perceive life. We can choose to look at it with beauty and wonder, or ugly and hate. I grew up in poverty and we didn't have the best of anything, but I do remember looking around and seeing beauty at the train tracks, up on my father's shoulders, when I was 4. The run down barns, running through a corn field and sitting next to a small pond at sunset, when I was 16 and totally in love. If I could go back and change anything, I wouldn't step on any butterflies. I wouldn't be the same person if anything had changed. I may have had to survive, but my experiences have molded me into this person and it offers me a different perspective. Perhaps, one that the world needs in order to clean up the air and water, so that we might survive as a species on this planet. That is the great question of mine; has God given me a destiny? RYC: I'm getting better everyday. It is nice to be able to recover without pushing myself since I don't have to go to work anymore. Yesterday, my pain level was a 0! I haven't been out of pain since before the car accident, but today isn't working so well. There is alot of scar tissue that we are working through. I'm just taking it day by day right now. =)
btw, loved this post
Ce sont des sentiments parfaits pour cette saison de l’année ! J’aime la deuxième photo—je pense qu’elle a l’air du « mystère » que vous avez mentionné dans le blog. : )
The photo of the bridge would make a nice painting.
I'm not sure that simply believing something to be reality makes it so. While one may take comfort from his faith, it's as unreal to an unbeliever as Santa Claus. That said, I don't suppose reality has to be a shared perspective to be real.
Beautiful reflections and that cathedral is breath taking.
One day I hope to stand on that little bridge and Michel will take that picture! One cannot help but be touched deeply by the beauty of reflections of the Cathedral at Amiens! O mon Dieu!
answer to @judyrutrider : In my post, the quote of Bachelard meant we can only figure the world only with what is allowed by our senses and our mind . So it is limited and it is true that the scientists always discover something new and have to change their models of representation or explanation. There always is a wall in front of us and this is here faith comes. . Let Faith compensates where our senses and reason cannot explain . This was sung for ages . There is a famous Gregorian song that says exaxtly the previous sentence in latin : "Praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui"
Besides, Heart ( Faith, Love ) has its reasons that the reason does not know, said another French scientist philosopher at the XVIIth century ,Blaise Pascal.
Those are simple reflexions about a small bridge on a channel looking itself in the water!!!
Love the pictures! Faith and science go hand in hand is my belief. There are a lot of things we accept by faith. I think the telescope and the microscope prove the presence of a Great Creator and Master Builder.
People think that if we can't appeal to Truth, there is no security for any human endeavors. It leads to the dogmatic approaches both to faith and to reason. To get beyond that is elusive, to have at once the confidence and the humility to realize the glory of what we can do strictly within our human limits. I didn't know about the Bachelard quotation.
I think that is very deep, and I like it. I am amazed at how much we live in our own minds anyway; 20 people at a party will appear to have been at a different affair altogether! It seems to me that faith is a way to light our world for the better, just by its existence. And if we can dream it, we can live it.
If only more humans had the faith.
Hm interesting reflection, the thing with truth and perception is this imho, there is an objective truth, an objective reality out there, the world exist outside my perception but I'm unable to experience that objective world, I can only perceive that reality trough my own personal bias so even when there's one real objective World, is it really relevant?
I really like the philosopher's quote. :goodjob:
A beautiful walk with Amiens Cathedral in the distance.
:wave:
so lovely and peaceful what a joyous place to live
I love the bridges and the cathedral - some say only seeing is believing, I think feeling is also believing as is listening to what comes from our hearts and not just our brains...ilym :heartbeat: :heartbeat: :heartbeat:
My brain just enjoys the view. :sunny:
I adore reflections, and love them featured in paintings/art, too.
Ty so very much for your comments, support and encouragement on this path I am walking with Td and we both appreciate you so very much.
:heartbeat:What beautiful thoughts, and what a beautiful picture. Both of my sons are in the Air Force now, Michel, but the younger one is in the hospital and will be there for quite some time for physical therapy for shin splints and stress fractures. Ouch! We're praying he gets better soon.
RYC: thank you very much, Michel, but it is you who are the wonderful writer. I wonder how different I should find your posts if I was in any way proficient In French?
And I never thought about how odd it must seem to be that I profess my shyness while working in the stores, but there you have it, it is still true. For one thing, I am not a clerk, you know, so my work is rather more solitary than not, for the most part. And even so, in any interaction, it is always, ALWAYS, a struggle within myself to...be out of myself, so to speak. It is only how I have learned to relate to people over my many years that allows me to function as well as I do, but there is always a sort of agony and anxiety when I must interact with people. It's different online, thank goodness, at least partly due to the friendliness and encouragement of wonderful people like you!
I was laughing at your comment, Michel. I hear rich people are leaving France. Is that true? Maybe we should all escape to an island but then, how many roads and bridges would there be to build?
Have a great week-end!
Makes us look deep inside and reflect on our life. I like your philosophical take on this.
I enjoy pictures of reflections. I do not think that faith has to be adverse to reality. The Bible says that "faith is the substance of things hoped for -- the evidence of things not seen." (From James) My faith is my reality.
What you said about the death of all of those children who were shot while at school is so true Michel-what is this world coming to.
I thoroughly enjoyed your pictures! We have a large and unwieldy eucalyptus tree in our backgarden if you fancy popping over to give it a trim!
And I envy you your head for heights. I go weak at the knees at the thought of climbing a ladder!
God sends the elements for us to enjoy and it shows that you did...maybe not wise to be at the top of a ladder in fog and rain...but I know you and Janine are at the top of God's ladder!
That is lovely photos. Weren't you scared to climb that ladder?
Love the photo of you at the top of the tree in the fog. It is like you have climbed there to experience the weather.
Blessings to you and Janine and family.
The bridge picture is amazing. Like something you'd see in an art museum. Merry Christmas, friend.
You looked like a great Eagle in the top of the tree !!! Your picture made me smile
I'm glad that Janine is OK and that you safely made it up and down again on the ladder! I hope the rain and cold have not crept into your bones. Regarding your comment on my post: Thank you so very much for the mini and recommendation!
you know, michel...that i think of you as a father figure
i am so happy you can still perform all of this tasks on your own...
i remember my father doing the same things :heartbeat:
hugs to you and janine x
We perceive what we can and understand it, more or less, with our brains. There is so much that we can not understand. How limited is our sense of smell compared to a dog, or our vision compared to a bird. Your pictures are a joy to my eyes and your thoughts liven my mind. Thank you! Blessings to you and your loved ones in this joyous season! I hope fervently that the ladder did not hurt your dear wife. {{{{{Hugs from Asia}}}}} ~ Sil
I enjoyed the pictures. They looked like paintings.
I did NOT enjoy watching you do something so ...... well, I won't use the word I want to ..... as to climb that tree, use the heavy ladder etc. You are as bad as Wil. You are not 21 years old anymore. For heaven's sake HIRE someone to do this kind of thing!!!
That was a very dangerous thing for you and Janine to be doing Michel. Especially in the fog and rain, and trying to use one hand to hold the shears while the other held on to the ladder. My friend's husband, a contractor was doing just that at his mother's home and he slipped and fell down, cracking many bones and is now in a wheel chair for almost three months.
Loved the pictures though.
reflections... always a mystery to them... and fogs and mists too
happy gardening 
I wrote a comment long ago,before you updated your post,but I don't see my comment. I am trying to use theI Pad tablet to write (keeping up with times),but it is not easy,the icons are very small and everything keeps jumping so quick.
Must do it.
I loved. Your post with the reflections on the reflection. I wrote about a dog who saw another dog with a bone in the water and he dropped his bone and jumped in the water to crab the bones from the other dog that it was himself.
The pictures of you fighting the tree like St. George fighting the dragon is very great.
Amitie
Carlo
A beautiful and hopeful writing. There is still an incredible amount of beauty in the world and you have captured some of it to give other encouragement.
It reminds me of when St. Paul said that what we experience here on earth is just a reflection of what we will experience and what God has planned for those that believe.
Be careful!
At what age does one decide to quit climbing? :laugh:
The photos are wonderful I especially love the reflection of the Cathedral . You are very brave to be up the tree
the weather has turned mild wet and windy here I much prefer the cold frosty weather
Good morning, mon ami! My eyes are popping out at the vision of you on that ladder! O mon Dieu! Scary up there? Please, PLEASE be careful! I don't want to hear about you falling from a high ladder! There are people out there who do that stuff (cutting and trimming trees) so please let them do it! How about your son? You certainly are a manly man! :yes:
Wow! You are brave to climb that and do that work! I wouldn't. lol! Merry Christmas to you, and yours.
I love the pics you had posted, esp. of the church! It is very pretty! I was sick again, and so got behind
on many things. Thanks for your nice post. Wishing you the best. R. Hood
That looked like a very busy photograph, but very cool also
My first thought about your post though reminded me of my Mother. On Saturday I went to take her shopping and I saw that the living and dining rooms were painted. When I asked who painted them (she is 80 years old) she said she did! I said, "at what point are you going to quit going up a ladder?!" She just laughed.
RYC: Yes, I've used white willow bark for headaches and it has helped. I never added the raspberry leaf before though but I do know it is used to ease child birth. I have ordered it for my own use now. I think it's a good idea to use more than one herb in a remedy because you are using a smaller quantity of any one herb.
Valerian is used as a nervine. In this case for pain. It is also used to help induce sleep and to relax a person in a crisis such as anxiety. I haven't read of any danger in it's usage but if you are familiar with it as a folk remedy then you know first hand and I would suggest excersizing caution and don't use it for everything you can.
I have used valerian very little. I've used it for insomnia with the addition of chamomile. The valerian is so strong tasting though that the chamomile does little for the flavor (and I love chamomile) but stevia or honey helps. But it won't be your favorite cup of tea.
yup that is what we did to our trees also and the man worked out in the drizzle and fog
I'm sure that your children are a bit when they see that you were cutting the smaller branches of the maple tree in the rain.. uh oh!
The photos at the top of this blog..especially the second one from the top.. are beautiful! Thanks for sharing, Michel
Christy
I'm glad your Janine is okay. And you! What were you doing up there!!!! That's what young son-in-laws are for! Glad you got it done. Merry Christmas too you and your honey!
You do my heart good, Michel. Reflections are more accurate from a human perspective; they ripple and flex in response to changes in the atmosphere than do inadamate objects. And because they are not perfect, they are therefore...authentic.
Love you! Lowie
monsieur, mon français n'est pas le meilleur. j'espère que vous wil répondre à ma demande dans un oui pour xanga amis. je voudrais savoir sur l'édition de vos pages pour les aider à être collectées en vue de volutes vers la droite. même pour quelques raisons que je ne peux pas deviner le seul commentaire doit défiler sur une seule ligne.
___
Je vois la page se charge correctement cette fois. oui, il faut bien que c'était un coup de chance plus tôt
Ty so very much for your comment on my post about getting the snow man put up out in the apt breezeway.
TY so very much for your comment on Ali at the laptop with TD
Michel,
I hope you are well. I'm so sorry I've done such a poor job of staying connected. I miss you. I loved the photos of the twins. I hope all of your days have been as glorious as they are!
Much love,
Trish
ha! I disagree with everyone that say's you should get down from the tree, you and that tree have a strong relationship and I have faith that it would keep you from harm. You have the stamina of one of those big black ravens, which you do indeed favor :yes: ilym :heartbeat: :heartbeat: :heartbeat:
Reality is there regardless of what we see or think. Faith is meaningless unless what we believe in is true. People talk a lot about reality being only inside our heads, but they can't really live that way. Things can happen to us that are acts of nature or results of other people's decisions, regardless of what we believe.
Amazing photos! The moss on your shed roof is beautiful.
Merci pour tes compliments, Michel. C’est la Thaïlande qui nous rend si heureux!
Ici, la vie est très facile par rapport à notre vie en montagne dans la Drôme. Ce n’est pas du tout une réflexion de l’autre, c’est plutôt un contraste extrême.
Amitiés à tous et Joyeux Noël à toute la famille. Ta grande maison sera encore une fois remplie de générations Fauquet, plein de joie et de l’amour.
Stephanie et David
:sunny:
Good Evening and Merry Christmas, Michel
I am not the deep thinker.
I simple 'believe' there is a Creator behind our creation. My mere human abilities knows that the universe is bar bigger and more magnificent than I could ever imagine or appreciate. My faith is there to some degree and gives me peace about being on the beautiful planet, though filled with such daily heartache.
Loved your reflection photo and your using it to prompt thinking about this interesting subject.
Merry Christmas,
frank
It was delicious and comforting to visit you here again, Michel. The reality I have built is part faith, part dreams, part memories, and yet I come to the same place every year at Christmas...wonder.
The distortion of reflection is what makes it so intriguing, and in a way, more representative of our individual view of life and things...never perfect.
Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year to you and Janine. You both look marvelous.
Much Love for 2013, Lowie
My humblest appologies for my absence. For the first two weeks of my trip I had only the computer in the hotel center to use, and thusly reserved most of my internet travels for visiting my wife, and the pages of translating from English to Spanish and Spanish to English.
We work here 6 days each week and 10 hours each day. There are many of my friends as of late that I have ignored. Now I have three full days of rest ahead of me! I can draw and paint and visit with those long lost but not forgotten ones.
Reflections have a grip on your imagination! The light bouncing of the water begins its final leg of a long journey toward the man's eyes. The journey begins in the center of the sun, as particles are compressed and heated releasing photons of light. These struggle against the forces of gravity, bouncing from atom to atom within the sun's burning sphere until they can escape and then travel across the millions of miles of space where they are greeted by our atmosphere.
Once in the atmosphere the light is filtered, by water vapors, clouds, pollution and other airborne particles. The light that reaches the bridge and cathedral has a decision it must make, to be absorbed and become heat for the wood and concrete and steel or to bounce and travel away. Some rays bounce straight away looking for our eyes, while others desire to swim on the cool waters and quench themselves after their long journey from the hot and firey sun.
But the water, it does not wish to keep all this light coming from the church and trees, for it is bombarded continuously from the heavens with light, even in the night. So the water sends some light away. Much of these travelers are scattered back up into the heavens, but not all, for some are guided, by fates and the hand of God towards our eyes.
When we recieve the light we are invited to cross the bridge and enter the cathedral, to pray and give thanks to our God for the Light and Christ for without these tiniest of little angels from the heavens our lives would be cold and forever shrouded in darkness.
I pray that your holidays are blessed with the light that shines in the eyes of all your loved ones, your wife, thankful that her head and back do not suffer, your children and your children's children for many generations to come.
Blessings my friend.
Answer to @Aloysius_son : WOW , John, this is an important comment about the source of the light, its travel in space, absorption, refraction ,refection and diffusion to reach our eyes and how it is interpretated by our brain . This comment is both physic and spirituality.
I wish you taste some rest in ecuador and also a Christmas in South America . This will be a rich experience that will bring some heat in the heart in thinking of your close family and friends .Take care of you . Lately( December 21th) I have injured a toe with a big log which escaped of my hand and fell right on my foot!!.
The tree trimming photos made me nervous, I'm glad you got down safely. That tree looks like the kind that Vincent van Gogh painted so many of. The foggy church has a lovely atmosphere. And the bridges took me a few minutes to understand what the reflection was. It reminds me a bit of an M.C. Escher drawing. I like the philosophical thoughts it inspired, too.
Hi Michel, I have been trying to comment on your Christmas post, but for some reason it just takes me to another place with what looks to be a video of you, that I cannot get to play!
So I am having no success with it and thought I would just choose an earlier post, in case you might find the comment there!
I caught a brief glimpse of your actual post before being routed to the other place, and I was impressed that you were able to get your whole crowd in one room. ( And such a lovely room it is, too!)
It must have been a wonderful day to be surrounded by so much thriving family, and it all came from two people in love!
Thank you for sharing your very merry Christmas!
Photographing reflections and climbing ladders, two of my favorite things. I started pruning my mimosa tree and ended up cutting it back to its trunk and calling the man to finish taking it down to the ground and grinding the stump. I think I have finally taken out all the roots so I am ready to plant something new in that spot. Meanwhile the cats are pretty pleased with all the newly turned soil. Their paw prints are reflections of the previous night's play.
J'aime beaucoup les réflexions du bateaux sur l'océan calm quand j'ai visite Vancouver ou Victoria, BC.
Photographing reflections is also one of my favorites!
Comments are closed.