Powered By Blogger

Pages

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Magnificent Monday: Water

Please use click on image to see larger; use browser back button to return to page.

Magnificent Monday is the child of Jim from http://holesinmysoles.blogspot.com/, each week is a different theme, this weeks theme is water. It can be anything about water, reflection on water, boats on water, ect. We have a lot of fun with this and would enjoy a post from you. If you would like to join us drop your link by Jim's blog on the Mr Linky and leave a comment.


 Water in our country is severely taken for granted. How many of you have done a load of dishes or laundry with very few items, because you needed them in a hurry. I have.



While we are doing this other people don't have enough clean water to drink and stay healthy.

We pour our water from the sink fill a cup don't drink it and just pour it down the drain. Seems simple enough to give it to a plant instead, I have made a habit of pouring mine into the watering can, saves me money too! Realistically only a dime or two, but they add up.

Not filling the washer is also a waste of energy and water, I know it can be a pain, but fill it up. Remember every time you run it some one somewhere is thirsty.
In this country, we buy our water in a bottle, filling the landfills all because we don't like the way tap water tastes. We are blessed we have it at hand at all. Taking anything for granted for me means it will soon be gone. Besides you end up paying for your water twice, how silly is that.




My flowers would not grow and bloom into the beauty you see here if were not for water.

My car would not run if not for the water that cools it.




The grass you see here so very over grown and more than ready to be mowed would be brown and ugly if not for the rain we receive on a regular basis.


Seattle, Washington
 We build our cities on the waters edge, then seem to be dumbfounded when the power of water destroys what we have built reclaiming her place.
 We make art out of water as we attempt to control her flow.

Beautiful pieces of art, built by man in coordination with nature.








In my community we are at last attempting to reclaim some of the land destroyed by our greed. Natural habitats are being restored and much is being done to improve preserve areas never before considered necessary. Wetlands  are primarily what is being worked on at the moment.  Sadly this has been a considerable battle; the powers that be; don't seem to understand that if all this is destroyed for the greed of  things they desire;  their world will be destroyed as well.





 I am not a tree hugger per-say,  I do however realize that if you keep taking and taking and return nothing besides the waste of what you desire. There will be nothing left to take. I believe in responsible harvesting, sharing the earth with all the creatures.

 Sadly some people just don's get it. I went to a water reserve the other day in my town I had never been to before. Posted everywhere "No Dumping", the water is used to supply the town. I saw garbage, cans, plastic bottles, sleeping bags from homeless camps with all the waste you can imagine. I even saw a tire in the water I was ashamed.


I also know the power of water, as a child of 7, I visited the  shipping locks of the Great Lakes, the power of the water channeled by man to move those massive ships was awe inspiring for a child. So much so that I can still see it in my mind.

One of the dangerous beauty's that live in water. 



Don't think I don't recognize the destruction water can cause. I was raised on the coast near a river outlet. I have seen horrendous destruction from storms. Our bus shelter was an uprooted tree (it toppled after mass amounts of wind and rain,it was 20ft tall). There are never ending stories of people losing their lives to the ocean; some out of lack of respect, some tryng to make a living off the water and her bounty.

We so take everything the earth has given us for granted, only to be reminded periodically that it is we, who are temporarily occupying this earth.


We build dams to corral the water, to build lakes for recreation and power. Often without a thought to the people and creature's habitats we destroy. All in the name of greed.







We enjoying playing in the water and with it.







Water is used for transportation, for pleasure here and in many places, or survival in others. We take our food from the water without even a second thought, with all the fancy gear money can buy. What chance do our fellow creatures have. Don't get me wrong food for survival is one thing, killing for the sheer pleasure or greed is another.


                                         
 We take pictures of the water, build bridges over it, we accept it's beauty, forgetting its value and power.


               My attitude may differ from yours, I believe I was married to nature as a child, I visited nearly every National Park in the United States, listened to my dad, mom, and the rangers for most of my childhood on the importance of preserving nature. Attempting to co-exist, I know that the earth has given me life, I have no desire to take hers.

Following are some photos of the power of water along with the beauty.

My photo

Mom's photo 30 years earlier.

                 How anyone could ever take water for granted after witnessing this power I don't know.

There is nothing quite like the sun setting or rising over the ocean. Sadly I have no photos of this. I don't quite understand why...maybe my own complacency after seeing it every evening for nearly 30 years.
This Sunset over one of our local lakes will have to do.

Photos Thanks to Ruth Jones Vanderhoof and  jvnphotos. Seattle photo thanks to Randy Neel and his IPhone.

                                                               

                              

14 comments:

  1. Water is essential for all dimensions of life. Over the past few decades, use of water has increased, and in many places water availability is falling to crisis levels. More than eighty countries, with forty percent of the world’s population, are already facing water shortages, while by year 2020 the world’s population will double. The costs of water infrastructure have risen dramatically. The quality of water in rivers and underground has deteriorated, due to pollution by waste and contaminants from cities, industry and agriculture. Ecosystems are being destroyed, sometimes permanently. Over one billion people lack safe water, and three billion lack sanitation; eighty per cent of infectious diseases are waterborne, killing millions of children each year.
    Great pictures and a very good post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. it is amazing how we take water for granted...i love it so....as always...XOXOXOXOXO

    ReplyDelete
  3. We all take so much for granted until its gone or effects people close to us. Good reminder mate ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. beautiful pictures and thought-provoking post.many thanks.
    -PORTIA

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great post with wonderful pics, Jan. What a blessing water is and may we never waste it or take it for granted.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Water recycle itself and there is enough water for all of us to live but we need to clean and distribute it in a safe,clean,and fair way. We need to work to keep it clean and all share in it's life giving blessing. Great post. God bless

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jan, this is a wonderful reminder for many and a wakeup call for others. We do take water and our natural resources for granted much too often. You make a good point about how we can really help by making some very simple changes in our everyday lives.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love your photo series and that you've added some of your Mom's photos in as well. Great idea!

    http://mariscamera.blogspot.com/2011/10/magnificent-monday-water.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very interesting take on the subject of water.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sorry I am so slow to respond, time like water has been just running through my finger.

    Alpana: Thank you so much for your comment. You gave a lot of very good information. <3<3<3

    Bongo: <3<3<3

    Janu: Thank you.

    Portia: Thank you.

    Corrinne: Thank you and yes it is a wonderful.
    thing.

    Roy: Thank you, you make very valid points.

    Cathy: Thank you, This was hard to write cause I kept getting mad.

    Mari: Thank you, I love sharing Mom's photos whenever I can.

    Sophie: Thank you. I'm glad you found it so.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You really do put together a brilliant well thought out article. Im seriously impressed with both what you wrote and some absolutely stunning pics. Trying work out how come it took me so long to make my way to your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I like this post, and it makes you think :-).

    ReplyDelete
  13. thank you for reminding me to appreciate the gift of water. your post reminds me of this quote:

    "If you could tomorrow morning make water clean in the world, you would have done, in one fell swoop, the best thing you could have done for improving human health by improving environmental quality." ~ WILLIAM C. CLARK, speech, Racine, Wisconsin, April 1988

    ReplyDelete