Deborah (polarcollision)'s photostream  

Carbon-14 has a probability of 5,730 days until one of it's extra neutrons spontaneously ejects an electron and an electron antineutrino and converts to a proton, thereby becoming Nitrogen-14.

As we individuate and draw little lines between me and not-me, we create our ego's -- our "I". It is naturally how we experience the world.

Until one day those little dividing lines don't work for us anymore and the painful process begins of giving up hope, the glue that holds our mental constructs together.

The soul's half life is 40 days -- a metaphor for "as long as it takes" -- to transform the cracks in it's identity and enlarge to include the more expansive lines between me and not-me.

Not a big fan of processing RAWs, so most have been sitting on the hard drive since as far back as 2008 when I was still trying to figure out how to operate a camera. But I've had a rare streak of discipline. So here's one of over 50 ready to make their debut — from a trip back to the Florida Keys in 2009.

Mangroves are the boundary line separating land and ocean. Their roots prevent beach erosion and also filter water: fixing nitrogen wastes from fish and corals. Since they're submerged in water most of the time, they've adapted little breather 'fingers' that protrude from the water all along the root system.

They're currently a being tried out as a means of natural filtration in tropical aquariums and I'd like to give it a go when I set up the next one. How pretty would that be in the living room? Corals under the water and mangroves above it.

I never got around to proessing photos from as far back as 2008 and for whatever reason I'm compelled to catch up. Now. I think this one is from then.

The mind is a funny thing. We weave stories of our lives. Personal myths. Things we thought to do. To accomplish. To experience. Things we thought we were experiencing. It all seems so real.

And most of the time there is consensus. This subliminal dance with our friends, lovers, acquaintances: Did you sense that too? Yep. What do you think of this? That was my experience. Was it OK? "Yes". or "No". they answer. We agree on reality. Subtly. But if you think about it, it's there. Maybe you're a leader. Maybe you're a follower.

It's a kind of collaborative weaving. And it all works out. Every day, without us really even thinking about it. We know how to dance.

But sometimes you realize you were the only one having a particular experience. And unfortunately sometimes that experience is the very thing you attach to.

What then--when the brakes are on?

When the sky is hazy clear and no fiery sunset would burn the sky, I wait for the shadow of the earth to cast it's blue glow, rising from the ground that created it.

Twilight should only be seen on black - press L