Five-Hundred Word Challenge 732: Hand Action

You’ve got to hand it to the hands; they get stuff done. Sometimes they type, sometimes they write. sometimes they help with the holding of things. They have these limbs referred to as “fingers” and “thumbs” and it is an interesting thing to behold as they serve as extensions on the hands that help with the concept known as grip. They help with a lot of things. We can get a few things done.

Sometimes hands are used to hold the handlebars on bikes. Sometimes instead of that they hold steering wheels. Sometimes instead of that they hold doors open.

There are times when hands are used to press buttons, or to grip onto surfaces. Perhaps there are times when they do both within close proximity to each other. I doubt it would be something unheard of. Maybe I’ll have to look into that later, but that’s something to worry about at some other juncture in the future. Right now this is all about hands and what they can and cannot do. Well, more about what they can do, but perhaps with a little of what they cannot do thrown in for good measure. I guess we’ll just have to see.

Hands can create sounds, such as the loud, sharp sound of a clap when cupping the hands in a certain way so as to make the sound they produce much louder and apparent than if they are not cupped in said certain way.

They’re also good for feeling surfaces and working out as to how objects appear if you are unable to see them for some reason. They’re good for working a lot of things out. They can make gestures and signal for things. They can also not signal for things. There are a great many things done with hands and we often take them for granted due to how ingrained and into frequent use they fall, but they certainly are quite useful things.

Sometimes it is better to use your hands for some things and sometimes it is better to not sue your hands for some things. There is a wild and passionate debate that rages on about hands and how to best use them, but hands are in the arms of the beholder, as they say, and if you’re not careful, then petrifaction may set in faster than eutrophication. You need to be careful with these things when it comes to the use of hands and their many applications as if you are not careful you may upset the balance and thus catastrophe of some sort of level may befall the whole thing and then you’d be in a position that is less than stellar. We can’t have that happening.

So, in conclusion, whilst hands are useful, you should be careful as you don’t know as to what will happen if you use them with reckless abandon. You don’t want to cause more harm than good, so make sure that you are responsible with your hand action.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:44:30

Nice speed, silly writing. The more silly this became, the smoother it became (I think).

Written at home.

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Shopping

Here’s a photo of a shopping trolley sitting in Cooks River.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for this week.
I suggest checking out Leanne’s photography, as well as checking out what other people submit.

A lot of what people are submitting will likely end up here.

I hope you enjoy.

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Weathered Rock

Saw this at a beach, as evidenced by the appearance of sand, and waves, and ocean…

Why did I state that? It’s rather obvious.

Anyway, I saw this and tried to get a photo that captured it well.
I feel that this shot give a good idea of the rock’s shape (at this particular angle, of course), but the image feels a bit too close to appearing as though it was taken in the afternoon; something I’m not much of a fan of as the image was taken in the morning. Oh well.

I do like where the colour in the rock appears, as well as how (somewhat) de-saturated it appears. I also like the ridges as it gives a “rough smooth” texture when taking into consideration the rock’s overall appearance.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 731: The Ultimate of Anything

Ultimate sadness and ultimate beauty are two things that should not necessarily be striven for as there are so many things in-between that are just as worthwhile, so long as you know what it is that you need to look for. Then again you don’t always need to know what you’re looking for. Sometimes you just need to be looking and what it is that you  are looking for will become apparent along the way, or at the end, or at the start, or somewhere else where it all falls.

Maybe that is all enough of an excuse for a journey, but so long as no tears are shed, then at the end all the tears can be shed. They can fall down your face and wet the earth which might just lead to the growth of something new that was never there beforehand. In that way, sadness begets beauty, so long as you see the sadness and beauty in things. Of course I’m skipping over a few things here and it’s not quote as clear cut as I am implying, but I think you get the idea and so long as the idea has been gotten, then it can be taken further and grown to be better understood and related to and adapted and so on and so forth.

However, maybe there may not be tears at the end. Maybe there will be no sadness and instead it will just all be celebration. In that way another kind of beauty comes forward and that is the beauty of celebration and elation. It’s not quite a form of ultimate (well, not always), but it too is something worthwhile to have at the conclusion of something that involved a traversal of sorts, even if that traversal was a small and relatively insignificant one.

Perhaps there is a beauty in sentimentality and nostalgia, but it is one that might be better off left unexplored most of the time. Like others, these are things that are all too easy to be trapped within and thus must be approached with caution. You need to be careful with things form time to time. Probably need to be careful with them all the time, now that I think about it, but that is not why I am writing right now.

Sometimes the best form of beauty can be found on an open field on a sunny day. A gentle breeze blowing around everything; This is a stereotypical idyllic scene, but it has a purpose and it is a scene that does present something that not others can do so. It in itself is a beautiful, relaxed and occasionally joyous thing, but maybe that is better off to be had when there are no journeys that need t0o be conducted at all.

It is better than going for the ultimate of anything as going for the ultimate of anything is often a futile pursuit. Sometimes it is not, but more often the ultimate happens when it happens.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 05:55:50

This is some really loose and rough thinking. I’m sure that if I spent a good few hours on it I could come up with something that is far more expressive and poignant, but I think I get some of the idea across.

Written at home.

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Trees Fill The Scene

There’s a lookout slightly over two kilometres from where I live. It’s not the biggest nor the greatest lookout, but it does allow for an appreciable view.

I feel as though there is a strong sense of distance in this photo. The area is fairly flat in appearance and there isn’t a significant cluttering of objects so it’s easy to see things that appear as though they’re far away.

The clarity of the view is nice, which perhaps suggests that there wasn’t a great deal of interfering particles in the air.

I like that there appears to be a great amount of trees in the scene as it suggests that this area still has a great deal of vegetation left untouched. In some parts around here that is true to an extent as it’s mostly due to parts of this region no longer in use.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 730: Describing Songs

Chimes. Something soft. Muted. Close, yet seemingly distant. Hidden behind something. Hidden away. Not completely hidden, but still not entirely there. The sounds skirt the edges of hearing; they are there, they are faint but they are distinct. They draw in the idea of concentration. Perhaps it is the suggestion of concentration. Note entirely sure. It could be tantalising if perhaps it was aiming for such a thing.

Sounds fade, Diminish. Retreat. Not all. Only some. A fading in of something else. Previous sounds that remained are given a context. Melancholic. Mourning. Sentimental in some way. Soon a beat comes in. Steady. Dramatic. Expected. Trite, but not awful. Appropriate. Pleasing in a way. Relaxing. Calm. Still dramatic. Perhaps a little too verbose. Still, blended nicely. Journeying. Calm, yet energising. Expressing something often expressed, but coming from a different angle than the usual.

A quiet section. Reducing a little. Pulling back. Stretched vocals. Expressing sounds that sound familiar but cannot quite understand and contextualise. Sounds like words, but might not quite be words. Perhaps this is meant to be conjuring. Perhaps this is meant to be something to draw more focus upon. If it sounds familiar, does it have to be familiar? It works for what is happening. Still calm. Still reduced from before, though before did not push everything as far as it could. The sense of calm remains. The sense of a form of expression without clarity remains. Fading out, reducing, diminishing. Everything is fading away. Shifting to something else entirely. What was is no more.

something slow, calm, but less overtly melodic than what came before. Spacious. Deliberate. Careful. Considered. Perhaps warmer. Less pushing itself. Perhaps this is meant to be a reflection of sorts. More drawn out vocals. More vague, though with a greater sense of clarity. Rising and falling, but all within a gentle context. A slow jam, but performed with a great sense of tightness. A sense of being on point. Very relaxed. Easing into less tension, easing into the long release. Allows itself to draw out whilst still moving through things at a steady, mid-tempo pacing. Expected. Steady. More things than what can easily be described within the context of a brief writing.

A sense of rising, but the rising still remains on the same level as before. Remains steady. Remains resolute in how it wants to move. Stays on a steady path. Keeps space. Keeps room to breathe. Remains minimal. Reduced. Diminished. Precise percussion. Holds back. Strikes gently, yet actively when required. Underscores. Emphasises. Draws focus and lets it go. Moves in waves, though not far from the rhythm’s context.

Keeps on going and keeps on staying on one track. Does not need to shift around. Just needs to carry through and move toward its closing statement. Sounds pull back. Ringing bars. Gentle and relaxed. Lulling into a sense of complete calmness. Very tender. Very gentle. This is where it decides that it will find itself in its closing moments. Softly ringing out.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 10:32:73

Whilst writing this I stopped a few times to think about what it was that I was writing. I think I was trying to paint an image of what something sounded like. I don’t know if it worked, but I do like the result. It’s a bit of a mess, and it’s rather simplistic and rough, but I feel as though it’s quite expressive.

Written at home.

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One Thousand Word Challenge 57: Sitting, Tired, Thinking

So I’ve been sitting here for a while now. I’ve been thinking of what I should write, and even just writing and seeing what happens, but the issue is that I’m rather tired. I’m rather tired and feeling tired is also leaving me feel a little bit more fatigued than I’d like. Still, I feel a need and desire to write about something, but of course I don’t want to make this about trying to think of something to write. I’ve done that far too many times for my liking and I don’t think that I can do something substantial with that right now. I need to think of something else. I also need sleep. I also (also) need to work on doing some editing for some things that have been written that require the process of editing before they are published.

With things that need to be done that require my pushing through the being tired, it would probably be helpful to have a coffee right now. However, it would keep me awake for far longer than I would appreciate. It is currently late in the afternoon. Soon evening will be upon us. Caffeine seems to be good at doing its thing when it comes to affecting my body, and so I’d rather not have it right now. I still need to be able to fall asleep at the end of the period of my desiring the act of being awake and so I would rather not introduce that complication into my system at this present moment. Perhaps tomorrow that can be done, but right now it is off the proverbial table, and for good reason.

Suddenly I find myself reminded of times I’ve taken No-Doz in order to stay awake due to lack of sleep. There have been a few times I’ve had it with other things and, despite those things affecting my faculties, still being able to talk somewhat-coherently. There have been a few times when I’ve had a No-Doz, fallen asleep anyway, had a short sleep, woken up and felt rather awake. I’m not advocating for this as No-Doz is something best used in only specific circumstances and with some good consideration for the pros and cons; I’m just mentioning what I’m reminded of as it seems like something to mention. It probably wasn’t, but now I have written it and thus it is decreed as something I’ve written, and verily so. I could try going into more detail, but that’s where things get murky. I haven’t had No-Doz in a long time and I’d much prefer to keep it that way at this particular stage in my life.

So anyway, now that that is out of the way I need to think about how it is that I will see the end of this. I don’t know as to how far away sit is and I’ve still got a lot of distance to cover. I should be writing more fiction or letting more stream-of-conscious stuff taking over, but right now it’s not happening. I’m rather tired, yes, but also the mind is a little too aware and alert. That shouldn’t have an affect on how well I can switch off and let the words just flow as I move into “The Zone”, but apparently it is and as such I’m stuck with this pointless mess on my hands. I guess it could be far worse. I could not be able to write at all and that would be a problem for me, but… I’ve got nothing good to conclude that sentence with, so instead this sentence is concluded with the pointing out its conclusion and keeping the pointing out within its body. I am so clever.

So I think that I need to just rest at this point. I can still do stuff, but I need to take some sort of pressure off of myself as maybe the problem with the struggling to write right now is the both being tired whilst also trying to think of what it is that I need to write. It could be creating a situation where instead of producing anything I’m just struggling and palming it all off. Maybe I should just go to bed now. I might fall asleep. I might struggle with falling asleep. I don’t quite know as to which would happen. However, if I did that, then other things wouldn’t happen and so I need to stay awake for now.

I don’t know as to where I’m going with this. I’m sure that there is a point that I might be able to make. Perhaps there’s some poignancy that might be able to be distilled from this lengthy bit of writing upon which I am endeavouring to complete, but perhaps right now there I lack the ability to truly find meaning in the senselessness of these word combinations. Perhaps I should just throw in the towel and just write about trying to write. If I do that, then at least I’d be in familiar territory, but of course whilst refinement has a place and importance, I feel a need to venture out and broaden my metaphorical horizons. There needs to be the moving out and away from the core so as to be able to see what I can bring into what there already is and how I can use it to both expand and deepen.

Maybe right now is not the time to do so, but there certainly is an urge to do so. It could make for more of a challenge at the moment, but at the moment is not the right time. Right now is the time to rest and perhaps relax for a little while longer. There still are more than enough hours before the requirement of rest for an extended period finds itself kicking in, but right now it should just be relaxation time. Either that, or procrastination time. Either are probably as fine as each other at this moment.

The time it took to write one thousand words: 15:56:36

I hoped this would transform into something much more fictional, but instead it ended up not being fictional. Not a great writing. I think there’s some interesting parts, but overall it’s a bit lacking.

Written at home.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 729: Door Fun

So, as they say it’s go time. Kicking down a door from the outside to be able to go inside to be able to go outside without having to jump a fence in order to be able to water plants in an easy, unencumbered manner; well, no less unencumbered than one should be when it comes to watering plants.

Of course I’m not doing that today as that was done a few days ago and now the door won’t shut. Still waiting for it to shrink back down as it took on a little too much water, but I needed to kick it in in order to be able to water my plants as there had been a few too may days without rain and thus they were getting a little thirsty. Soon the door will shrink and then it can be properly shut once more. I just wish it would hurry up with doing so. It’s taking too long and right now it can only be partially shut. I guess that so long as the weather holds it will be all okay, but still need to play the waiting game. Need to bide my time and all that other stuff, as they say.

However, I do not feel a desire to wait and wait and wait some more. Maybe I should get a giant fan, or maybe a giant heater. Place either next to the door. The fan would need to be quite powerful as it would need to blast any absorbed water out of the door so as to make sure that the door does indeed shrink, because that is how things work. A heater, less so. It would just need to be in the room and be warm enough to cause the door to shrink. Again, this is how things work. They do not work in any other way, shape or form. I know what I’m taking about; I’m a scientist, after all.

Maybe instead of that I can just try and will the door to shrink. It doesn’t have too far to go anyway. There probably is a millimetre or so that i needs to shrink and then it will be fine to fit once more. Fit properly that is. Assuming that doesn’t work, then perhaps it would require brute force.

Interestingly the door has swelled a little too much before and thus it was cut (or sanded; I’m not sure as it happened before I moved in) back so it could fit. However, it would be apparent that it was not enough and as such it might require further reduction in its size so as to be able to better function as a door at all times rather than just most of the time.

I guess it could be worse. If there was no door there, then that particular room would be horrible to be in most of the time.

Well, now that that’s out of the way, it is time for doing other stuff.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 07:38:25

Rather unexpected writing to come out of me right now, but I’m quite happy with the result. Kind of silly, but quite grounded.

Written at home.

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An Open Space for a Rocky Landscape

The same location as seen in these photos.

I like the “rough flatness”, as well as the feeling of the area being open. The small pools of water reflect the sky quite nicely, and there are a few interesting formations in the scene.

I think that, whilst this image doesn’t quite feel peaceful, there is something rather peaceful about it, if that makes sense. Maybe it’s how the image feels rather still. Maybe it’s the light balance. I’m not sure.

This is my submission into the one hundred-and-eighth Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

The theme for this one is “Sanctuary“.

Places that feel closer to nature and away from large amounts of people are often where I feel more comfortable. This place has been affected by people and is often visited, but it’s also quite easy to visit when people aren’t around. It’s right next to the ocean which makes it even more favourable in my eyes.

With that being said, the most honest answer is that my sanctuary is when I’m creating. Whether that be writing, making noise, drawing or photography, that is when my sanctuary is. Areas that feel closer to nature are a close second.

The challenge is hosted by four people and cycles weekly:

Week 1 – Patti

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya

Week 3 – Amy

Week 4 – Tina

This one is guest-hosted by Xenia. Next week’s is hosted by Amy.

I recommend checking out how people are interpreting the challenges. I also recommend joining in. It’s a growing, fun community.

I hope you enjoy.

 

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The Cahill Expressway on a Rainy Day

This was taken in February when I was wandering around Sydney CBD during a storm.

It feels rather flat and dreary. The weather was a bit dreary at this point, but the area didn’t feel as flat as this does.

I feel as though I made the scene a little too dark. If I remember correctly, when processing I had issues with having this look as the area did when I took the photo which is why this turned out the way it did. I imagine that working on improving on how I process could mitigate the issues a fair bit if I ever decide to revisit this image. That all said, I think that the feeling of being in the storm is more apparent.

I like that this image feels a bit quiet. There are visible vehicles, but there’s quite a bit of space around them. I also like that (in conjunction with the rain) the buildings feel a bit oppressive.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s TPM photo challenge for this week.

The theme for this challenge is “Bad Weather”.

I suggest checking out Leanne’s photography, as well as checking out what other people submit into the challenge.

You can find the challenges here.

I hope you enjoy.

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