Made a Starbucks run during a two-hour break in between meetings and dinner with a job candidate last Thursday. Stopped on the way back to take the first photo when I noticed the striking shadows cast against the lower level of MSOE’s Campus Center across the street.
Photo taken at 3:45 p.m.
Then, practically as soon as I’d put my gloves back on and picked up my coffee again, I noticed that those shadows had already changed. So down once more went coffee to the sidewalk; off again came the gloves. Snapped the second photo, put myself back together, and started walking up the hill to the Grohmann Museum (where my office is).
Photo taken at 3:46 p.m.
Once again noted a shift in the shadows, this time far more noticeable, before taking just a few additional steps. Gone were the interesting shadows I’d seen just a couple of minutes earlier. Notice, too, how the area between the windows is now completely shadowed and the shadow of the sign on the left has disappeared.
Photo taken at 3:48 p.m.
On the other hand, you can now start to make out the shadow of a harp light. Even as the interesting shadows that first caught my eye exited the scene, a new one had made its entrance. If only I’d been alert enough to notice, I could have waited one more minute and taken another photo once it sharpened and became more defined.
Then again, though, once that shadow began to fade, another would probably have begun materializing, and I might never have gotten back to my office 🙂
Katherine Wikoff 
Katie, you have become the epitome of mindfulness. Now, not just noticing an interesting phenomenon, but to take that extra moment to see beyond the shadow, read between the lines, ever watchful for the minutia of the day. Today will be a minute longer than yesterday. Imagine what is in store in the coming weeks. Thank you for this wonderful reminder to slow down and be watchful.
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Wow, thank you, Sally! And I love what you said about how today will be a minute longer than yesterday. It’s so good to think about how, even though we’re entering the darkest season of the year, we’ve already gotten past the shortest day. Every day that passes brings us more and more minutes, and then eventually hours, of light. Thank you for that reminder!
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Shadows are fascinating from the hard edges to the undulating tree branches. If you
don’t capture it when you see it the whole vision is lost in time. This is what makes
pleine air painting a challenge. Merry Christmas!
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Thanks, Rose! Merry Christmas to you, too!
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