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Jun 09
in Europe 2013, Uncategorized

Playing on the edge….

Sunday was a day where it seemed that boys (mainly) – played on the edge. We drove along the Route des Crêtes …a road in the Vosges Mountains in Eastern France

Adrenaline filled the air.. as they all the (mostly) boys just wanted to go FAST!.. or push the boundaries of what they could personally achieve. Many played the edge of the precarious line between being powerful and invincible; and being killed.

The sky was still and the grey bitumen road was soon to be covered with brightly coloured clothing becoming wetter under the exertion of being pedalled up these incredibly high mountains.

Legs of all shapes – some sinewy and slim; some strong and sturdy; some shaven some white; some tanned…. regardless of their shape – all pressed relentlessly on the pedals to complete the 10km ride to the top of the mountain and the 10km ride down the other side. Many of the riders weren’t even wearing helmets!!!

   

The road was open to general traffic.. and because it was a Saturday morning.. and what better thing to do on a stunning Saturday morning if you have a motor bike – other than go for a ride with a group of your mates in the mountains. OMG!! And when I say ride.. I mean RACE!

  

So there was this bicycle race going up the mountain.. with general cars and traffic… AND hundreds of motor bikes.. AND did I mention open topped sports cars!!! Lotus 7’s; Porche’s, Mercede’s, Alfa Romeo’s … also going FAST. It was INSANE!!! I didn’t manage to get any photos of the Sports Cars because they were going so fast passing us I just watched them ..and the edge…not believing what I saw.

It’s a pity I couldn’t get action shots to portray their speed.. nor have any sound so you could hear the loud purr of the engines as they sweeped round the bends.

Then on the same mountain we came across a mountain bike track which utilised the Chairlift of a ski run for mountain bikes in the summer. These were a younger group of fearless males (mostly) and once again pushing their own boundaries of going FAST.

      

Then when the boys had finished playing ..they set up a BBQ for their sausages in the car park, proud of their achievements and being unscathed!

Adrenaline certainly filled the air on the mountain today!!

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About the Author: Julie
I am a Journeywoman. I live my life as an explorer. An adventurer. An Observer. An Artist. There is no differentiation between how I live my life and the art that is an expression of it. It is through my experience adventuring the unknown, that I learn more about myself. My aim through this connection is to live where my expression is fully in alignment with the essence of who I am. “In the field of Fine-Art Photography, Julie stands apart from others with the way she sees the world and expresses her connection within it. Julie Stephenson’s photographs are sublime. Her work is an expression of her deep connection; and a gift to the world.”

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skeinydipping

I looked down and saw my hands. Hands which have t I looked down and saw my hands. Hands which have touched; have loved; have created; have worked; have nurtured. My hands.   

I looked down and saw on my wrist and fingers items from around the world which have so many stories; items which have all been created from the heart and made by the hands of others. 

I looked down and saw beautiful yarn. Yarn which has been handled carefully through shearing, dyeing, skeining, balling; and now being knit in my beautiful hands. 

My hands are one of my gifts. This year I’ve really missed the touch of another with my hands, to feel the heart of another through my fingertips; but so grateful and love my hands which touch and feel; work and play!

What do you see when you look at your hands?

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Knitting a fabulous  #slipstravaganzamkal by @westknits .
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#gratitudeattitude #westknitsarethebestknits #westknitsmkal2020 #knittersofinstagram #knittersoftheworld #knittersofaustralia #indiedyedyarn #handmadewithlove #handmade #handmadejewellery #fromtheheart #createeveryday #livetotravel #healing #healinghands #creativehands
My life is wonderful… and I have so many stories My life is wonderful… and I have so many stories. I’ve had adventures on all continents. Slept being rocked by the sea; felt the ice on my skin in both polar regions, and felt the silence of the deserts. I’ve walked stone steps in monasteries at altitudes where each step I’ve taken consciously and mindfully; focussing on treasuring every molecule of oxygen in the rarefied atmosphere. 

COVID has paused those adventures, but I draw upon my experiences as I navigate adventuring my days in a different way, on our ‘home range’. 

I recall my steps in Tibet as I walk through our bushland. I am mindful and conscious of my surroundings. I listen. I feel. I feel happy here. I am content.

My new stories may not hold the same experiences of connection with others; and may not be of extreme challenges or crazy things  (which I am rather prone to doing! 🙂 ) but they are not less wondrous… as I smell the warm eucalyptus waft from under my feet. 

I weave my stories, and this story is of my personal journey on my daily walk through our bushland. 
You can see some of my other woven stories on my website - link in profile. 

How do you express your life’s stories?
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#weaversofinstagram #indiedyedyarn #indiedyed #rigidheddleloomweaving #ashford #inspiredbynature #contentcreator #emotionalbalance #homedeco #handcrafted #makersmovement #creativelifehappylife #wellbeing #travellerlife #journeywoman #weavingaustralia
“....The Assookinakii cowl was created for those “....The Assookinakii cowl was created for those times in your life when you need a meditative and healing knit. Assookinakii (ass-s-oo-kin-uh-k-EE) means ‘healer’ in the Blackfeet language, thank you to Cut Woods School in Browning, MT for the tradish language support”. –  Candice from @thefarmersdaughterfibers 

Knitting this beautiful cowl by Candice from @thefarmersdaughterfibers for @sistersunitedmt ; WAS healing. 

As my hands gently formed the repetitive stitches I reflected on the word ‘Assookinakii ‘ - healer. I am a healer. I don’t understand it. It’s something unseen. Something within me which has been recognised by Ngangkari and ‘clever men’ here in Australia; and shaman and healers around the world as we travel. This recognition always has caught me by surprise; as I seem to walk a line between two worlds. 

As the stitches slipped from one needle to another and the beautiful colours of @spincycle_yarns revealed themselves; in the pauses between the stitches I heard a voice whispering to continue to seek connection with the natural world and listen deeply. 

What has been healing for you this year?
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#healingjourney #meditationpractice #dyedinthewool #assookinakii_cowl #knittersofinstagram #knittingaddict #livinglifetothefullest #happydays #shaman #healer #healersofinstagram #listentoyourheart #indiedyedyarn #handmadewithlove #knittersgonnaknit #knittersoftheworld
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2017 All photographs created by and property of Julie Stephenson.