Cotton Candy Skies by Bodhi Smith

Feb 05, 2021

"cotton candy skies" a brand new impression and blog from me...
 
"look at these clouds, they are cotton candy! light and fluffy, softly colorful...pastels of pink, purple, and blue fill the sky...reach out and grab a pink puff, or a purple one, how can you not feel good seeing something so sweetly happy as a cotton candy?" ― bodhinku, cotton candy skies
 
"the storm front had finally broken, tatters of cloud pulling apart like cotton candy and sprinkling the sky with the bright sugar grains of stars" ― leah raeder, unteachable
 
"i wanna get cotton candy skies in my eyes when they are open wide. fountains full of lemonade, you'll bе my kaleidoscope, my color in this life" ― blu detiger, cotton candy lemonade   
 
"the world is a dream, you say, and it’s lovely, sometimes. sunset. clouds. sky....but, no. the image is a dream. the beauty is real. can you see the difference?" ― richard bach, jonathan livingston seagull   
 
"people flocked like lemmings to the water's edge to watch the spectacular sunsets. they were marvelous spectacles, a fireworks display most nights...a kaleidoscope of color and light in the sky, white clouds turning cotton candy pink, superman ice cream blue, and plum purple. the sun a giant fireball that seemed to melt in the water as it began to slink behind the wavy horizon...sunsets are one of our simplest and most profound gifts, they remind us that we were blessed to have enjoyed a perfect day, and they provide hope that tomorrow will be even better. it's god's way of saying good night with his own brand of fireworks" ― viola shipman, the recipe box
 
"you'll ride upon a big white swan in cotton candy land. you and the swan will float upon a cloud of pink ice cream, where every star is a candy bar, and the moon is a marshmallow dream in cotton candy land" ― elvis presley, cotton candy land  
 
"something beautiful happened last night, now there's pink fluffy clouds on my mind...she's cotton candy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy stacking up with love 'cause it might come in handy" ― iris, cotton candy

"dancing in my room, swaying my feet. tryna give you love and a kiss on the cheek. cotton candy skies like i'm stuck in a dream, and i've been feeling blue, you're the one that i need..." ― 347aidan, dancing in my room
 
"if we glance at a tiny bird, it represents the ultimate freedom, the ability to fly, to rise above all, to look down on earth while getting tickled by clouds of cotton candy...you need to spread your wings wide and fly off into the horizon, you need to learn that what you already have can certainly set you free!" ― larissa qat
 
this first song is a relatively new alternative song (released in september 2020) from an up-and-coming 21-yr old bass guitar player from nyc named blu detiger...i truly dig this song, love the lyrics and the funky bass and listen to it quite often as it finds itself in many of my playlists on my ipod...according to her, this song “has a feeling that is very longing for a different time that’s not the current situation of quarantine. it’s about feeling nostalgic or wanting to get lost, or feeling lonely and wanting to run away with someone or yourself in another place or time"...and with its radically funky alt sound, highlighting detigers excellent bass guitar, along with the lovely hopeful and moody lyrics, this tune is the absolute perfect accompaniment to connect music with the meaning of my impression and blog today: "cotton candy lemonade" by blu detiger ... (just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....
 
"i've been up too long, something's wrong. watch the rising sun turning all my nights to days. turn the speaker on, play the song. yeah, you know the one, makes me feel some type of way. i've been on my own, come find me now. i'm lonely to the bone, but i don't feel so low when you're around. let's run away from home, i wanna get lost with you. picture waking up somewhere new...i wanna get lost with you, 'cause right now i'm lost without you too. i wanna get cotton candy skies in my eyes when they are open wide. fountains full of lemonade, you'll bе my kaleidoscope, my color in this life...watching thе world fade away. i've been on my own, come find me now. i'm lonely to the bone, but i don't feel so low when you're around. let's run away from home. i wanna get lost with you, picture waking up somewhere new. i wanna get lost with you, 'cause right now i'm lost without you too. i wanna get cotton candy skies" ― blu detiger, cotton candy lemonade 
   
"the sun bubbled into the ocean. columns of vertical cumulus clouds turned to cones of pink cotton candy, then as the sun became a red wafer on the horizon, they turned candy-apple red, with purple rays reaching out of them like searchlights. the water was neon over wet asphalt, blood-spattered gunmetal—colors from the cover of a detective novel where heroes drink hard and beauty is always treacherous" ― christopher moore, island of the sequined love nun
 
“those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. there is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature” ― rachel carson, silent spring 
 
"i must stay alone and know that i am alone to contemplate and feel nature in full; i have to surrender myself to what encircles me, i have to merge with my clouds and rocks in order to be what i am. solitude is indispensable for my dialogue with nature" ― caspar david friedrich, german landscape painter 
 
"i experience a period of frightening clarity in those moments when nature is so beautiful. i am no longer sure of myself, and the paintings appear as in a dream" ― vincent van gogh, vincent's letters 
 
"to me, love's a cloud that looks like cotton candy wrapped around a sigh that's breathed from the soft lips of a sunset" ― bodhinku, cotton candy clouds  
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MEANING
"cotton candy clouds are the creation of water vapor at just the right temperature, held together by the most precise air pressure, combined with beautiful light from a sunset, all blended together by a wind at the perfect speed...not a recipe that mother nature whips up all too often, but when she does, it's nothing short of sweet happiness" ― bodhinku, cotton candy clouds  
 
look at these clouds, they are cotton candy! light and fluffy, softly colorful...pastels of pink, purple, and blue fill the sky...reach out and grab a pink puff, or a purple one, how can you not feel good seeing something so sweetly happy as a cotton candy?

to dream of cotton candy represents total preoccupation with how wonderful, fun, or pleasurable something is. not thinking about anything except how good it feels to feel good. not wanting to stop noticing yourself feeling good....

and how can you not smile when you think of cotton candy? think of all your memories as a kid eating it at the fair or at disneyland...when you're young, standing in the sun, eating cotton candy, anything is possible. there are no worries, only a sugary smile and that next sweet bite...thoughts of cotton candy can only bring a smile to my face.
 
“sometimes happiness is like bubblegum pink and cotton candy blue and bursting with confetti and fireworks and the nostalgic music they play when you step foot into disneyland. sometimes happiness feels like magic. it feels good" ― akemi dawn bowman, harley in the sky
 
"my happy place is standing out in the wilderness under a canopy of beautiful clouds, contemplating nature" ― bodhinku, happy place   
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STORY BEHIND THIS IMPRESSION
"when you see colorful clouds in the sky that take your breath away, stop what you are doing and watch them, float with them, flow with them, and let time just become meaningless" ― bodhinku, flow with the clouds
 
pictured here are sea stacks just off the beach known as "face rock and the kittens" (check out the legend of these rocks in the section below)...they are located in the small town of bandon on oregon's pacific coast in the winter during a low tide after sunset...if you look closely, you can see the impression of a face profile looking up and rightward towards the northern sky. i created this minimalist photographic composition with the puffy cotton candy clouds to give us all a happy feeling of life and living...hope you like this one...
 
this next song is from a 25yr-old norwegian singer-songwriter, vilde iris hartveit kolltveit, who goes by her music name of simply "iris"... she conveys honesty and emotion in her voice wrapped up in a sound that fizzes with a slinky mood and ambiance...this tune of hers from october of 2019 "cotton candy" by iris is such a great capricious tune with a shuddering and infectious trap beat....it's about thoughts of a cotton candy and a unique love, and quite honestly it simply goes along splendidly with my words and this impression today...  

"i'm licking my lips one last time, but the flavour's gone back to just mine. something beautiful happened last night, now there's pink fluffy clouds on my mind...the taste should've left me confused. did i like it only 'cause it was new? honey, look what you got me into. maybe sugar could be good for you. she's cotton candy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy stacking up with love 'cause it might come in handy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy. going up, up, up. the sky is cotton candy. going up, up, up. the sky is cotton candy stacking up with love 'cause it might come in handy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy...i've never been to your planet, but somehow i can speak the language. it's too natural not to feel right and too sweet not to have one more bite... the taste should've left me confused. did i like it only 'cause it was new? honey, look what you got me into. maybe sugar could be good for you. she's cotton candy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy stacking up with love 'cause it might come in handy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy. going up, up, up. the sky is cotton candy. going up, up, up. the sky is cotton candy stacking up with love 'cause it might come in handy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy...first you liquify me, then evaporate me. can never get enough, she's cotton candy. first you liquify me, then evaporate me. can never get enough...she's cotton candy stacking up with love 'cause it might come in handy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy. going up, up, up. the sky is cotton candy. going up, up, up. the sky is cotton candy stacking up with love 'cause it might come in handy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy...first you liquify me, then evaporate me. can never get enough. maybe sugar could be good for you, she's cotton candy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy. going up, up, up. the sky is cotton candy stacking up with love 'cause it might come in handy. going up, up, up the sky is cotton candy" ― iris, cotton candy
 
"shhhh...can you hear it? its peace? the silence of the light, and if you truly listen, it will surely guide you to where you need to be..." ― bodhinku, shhhh   
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MORE BODINKU QUOTES
and now here are a few more quotes from bodhinku from past blogs to help add to the deeper meaning of this blog today...
 
"each morning i meditate before i start my day...i breathe in, and i breathe out. breathe in, breathe out. breathe in, breathe out...a wise person once reminded me that life is not measured by the breaths that you take, but by the moments that take your breath away...a moment in time can mean a lifetime" ― bodhinku, breathe the moment
 
"my therapy is found somewhere out in nature, behind the lens of a camera...each time the shutter opens and closes, i am breathing in, and breathing out" ― bodhinku, my therapy 
 
"each evening, take the time to slow things down and drop everything you are doing, stop thinking and go take in the sunset. take a picture so you can remember clearly these ordinary moments. take the time to just be. breath in, breathe out, feel those eleven seconds of perfect awareness" ― bodhinku, therapy
 
"each and every moment is temporary. cherish the moments that take your breath away, live them to the fullest, for they will not last. and do not shutter away the difficult moments, reflect and learn from them, get through them. they are not forever, they too will pass... good or bad, every moment is precious. and every breath is priceless, because they remind us we are living...always be sure to cherish each breath, and make each moment count" ― bodhinku, each moment
 
"some people seek the comfort of their therapist's office, others look for it at the bottom of a bottle, many tune into music and listen for it, some stab a vein hoping for it, yet others look for it in another person...as for me, my therapy is found somewhere out in nature, behind the lens of a camera...each time the shutter opens and closes, i am breathing in, and breathing out" ― bodhinku, my therapy  
 
"i'm most at ease when i'm somewhere out in nature, far away from civilization to a place where the earth has not been corrupted by mankind, silencing all the noise in my head by witnessing all the beauty that surrounds me...breathing in, the loveliness of the landscape. breathing out, hearing the birds sing. breathing in, feeling the sun on my face. breathing out, seeing all the colors in the sky. breathing in, smelling the sage in the air. breathing out, tasting life flow across my lips. breathing in, all the peace and solitude my lungs can hold..." ― bodhinku, breathing
 
"i do not need any scientific study to prove being in nature is great therapy, and is good for me on many different levels...i know it empirically through first hand experience. when i am out in nature, everything is better...my mood, my heartrate, my stress levels, my inner serenity. i feel more love and connection, direction and purpose. plus, later at night after being out in nature, i sleep better, dream more vividly and peacefully...and when i revisit old faithful scenes where beautiful memories abound such as this, it is nothing short of pure therapy for me" ― bodhinku, pure therapy   
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THE LEGEND OF FACE ROCK
"when you're young, standing in the sun eating cotton candy, anything is possible. there are no worries..." ― bodhinku, cotton candy
 
ottile parker kronenberg (1865-1943) was the daughter of capt. judah parker, for whom parkersburg, oregon was named (located close to bandon upstream on the coquille river). as a young child, she often listened to “mary,” one of the last of the nasomah (coquille) tribe, and delighted in the many native american stories mary told her. mary also taught mrs. kronenberg the dialect of miluk (language of the lower coquille tribes). although mary died in 1911, the deep friendship yielded a rich, enduring abundance of native american lore and legends....the following is one of the tales kronenberg put to paper for permanence for the rest of us to learn about...
 
hiyu cole kopet kumtx how see (many years; i forget how many)
seatka, the evil spirit of the ocean, lived along the coast. no good came from him. all the coast tribes feared him, for they knew how dangerous and treacherous he was. however the tribes of the far mountains feared him not, and when they came to the coast to trade, they brought with them their families, horses and dogs, and the children carried their pets.
 
the great mountain chief siskiyou was coming on that chinook moon of long ago, bringing with him his beautiful daughter ewauna. this being a great honor, a potlatch was planned by the four chiefs of the coast. necomah, being the strongest of them all, was appointed by the three other coast tribe chiefs manager of the affair.
 
because of the determination to show how prosperous the coast nations were, the potlatch of all potlatches was decided upon. among american indigenious peoples of the northwest coast, a "potlatch" is an opulent ceremonial feast at which possessions are given away or destroyed to display wealth or enhance prestige. the days before the potlatch were busy days for the coast tribes. each of the four coastal tribes would bring their own unique bounties for the feast.
 
necomah ordered great quantities of clams and mussels gathered and placed in huge mounds covered with sea moss and spicy leaves of the myrtle tree ready for the fires. eight fat bear were ready also for the hot spit. the elks brought one hundred salmon cleaned and ready for spit of green willow boughs under which glowed driftwood fires, the hot coals of which were best for the roasting. the old squaws tended these. the sixes brought the meat of a dozen elk; the rogues twenty cayuses loaded with deer dressed ready for the feast.
 
under a long arbor of cedar trees the tables were placed, logs split down the middle were used with the flat side up. from cedar bark the squaws made huge trays which were filled with huckleberries and wild honey. spoons of clam shells, plates of bark and cups hollowed from burnt wood kept the squaws busy, although plenty of time was allowed for the preparations.
 
on the hills back of the camp, a lookout was placed to herald the approaching visitors. on the bluff, armed warriors were watching so that seatka could not cause trouble. with a yell the runners tell of the coming of the siskiyou a day and a night off. into the pit go the bear, elk and deer, covered deep with hot bark. the clams are not cooked until the last hour before the feast.
 
first to arrive was chief siskiyou with the beautiful daughter, ewauna. he encamped at some distance from the potlatch grounds. ewauna had never before seen the ocean. to her it was most beautiful for she thought that at last she had found the place where the beautiful clouds were made that she saw each day from her home in the mountains.
 
she laughed at the warnings of the old men to be careful not to wander alone near the bluff as the wicked seatka might see her and claim her for his own. she brought with her her dog komax and her cat and kittens which she carried in a basket. her father had bought the cat from a french trapper who had carried it from montreal. the cat and kittens were great curiosities to the coast tribes who had only ever seen the great wild puma and never before seen a domestic cat. the wonder of the tenas puss puss was passed from tribe to tribe.
 
in the early morning of the second day came the four chiefs dressed in their magnificent regalia (ceremonial dress). necomah with salutations of good will magnanimously presented his gift of wampum inviting the great chief and his people to the greatest of all potlatches given in honor of the magnitude of chief siskiyou’s power. this impressed the great chief and he accepted with stoical indifference. the four chiefs were followed by chief siskiyou and in single file the men were followed by the women.
 
the wind wafted the odors of the great vians of the feast. it quickened their steps. soon all were seated. necomah gave the welcome talk.

"klakahama my friend;
klakahama talk to great spirit –
great spirit talk to klakahama:
i make plenty sun, plenty grass,
plenty bear, plenty elk, plenty fish.
i make plenty eat eat."

all day they feasted until drunk with food. they slept where they sat. ewauna slipped away from the sleeping camp. calling her dog and taking her cat and kittens she started for the beach. she wished to see old wecoma, the sea, making the white clouds. the beautiful full chinook moon hung low over the sea, lucid, resplendent in all its glory. ewauna ran and danced with delight, singing her dance song to the moon. so happy was she with the grandeur of this beautiful wecoma, she danced nearer and nearer to the water, feeling the wonder at the cool touch of it.
 
she dropped her basket, telling her dog komax to watch. she ran out into wecoma and swam and swam and swam, wild with glee. on and on and on she swam, paying no heed to the dog’s cry of danger.  on and on far from shore she swam. the friendly moon became obscured as by a black hand and the next thing she knew, she was being grasped by a fearsome creature who came out of the water near her. it was seatka. komax, who had failed to make her hear his danger call, swam out with the basket and, as the monster seized his beloved mistress, he stuck his sharp teeth into his hand. howling with rage he kicked the dog off, causing him to drop the basket.  grabbing the cat and kittens he threw them far out into the sea. seatka held the girl tightly, trying to make her look at him, as his treacherous power lay in his eyes. this she refused to do, telling him she never never would, keeping her face toward the friendly moon.
 
at sunrise her father awoke and finding his daughter gone gave the alarm. they all rushed to the sea. fearfully they gazed out, seeing the dawn break through the white mist, and then they saw the beautiful face of ewauna lying on the sea smiling up at the white clouds coming from the north.  to the west they saw her cat and kittens and near the beach poor komax baying for his mistress. behind the large rocks near the shore sits seatka, gazing at ewauna still trying to catch her eye. but never, never does she falter. many, many moons she has been there. now they have all turned to stone...  ― the writings of o.p. kronenberg
 
"by breathing and just letting things be, you get an understanding that with every breath, life is so precious, so beautiful, and not worth wasting for any problem" ― bodhinku, every breath
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
this next tune speaks of cotton candy skies in its lyrics, and it's from another up and coming alternative singer-songwriter, a 17-yr old from cambridge, ontario, canada named aidan fuller, who is better known as 347aidan (the numbers in his name represent "peace", "live", "forever")...aidan's music is impossible to put in a genre, you will either like it or hate it i guess, because it's a mixture of alternative vocals, an almost folk guitar, and the rawness often associated with hip-hop...he seems focused on bringing emotion to life through his music, and his raspy vocals do just that with ease...this newest song of his is a mix of alternative rap with a unique introspective style all his own, "dancing in my room" by 347aidan ... (just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection) ...
 
"i been dancing in my room, swaying my feet. tryna give you love and a kiss on the cheek. cotton candy skies like i'm stuck in a dream, and i've been feeling blue, you're the one that i need...dancing in my room, swaying my feet. tryna give you love and a kiss on the cheek. cotton candy skies like i'm stuck in a dream, and i've been feeling blue, you're the one that i need...and baby, yeah, you give me reasons just to fight all of my demons. yeah, i love you when you're speaking 'cause you silence all my feelings. that feeling that i'm not okay and everyone will run away and leave me in my room, room alone for just another day. i'm sippin' on some lemonade, i wonder if you'll ever change. fuck it, i don't even care, baby, just come 'round my way...dancing in my room, swaying my feet. tryna give you love and a kiss on the cheek. cotton candy skies like i'm stuck in a dream, and i've been feeling blue, you're the one that i need...i've been  dancing in my room, swaying my feet. tryna give you love and a kiss on the cheek. cotton candy skies like i'm stuck in a dream, and i've been feeling blue, you're the one that i need... dancing in my room, swaying my feet. tryna give you love and a kiss on the cheek. cotton candy skies like i'm stuck in a dream, and i've been feeling blue, you're the one that i need (yeah)...she's a very pretty girl in a very shitty world. she got records on the wall, and a necklace made of pearls. she's an angel to my nightmares, message to my night scares. whenever you are down (down, down, down), just know that i'll be right there. dancing in my room, swaying my feet. tryna give you love and a kiss on the cheek. cotton candy skies like i'm stuck in a dream, and i've been feeling blue, you're the one that i need..." ― 347aidan, dancing in my room  
 
"do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. the way is not in the sky; the way is in the heart" ― siddhartha gautama buddha, hakyamuni
 
"nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" ― lao tzu, tao te ching
 
"look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better" ― albert einstein
 
"everybody needs beauty...places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul alike" ― john muir 
 
"both the grand and the intimate aspects of nature can be revealed in the expressive photograph. both can stir enduring affirmations and discoveries, and can surely help the spectator in his search for identification with the vast world of natural beauty and wonder surrounding him" ― ansel adams
 
"if you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere" ― vincent van gogh 
 
"mother nature teaches us to open the power that flows within our veins. to embrace the medicine of the wild world and connect with the knowledge of the animals, plants and stones. that we are all sacred. she tells us to heed the compass of our intuition and feelings. to celebrate the divine union between beings. that there is valuable guidance to be found in the moon, the stars and the ancient sites. that we have the power to heal ourselves, manifest miracles and change the world. she reminds us to never forget our magic, for it is something that is vital and much needed" ― c. ara campbell
 
"the succulent sky
had not only clouds,
not only space smelling of oxygen,
but an earthly stone
flashing here and there
changed into a dove,
changed into a bell,
into immensity, into a piercing
wind:
into a phosphorescent arrow,
into salt of the sky" ― pablo neruda 
 
"a sunset is always more beautiful when it is covered with irregularly shaped clouds, because only then can it reflect the many colors out of which dreams and poetry are made" ― paulo coelho, manuscript found in accra 
  
"his soul is as free as the clouds in the sky, but he is committed to his dream" ― paulo coelho, warrior of the light
 
"photography is the most beautiful and most complete of the arts. it involves all our five senses, plus one more—the need to give of our best" ― paulo coelho, like the flowing river
 
"the attitude of tao is of cooperation, not conflict. the attitude of tao is not to be against nature but to be with it, to allow nature, to let it have its way, to cooperate with it, to go with it. the attitude of tao is of great relaxation" ― osho, the pathless path
 
"let my thoughts come to you, when i am gone, like the afterglow of sunset at the margin of starry silence" ― rabindranath tagore, stray birds   
 
"if they ever saw a sunrise on a mountain morning...watched those cotton candy clouds roll by...they'd know why i live beneath these western skies" ― chris ledoux, western skies    
 
"here’s harmony! here’s repose! here’s what may leave all painting and all music behind, and what poetry only can attempt to describe! here’s what may tranquillize every care, and lift the heart to rapture! such therapy! when i look out on such a night as this, i feel as if there could be neither wickedness nor sorrow in the world; and there certainly would be less of both if the sublimity of nature were more attended to, and people were carried more out of themselves by contemplating such a scene" ― jane austen, mansfield park  
 
"the only feel-good situation i could hypothetically equate it to would be lying in a kiddie pool full of cotton candy while spinning around and around with my tongue hanging out!" ― piper faust, idiots i've seen naked
 
"there was something special about a carnival at night. bright lights pierced the darkness. the giggles of the people aiming fake rifles at fake ducks were full of contagious fun. the distant shrieks coming from the top of the ferris wheel filled the air. and a warm breeze carried the tantalizing aromas of cotton candy and hot buttered popcorn" ― marilyn kaye, lucky thirteen
 
"i focus all of my concentration on stopping the bloody rain. the drops come slower and slower. i take a deep breath, imagining the clouds breaking up, spinning into fluffy bits of cotton-candy like clouds. i don’t open my eyes until the sounds of beating rain disappear and i can feel the warmth of the sun on my face" ― beth revis, the body electric
 
"this is why we give into the storm of love. this something that is neither word nor feeling, found in quiet gazes and cookies in the dark. hidden in cotton candy clouds and gentle shower soapsuds. it creeps up on you and slips inside, and before you know it, love owns you completely. but when it leaves, it rakes you insides, ripping at your soul until you're shredded and undone. then, and only then, do you realize you were in love" ― chelsea fine, perfect kind of trouble
 
"you are sweetness and light. human cotton candy" ― myra mcentire, timepiece
 
"she was all cotton candy and pink champagne--legs that stretched out for five or six miles, and one of those laughs that made you feel like riding around in a convertible" ― linda bloodworth-thomason
 
"love should taste like cotton candy−pink and sickeningly sweet. sticky on your teeth, a hunger that grows with each bite, it should make you feel full yet also so light" ― mecca-amirah jackson, night-bloomer
 
"a cotton-candy knockout, a strawberry sundae sweetheart, and a vanilla soft-serve misfit. we are the youth. and we live in a world where innocence is so short" ― yellowbella, dusty

"i also love the thought of unicorns jumping over cotton candy rainbows" ― charlene johnson 

"not everyone can or will love you. you could run a cotton candy and unicorn farm and someone's gonna think you're an asshole. everyone's fighting their own battle and it often has nothing to do with you" ― kathryn budig
 
"i feel like cotton candy: sugar and air. squeeze me and i'd turn into a small sickly damp wad of weeping pinky-red" ― margaret atwood, the handmaid's tale
 
"combine a fog machine and a cotton candy maker to create delicious mystery. this is the heart of romance" ― jarod kintz, this book is not for sale
 
"i share with the painters the desire
to put a three-dimensional picture
on a one-dimensional surface
of cotton candy on a rainy day" ― nikki giovanni, cotton candy on a rainy day
 
"as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, the clouds overhead blushed cotton-candy pink. their reflections gleamed on the crystalline waters of the lake. the horses whinnied, the birds chirped...this was the sound of happiness" ― cassandra clare, tales from the shadowhunter academy
 
"this is how i would die into the love i have for you: as pieces of cloud dissolved in sunlight" ― jalaluddin rumi, in the arms of the beloved
 
so,  here is another beautifully poignant song with beautiful apropos lyrics to give listen, a true classic of wisdom to help anyone find some peace in their life in times of trouble, or ego, or nothing going right, by breathing and just letting things be: "let it be" by the beatles ... (just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the song)...  
 
"when i find myself in times of trouble, mother mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom: let it be. and in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me speaking words of wisdom: let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be...whisper words of wisdom: let it be...and when the broken hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer: let it be...for though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see. there will be an answer: let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. there will be an answer, let it be let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be...whisper words of wisdom: let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be...whisper words of wisdom: let it be...and when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me. shine until tomorrow: let it be...i wake up to the sound of music, mother mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom: let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be. there will be an answer, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be...whisper words of wisdom: let it be" ― the beatles, let it be  
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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"thoughts of you and cotton candy can only bring a smile to my face" ― bodhinku, cotton candy
 
this impression was captured on the wet sands of the beach 11 mins after the sun ducked down beneath the western horizon of the pacific ocean at bandon oregon, on december 28, 2020...this is a 2:1 panoramic composition created by using the photomerge function in adobe photoshop cc to stitch together 6 separate semi-long exposure compositions all taken in succession of each other on a uniform horizontal plane while panning to the right (in a portrait orientation), each shot has the same exact camera settings (f/11 at 70mm for 11 seconds, iso-64), with the 6 exposures being taken a few minutes after the sun had set on 12-28-2020...
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera. and this composition is no exception...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter...for this exposure, to get the effects and balance i was looking for, i used two progreyusa filters in the capture of this composition...  
 
the two filters i chose for this impression were a 1.6 nd progrey aurora filter to slow down the dwindling post-sunset light 6 stops and permit the long exposure time of 11sec which creates the smoothing effects of ocean, clouds, and the reflection, plus naturally extra saturate in camera all the pink, purple, and blue colors in the composition....combined in tandem with a 0.9 gnd progrey aurora filter to help balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it...in this case, to stop down the light above the horizon an extra three stops and help to permit more of the details in the shadows on face rock at the horizon level come out in the exposure...
 
to hold the filters and secure them to my nikon d810 mounted with a nikon nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 i used the progrey g-120z magnetic holder...
 
with this being a series of semi-long exposures put together, i needed the great set of filters and filter holder from progreyusa to help beautifully block down the light 6 stops. and as with all longer exposure panoramic comps, an excellent panhead and a stable and sturdy tripod are absolute necessities...i used my faithful induro phq3 series 5-way panhead mounted on my dolica tripod 70" carbon fiber tripod...these are necessary in order to keep the 6 separate exposed images in perfect line on the same plane with each other, and in sharp focus in the places i wanted sharpness (the rocks) and permit for accurate motion blur for anything moving in the image (ocean waves, clouds, and reflections in the wet beach sand)...
 
i wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without the use of my faithful induro phq3 series 5-way panhead mounted on my dolica tripod 70" carbon fiber tripod, in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhinku, if nothing else
 
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty. stop the world. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. relax. seize this moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colors of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhinku, my world
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary" ― bodhinku, my diary  
 
i leave you today wishing that bright joy and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, no matter what,
always and forever, for that is the only thing that truly matters...    
 
and above all else,
i hope this message and impression find you well.
 
namaste,
bodhi
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