Shadow boxing.
A barely noticeable growl, then with lowered head and gleaming eyes….
They slink around uninvited. Shadows.
Stuck worse than super glue. Always tagging along.
What is their real motive – or motivation – for that?
All that stretching and shrinking and distorting. Leering. Endearing.
Are shadows a last attempt – a desperate hanging on – by primal instincts?
A congenial pair. That’s the face we show…
A domestic dog obediently walked as directed. Yet stalking along side is the shadowy wolf.
Are these disturbing dark shapes primal survival instincts pacing to stay connected to evolving organisms discarding useless baggage?
Something drives such determination
Kick at them. They dodge.
Jump on them. They become smaller targets.
Only shining light forces retreat.
But they wait patiently. Then slowly, quietly, unnoticed, unbidden they return.
Odd shadows need a little dark and a little light to exist.
Creating a Rayleigh scattering, perhaps, of light thought.
Trot along now. The more things change, the more things stay the same.
A partial environment. A netherworld. A bridge connecting what?
A constant quiet reminder of origins?
True reflection of life and existence?
What rough beast slouching along that we cannot shed.
Nagging reminder of the unknown right beneath the surface.
Or just been out in the sun too long.
Delusions and mirages you know,
Phil the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge.
A sudden leap and we could be off. They topple over easily. A little chase is good for rediscovering who you are. Shall we?
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Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge 
Absolutely fabulous and beautifully primal
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Thanks for the kind words. Appreciate you shadow dancing along
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🙂
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On a gloomy day, we sure miss these “friends.”
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After days of rain (cotton farmers are thrilled), we’re scorching and baking. Even Molly seemed to say “How about just jogging around the house for exercise?” Gloomy means shade! Thanks for keeping an eye on the shadows
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Excellent photography Phil. Molly’s shadow really does look like a wolf, doesn’t it? I find myself wolfing down the pictures.
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Her shadow’s enough to make you look twice and wonder where that’s coming from. (Nice doggy. Treat? Better keep her happy…) Thanks for howling along
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I loved this – about shadows. It seems to me we paid more attention to”our” shadow when we were young. Perhaps it was the Peter Pan influence. Great photographs !!!
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Little kids are trying to figure out how everything in life works and fits? Wonder if Molly’s been watching Storybook /Peter Pan while we are out? Hmmmm. Thanks for shading in a comment
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Or maybe it’s a warning of what we are to come.
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Don’t know Rumpy, but giving Molly a nice treat. Thanks for trotting along
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No shadowy thoughts here – you took me straight back to childhood bedtime stories and Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem, “I have a little shadow…”
The best shadows I remember seeing were those that popped up during the solar eclipse back in… 1983? I still can see the shadows of the tree leaves on the sidewalk. They weren’t sharp, but rather like double exposures – a very, very strange thing. I wouldn’t mind seeing that again.
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We had an old old children’s book that had that Stevenson’s poem in it – all with black and white illustrations. You are right about that memory. Had to hand that over to older brother as his name was scribbled inside indicating it was his.
Next time we have a solar eclipse I’m going to hunt for shadows like that. How cool. It’s that ambient lighting creating odd shadows. (Mah head hurts trying to understand all the physics of it…..hands over ears…lalala)
Thanks for stirring up those shadow memories
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This is a great post… how have I missed this.???
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It’s the hyenas – they were laughing too loud. Thanks for slipping over to chat
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I love photos of shadows. It’s the patterns and possibilities in them that I find irresistible. Wonderful post.
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Shadow are intriguing…they are there- but aren’t there. Thanks for the addition to the shadowy comments
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All that stretching and shrinking and distorting. Leering. Endearing.
That’s my favourite!
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Things that just won’t hold still are certainly worth scrutiny. Thanks for shading in a comment
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I liked it. I love shadows because they can create many different shades, they can hide secrets, they can be mysterious – and yet they are mirroring something.
As a younger child I used to watch the shadows in my room which have been drawn by the moonlight on my green wall. I used to imagine that they are trying to tell me stories – I have to admit that I sometimes still watch shadows in the same way.
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Maybe shadows are thoughts leaking out? You do sound like a student of them, too. Thanks for casting a shadowy comment
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I really enjoyed this. Love your links within the post. The pictures are so wonderful and I am definitely going to look at my shadow and other shadows from now on.
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Appreciate the kind words. You’re being shadowed even as we speak – how quiet and patient they are…not like others? Thanks for standing in the shadows and visiting
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Great shadow photos… they do look more intimidating or threatening than the life they mirror.
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True essence of Molly? She can do a hair raising “wooooooo”. Don’t plan to run out of treats (giggles) Thanks for shadowing
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What a fun post! And there is so much truth in it that resonates in so many ways with me. Great pictures by the way!
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Stalking the wolf, are you? (Watch those dark corners…) APpreciate the kind words. Thanks for boxing in a shadowy comment
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I find shadows intriguing, and thoroughly enjoyed reading your thoughts.
Somewhere there are shadows of my footsteps
and silhouettes of places I have been…
remnants of how I spent my time
not all good or bad… the scattered fragments
of the essence that is me- Sharonlee
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Shadow does seem to be bits and pieces – remnants – hints – predictions – building blocks. All trying to reconfigure themselves without being noticed until it’s time. Thanks for shadow dancing along
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A pleasure.. a enjoyed.
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Molly doesn’t seem to mind the evolving organism. looks like a scorcher kind of day. cool writing though and love the photographs!
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Summer has arrive with both feet here. Molly is getting reluctant to step outside unless very early or late. She is a pack animal and prefers company on her walks…but we aren’t sure exactly who she’s inviting (giggles). Thanks for running in the shadows
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lol, that was so funny… and so true. 🙂 But at least, hey, you’re never alone. 😉
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More fun traveling in a pack (and while these guys get underfoot, they don’t trip you up much…wish they’d handle their own baggage though. Insert giggles here) Thanks for shadowing along
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As well as playing, like when we were kids. Shadows are wonderfully useful for telling the time of day – much more interesting than a watch (that I no longer wear). No shadow means it’s lunch time. Long shadows mean it’s time to think about heading home. Wolf shadows… hhmmm, grab the basket & run 🙂
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Growing up we watched shadows too – no cell phones or watches, but better be home for meals. Somehow you seem more in tune with real life by using the sun to manage a day’s work and time. Traded a watch for a broad silver and turquoise cuff a long time ago. Works better. For some reason if I stand anywhere near a watch, it crashes and burns. Take that as a sign? (insert giggles) Thanks for shadow dancing
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Only you could elevate shadow-watching to an art form, my friend.
Well done.
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Hook, we’re worried Molly is hanging out with a bad crowd! The shadows were just mind boggling. Hope the writing is going well! Really glad to see you standing in the shadows
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What a cool post! I’m thinking you have the makings of a great short story in your thoughts and photos here.
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I always loved short stories as a kid and read tons and tons of them. O Henry. Poe. I love to read long novels, but writing them – whew! That takes long term focus. But a short story, maybe… maybe working that direction. Thanks for the encouragement.
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Interesting idea to put visuals with the story. Nicely done. And shadows…what they are…I’d never have thought of that.
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Looked down and saw a wolf walking with us – so terribly odd.
With the shift in attention spans, the way people read/grave, with many being more visually oriented – we adapt. Guess that remains from years of bouncing back and forth between careers driven by words/thoughts/language and images for message. The game for me is to make it all count: words and images should move piece along or they are distractions. Appreciate the kind words. Thanks for slipping by the shadows to chat.
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