A Magical Moment ~ Filled with Love. Photography. Colour Challenge. Monday Red. You See ~ I See.

I move
Imperceptibly.
Beneath waves. Over sand.
Holding the energy of earthly time.
I am receptive to the light of the stars.
~Starfish.

Today's 'Color Challenge for Steemians' as first presented by @kalemandra is Monday Red.

It feels like the perfect time to share the heartwarming story of this crimson starfish as a 'You See ~ I See' story as well.

You See.

  • A bright crimson starfish in an ocean rockpool.

  • Other starfish that are not quite so brightly colored. And some shells.

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Grown ups never understood anything by themselves.
And it is rather tedious to have to explain things to them time and again.

~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The Little Prince.

Photograph: ©Alison Lee Cousland.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 100: 35 mm: f/6.3: 1/400 sec.


I See.

  • Traveling about 400 kms north of Sydney with a good friend. The last few day spent relaxing and exploring Boomerang Beach.

  • Walking along the beach. Squeaky pure sand.

  • Sunny summer day. Blue sky. Light clouds on the horizon.

  • Watching surfers in wetsuits.

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Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love. ~Rumi
Photograph: ©Alison Lee Cousland.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 100: 35 mm: f/10: 1/160 sec.


  • Photographing waves.

  • Mesmerized by the glass-like band of pale turquoise, just under the waves as they peaked and then started to curl.

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We come spinning out of nothingness. Scattering stars like dust. ~Rumi.
Photograph: ©Alison Lee Cousland.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 100: 35 mm: f/8.0: 1/640 sec.


  • Walking to the very end of the beach. Discovering the rockpools.

  • Not just one, but whole tribes of starfish. Sheltering in the shallows of the crevices and along the edges of the rocks. Many half buried in the sand.

  • Their muted grey, decorated with different markings: Dusty pinks and pale blues, punctuated with bright aqua.

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And I'm floating in a most peculiar way.
And the stars look very different today.
~David Bowie.

Photograph: ©Alison Lee Cousland.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 100: 35 mm: f/6.3: 1/320 sec.


  • A young family arrives at the rock-pool. Scamper all over the rocks looking at the starfish.

  • Continuing to photograph. They are only on the fringe of my consciousness.

  • One of the boys walks up to me. Asks me to hold out my hand. He places the brightest crimson red starfish into my hand: To look at.

  • He reassures me that it's alright for the starfish to be out of water for a short time. These tidal creatures adapt to low tides and summer sun.

  • We agree to place her on a rock. Just long enough for me to take the photograph.


Giving and Receiving.

When you give a gift to another: The other receives not only the material gift, but a part of you as well. Your 'energy.'

When you receive a gift from another: You receive not only the material gift but a part of them as well. Their 'energy.'

In that 'Magical Moment' where an exchange takes place: A connection is made. Everything may still appear to be as it was. Yet something has changed within both the receiver and the giver.


And now. What do you see when you look at the first image?

  • Do you see more than just a red starfish now?

  • How has the 'Spirit of Giving' touched you?


ABOUT: You See ~ I See.

'You See ~ I See' isn't a contest. However it will 'challenge' your perception.

Entering into this activity in all likelihood will transform what you may have felt was 'ordinary' in your own environment into something that becomes fresh and alive once again.

'You See ~ I See' has many names now. Including but perhaps not limited to:

'You See ~ I See' 'You see, I see' 'You See vs I see' and 'What you see vs What I see.'

When you share your own 'You See ~ I See' post, it really doesn't matter what name you give it, just as long as you use the tag #useeisee

If you resonate with the concept, maybe you'll consider sharing one of your own 'You See ~ I See' posts. All the details can be found in Marilla's latest post:

The Description and Story of "You See, I See" and how it became #useeisee


MY: 'You See ~ I See' posts.

'Three Seagulls.'

'Green Sphere on the Wing of a Dragonfly.'

'Morning Dew on the Banksias at the Roseville Lake.'

Being at home in a new land.


Magical Moments.

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Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music of the wind and the silence of the stars? Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic. It is such a simple and such an extraordinary part of the lives we live. ~Nora Roberts.

Photograph: ©Alison Lee Cousland.
SONY Mark2 A7: ISO 100: 35 mm: f/8: 1/100 sec.

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