After finding a perfect moment to bask in the awesomeness of the #sunset after a day of work, I had an opportunity to take some photos. The #clouds were in motion with a budding glow I had to take a moment to more fully appreciate. In just a few short moments, all of these clouds will be arranged differently, with new colors. The Artist is at work, and I am the audience, which is a role I seldom have the luxury of taking on. Right behind this scene I made an interesting discovery on the slope, which you'll see later on.

This week I have been on a mission to look for examples in nature of natural rock landscapes. Last week I bought materials for building a #saikei, which is a miniature landscape type of bonsai made with #rock and miniature trees, instead of a traditional #bonsai pot. I made a post earlier this week, to show all of the various rock types I will be building my project with.

Today I came across an amazing photography post here on steemit by @bypaul. It shows several breathtaking photos of the Austrian Alps, with cascading rockslides, a river filled with flagstones, and luscious green hills where the earth grew over the weather-worn rocks. Hopefully @bypaul won't mind if I share one teaser photo below to entice you to visit his post, and maybe upvote it while it is still active.

@bypaul - Hiking in Austria: My first solo hike - Day 2

By looking at similar rock formations in nature to the materials I have gathered, I can better appreciate the types of shapes I should aim to build on a miniature scale. I like these photos because it shows the rocks half-buried in the earth with their random shapes. Not only is there a design to the layout of the rocks that flows with the shape of the distant mountains, there is also a purpose. Water runs down the channels made between the rocks, and it flows into the river below. The trees grow closer to the sheltered areas where the water runs into, rather than up on top of the frigid rocks. Even the pathway paints a thrilling adventure opportunity over the mountain which makes my eyes enjoy dancing across the view.

These rock photos show a landscaped area I found today outside of a parking lot. Even though these boulders were placed here by a landscape artist, I still appreciated them enough to snap a photo, because I know they have stood the test of time. I remember seeing these same rocks here since I was a small child.

Even though this is a very steep hill, too steep for walking on, time has worn down the rocks a lot over the years. Moss grows on some rock faces, but not on others. The trees on top of the hill have anchored their roots deeply into the terrain, and the rocks are locked into place so firmly now that there is no risk of a rock slide. I'm sure kids have played roughly on these rocks quite a bit, and it hasn't changed the design of this slope in the slightest.

This is great food for thought as I think about what sort of design I might be able to make.

Bonus Photos

Here's some more #cloud photos. I climbed up to the top of those rocks to get the best view possible.

Have a glorious day!