Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain... To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices - today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it. 

   Kathy Aucoin

True silence really means going deep within yourself to that place
where nothing is happening, where you transcend time and space.
You go into a brand new dimension of nothingness.  That's where
all the power is.  That's your real home.  That's where you really
belong, in deep Silence where there is no good or bad, no one
trying to achieve anything.  Just being, pure being. . . . Silence is the ultimate reality.

Robert Adams

Come on into my room and sit for a while.  I hope you're enjoying my site!   It has been a labor of love since it's conception in 1999.  This site represents all the things I most value - love of animals and nature, photography, writing, art, poetry, and spiritual exploration.   Over the last sixteen years, I've heard from people from all over the world and appreciate their emails and comments.  Making connections with people who I would never meet otherwise is very special and one of the main reasons for this site.  I am dedicating this site to my mother, Betty Connor Dozier and my dear father, James Charles Dozier, who were my guiding lights and encouragement all my life.  Thank you both for believing in me!  And to my precious sister, Jean, my loving source of encouragement and support. Jean and I lost our sweet mother on February 22, 2008 and our beloved father July 13, 1990, but they live forever in our hearts.

My husband, Homer, and I live with our cat family and lots of wild critters in Western North Carolina. You can read about how our feline family rescued us as we rescued them HERE.  Both of us grew up in South Carolina and enjoyed observing the assortment of wildlife on the land we owned in Columbia where we both worked. Our land and house was an inheritance from my grandparents and we were lucky to live there with the possums, raccoons, owls, hawks, bats, birds, squirrels, frogs and tons of insects that shared our natural nook.   We enjoyed having such a diverse slice of wildlife so close to the city.  However, the legendary heat and rising crime rate of Columbia forced us to the mountains of North Carolina where we  have a whole new assortment of wildlife to observe.  Since moving here in May of 2004, we have taken thousands of photos and recorded hours of nature sounds including Great Horned Owls, two Screech Owls calling to each other, crickets, coyotes, foxes, tree frogs, wood frogs, underwater audio and more.  We've seen and heard a long-tailed weasel, foxes,  black bears, river otters, beavers, muskrats, hedgehogs, deer, raccoons, wild turkeys, possums, and the list continues to grow.  (Oh, there was that encounter with the skunk, but we won't go into that.  I'm trying to block it out.)  We've been able to enjoy a different selection of birds, including my favorite, the Wood Thrush. 

You can also visit my new site TibArt Audio and hear recordings I've made in the mountains of Western North Carolina and along the coast of South Carolina.  It's a growing project and one that has brought me great excitement and new friendships.

In addition, visit my YouTube channel 4 Crows Relaxation for a large collection of videos of natural scenes.  The videos are perfect for relaxation, meditation and sleep. 

I've  loved photography, audio and video recording for most of my life.  The fact that an image or sound can be frozen in time is miraculous to me.  All photos, whether they are family snapshots, a torn faded photograph from the past, historical prints, or prize-winning photojournalism, are fascinating.  For me, however, the many faces of nature are the images that have the most appeal. Patterns of light reflected on water, clouds captured in a moment's glory, the sudden rush of birds in flight, the path of a comet - these are the patterns and visions I look to capture and share.  It's the life force I want to capture - something that is sometimes difficult to see through a camera's lens since much of what I "see" is actually what I feel.   It's one of those things that is hard to put into words...I guess it's what we refer to as intuition.  The key is letting go - releasing control and allowing this force to enter your heart.  When this happens there is a feeling of total connection to all things and this is the feeling that I trust more than any other in my life. 

Spirituality means everything to me.  It is my connection to the Universe, to the Divine, and to all the world that guides my every moment.  I feel this connection in nature and try to capture it digitally, but it is elusive - sometimes just out of reach.  However, with time and experience, I've learned to listen to the inner voice that guides me.  As long as I stay connected to the Universe, doors open and magic comes my way - hopefully some of the magic is captured. The next step - sharing the magic.  What's the point of being a witness to beauty if you try to keep it to yourself.  Pass it on, share it and the beauty grows. 

 I experienced a profound spiritual transformation over the last few years; part of a life-long journey, but the losses and changes were catalysts for moving into a higher level of consciousness. With the help of many people -  healers, guides, family and friends - I have emerged on the other side a new person, filled with the happiness that comes from hard-earned peace.  We all have suffering to endure.  When we allow our grief and trials to connect us, we become even more a part of earth's family.  One important lesson was to always keep my heart open.  It will be filled with pain and deep grief at times, but the gift of an open heart is the greatest connection to the Universe and the Divine there is. It is wonderful to be living in the moment, releasing the past and cherishing each day.  And even though life brings continued lessons, I want to meet them a stronger and wiser person - always growing, always searching.  I hope you find this website to be celebration of growth and hope.  

Please stop by TibArt Images often.  There will be new photos added, new gardening projects, poetry, stories and new links.  Again, I'd love to hear from you.  You can reach me at tibart@mindspring.com and Homer at swamp_fox@earthlink.net .   Also, please visit Homer's incredible site on his experiences in Vietnam at http://www.swampfox.info.  Thanks for visiting!

Tib

They walk with me
encircling my sleeping place
as I dream and journey
into other worlds.    TDS

In honor of "Lady" - my Wolf-Guardian Spirit.