“A republic if you can keep it”
–Benjamin Franklin’s response to Elizabeth Willing Powel’s question: “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”
September 17, 1787
A monarchy or a republic?
State of American democracy July 5, 2026
Tag Archives: Image
Yellow is the color of caution
Yellow traffic lights function as a caution. Yellow in the energy industry is associated with sulfur.
As a result of the war with Iran a yellow flashing light is alerting us to challenges coming in the agricultural sector.
Bright yellow is the color of elemental sulfur, a bi-product of oil and natural gas and a key ingredient for making fertilizer.
The blockade of The Strait of Hormuz is disrupting the energy supply chain.
Less oil and natural gas, less sulfur, less fertilizer. Less fertilizer results in higher prices to farmers for fertilizer. Higher costs to grow crops will result in higher prices for food.
Rest assured the energy companies, refiners, shippers, chemical corporations agribusiness and grocers will be fine. They will pass the cost along. This increased cost will be paid for by ordinary people and families buying food at the grocery store.
You think the cost of gas is a problem and for most people it is.
But wait for it…higher cost of food in the grocery store is on the horizon.
It’s time to respond to the flashing yellow light and demand a stop to this war.
Sources:
Very Well Mind / psychology of color yellow
Keg River Premium Sulfur Fertilizerers
All photos copyrighted:
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Yellow Signals Caution
The increased cost of gas is not the only consequences of the war with Iran. Incres in the cost of sulfur is coming and with it increased costs of food
Here’s a Thought: Let’s Share the Wealth
Map Source: Wikipedia
Money has the power to enrich relationships or to destroy them. More often than not, the pursuit of wealth has pulled families, friends, and entire nations apart. Yet when shared intentionally, wealth can become a bridge that strengthens bonds rather than breaks them.
Here’s a story that began long ago, on December 2, 1922. That was when the British designated 2,000 square miles of desert as a new border between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait under the Uqair Convention. The goal was to accommodate the Bedouin tribes who roamed freely across the area. The agreement declared that the rights to this region would be shared equally between the governments of Kuwait and Najd (modern-day Saudi Arabia).
Then came 1938, when oil was discovered in the Burgan field of Kuwait, near the Neutral Zone. It was a moment that could have sown division, because potential riches often spark rivalry. Over the next decades, more oil was found, but rather than dispute, both nations decided to cooperate. As oil development expanded through the 1960s and 70s, they continued to share the profits and manage the resource together. On January 18, 1970, they ratified an agreement to formally partition the Neutral Zone while continuing to jointly extract its oil.
Zone, Kuwait/Saudi Arabia
Years later, in 1991, Iraq invaded Kuwait, threatening both its sovereignty and its oil reserves. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United States said “no,” pushed back the invaders, and restored Kuwait’s independence—securing not just territory but the spirit of partnership that had endured for decades.
More than half a century later, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait continue to peacefully share and benefit from the oil resources of the Neutral Zone. Their story stands as a living example that cooperation can yield prosperity, and that a shared resource can unite rather than divide.
Perhaps real wealth lies not only in what we possess, but in how we choose to share it.
Sources: Wikipedia, Daniel Yergin, Uqair Protocol
Photos by Wayne Eastep
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Here’s A Thought / Let’s Share The Wealth
Partitioned Neutral Zone between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
This photo shows one of the LNG processing trains at Ras Laffan in Qatar. After the March 2026 missile strikes, QatarEnergy said the damage to the LNG facilities would take about three to five years to repair, and reporting indicated that two of 14 trains were hit, reducing export capacity by about 17%. Estimates also put repair costs around $25 billion, with major implications for LNG supply to Europe, Asia, and global energy markets.
I photographed this facility three times over several years. To help put this unnecessary war in context, I’ve curated photographs of major energy infrastructure around the world on my website, WayneEastep.com, under Energy.
Sources: Reuters, CNBC, Al Jazeera, Intellinews, and Rystad Energy.
#energy #qatar #LNG #war #Iran
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Repairing This Refinery Will Cost
Making art, for me, begins with awareness—the ability to notice what moves us in an ordinary moment. Sometimes that awareness appears in the smallest places, like standing at the kitchen sink preparing coffee. That’s what happened a few mornings ago. I slowed down long enough to feel the energy of sunlight as it gently started the day. I thought, that’s beautiful.
Creating images is part of my daily life, so I paused, embraced that quiet, and made a simple photograph—a moment of morning arriving, carried on the light of sunrise.
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Morning light
The quiet beauty of the morning lit by the sunlight
Excited to announce my Floral Essence series is now in print🌺.
This 7” x 7” monograph features 29 vibrant flower images across 42 pages. Available in softcover ($19.95) and hardcover ($39.95) plus $5 postage.
Sharing these images on social has been so rewarding, and now I’m thrilled to offer this curated print edition.
Share with someone you know who loves nature, flowers and photography.
Email me to order your copy and bring a touch of floral art home.
WayneEastep@gmail.com
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Floral Essence Monograph Now Available
Curated Collection of flower photographs printed in the monograph Floral Essence
Series: Floral Essence #8 Amaryllis
The series “Floral Essence” comes to a finale. A post about the Amaryllis feels like the perfect subject at the right time with which to conclude this series.
As holidays near, wax-dipped Amaryllis bulbs show up in the shops, ready to brighten the gray winter days with color.
Named from the Greek word for “to sparkle,” it is fitting that the Amaryllis blooms in winter, around Christmas.
Given their sturdy stems and vertical profile, Amaryllis symbolize strength, pride, and determination. When the flowering phase ends, you can cut the stem and preserve the bulb; it will flower again next year. With proper care, it can live for up to 75 years.
Thank you for following Floral Essence. It has been an inspiring journey through the language of flowers.
An exceptional monograph is on the way, stay tuned!
Back to work on a new series about a different subject.
To see these Flowers and more, visit my website at: www.wayneeastep.com
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“To Sparkle”Amaryllis
Amaryllis buds “to sparkle”
Series: Floral Essence #7 Feather Grasses
Feather Grasses, like these near Sergeyevka, Kazakhstan, have grown for millennia in the thin topsoil of the Steppes; some varieties are now scarce or endangered species. The Steppes were covered in this ideal pasturage prior to the Soviets’ misguided Virgin Land Reclamation policy of the 1950s, under which nearly 25 million hectares (approximately 62 million acres) of the northern Steppes were plowed to plant wheat.
The feather grasses provide nutrition for horses, cattle, sheep and goats, ensuring a sustainable food source for nomads.
The sea of grasses move in waves with the wind, nurturing a soul that’s living in relationship with nature.
Book; Floral Essence. coming soon
To see more images of flowers visit: Wayne Eastep.com
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Series: Floral Essence #7 Feather Grasses
Feather Grasses in the Steppes of Kazakhstan
Series: Floral Essence #6
Giant Stapella Cactus
One of the gifts of growing plants is the time it offers for observing their quiet transformations, from the first emergence to eventual passing.
My sister Victoria gave me a cutting from this cactus, and over many months I watched it evolve.
Gradually, as the cactus revealed new shapes and gestures, it seemed to tell a quiet story about what it was and how it was changing.
Using my camera, I captured moments that brought both satisfaction and reflection, preserving memories that deepened my connection with the plant.
This series of images is part of a larger collection called Floral Essence. I’ll share more about that in the near future.
To see this image and more flower pictures, visit the gallery Flowers at:
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Floral Essence #6
Series: Floral Essence #5
Snapdragons Dancing in the Wind
Practicing photography can be much like practicing meditation. Both invite us to slow down and truly see. They heighten our awareness, sharpen our attention, and help us become more attuned to the quiet details that often pass unnoticed. This image is an expression of that mindful practice.
While driving near Sarasota, a field of snapdragons caught my eye—just a glimpse of color in my peripheral vision. I pulled over, spoke with the property owner, and was welcomed to wander the field with my camera.
As I began photographing, a gentle wind set the flowers in motion. In that moment, I saw not simply a field of snapdragons but blossoms dancing in the wind. I worked to capture the movement of the wind through the petals—more than a still image, a sense of motion and energy.
This photograph is the outcome of years of patient observation and practice. It also reflects what happens when we allow the mind’s eye to see beyond what is in front of us—when imagination meets perception, and feeling becomes form.
This series of images is part of a larger collection called Floral Essence. I’ll share more about that in the near future.
To see this image and more flower pictures, visit the gallery Flowers at: www.wayneeastep.com
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Snapdragon Blossoms Moving with the Wind
Snapdragons blossoms moving with the wind
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