Stress Relief

I had absolutely given up shooting roses. They've been done so much & I just can never seem to get some new that excites me. Last week, I cam out of a particularly stressful meeting & was greeted by a small rose garden with some fun colored ones. I shot away my anxiety & was shocked when I returned home to find some really, really sweet ones. I have a good dozen that I really like...but my husband helped me choose this one.
Around the time I started blogging, Tom rediscovered some long, lost friends at a funeral...much to my surprise, this woman in Maryland (whom I had ever met) new my blog..from someone in Vermont (that I also didn't know). I had only been posting for about 10 days. What a wonderful treat that they are able to stay with us this week !!! Tonight, we all went down to the landing to try to spy the beaver....6 of us in all. They were onto us. Moments after 4 headed back to the house, their son & I saw the pair of beavers sneak way across the mirror surface of the near darkened lake. It was neat, but I really want them to see them closer up. In any case, Stephanie agreed with me on the soft-focus one, so I am including it for your enjoyment. I think it captures more than a flower. It shares a moment...a feeling...another place & way of seeing. I hope you like it.

Work With What You've Been Given

Rarely, if ever, do I crop my photos. What I shoot is what you get. I may take hundreds of shots of the same image, in order to get that hairline edge that balances the composition. In the darkroom, I would have no second thoughts of cropping, dodging, burning, etc. The instant preview of the digital age finds me compelled to shoot until I have captured the exact image I desire. The only thing I may change is in the shoot itself. I may remove a spot from a petal, a stray spider line, or a stick from the background, but I don't like to do that.
As difficult a time as I have with change, I have found that I am not alone. Our community has & continues to go through a lot of change. Many of us moved here for the natural beauty...the peace & quiet, the atmosphere of serenity & calm, a place of retreat. In addition to sod & siding, we find ourselves faced with electronic hums, glaring lights, & missing wildlife.
Two weeks ago, I walked down an animal trail, flanked by long, tall grasses. I found myself surrounded by little pink pigtails... a sure sign of indian summer & the coming of autumn. They were everywhere & I wanted to capture the moment. They were too spread apart for the effect that I wanted, so I tried gathering some of the long reeds & propping them in a cluster. I wasn't going for an award-winning image, simply wanted to share a moment. I never could capture the abundance of tiny treasures.
Many households are considering moving on & even we have spoken of leaving this haven of retreat we so love. A few days ago, I traveled along the same forest trail. I was deep in thought when I noticed the pigtails. They are more prolific now & I quickly set about shooting. No need to move anything around. God worked in His own time without any help from me. From deep within and around I heard God speaking to my heart, saying, "Work with what you have been given. Work with what you have been given..." The image is not what I had hoped, but it has the path that I hadn't thought I could include. I have found a common bond with long-time neighbors & deepened old relationships. God always works things out better than I ever could or would.
Patience... Trust... Faith... Selah!

In His Image: Creative

I often hear people say, "Oh, I'm not creative," to which I ask, "Do you believe you were made in God's image?....Do you believe HE is creative?... Doesn't that mean that you must be creative?"....*
Trees, leaves, plants, flowers, and even people remind me of God's playful sense of creativity. We often see His sense of humor in his creations, too. Take seashells for example. Something hard was needed to protect the soft animal creatures, called mollusks. He could have made a generic shape, color and texture. Instead He playfully had fun with it, changing color, texture, pattern...Take a look at the variety our Creator used in the cockle shell alone !!!!! Creator-God: Master Artist and role model.

















* If this resonates with you, I suggest you get Julia Cameron's book, "The Artist's Way" and work the process to rediscover your own creativity.

Random Images

I have been ill for the last few weeks and quite in a fog...not sure if that was from meds, sleep deprivation or illness. I have been able to do some shooting. Here are some of my finds.....

Following the Light

My grandmother used to say that in life, "there will always be peaks and valleys". When I hit the valleys, I try to stay focused on the upcoming mountain top. We all need hope and life really does seem to ebb and flow like this.

God graced me with this image and it is how I have been feeling lately.
In terms of composition, I am a purist and never crop after the shoot. I took this shot looking straight up. I turned it every direction, but came back to the image as it was shot. I especially like the dark, empty spot above the light, and the tip in the bird's head...Is it on it's way to something new? Looking for a new path? Or has it spied the path and is about to take it?

"But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 41:31

Obligatory Bird Shots

These two, with their backs turned...they just look deep in conversation. Or, perhaps, the one on the right just made an offensive comment / suggestion, to the one on the left....

A World Away

What a great getaway !! and what a world of difference from my forest home !!! Our Creator, God put so much care into so many, diverse things !! All for us, His beloved children and heirs to His Kingdom!!! From the tiniest minnow, to the infinite heavens !! From the tiniest crab to the vastness of the sands and oceans.... WOW ! What an Artist!!! What a Loving Father !!!

Thoughts of Daryl & Wisteria

Sweet, lavender clusters of floral grapes,
Candy-coloured fragrance of bygone days.

Breezy hammock dozing under draped arbors,
Cottony sky-dreaming while eyelids flicker in & out of shade.

Checkered blanket picnics with teeming wicker baskets,
Candle light and secrets shared to heart-filled eyes overflowing.

White-picket laughter amidst twining purple vines,
Stained-glass, long-ago lore & all things romance.

Country photo shoots, 'neath Blue Ridge Peaks,
Round hay bales on cedar-lined farms of yesteryear.

Macro-grasshoppers on rusty, barbed wire,
And tiny treasures for keen observers eyes.

Sharing mommy moments & warmth of forever friends,
Her spirit entwines my heart as wisteria graces spring.

Sitting Together

London and I were sitting out one evening, on the banks of the lake. Along came a friend....
London, naturally scooped him up. While he gently played with the little creature,along came another friend...

London has to have Uncle Wesley's approval before he can handle any snake and was oh, so sad to simply watch this one (possibly a baby, yellow rat). Strangely, toad and snake didn't seem to take note of each other in the least...not even when the snake slid right over the toad...more validation that, "If you sit quietly and still long enough, the wildlife will come out".

A Curious Eye

These images are from the dock out back. I like them. Tom does, too and he said that most folks just wouldn't think to capture images of things like this. He said that's what makes my eye and gift so special. I love how supportive he is. Enjoy a closer look at everyday things.

What Is This? (Pt. 2)

Ok, you should have it now, but if not, the next one will be a give-away.

Who Is My Neighbor?

Jesus sums up God's law with the command,
"You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself". (Luke 10:27, see also Romans 13:9 & Leviticus 19:18). If I give to others all day, as a follower of Christ, am I entitled to take the evenings and weekends off? Can I ignore my neighbor because I have already filled my "good deed quota" for the day? I don't believe so. A lawyer asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29). Jesus replies with the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-37). One of those who passes by is a Levitical priest. This tells me that no matter how holy or righteous one thinks they are, there is never a time to turn ones' back on a neighbor.
Jesus gave 3, primary instructions: Love God, love your neighbor, preach to all the world. Just before His ascension, He commissioned His followers to "go into all the world..." (Mark 16:15) or "nations..."(Matt 28:19-20) and preach the Gospel..." Perhaps some believe Jesus' instructions were multiple choice, but I believe they were all equally important.
I like the metaphor in this image. The open archway that God created into a garden of His creations where the light begins to shine. This is in stark contrast to those who are in the dark and strive to fence people out of their lives. How does your light shine in your every-day and every-moment walk towards the Kingdom? Do we ever get to retire?...Take some time off...? Not on this go-around. That comes later.

Sitting on the Dock...

The other night, London had his first, public school performance. His 2nd grade class voted to sing, "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay". That song always reminds me of my father-in-law, Jr. He was of the "Greatest Generation" and snuck into the Merchant Marines to serve in WWII. Characteristic of that generation of men, he was never one to outright express his feelings. He found more practical ways to show his affection. We often used to stop by to see Tom's folks after church and have breakfast together. Once Jr. found out that I love cheese, every week he would say, "Go in the kitchen and get you some cheese...Juanita! Get Jeannine some cheese!"
He would so adore his little grandson! Even though "Tommy" wasn't much one for fishing, London would be out there with him every day!!

It's Really True !!!!

Growing up, my family always told me, "If you sit still and quiet long enough, the wildlife will come out." I never found that to be true...UNTIL, I started going quiet inside...then, it happened !!! Last weekend, as I sat on the docks mid-cove, I heard a rustling in the leaves on the far bank.....

We watched each other for ages and ages until the groundhog decided that lunch was more imprtant than I was.....
















The episode finally ended when our loving huntress/herder, Juliette, awoke and decided I needed protecting......

Daily Strength

It is so powerful to start the day amidst God's creations !!! I feel so much closer to my Lord in prayer, when I am surrounded by his artistry !!As the day continues and my middle-schoolers show that post-spring break, Friday energy, I can recall the tranquility of these moments: the kingfisher hunting on the large lake, the mallards on the lesser one. I spied a new vine of yellow blossoms growing up an oak....these images and many more will give me calm throughout the day.

Upcoming Treats

My Jack-n-the-Pulpit was marred this year....but, there are some more upbeat signs...
















Wild strawberries for Bun-Bun...

and wild blackberries for us !!

What Is This?

Sometimes it is difficult to capture a novel image of something that has been overdone...I think this is a cool shot. I believe that God has blessed me with an eye to go beyond the obvious eye candy and find even more, sometimes greater, treasures to behold....more images later. Off to catch the beaver before he turns in for the day....

First Forest Flowers

I have never even bothered to look these up. I know them as "The spring break flowers"... they are the first thing to bloom in the forest... and always in time for spring break. they are only about 6-8 inches tall. The pictures do not do justice to the vivid red that splashes out all over the forest floor. Some years ago, I relocated some to under our oak out back and they are doing great!

Weekend Watching

Here are just a few of the things going on around our home: Silver Dollars, Geraniums, and Columbine:




I spent much of the weekend at The Glade next to the lake, watching the ferns and wild azaleas unfurl....