At a this past weekends Cruise I saw a lot of very nice cars and trucks but this was the coolest of all. Here is Some Beetle Love!
I was a passenger in a 60’s Bug that flipped three or so times on
I-65 back in the early 90’s. I know about every inch of the inside of these babies and still love em! Spin-cycle in a Bug and lived to tell about it . Bet you will not find that on a t-shirt 🙂
I wanted to try something a little different for this post. Normal I photography organic things, things that are green,blossoms,bees and such but today was different. Why? The sky was incredibly rich today. With the contrast of white clouds against the brilliant blue it got me thinking trying some captures in B&W. I know it sounds weird but I thought I could get completely different feels from shooting the same object against this beautiful sky.
Where could I do this to good effect? The Cemetery of course! I had just a few minutes on my way home to grab these and plan on going back but till then: Where to now?
This is my 350th post as a photo-blogger and I am thankful for many things because of the privilege I have to share my world with you. One of the things is the kind words shared and advice given. The other is the window into a larger world by your sharing with others your life’s as well. If I had not taken the first step, the simple act of being if you will, I would have missed out on some really cool stuff. So let us live best we can, breath deep and be still when stuff goes nuts and simply learn the simple act of being.
“The Butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough” Rabinranath Tagore
The original photos, to those shown above, I took in a small town a few county or two from our place. The above photos show the Spirit of small town America and their way of showing Honor. In just a few short years it will celebrate its 200th year as an incorporated city!
There is a back story as well to the display pictured here but that is for another post. Have a Happy and Safe Fourth and Happy Birth Day USA!
In one of my last posts I spoke of several conversations not-so-distance past and the topic of someone close to our being who had died. One of those conversations was with someone who had lost her Daughter recently. I have suffered the loss those close to me but never someone who, in a very real way, was a part of me. Though I am effected greatly in the loss of those within my sphere this Lady was invested in the life lost completely body, mind and soul. In other words if this was a poker game, and the chips were down, she was all in.
In the conversation she told about some of the flowers in her garden and pointed out a Rose bush her Daughter had giving her. Below is a photo I took of a Rose bush the daughter gave to her mom several years ago. As I looked at this picture I decided to look up the meaning of a yellow rose. One interpretation had these among its meanings: A Promise of a New Beginning, Welcome Back and Delight.
After this brief but life enriching encounter I came away with a new perspective on this mystery we call life. I cannot go into detail about the conversation but I can tell you I have a lot to learn about giving Grace and accepting it.
This past Winter, as The Bride and I walked about our place, we found an old homemade clothes line post along the side fence line. At the time we both were dealing with, in our own ways, the death of my Mom. As we looked at it I personally felt comforted. I cannot put into words why this was, and is, so.
I thought of this photo when I read the headline “For Now, We Mourn” about the Firefighters who died in Arizona’s wildfire. Though all loss of life is not to be taken lightly, I am at heart a six-year-old kid who wants to become a Firefighter, so this some how felt personal. So in that spirit, this for all the loved ones of the Firefighters who lost their lives in the wildfire in Arizona. May you find Peace and always remember those you loved were and are hero’s. Just ask any six-year-old.
The U.S.A.F has a motto for their Firefighters that I feel fits those who died in service of you and me, past and present, and that is: “The Desire to Serve, The Ability to Perform, and the Courage to Act”
Yesterday started out hot and muggy but with a sunny disposition. As I was winding up my day I headed home in hopes of getting there before the coming storms. I arrived home and was at the computer looking at some photos I wanted to post when the storm showed up loud and proud. It was amazing to watch and the sound track was pretty rocking. In the mist of the arrival the lights flickered and then blackness. With candles and some LED flashlights fiddled about till bed time. And since the electricity did not come back on till sometime in the AM there was no new post.
Today the storms of last night got me thinking about some discussions I have had recently. You see it was six months ago that my Mom died. I always knew, in theory, that was inevitable: Death is a sure thing and it touches everyone. In conversations with others I shared most of that difficult journey. I learned though sharing that I was not alone. We all have suffered lost, some recent some not so, that has changed us. If we are wise we share our sorrow, not out of weakness, though maybe in it so we can gather strength. It through the people planted in the Garden of our life, and it is as beautifully as any garden anywhere, that Hope and Healing blossoms forth.
We may look and feel a little older, and some of the luster of life has faded, yet strength is built through the storms of life. And because of that there is within us a silent strength that stands ready before the coming storm.
“There is peace even in the storm”
―Vincent van Gogh, The Latters of Vincent van Gogh
 May God give you…For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.  Irish Blessing |
If this old wooden bridge could talk I am betting it would bemoan the feeling that it is past its usefully prime. I can sense it would lament that fact and say “Time passed me by”. Yet I would argue with this fine old bridge and say it is still very useful.
For one I would point out that it is a reminder of a simpler time, when things were not hurried and rushed. Next I would attest to the fact it was fortunate that the builders built it well, as it has stood the test of time. It is, I must reminded it, a place where other have left their mark, not as vandals, but as people needing to make their mark in time for future reference. And finally I would confirm that it brings joy to many of us who have had the pleasure of its very presence.
Below is my tribute to this very cool and wonderfully bridge, rendered in HDR, from photos I took with my Powershot SX10is.
This is my PSA for the year: This Memorial Day Weekend, and going forward, please watch out for motorcycles. Motorcyclists are Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Brothers and Sisters. In other words they are Family. Please beware of their presence and give them the room they need.
Here are a few close-ups if you must see them close up but otherwise Take Care Because They’re Every Where!
Daffodil Hill Photography 