Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Photo’ Category

Gorging on Beauty

Posted in Beauty, General, Outdoors, Photo, tagged , , on October 31, 2010| 5 Comments »

Hawk's Bill in front of Table Rock

It is referred to as simply the Gorge around here.  I’ve seen it from all angles in every imaginable weather with any number of people, though mostly my children.  It is a miniture of some of the greater canyons of the world but it is a compact bit of beauty and extremity.  Some of the best rockclimbing in this part of the country or anywhere is on the sides of this “draw”.  Well, the day was unparalleled for temperature and better than average for clearness of sky, with no evidence of insects after a frosty night up high.  I had the afternoon off and went with my fourth  born to take a short hike, search out some climbing routes, take in the view and hang out with my youngin’.  Here is but a little of what we saw.

Linville Gorge

The sun angle was not conducive to landscape shots from our vantage point, but it did remind me of how awesome are the cameras we carry in our heads.  We had no problem discerning buildings and towers and people on adjacent ridges.  The camera was also quite good on zoom.

See the 5 people on Hawk's Bill Mtn?

We also saw a large black bird in a tree near where we sat on the rock, but the brush was too thick for me to get any decent picture.  Upon arriving home I determined that it was an American Coot which can occur at this latitude.  But what in the world was this predominantly water bird doing sitting in a bush on top of a ridge at about 4000′ elevation? I have no explanation.

The last bit of Fall colors at elevation

Autumn colors were not so extremely gorgeous this year as the past two years, but they were just as beautiful in individual trees and clumps of trees.  I certainly enjoyed these trees that I presume from this distance to be hickory trees.

The Sitting Bear

And I did find some new climbing along with seeing the starts on the Sitting Bear, a rock on top of the ridge that does indeed appear to be its name sake when far off at certain angles.  I guess I have numerous excuses to come back.  The stress of living is enough reason for me to keep coming, but there are challenges to rise to and beauty to see, and quiet to absorb, exercise to have, and long talks to be involved in.  There is much here to gorge the mind and spirit and body upon.  And I am privileged to know the Creator and Owner of it all Whom I can worship and thank for such blessings.

Read Full Post »

Part of the Image in Us

Posted in Beauty, General, God Thoughts, Photo, tagged , , on October 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »

It totally makes sense and points to His glory that we should be creative. Since we are made in His image and He is the Creator, then we should be creative.  We are not amazed at much these days because we think we’ve seen it all.  Well, we haven’t.  “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (I Corinthians 2:9). I can’t wait for glory!  But since I am, I can enjoy His creativity expressed in the creativity of people.  “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22:29) Maybe you’ve seen this and its a yawn to you but I was amazed. Check out the website:   http://www.theeggshellsculptor.com/Gallery.html

Cranes

 

//

Read Full Post »

Fiber-Cement Siding

Posted in General, Photo, Random thoughts, tagged , on September 19, 2010| 1 Comment »

Genuine boards on the new bedstead

Pass me the….the….board?  It was a 1/4 inch thick by 10 inch by 12 foot piece of fiber-cement siding.  It beats vinyl siding all over the place for looks and durability.  But in stumbling over what to call it I was reminded that name and form and similarity of a thing to the actual item does not mean it has its substance.  Such are many in the church and the world:  “And he said to them, “An enemy has done this!” The slaves said to him, “Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?” But he said, “No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”” (Matthew 13:27-30)  “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where your are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.'” (Luke 13:26-27)  How should we react to such a word?  “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you- unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5) for “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”  “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40) What is the substance of your heart, a believer saved by the grace of God exhibited on the cross by the death of Jesus to take away your sins, or a believer in name and assuming the form of a believer though not actually ever having had an experience with the living God? “Examine yourselves!” Are you the actual item, wood all the way through (as opposed to cement, or cork  (any baseball fans?), perhaps), or do you only bear the shape and name of the same?

Read Full Post »

Washed, Rinsed, Eternally Clean

Posted in Beauty, General, God Thoughts, Outdoors, Photo, Poem, tagged , , , , on September 12, 2010| 4 Comments »

I made a new aquaintence in church today. We exchanged interests and learned that one was classical music and another was potentially poetry.  He wrote down a poem from memory and gave it to me at the end of church.  At home I sat down to read the poem.  I was really enjoying it, but then I got to the last three lines and felt disappointed.  Perhaps the author did not know the good news that I know, or perhaps his focus was elsewhere. At any rate I include the poem here and two verses that I quickly added (in a different color) to, as they say in music, resolve the dissident chords, caused in me at any rate. In defense of both Dr. Stidger’s thoughts and mine, I remind you of what it says in John 13:10: “Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.'”  I believe Jesus means both that Judas was unclean and that His disciples can pick up dirt from this world, that though they are clean, “needs only to wash”.  Oh, how glorious, I’m clean!

  

 

I saw God wash the world
     by Dr. W. L. Stidger                                   

Junco

 
I saw God wash the world last night
With His sweet showers on high
And then when Morning came
I saw Him hang it out to dry
 
He washed each tiny blade of grass
And every trembling tree
He flung His showers against the hill
And swept the billowing sea
 
The white rose is a cleaner white
The red is more red
Since God washed every fragrant face
And put them all to bed
 
There is not a bird, there is not a bee
That wings along the way
That was a cleaner bird or bee
Than it was yesterday
 
I saw God wash the world last night
Ah, would He had washed me
As clean of all my dust and dirt
As that old white birch tree!
 
But oh, He has and cleaner yet
But not with rain and wind
He washed me in the blood of Christ
And I’m completely cleansed
 
Yet I will have dirt settle on me
As indeed will flower and tree
But my soul is cleansed of all its sin
And could not cleaner be

Read Full Post »

First Cause

Posted in Beauty, General, God Thoughts, Outdoors, Photo, Poem, Science, tagged , , on June 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Bee on flower in mutual dance

Mare with colt on a beautiful prance

Sword fishes school marshal every lance

Not a chance

 

Four main forces balanced precisely

Fingers on key board glide adeptly

Sun, Moon, and stars trace paths exactly

Not likely

 

All of life programmed in DNA

Beauty and function have interplay

Complex fossils in low strata lay

Hey, no way

 

Unless an all sufficient first Cause

Transcendent of effect, without flaws

Made it all, His rule the written clause

Let give pause

Bumblebee on Woodland Sunflower?

Read Full Post »

The Wonder of Knowledge

Posted in Beauty, General, Photo, Random thoughts, Science, tagged , , , on May 30, 2010| 1 Comment »

The very idea of knowledge has many fascinating angles. Four examples are the wonder of discovery (Hey, just think, that old person with dementia that you feel so sorry for is really very happy because of their new discoveries each and every day, even if they are just old ones rediscovered), the satisfaction of knowing (This doesn’t have to be arrogance or pride but can be refamiliarization of an old friend, like when I eat a good peach knowing beforehand that it will be good and confirming afterwards that it was as it should be), the humility of not knowing, and the “need” to know (OK, desire to know).  For example, the other day another teacher sent several students to me with a catch they had made behind the school assuming that I was the resident spider expert.  They would only accept a quick answer so I gave one, “Wolf spider.”  I said that I was interested in looking more closely at it and satisfied, they agreed to leave it with me.  Lycosidae is indeed the family of “Wolf Spider” and I thought it would be interesting to key it down to genus or perhaps even species.  So I got out my page-darkened “How to Know the Spiders” by BJ Kaston and began keying from the beginning.  But I couldn’t get to Lycosidae.  Oh well, thought I, I’m abit rusty.  I’ll go straight to the Lycosidae family key and continue.  Try as I might every attempt ran into a dead end.  I Googled terms to get me back up to speed; I worked backwards from supposed possibilities. Perhaps this had been a bit longer ago than I thought.  Then I thought to go back and read the family description. The eyes of Lycosidae are recurved and of two different sizes. Oops, this spider definitely had eight eyes of almost identical size in two straight rows.  Now I was experiencing knowledge-based vertigo, disorientation.  Oh well, the only other similar spider family is Pisauridae, “Nursery web spiders”.  They are fequently hunters as the wolf spiders and therefore do not build webs, but I did not remember any of that family being so big.  The females build a web around the egg sac and keep watch to protect it.  Before this they carry the egg sac in their chelicerae (the projections that hold their fangs) whereas the wolf spiders carry their egg sacs with their spinerets (other end!).  I promptly keyed the spider out to Dolomedes vittatus, Fishing Spider. I definitely had a female and probably pregnant.  The males have a white band down the center of the carapace and around the margins of the same.  This speciment was dark brown with tan spot on its abdomen.  These live near streams and catch insects, spiders, and occaisional minnows!  I enjoyed discovering the true identity of the spider.  The realization of what I did know that enabled me to discover this and the use of a once well-worn key, the humility of having been wrong reminded me of how little I know compared to others and the many things only God knows, while the “need” to know drove me on to discovering the identity and habits of a backyard neighbor.  Enjoy the pictures.

Dolomedes vittatus, Fishing Spider

Some people call it too much time on your hands, but being a good teacher involves a continued love of knowledge and a solid knowledge base.  Modern educational theory rejects knowledge base as no more than a trivial side light, emphasizing the art and practice of teaching.  Without diminishing these I submit that students want teachers that know something.  It takes time and effort.

From the Kaston "Spider" Key, female on the right

The author of knowledge and wisdom must enjoy us obtaining it in whatever respectable form.  To Him be the glory!

Read Full Post »

9″ Snow

Posted in Beauty, General, Outdoors, Photo, Random thoughts, tagged , , on December 19, 2009| Leave a Comment »

It was one of those “around the end” weather patterns that bring us the big snows.  When we more typically get a front come over the mountains, because we are in the lee, most of the snow is shed on the Tennessee side and in the mountains.  But when the cold comes over the mountains and the moisture comes from the Gulf by way of a low pressure moving around the southern end of the Appalachian chain  then near to shore or across the coastal plain, watch out.

Catalpa Drift

I went out this morning to take pictures before the temperature began to rise and the foot and road traffic began to obscure the beauty.  I discovered last evening while taking a 4 mile walk with two of my sons that they prefer frolicing while my disposition of years causes me to prefer soaking in the beauty.  The storm, of course, reminds us of the ’93 blizzard, and from a localized perspective it may be apropos in places, but the snow is nowhere near as deep and the extent of the storm does not compare.  Still it will be a snow to remember and my youngest son just saw his first 6+ inch snow of his young life.  It may have caused me to start my school break 3 days early.  If the temperature stays low enough to preserve some snow or cause icy spots on the road, we’ll stay home.  I have no lack of reading, writing, and chores to keep me busy.  Snow presents multiple opportunities for pursuits not otherwise available.  It is one of the

The evidence

 pleasures of snow days:  Time spent with family, varied activity, exercise, rest, and memories. The mystique surrounding a snow may have more to do with what else happens because of the snow rather than the snow itself.  But on the otherhand snow is refreshing to the soul and few there are that don’t get excited at its sight.  I am thankful to God for the timing, its beauty, a warm dry house, and family to enjoy it with.  I hope people are finding shelter and being prudent about travel.  I think I’ll continue my snow day activities and hope yours are pleasant to you.

A Snowball Bush

Read Full Post »

Finally!

Posted in Beauty, General, Outdoors, Photo, tagged , , on March 2, 2009| 2 Comments »

To say that snow is uncommon in my little town would be an understatement.  And when it does come it tends to fade quickly.  We had three inches last night and cold enough to retain it half a day today.  I am so thankful for its beauty and God’s creativity!

image-05

Spring delayed                  Not bad sledding           Would you like icing on that?

image-23image-19image-16

Read Full Post »

Casting Cares

Posted in Beauty, General, Photo, Remembering, Sustaining, Why?!, tagged , , on August 16, 2008| 2 Comments »

Eagle Cliffs

Eagle Cliffs

 

I guess I wanted to blog while I was away. Hikers, particularly “through hikers” (also called “end to enders”), journal their experiences and keep in contact with other hikers by writing in spiral bound notebooks left in each shelter, most usually in a ziplock bag.  I went backpacking 3 days and 2 nights in the Smoky Mountains National Park with 3 of my children and 2 of their friends.  I had so much on my mind that my children commented on my exceptional quietness.  A small amount of it came out at lunch time on the second day.  My daughter laughed at the thought of me wanting to (as an afterthought) and being able to digitally copy it.  You can read my thoughts by clicking on smokys-08-trail-journal-entry  

 

 

Pecks Corner Shelter

Pecks Corner Shelter

I decided not take tents which meant we had to stay in shelters.  This of course saved weight for us all and gave the young people the new experience of staying in a shelter. The first one, Laurel Gap Shelter still had the old design, dark with a chain link fence over the open side to keep out bears.

The Year of the Fir Cone

The Year of the Fir Cone

But Peck’s has the skylight and expanded front with picnic table and vulnerability to wildlife. Life is a balancing act.                              
I was once told that Balsam Firs only cone once every 7 years.  I do see them rarely.  I have a picture of me picking a cone from the top of a tree 14 years ago. The cones have a certain mystery to them since they come infrequently and the cones disentegrate (You’ve picked up pine, hemlock, and perhaps spruce cones but not whole fir cones unless it was a thrown green one.) My daughter commented that since she would be 21 years old this year she was born in the year of the fir cone.  Time is marked in assundry ways.

 

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts

Myrela

Art, health, civilizations, photography, nature, books, recipes, etc.

Overflows from the Heart

"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart…" Matthew 15:18

CreatorWorship

Pointing to the One who made, saved, and sustains