Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 02:52

I can't believe it's been three months since I've shared #LTTL! 

October is always a blur with #write31days and then November and December were filled with gratitude and anticipation!

This edition of #LTTL is in keeping with my new theme this year. All the images were developed in Lightroom. Whereas I've worked exclusively in Photoshop before, I've finally taken the Leap into Lightroom! And I'm so glad I did! Starting off the year with my pictures organized - that in itself is awesome - but Lightroom offers so much more!

If you're interested in getting your feet wet, Kim Klasson offers a online course. Just click on Leap into Lightroom above, and it will take you there.

So these are my first attempts at editing in Lightroom, after only three lessons, so bear with me as I learn.

*******

The gold-fronted woodpeckers are always a great source of amusement. Doesn't it look like he got into a box of melted crayons?

There are still some plants blooming around here. Mistletoe for one. I know it's a parasite, and we have to be careful that it doesn't overwhelm the tree, but it sure is beautiful!

A few leaves are still hanging on. I love the way the afternoon light makes them glow!

I looked out my window the other day and saw this:

Why drink out of the bowl of fresh water that mommy puts out when you can get  your stretches in by drinking out of the birdbath. Cats!

I have to say, editing and cataloging these in LR was a lot of fun. But it was the export process that really blew my mind! LR is the master when it comes to workflow. Check it out.

What are you seeing

through your lens

this week?

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Through My Lens, Little Things Thursdays,
Bird D’pot, Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens, Wild Bird Wednesday,
Our World Tuesday, Community Global

Inspired by . . . a wrinkle in time

The week of Christmas afforded us some of the most beautiful weather we'd had all year. Clear skies and highs near 80 drew us out-of-doors.

It was the perfect time to visit the Sauer-Beckmann living history farm in Stonewall, Texas.

The Sauer's settled the land in 1869 and worked the land until 1900 when the Beckmann's purchased the property.

One of the Sauer's children, Augusta Sauer Lindig, served as a midwife at the birth of President Lyndon B. Johnson.  The homestead is adjacent to the Johnson property and part of the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park.

Stepping through the main gate is like stepping back in time. For me, it was also like stepping into a memory. The sights, sounds and smells of this small family farm reminded me of growing up in Vermont. Opening the grain bin was like slipping through a wrinkle in time. In that moment, I was transported back to our small farm. I could almost feel the stone slab beneath my feet, see the dust particles dancing in the sunbeams as they streamed through the west window. I listened for my dad's footfall in the next chamber. And then . . . it was gone. The wrinkle closed and I was back on the Sauer-Beckmann farm, standing on a dirt floor in a room I'd never seen before.

The smell of grain was the first one to meet your nose when you entered our barn. I will forever associate the smell of grain with my dad, and my childhood home. 

The dust clung to me like pixie dust and each new discovery conjured a memory. The tack room and it's smell of leather. I breathed deeply and remembered dad harnessing the horses to our antique buggy for a ride through the village.

"We used to can vegetables from our garden," I told the Dreamer as we passed by the window of the log cabin and spotted all the produce they had "put up" for the winter.

"My dad had one of these."

"I still have our bowl and pitcher set."

And on it went. We didn't live primitively like they did in the early 1900's, of course. But my dad had a lot of antiques from that period, and earlier, and the house and barn were full of his finds.

I can't escape the memories, nor do I want to. Like history, our memories have much to teach us.

You learn that what scripture teaches is true: Our lives are just a vapor. Quickly passing, quickly gone. Each day has worries enough of it's own. Worrying about tomorrow is a fruitless exercise. Most of the things we worry and fret about, never come to pass. The plans and blessings God has for us, as we submit our lives to Him, far surpass anything we could want or imagine.

Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all else will be added unto you. Matt 6:33

As my Nana liked to say:

“Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery; today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.” 

At first glance you might think that the people on the Sauer-Beckmann farm are living in the past. I would argue that just the opposite is happening. They are living purposefully, and joyfully;  fully in the present.

It begs the question, are we, in our contemporary,
fast paced, day-to-day lives, 
living purposefully, and

embracing the present with JOY?

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Playdates with God, Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Thought Provoking Thursday, Grace & Truth, Weekend Whispers,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Still Saturday
Nature Notes, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Through My Lens, Little Things Thursdays,
Bird D’pot, Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens, Wild Bird Wednesday,
Our World Tuesday, Community Global

Inspired by . . . front porch ramblings

After a few hours glued to the computer screen, nothing lifts the spirits and un-clouds the mind like stepping out onto my front porch. I’m not quite ready to quote Bilbo Baggins on the matter, but there is always something {or someone} going on within viewing distance of our front door.

Contrary to my initial observations the mockingbirds are extremely attentive and cautious parents.

 

I haven’t gotten a look at the babies yet, but there are regular feedings going on. If the parents see me watching they will wait several minutes before approaching the nest and always enter and exit from a different point. Dinner, anyone ?

 

 

With all the rain we’ve had there is an abundance of bugs this year, which leads to an abundance of other critters as well!  I haven’t been able to identify this toad, yet, please feel free to offer an id in the comments if you have one.  There are a ton of them hopping around, some so tiny you can barely see them! I’m being very careful where I step!

 

 

The Texas Spiny Lizard is always a favorite! I don’t mind being watched by a reptilian eye when it’s on a critter this size.

 

 

These are a type of squash bug, I think, although I couldn’t positively id them. They are swarming the stalks of Common Mullein right now.

 

 

This lady-bird was a surprise! I am pretty sure she is a female Eastern Bluebird, or perhaps an immature male? I have never seen bluebirds here before, although I know they’re around. I didn’t realize they were such big birds, but allaboutbirds.org lists them at 6-8inches. I guess I’ve always seen pictures of them perched contently with their feathers fluffed.

 

 

 

One afternoon I looked out the window and saw this guy hopping across the lawn. At first I thought he was a baby fawn. This picture doesn’t give you the best gauge of his size, especially with his ears down, but the Jackrabbits in Texas are BIG! We have a lot of these guys, and gals running around, but usually not this close to the house during the day. I was as surprised to see him as he was to see me! The black-tailed jackrabbit is actually a hare and the only one native to Texas.

 

 

Speaking of fawns, we have quite a few of those running around here, too!

 

 

Thank goodness they grow into the those ears!

I read a quote on a friend’s blog recently that gave me pause:

 

Summer is the time when one sheds one’s tensions with one’s clothes,

and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit.

A few of those days and you can become drunk

with the belief that all’s right with the world.

~Ada Louise Huxtable

 

It’s true, summer can be a “jeweled balm for the battered spirit.” But not this summer. Not in this country anyway, and certainly not in many other places in the world. It’s also true that there is a strong tendency to immerse oneself in nature and become “drunk with the belief that all’s right with the world.” But that is the equivalent of burying one’s head in the sand, because, clearly, all is not right with the world.

Rather, it is my hope that nature, the images shared here along with your personal experiences, serve to remind you that there is HOPE. That creations manifesto will point you to the One who will walk beside you, at times even carry you, through life’s tragedies. The One who will right every wrong, and dry every tear. The One who gives wisdom and grace. The One, the only One, who brings PEACE.

 

Wishing those in the US

a safe and happy 4th of July -

and to all, peace in your

hearts this summer.

 

Shalom,

 

Sharing inspiration here:

Inspired by . . . Oreo Cookie Cows and Hummers

Last week, in the midst of a rather difficult day, the Hummers returned.

 

 

As you see the weather was not the most accommodating, but they are formidable little creatures!  The black-chinned hummingbirds are gracing my humble abode once again, and  my heart delights!

 

 

The ruby-throats will arrive, probably in another month or so, creating a war zone for a time. But they will move on north, to visit some of you, while the black-chins remain. If the Phoebe is my winter JOY, the black-chins are indeed my summer JOY. I never tire of watching them and have been known to burn dinner because I was watching out of the window rather than over the stove!

 

French Kiss Texture Purple Prose and crackle overlay

But what is a bit of burned food to these tiny miracles! {I think you know my opinion on the matter!}

Something else that happened last week, was that I finally got pictures of the Oreo Cookie Cows! I’ve been trying for three years, quite literally, to get these shots, and while the cows were not as close as I would have liked, I could not wait another moment to share these with you!

What are Oreo Cookies Cows, you ask? Well, see for yourself!

 

 

Yes, I am having a bit of fun. As some of you may already know, these are actually Belted Galloway cattle. But I like to call them my Oreo cookie cows, just for fun!

 

French Kiss texture Impressions

 

As you see I’ve been playing around with some new {to me} textures and overlays. If you’re interested in textures and fun stuff like that, Leslie offers several as a free download for new members. You can check it out here.

And finally, I’ve been trying for awhile to get a good shot of the sweet chickadees that grace my feeders year-round. They flit about and move so fast, it’s really quite a challenge! But, I finally captured one and had some fun applying a grunge texture, then a blend mode, and then masked out the bird itself.

 

 

He’s sitting on a branch of the crepe myrtle tree in my front yard. This was just taken just a few days ago, and today I see that the branches are budding!

 

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

 

Blessings,

June

 

 

Sharing inspiration here:

  

Inspired by . . . squirrel nutkin

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin is not a favorite of mine, I admit, but Beatrix Potter certainly nailed it when she described squirrel behavior in her children’s book.
Squirrels are cute, funny, and very entertaining to watch. But those observations are from a {my} human point of view. I daresay my Kitty would not agree. And Old Brown certainly did not hold that opinion of Nutkin!
I always know when the squirrel(s) are up to something because I can hear them racing around on the roof of my cottage. {And skidding off the air conditioner in the back – ha!}
They are usually harassing Kitty in some form or fashion, or trying failing to get the sunflower seed out of my squirrel proof feeder.
This particular morning however, they were up to something that turned into an entertaining photo opp.  If you’ve had a week like mine, you could use a little levity right now.



You never know what you might see when you look out your kitchen window.



Someone has discovered the beautiful mosaic birdfeeder my daughter gave us for Christmas.



Ah, yes, gently now. Find a toe hold.



The ridges of glass do nicely.



Steady now!



I do believe . . .

. . . it’s a perfect fit!

Have a wonder-filled day!

Oh, and feel free to share a riddle in the comments!

Blessings,

June

Sharing inspiration here: