photography – Through My Eyes

Alphabet Challenge – N

Nature

Even in my photography I like to keep things as natural as possible.

I love the great outdoors and capturing nature as it exist. I spent years photographing waterfalls which is the ultimate natural adventure. As I age I am getting more away from the adventurous stuff and more into landscapes.

That being said, I also like the simplicity of things like these old pickup trucks..

While I know people that always alter their photos I find that if you are a good photographer there is little need for alteration. The natural state of things is best. I know photographers that all they do is modify their photos to the extreme. I only edit photos when necessary and for enhanced quality only. I find it is more of a challenge to get that perfect shot…and if you don’t even the imperfect can be beautiful!

Have a great day.

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Alphabet Challenge- D

Day-Tripping

My sister and I both love to just take off and randomly pick a destination to explore. While keeping it to a day’s ride, we don’t plan we just go. It’s not just the adventure of going somewhere new, it’s the freedom to be able to do it that is important.

On the day trips we explore new locations and sometimes new restaurants. Sometimes we shop, and sometimes we just stand in awe of what God has created.

On today’s day trip we set out to Fort Fisher, in particular the Aquarium. We arrive at the Aquarium only to be met with a sign “Reservations Required”. Who has ever made a reservation to any of the Aquariums – which is managed by your tax dollars? Since the parking lot was full we decided to do something else. Enroute to the Aquarium we had passed a beautiful location on the beach. We got out and took some shots of the beach and then went across the road to the actual fort. Despite the cloudy day I managed to get these shots.

Live life in the moment. Some things have to be planned but every now and then you just need to have an adventure!

Thank you for going on this journey with me. Please like and share.

Finding Peace

Dispite the chaos in our world I have learned to find peace in many places. This just makes me smile.

Can’t remember the name of this lily but the blooms are about 5-6″ across.

Even though they are full of aphids it didn’t affect the actual blooms.

Last year each plant only had two blooms and then became dormant. This year they have doubled and so have my many blessings. God is good!

I have so many changes in the environment over the past six months. The air seems cleaner, seeing more birds, more butterflies and more plant life. When we get rid of evil we give life a chance.

Looking forward to the many more blessings God has planned for us. Have a great Sunday.

Camping – Trip 2 / Goose Creek State Park

This trip we decided to continue in the State Park system and visit Goose Creek. While it is beautiful grassy wetlands, we were ill prepared for the lack of shade trees.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly of Goose Creek. The only bad was the lack of shade trees as stated above. The ugly was the nasty weather we got last night. And then there was the good, which was a lot.

We didn’t do a lot on the day of arrival other than setup and get used to our new environment. On day two we got up and got ready for our first walking trip down to the swimming access.

It was a nice sandy path down to the river.

These wetlands proved to be a different kind of shooting adventure.

This is approaching the actual swimming area.

The following pictures are from the pier/boat ramp area.

Yesterday morning before the storm we went up into Washington and I got these two pics.

If you are in the Washington, NC area check out Goose Creek State Park. A great place to just unwind.

Stay safe and have a great day.

Camping 2022 – First Trip

Our first trip out we chose Kings Mountain State Park. The main reason we chose this park was because we wanted to check out Two Kings Casino. While we had no aspirations of “winning big” we actually ended up spending little time in the casino and more time in the great outdoors.

Getting there was a great big hiccup as the GPS said it was only 4 hours and 8 minutes…..WRONG! It took us six hours to get there fighting high winds and high traffic. Our trailer swayed like it had no bars attached! The campground was not on a mountain but as we entered it there was certainly similarities in that the road was narrow and curving around foothills.

Arriving at the park office I got out and was met by an attractive man that said “Sorry we’re full” and then just kind of giggled. I of course did not think it was really that funny but since he wasn’t bad to look I went along with the joke.

After parking on the lot I got out and left our door in the truck so we could set up. My husband rolled the window down for him which proved to be beneficial when moments later we hear this click….he had locked himself in the truck with the keys in it! My husband was able to get his arm in far enough to unlock the truck and remove his keys. It kind of fit our mischevious Roco.

With our camper finally set up, it was time to have some fun. Here are some pics from the park.

We have had this Apex almost five years…she still looks pretty good.

I love just shooting oddities of nature.

I took several shots of this little squirrel playing in the trees.

There were two lakes in this park. This is the spillway at the smaller lake.

This and the following shots are from the vintage farm on the property.

This little jackass was content in the field

These beautiful horses were grazing nearby.

This building I thought was interesting as it was an old cotton gin.

Thanks for going on this journey with me. Pass it on, take a kid camping.

Have a blessed day.

Spring…a rebirth!

We all could use a rebirth at this time. Few things delight me more than watching the changes of spring. Already my fruit trees are waking up.

Already my apple tree has shown more growth than it has the last few years.

With the onset of spring comes many things. I have a list of “projects” already like pressure washing my deck, planting a garden, painting my storage/studio, and the list goes on.

Adjusting to the warmer weather does have its pitfalls like hay fever. Still, the days are more pleasant. While it is easy to get caught up in the turmoil of the world around us, I choose to enjoy life and every moment.

We will soon be planning our camping trips for the year. While I enjoyed the lavish lifestyle Atlantic City had to offer, I am happiest when my RV is parked next to a mountain stream.

Just taking in clean air has value. I guess that is why I love the mountains so much. They are particularly beautiful this time of year.

While I have finished a lot of needlework projects this year it is time to get more focused and get more into my art. I hope you will keep following and see where life takes me.

What is the one thing the devil can’t do….create, so be especially creative today!

Have an awesome day in God’s Grace!

When Crafting Becomes Therapy

Believe it or not I was not born with a crochet hook in my mouth or a camera in my hand! I was fortunate that my mother taught me how to crochet and sew at a young age. Like most kids after I learned those skills, I laid them down for other things in life.

After I married, the need for those skills reappeared. I did not realize then that having those skills would get me through some very turbulent times.

Money was often tight but I began to see the value of my skills as a hobby and started to save pennies or whatever I could to pay for my supplies. Whether I was sitting at my sewing machine or crocheting a blanket it didn’t take long to realize it was a positive distraction. While my marriage became an abusive relationship, it was my time crafting that saved me emotionally.

As a single mother, life was always a challenge but I funneled any negative emotions through my hobbies. As my child grew so did my list of hobbies. I added knitting, took a quilting and photography class and more. My list has grown a lot since then.

I was fortunate enough that when I remarried it was to a man that could tolerate my obsession. He not only understands my crafting is a passion but also a coping skill. You see I have this little short fuse and used to get depressed so having developed these skills helped both.

After my Dad passed in 2007 of cancer I started making shawls, hats and other items and donating them to our local Cancer Center. Doing this helped me to recover from my grief. The money I put into this is nothing is nothing compared to what I receive.

If you are depressed or just struggling with everyday life, I strongly encourage you to find a hobby. The money you put into it is a lot less than therapy and a lot more fun!

Don’t forget to like and share!

Have an awesome day!

Green County Explorations And More

It is such a beautiful day today my husband and I decided to get out and explore the Green County area. Here are a few shots I got.

Here’s the same barn in B&W

The real story begins here when we stumble upon this:

I had heard of this place but not nearly enough. We turned in hoping nobody would run us out.

I stopped to take a picture here:

This was a beautiful place with a number of cabins like you see here and some additional building. While I was preparing to get this shot, I heard a pleasant voice behind me say “Can I help you?” I thought, “Oh Lord I was busted”. A delightful young man named Thomas had pulled up in his car. While I told him we had just stumbled onto the property he asked if I knew what it was. I said “Well, I’m guessing it is a youth camp.” He began to tell me with excitement all about the camp.

If you are looking a strong foundation for your children, this is a great asset to building that foundation. The clear proof of that was the way young Thomas talked about this place. There are different camps for different age groups. Your kids will love the adventure, be in a safe place and benefit from Christian love.

If you would like to know more about The Refuge or make a contribution you can check them out at http://www.ncRefuge.org.

We’re glad we found it and hope you will check it out soon. Have a great day!

Good Morning Monday

Last Monday was a horrific day so I decided I was going to make this Monday different. Despite living in an evil world, I try to put my best foot forward. Today I woke at 5 AM, sat on my bed in a lotus position, prayed, did some deep breathing exercises to music and this was my reward:

This was God’s reminder that he can give us the desires of our heart if we only ask with a committed heart. I wanted a peaceful beginning and he certainly fulfilled that.

It is not always what we ask for as it is “how” we ask for it. Instead of just going through life without purpose on that fast treadmill of life, take five minutes to slow down. The world is not going to fall apart if you do. Take five minutes to do whatever calms you and it could alter the outcome of your day.

Isn’t it worth the effort? Have a blessed and peaceful day. Hug someone today and show them you care.

Artful Clouds

This morning when I took my dog out to do “his thing” I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the sky.

Yes, you can argue the point that they are just “snow clouds” but my point is God creates art daily. You can say the universe was created by the “big bang theory” all you want to but really take a moment and look at the sky.

On most days we just go through life and don’t even notice. Standing beneath today’s sky I realized how very tiny I was compared to such a massive creation. You say big bang….I say God. Only God with the wave of his hand could create such beauty.

Take a moment or even two and just look at the sky. Really look at the world around you and realize how big it is. Have a blessed and wonderful day.