Tag: photography

Things Of Christmas

Coca-Cola Vintage Music Box

This music box is not just any music box. It was made in China but sold by Coca-Cola. Note the Santa is drinking Coke. The train around the base actually runs and it plays I’D LIKE TO TEACH THE WORLD TO SING. Do you remember the next few words? They were IN PERFECT HARMONY! For a brief moment in time when the song was written, it seemed there was almost PERFECT HARMONY. Today we are far from that.

Our country today is in extreme turmoil. Morality in this country seems to be at the bottom of most people’s list. We need to work towards a more peaceful and loving society not just in our country but like the song says “the world”.

This is not Christmas but I purchased it because the colors reminded me of Christmas. It is also a vintage piece that was put out by Coca-Cola.

I recently purchased this at a Coca-Cola auction. This piece is stained glass and metal. There were multiple other houses of the same construction type produced in this series.

Hope you enjoyed part of my collection of oddities.

Connecting With Clouds

Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, extend to the skies, and Your faithfulness to the clouds.

I was working in my office when I looked out my window to see these clusters of clouds which from my window seemed to be glowing. I grabbed my camera and got these few shots.

Days like these when I look at the sky make me wonder, can Heaven be any more beautiful than this?

Have a blessed day.

What Does Christmas Mean To You

This is the first thing that comes to mind.

This is just my first sketch.

Christmas is coming. As Christians we of course celebrate the birth of Christ and that should be our focus but right now I challenge all you artists, photographers and crafters to display what Christmas means to you.

I don’t want to leave anyone out. Whatever your religion or customs are show us how you celebrate. It can be events, decorations or other traditions.

As for me, I typically do not decorate very much and don’t do a tree. This year will be very different since my Mother passed. She died three days after Christmas and loved the holiday. When she was able I took her to a candle light service at church on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day she and my sisters and I would get together with our families, have lunch and open gifts and just spend quality time together.

Although this year will be different, my sisters and I will still get together and celebrate and honor her memory of Christmas. We will not let Covid or the government dictate how we celebrate.

Regardless of your beliefs or traditions, take the time to love and just be kind to others. You don’t have to like everyone you meet but just be kind and treat people the way you want to be treated.

I look forward to your Christmas blogs.

Be safe and God bless you all.

And The Water Came….

After the recent flooding at Hiddenite Campground that claimed five lives, I was moved. As an avid camper myself I love to camp out beside the river and mountain streams. It is always very peaceful. Campers were not advised of the potential flooding and a peaceful situation quickly turned tragic.

In my hometown we currently have flooding and it will give you some idea of what it might have looked like at Hiddenite.

See the Chicken at the right of the frame… that is at the edge of the playground.
This is the playground.
To the left of the screen is a campground under water.
See the red signs in the middle, they are stop signs for the road that is flooded.
Trees that stand in awe of the water around them.
This is at the wildlife access. The sign on the right stands before you would normally access the river. The water in front of it is the parking lot.

Don’t take anything for granted when you are around rising water. The campground at Hiddenite should have closed prior to the flooding but it didn’t. The lost lives included a one year old child.

Be safe!

America The Beautiful

It’s a rainy morning as I write. I challenge you as writers and photographers to display your best interpretation of America. Let’s keep this as positive as possible.

I shot this many years ago in the early morning on the river.

The simplicity of horses feeding from this old stone shelter.
Christmas trees soon to be harvested.
From sea to shinning sea…

to the simple farm life that provides for you and me.

A bench by a pond’s edge leaves little more to be said.
And even grains of sand can be counted and every one placed by the hand of God.
While rivers and streams still lead the way…
Mountains still soar with great majesty…

While great ships of iron may ride its waves….. there will still be another day!

GOD BLESS AMERICA

American CAN be great again.

Be comforted by the fact that God says DO NOT BE AFRAID. It is easy to give up on America right now but you should never give up on God because he has the final say.

The Right Path

The Path

As the picture implies there is a path. It can be simple or misleading with lots of treacherous detours. While this is election day it is not just any election day but one that will ask that question…not just who is the right man for the job…but more importantly who can lead us down the right path.

Don’t close the page yet my focus is not on politics! Pathways can lead us to many things: a career, education, romance. During your lifetime how many times have you had to choose a path? If your life has been like mine there have been quite a few pathways.

The Uncertain Space

Don’t find yourself in that uncertain space. A bad decision may have consequences but no decision will leave you stuck in a place where moving forward could be difficult at best.

So the moral of this story is choose wisely the path you walk down. The results could be life changing!

Have a great day!

Keeping Faith Alive

Good morning friends. This week I have again been reminded to keep my faith alive. While I know where my own personal faith lies, I try very hard not to judge others for what they believe.

Earlier this week I had an opportunity to visit the Freschoes of West Jefferson, NC. These paintings are not just pieces of art that are overwhelmingly beautiful but they relay such a strong sense of peace. See for yourself!

For more information visit the following wesite: https://www.ashefrescoes.org/churches.php

Mountain Journey Continued

This was the little cabin we stayed in.

Our journey this week began in this little cabin at Mountainside Cabins. We normally travel in an RV but when our refrigerator died, we decided to rent this little cabin instead of waiting to repair our fridge.

Our pathway to adventure.

This one-lane road, which proved to be one of many, lead us up a mile to our cabin. Along the way were these colorful trees along with christmas trees on the side.

This was one of the larger cabins.
It wasn’t hard at all to find christmas trees. They are already starting to cut them.
There were lots of ponds.
Views from Doughton Park Overlook
A view from the pond in front of our cabin.
No mountain trip is complete without a stream.
Hopefully I will get to pain this one sometime in the future.

Hope you enjoyed these few pictures of our mountain journey.

Oh and meet our furbaby Roco. He didn’t hesitate to claim the deck chair for his own.

A Mountain Journey

Every year I just do not feel fulfilled until I take a trip to the mountains. Follow me on this photographic journey.

Mountain Trail

It’s hard to tell from the photo that it is fall here in the foothills. Slight golds and yellows but little else. We are at just a little over 3200 feet so we are hoping tomorrow we can venture out to a little higher elevation and see if the leaves have changed any more.