Two swallows in flight
Behaving differently
In different light
Two Swallows
Tulips and Joy
Bring a little smile (or a big one). Spring 2021. Renewal and return.
They Grow Up Quickly
I took my Sony RX10IV camera to look for tadpoles at Huntley Meadows. It’s really hard getting a picture of a tadpole breaking the surface. I thought some tadpoles had expired, they didn’t move much, but prodded by other tadpoles they moved soon enough. To emphasize the shape of the tadpole, I converted the pictures to black and white and really raised the contrast and sharpened the image. Murky water can be a problem.
Happy Easter!
For many people in the world, today is a day to celebrate the resurrection of the Messiah. To all of us, no matter our beliefs, it is a day to reflect on what Easter really means. It is the rebirth of man, so to speak. Fallen from grace, God sent His son to the world and in the greatest act of sacrificial love, gave His life so that we all may live. The true importance of Easter is that we are reminded that the most important thing that we can give to each other is Love. Love made the the sacrifice possible. We think of death as the end of all things. And yet, the message of the resurrection is that forgiveness, generosity, a willingness to help one another without expectation of reciprocity, can make all of us better. Renew us. In acts of kindness, in acts of forgiveness, we are reborn. The yoke of hatred is a heavy one. Human bondage, human suffering, the torment of sin cannot be forgotten. We hope to learn from the mistakes. And yet, what good is learning if we are not able to do the even more important thing. To forgive. Today, we celebrate the resurrection, the manifestation of the love that the Creator has for all of us. He came to the world not to conquer, but to forgive. To love us all. And in so doing, restore us in our place as true children of God.
We are on this earth for a very short time. Do we spend that time spewing hatred, thinking selfishly only of our own importance to the world? Or do we spend our time on this earth helping one another, caring for one another. We will make mistakes. Some big, and some small. All of us will. It is the act of forgiveness that sets us free. Lighten the yoke. Bear no ill will towards others. Forgiveness. A virtue sometimes difficult to achieve. And yet, if we forgive others, if we forgive ourselves, we may find that a life lived in generosity, forgiveness and sacrifice is a life lived in love.
We of different cultures, different races, different faiths all live in one fragile planet. Do we really want to spend our days blaming each other for all the ills that we see? For all the ills of the world? Or do we proclaim, like the blind man did, that I was blind, but now I see? See, in each other, the likeness of God, the Creator who made us all. And if we are of one body, then why should we seek to harm each other? The body is whole when it assists all its members. When love, universal, is shared among all. It starts with forgiveness. And the understanding that each part of the body, though different, has a role to play. Nothing is unimportant. No one is unimportant. The sacrifice commemorated on Good Friday was not for the select. Not for the few. The love outpoured was for us all.
Happy Easter! And since it is a celebration of rebirth, here are some pictures.
Leap for joy! For today, we are all reborn.
Hunter Aerobatics
An osprey goes through the motions looking for a meal.
Where You Stand Matters
Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right subject, with the wind blowing in your face. Three out of four is okay, but sometimes you need all four things to get the shot you want. Still, good practice on taking pictures of an eagle diving for its meal.
A Little Stravinsky (figuratively and a little NFSW)
I don’t really get Igor, but there is no question that he is a genius. I can say the same about Rothko. Though in small doses, both can be inspiring. With the weather getting warmer and the clock moving forward, it is that time of year (almost). The shovelers seem to have gotten the message. Then again, they are more primal by nature.
The Watcher
The wood duck is not normally in this tree stump at Huntley Meadows. Then again, it must be interested in what the geese were doing.
Curiosity is a wondrous thing. And not limited to humans.
Vinyl Memories
I was at church last night and I saw a young couple in front of my wife and I. Has it been that long since the lithe figures in front of me was something readily seen by looking at a mirror? Nostalgia, a remembrance of half forgotten days that seem more whole than the stored fragments show them to be. And then I looked upon the dusty turntable and put some vinyl on the plate. The arm fell with a click, a few pops were heard, not unlike the noises emanating from the early morning stretch. And the music played. And tune after tune rose from the twin boxes in front of me. The sounds that were always in my mind was playing between my ears and then a smile. A person that grows and learns is never old. One need not be defined by wrinkles and added girth. As long as a sense of wonder remains, time’s arrow always moves forward. No matter the age, adventure beckons. Sense it, hold it, go for it. And live.
The Beauty of the Ignored
We look at the world and often times only seek out the beautiful. We are the poorer for it. When we only value that which pleases the senses, we miss out on so much of what the world has to offer.
We look at the empty trees reflected on the water and think nothing of it. The wind whispers to us to look again.
