lloydslensphotographyllc

Spring Dreams

Tonight’s image is Titled “Spring Dreams”. If you would like to order a copy of this or any other image on my blog please see the instructions at the bottom of the page.

Today I noticed that the moon was still fairly high in the sky at around 11:00 AM. I felt a little thrilled to see it against the crystal blue of daytime because I knew that this means that winter is winding down. Yes we’ve got several weeks of cold air that hurts your face and by the weekend we’ll have temperatures well below freezing but change is on the way. The rest of day I dreamed about balmy breezes, green leaves and open toe shoes. It’s only a matter of time before the low hanging grey clouds transform into high wispy curls and swirls that dance above the mountains. The ice in the rivers and streams will give way to kayaks the leisurely paddle around the old bridge and tiny minnows who dart around in the creeks. A friend who lives in South Carolina told me that he’s already hearing the frogs singing in the evening! So as I brace for the oncoming polar blast that will have started by the time some of you read this I do so with anticipation for oncoming thaw that’s just a few short weeks beyond it.

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Antique Service Desk Bell — Ring this bell for Facebook

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Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Spring Dreams”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

Antique Service Desk Bell in Black and White — Ring this bell to order prints or schedule portraits

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.

Snow Day!

Color Photography

The second polar blast of deep winter is just a few days away. It’s normal for us get a couple of these from late January to mid February and not uncommon for early March. As a kid I would always be excited to hear about a winter storm warning on the news because that meant the possibility of a snow day. Now, for some of my readers who live in warmer climates I understand that you may not fully appreciate the art of the the snow day. Have no fear, I will guide you through it. 😉

First, as soon as the morning alarm goes off you need to jump out of bed and run to the window. Do you see snow? If it’s snowing heavily then that’s a good sign but it’s not a snow day yet. Next run into the living room and turn on the news. In the old days the weatherman/girl would read the list of closed schools but today the list just scrolls across the screen or you get a notification on your app that school has been called off. Once you’ve confirmed that your school is on the list you’ll need to have a talk with mom and dad. Be mature, if they suspect that shenanigans are afoot you’re going to wind up with a babysitter. If you have access to a little brother or sister now’s the time to help them with breakfast. It’s important that mom and dad see you as capable of taking are of things. Once mom and dad have left the house in your capable hands you should spend the rest of the morning under you’re favorite blanket watching cartoons with your dog and younger sibling. Cartoons in the old days usually lasted until mid morning. In my case that’s about the time that a grandparent would make an appearance. If it was my Grandfather then there’s a chance that sleds will be hooked up to the tractor and the shenanigans are about to begin. More than likely he’s been out all morning preparing the sled run by packing the snow with the tractor tires or creating a path to pull us all over the farm. By lunchtime the ride is over and everyone goes inside for hot Cocoa and a toasted peanut butter sandwich. The rest of the day is spent alternating between sledding and cocoa until it’s time for mom and dad to come home again. Missing a day or two of school due to snow didn’t really make a difference in my education however an extra day with my Grandfather is an experience that enriched my whole life.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “ A Snow Day In Muddlty Creek”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.

Summersville Lake At Dusk & Thoughts On Mental Rest

Color Photography

As sun sets over the lake the fading light falls gently onto the water showing me the mirror world once more. A place where dreams and reality merge together to inspire one to wonder what if. It doesn’t really matter what the “what if” is. What matters is a moment that takes you to another place or another time. It gives us a chance to break away from the mundane and push away the pressures of modern life. The stories change depending on the mood of the observer. Sometimes it’s a romance, sometimes adventure. Maybe that moment will provide us with a deep thought that helps us solve problems in the real world. Sometimes it’s not a dream at all and we receive inspiration directly from God. Whatever the moment brings it comes with a sense of peace. That moment is just as essential for health as clean air, clean water and good food. It comes to me even as I am writing this, how important it is to have a well rested mind. If we push our bodies too hard without being replenished we know pretty quickly that we’ve messed up. If we feed our bodies nothing but junk food they break down. We’re low on energy, we have sickness and are easily injured. And, if we push our minds too hard without rest and feed our thoughts nothing but junk we can damage our mental health. It’s not as obvious at first but it’s there. Our clarity of thought breaks down, we are more easily distracted and (if I am right ) can suffer some form of mental injury. ( injuries often preceded illness). Furthermore, we are three part beings. Body, mind and spirit. In order for us to function on healthy level all three parts must function well. Our bodies must be well rested and fed properly. Our minds must be clear and fed properly. And our Spirits must be prayed up and fed properly. If one part of our whole being is out of balance then it won’t be too much longer before rest of our person suffers.

So let me encourage everyone that it’s not only okay to take a few moments to enjoy some peace and be inspired but it’s essential to our well being as humans.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “ Summerville Lake At Dusk”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.

Primrose And Bees

Color Photography

It never really ceases to amaze me when I find out how detailed God’s creation is. All along the edges of my property I find Evening Primrose. The bright yellow bloom always makes me smile. But today I learned something new about the happy yellow flowers that just turned up one day and stayed. They can hear. Israeli scientists have discovered that the petals function like ears. When Primrose flowers “hear” the buzz of bees they actually release sweeter nectar to draw them in. They only react this way to the sounds of pollinators. Making the sweet nectar is biologically expensive and comes with other complications so the Primrose plant doesn’t produce it until it’s likely to be visited by a pollinator. I didn’t really see it mentioned in the article but I’m willing to bet that the bees will buzz the flowers in an effort to “wake them up “. If this is happening then I would expect to see the bee hover close to the flowers and then come back once it’s had time to produce the sweet treat.

Albert Einstein is credited with having said that God doesn’t play dice with the universe. When I think about the relationship between the Primrose plant and the bees I see this as evidence that not only does He not play dice with the universe but He’s designed a perfect system and that everything has it place and a roll to play in it. For those of us who desire a harmonious relationship with God let me ask if that should also mean a harmonious relationship with his natural world? I believe so. If we could just figured out the little details and pursue a simple lifestyle I believe that creation would respond to us the way the Primrose responds to the bee. In the garden of Eden God told Adam and Eve to subdue the Earth, not destroy it. (The word subdue implying gentle persuasion. )

I’m providing a Link to the full article in case you’re interested in reading it for yourself. As always links to my blog and Facebook page are provided below.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “ Hughes’s Bridge At Winter Pool”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.

Hughes Bridge & Some Thoughts About Being On The Wrong Road

Uncategorized

The lake at winter pool seems like a world long forgotten. The water birds leisurely take the place where boats once sped by pulling tubes full of laughing kids. The only sounds are that of lapping water and the occasional Blue Jay in the trees along the canyon walls. If not for the bridge it would be easy to believe that this was a world reclaimed by nature. Behind me, McKees Creek looks like a Martian landscape except for the road and bridge that is under water the rest of the year.

Once I returned my gaze to the main body of water and the bridge that takes Route 19 from Summerville to Mt. Nebo I began to think about how bridges symbolize transition. Here I stand on one shore looking at the device that would get me to the other side. But from this perspective the bridge is unreachable. If for some reason I needed to get to Mt. Nebo I couldn’t get there from here. The road that I’m standing on disappears beneath the deep lake. I would actually need to backtrack a few miles in order to reach the right road. I would have to admit that I was in the wrong place before I could get to where I needed to be. I could deny my error and complain that they put the bridge in the wrong place or that there should be a ferry to help people who are on the wrong path but the bridge was placed where it needed to be and there is no ferry. A way was made for me to use and in order to use it I am the one who needs make the adjustment. I would have to correct my own errors and get on the right road. The longer I delayed resolution the worse it get.

Over the years it was hard for me to learn to quickly admit when I was wrong and thereby avoid complicated entanglements that made it even harder to fix. It’s still something that I have to “fine tune” at times but it has been one of the most empowering life skills that I’ve gained. It’s also the skill that has given me the opportunity for the most progress in multiple areas of my life.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “ Hughes’s Bridge At Winter Pool”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.