lloydslensphotographyllc

Mending Fences

We normally use the term mending fences when referring to a relationship that needs to be repaired. I’ve always heard the phrase but never really thought about it until today.

Growing up on a farm I had relatively few responsibilities. I had severe allergic reactions to hay that disqualified me from a lot of farming tasks. And, that left a lot of time to walk the fence line on the back of property and look for problems. You learn a few things when there’s nobody to talk to but birds and cows.

The first thing you figure out is that if it’s important to you then keep it close. When that relationship was new you never wanted that person out of your sight. They were very important to you. When you were together the world was very small.

Next, you learn that if something is important to you, you need to keep the predators out. I’ve mentioned in a few comments that I consider myself a decent tracker. Most of those skills didn’t come from hunting as much as it did being on the lookout for predators that might harm the cattle. In a relationship, there will be predators that are after that valued person. Now, sometimes it’s a rival person but not always. That person normally arrives after the damage is done. In nature our investment is attacked more by pests than coyotes and cougars. In a relationship there’s the daily assault on the connection by little pesky habits and situations that weaken us to the point where the relationship is easy prey for larger danger.

Lastly, it’s much easier to maintain a fence than it is to repair one. Keep the tools handy be ready to patch or prop up any weak places as they are spotted. A sagging fence will let your investment walk right out. In a relationship you should always be ready and equipped to maintain the connection.

Relationship doesn’t necessarily mean romance. Anyone you have interaction with is a relationship. It can be a lover, a friend, a customer or just someone who passes you on the street and waves hello. All of these connections are emotional investments of one degree or another. All have value and all are worth keeping in good shape.

The Historic Old Main

black and white photography, Summerville

The featured image for this post is the Old Main School building in Nicholas County West Virginia. This is where the notorious bat incident of 1983 took place. I mentioned it in a previous article but in short a young man that was taking a class in introductory literature misused his borderline criminal genius to add some realistic excitement during a reading of Homer. Unfortunately as an adult I’m actually held responsible for my actions today. It’s just as well, at her age the teacher probably couldn’t handle the shock. The yard you see in the foreground is one of the places where we would have lunch. In the Early 80s there would have been two or three boom boxes powered by large (by today’s standards) battery banks. You would have seen some Walkman radio/cassette payers. These bright yellow boxes were carried on the belt or in a pocket. Today we do everything on our phones but when I roamed the halls of this building a mobile phone was the size of a shoe box (or larger) and had to plugged into a car. When I attended classes here the building was heated by steam pipes and occasionally we would see large accumulations of Ice near the vents.

The historic building is one hundred and fifteen years old. It serves as a center for the arts now. Perhaps one day day I’ll see a play based on the the Odyssey there. But, I’ll bet that when the adventure gets to the river Styx they don’t have real bats for effect.

Caves of Ice and a nod to Samuel Taylor Coleridge

black and white photography

On my way to my day job I spotted this snow capped mountain. In spite of my fuss old man winter persists. Since Old Man Winter wanted another portrait I obliged him once again. (Hopefully he’ll be satisfied enough to leave this time.)

As I sat in my warm pickup truck along the Kanawha River looking up at the mountain my mind brought up the poem Samuel Taylor Coleridge‘s Kubla Kahn and I wondered if one were to take the trek up to the peak if he would find the entrance to Xanadu. Can you hear the dulcimer and the song of Mount Abora? Do want to explore the caves of ice? But alas, responsibly calls and there’s little time for adventure today. I snapped a few shots and head down river to my day job. Perhaps they’ll serve honeydew for lunch and I’ll still feel like an adventure when I clock out.

Be Still and Know

Church, Color Photography, encouragement

“Be still, and know that I amGod: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalms 46:10
King James Version (KJV)

Sometimes it’s hard to simply be still. As humans, we are creatures of action. We want to make things happen on our schedule. We desire to crack open a situation and “fix” it to fit into our plans. However, it’s not our plans that need to be completed. God has a plan and He is able to complete it. We have all had the experience of the over eager helper who means well but messes up the plan by doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. Or even when it’s right thing but at the wrong time.

Imagine that you have a classic car and you’re preparing it for a show. Your child wants to help and you’re overjoyed. Now, imagine that you’re soaping up the driver’s side and you look up to find the child waxing the unwashed passenger side. There’s a big smile on his face because he’s giving you his best effort and he’s proud because he hasn’t missed a spot. How often do we mess up God’s plans by trying to help but not doing it at the right time? How often do we try to polish a soul that God is still cleaning? I know that the verse above is normally quoted by folks who mean to inspire a sense of peace but there are times when God is simply saying “Step back a minute, I got this”. In those times we need to step back and let God deal with it.

Old Man Winter’s Last Fit… (I hope)

black and white photography

Old man winter is a stubborn one indeed. We have invited him to leave with singing frogs, nesting birds and open bloom but he doesn’t want to leave. Today he threw a tantrum and hurled cold rain, sleet and snow at us. His antics have made a complete mess of the local fishing pier. I suppose that some weather just doesn’t understand that he’s not welcome anymore. However, I have a plan. I simply refuse to be a fun host to Old Man Winter. Instead of going out to play in his muck and mud I’m going to snuggle up under a warm blanket and sleep until he gives up and goes back to the North. 😉 Have a blessed evening everyone!