lloydslensphotographyllc

Natural Fireworks Show & Unlimited Opportunities

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Stormfront on Summersville Lake 61621” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The ozone charged breeze sweeps across the big lake as the low rumble forecasts an inbound storm. Even as child I was amazed by storms that swept through. Not so much the ones that held potential disaster but the little pop up storms that are here and gone. Nature’s version of fireworks is a beauty all of its own. Even the dark bottom of the clouds resemble the outstretched wings of an eagle. Flashing bolts of lightning split the sky and the voice of thunder shakes the ground as the lake goers scramble for the safety of their vehicles. But I’m drawn to the natural fury as it marches across the water. I remember the advice given by one of National Geographic photographers who said that if you’re getting wet then you’re too close to the storm. Since I’m still dry I continue to watch the show and hope that by sheer luck I can capture the lightning on camera. Time and time again I try to anticipate the flash but the challenge proves to be just outside my grasp. Of course I could buy or rent a device that triggers the shutter automatically at just the right moment to capture lightning but I want this to be my accomplishment and not just great technology. I calculate the intervals between the bolts of lightning but the variance is too unpredictable and before I know it that first drop of rain signals that my window of opportunity has closed this time. No I didn’t get get lightning on this trip but it’s not a failure until you quit. And that’s the lesson I was given on this occasion. Life isn’t really like baseball. In baseball you’re third strike is you’re last chance. But in life you have an unlimited amount of strikes if you don’t quit and just keep watching for the next opportunity.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

For those who have been following me on Facebook and know of the struggle content providers have to get circulation from big tech I’ve been recommending for people to adopt MeWe as a social media platform. One of the problems I’ve run into on MeWe is that people don’t know how to navigate the platform. So to help with that I’ve created a permanent page on my website as a basic Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe I’ve tried to anticipate all basic questions there and You can bookmark the page to have as a reference and if you have any questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to contact me. I do still have a day job and I help admin several pages on both platforms so replies might be a little slow but I will answer you.

We also have the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe that is set up as a fully functional community. There you’ll not only be able to see and connect with me but you can also make your own posts and interact with each other.

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Click the link below to jump to the Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe.https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/guide-to-mewe/embed/#?secret=GJGnIQEVHc

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/embed/#?secret=ZBipPVJdZw

Lloyds Lens Photography web link — Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply use the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographerThank you again for your support of my page!♥️

Forage Friday #114 Elderberry

Color Photography, Forage Friday

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Elderberry 62321a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Please remember that Forage Friday is presented as trivia and not to be mistaken for medical advice.

There are few plants in the world that carry the reputation of the Elderberry bush. They are associated with sweet treats, powerful medicine, deadly poison and even music. As a child while walking the fences with my grandfather we noticed an elderberry bush growing up through the fence and being the inquisitive youngster that I was I asked him about berries. He grinned widely and began to recount how growing up in the Great Depression he had elderberry for breakfast. On those occasions when they had breakfast cereal and the elderberry was available he along with his brothers and sisters would sprinkle a few elderberries in their breakfast. He reached out and shook one of the berry clusters into his hand to obtain a small sample for me to try. And they were delicious!

Now I should probably point out that there are different varieties of elderberries. Red varieties of elderberry have to be cooked to rid them of toxins and all varieties carry a toxin in the stems, roots and bark that induces cyanide poisoning. Fortunately the fruit of native elderberries that are black or purple is edible straight from the bush and it’s those varieties that I’m focusing on in this post.

Elderberries as an edible are extremely versatile. They can be eaten as described above. Juiced and enjoyed as a drink Elderberries provide a powerhouse of antioxidants. A cup of the raw berries provide large amounts of vitamins A and C as well as iron, calcium, Potassium and folate. That same cup of little black berries will also give you about a third of the recommend fiber.

A shot of the Elderberry flower and leaves. Notice that the leaves are compound leaves and grow in the opposite pattern.

Traditionally the flowers are also edible as fritters. A simple egg and flower batter with a little salt and pepper to taste and fried in butter is a great addition for most meals. No need to worry too much about the toxins since they are cooked out but don’t include too much stem. This video has little bit more of a fancy recipe than the basic one I described but it looks awesome.

Going back to the berries a few good ideas I’ve encountered have been various sauces and jams. One in particular that was mentioned was an elderberry sauce that was served hot over vanilla ice cream.

And if you have a simple syrup you can add it to carbonated water for a unique soft drink.

Elderberry is also made into a medicinal syrup. It’s my understanding that doing this with low heat is important to preserve the phenols that are responsible for the medicinal values. According to PubMed a randomized study of elderberry extract shows that people using the elderberry recover four days sooner from the flu than those who got the placebo.

Early in my interest in the medicinal values of plants I came across a compound that called for one part mint, one part yarrow and one part elderberry flowers. ( the dried flowers lose their toxins just like when they’re cooked. ) over using yarrow can lead to sun sensitivity so please do further research before attempting this compound.

Propagation of elderberry is fairly simple. Take a cutting about eighteen inches long. The cut should be on a forty five degree angle and about two inches below the buds. Jam it into fertil moist soil and let it grow.

Friends that’s it for tonight. Good night and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Click the link below to jump to the Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe.https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/guide-to-mewe/embed/#?secret=GJGnIQEVHc

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/embed/#?secret=ZBipPVJdZw

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

A Few Scattered Thoughts From The Heart Of The Forest

Color Photography, Thoughts and Musing, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Heart Of The Forest 60921” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The forest path brings me to a certain spot where sunlight Breeches the thick canopy and illuminates the life contained among ancient boles. Small fairyflies float effortlessly in sunbeams while the birds teach their children the songs of their ancestors. Somewhere in the distance I hear the hooves of a deer retreat deeper into a world unseen behind thick rhododendrons. Sudden movements among fronds gives away the chipmunk that is scurrying for the comfort of his tunnels. For a moment I remove my shoes and feel the cool damp moss of the forest floor. As I close my eyes and sample the wind it brings me the scent of the earth mingled with the blooms of the rhododendrons. The warm rays of the sun wash over me and gently drive away the worries of the modern world. Outside the voices that come through technology with their many different concerns about things beyond control would pull us away from what is important. But they can’t come here to the heart of the forest on the high mountain. I open my eyes and see the heart shaped leaves of the redbud. It’s beautiful bloom has long since fallen and the pea like pods have not yet formed. It is at rest and gathering energy to grow its fruit. All life has this cycle. A period of spectacular glory that shows the possibility of what may come and a period of waiting for the fruit to develop. In the modern world we have gotten used to everything being now. Instant messaging, up to the moment news cycles and such. Have we forgotten the importance of quiet time? It’s in those periods when nothing seems to be happening that the miracles are developing without fanfare. I think of the character “Miracle Max” from the Princess Bride saying that you should never rush a miracle man or you’ll get rotten miracles. ” What was said in jest there was a deeper truth than intended. It takes time to for the fruits of our efforts to develop and just because we don’t see it right now doesn’t mean we failed or that God has failed us. As mortal beings our perspective of time is very narrow. But if we could see it from outside of our perspective we could realize how quickly things are actually happening.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Click the link below to jump to the Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe.https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/guide-to-mewe/embed/#?secret=GJGnIQEVHc

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/embed/#?secret=ZBipPVJdZw

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

A Feast At The Monarch’s Table

Color Photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Milkweed 62321” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

It humid summer air seems thick enough to swim through as I ease my down the little single lane road. It seems like by this time last year there were butterflies everywhere but after the initial hatching in Spring I’ve seen only a few. So when I spotted the milkweed in bloom I had to stop and get a closer look. I thought perhaps I’d spot the monarch in its royal glory or at least a caterpillar munching away and building energy for its metamorphosis but there were none. I did find a Japanese Beetle hiding just beneath the blooms and behind it was a tiny flea beetle. And while I was disappointed in not having the royal audience with the Monarch it appears that his subjects are feasting away at the kings table. We should be so blessed one day.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Click the link below to jump to the Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe.https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/guide-to-mewe/embed/#?secret=GJGnIQEVHc

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/embed/#?secret=ZBipPVJdZw

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

Granddaddy Long Legs

Color Photography, wildlife

Granddaddy Granddaddy… Which way did my cows go?

I remember my grandmother teaching me the phrase above as a small child. I wasn’t really afraid of spiders but I did get pretty nervous around them. I’m not sure if I saw the Granddaddy Long Legs and panicked or if she saw it on me and decided to be proactive but I do remember her picking it from my shirt and holding it up while she repeated the saying. Like magic the little crawler lifted one leg that just happened to be in the direction of the cattle. I was very impressed by her ability to talk with bugs. So impressed that I asked for her secret. Before too long I found myself holding the granddaddy long legs and with all of the respect for the power of talking to bugs I repeated word for word the magic phrase. “Granddaddy Granddaddy Granddaddy, which way did my cows go?” Again the little critter pointed to the cows who were gathered by the fence waiting to be fed. Of course it was all coincidence and the imagination of a child but for a while I was convinced that something outside normal was possible and that I could communicate with other lifeforms. Granddaddy Long Legs’ powers of divination not withstanding, in latter years I learned that this was more or less a folklore that was originally from Appalachia. Folklore is a pretty interesting thing because it’s part of a common culture that gives people a heritage and thus bonds them together. And I think that most folklore contains a practical element. Not all of folklore contains cautionary tales with ominous warnings. The Granddaddy Long Legs lore calms the fear of “bugs” puts Granddaddy Long Legs in the role of a helper. And he is. Now he’s not a spider. They produce no silk and contrary to popular belief he has no venom and only some types of Granddaddy Long Legs produce a mild toxin in their bodies to ward off predators. So what do they do that’s helpful? They feed almost exclusively on aphids. Aphids being common garden pests that suck the life out of our favorite fruits and veggies while transmitting disease to plants are kept in check by a healthy population of Granddaddy Long Legs. So in the early days a homesteader must have noticed the Granddaddy Long Legs holding one leg out and made up the rhyme to keep people from killing his garden helper. ( That’s my guess anyway. )

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Click the link below to jump to the Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe.https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/guide-to-mewe/embed/#?secret=GJGnIQEVHc

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/embed/#?secret=ZBipPVJdZw