lloydslensphotographyllc

The Park Sleeps And Waits

Color Photography, Fiction Story, Landscapes

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Stone Stairway 112420a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The wind carries a deep chill as it sweeps across the Kanawha River. The only occupants of the park are the small animals that scurrying through empty pathways. Those who played games in park during the days of the sun have left behind only the faded footprints and echoes of laughter. The stonework holds memories of the lovers holding hands as they decend from the parking lot to enjoy each other’s company beneath the oaks. It was a blue sky day when the light fell gently through the leaves. The bird’s held back songs for only a moment as a ring was presented in nervous anticipation. The sparkle of the small gemstone was dimmed only by the twinkle of eyes in joyful acceptance. The embrace that followed halted the flow of time for moment of eternity. The scene was witnessed by passing strangers who had also come to this place to begin their never ending embrace all those decades ago. The older gentleman smiles warmly as he looks on and his bride accepts the clasp of his hand. They move on quietly so as not to disturb the young couple. The stone stairway listens to the young couple’s plans as they lay out precisely how they will be decorated for the ceremony in Spring when the sparrows return and new life is exploding everywhere. There will ribbons and archways and many loved ones positioned in the soft new grass. There will be potted violets and pansies to form the aisle and it will be a thing to remember on that day when all things are new again. But for now the shadows grow and the time of rest is at hand. The oaks sleep and the stones wait in anticipation and excitement of their own as they look forward to the sun’s return and the new memories to be made.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

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.

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The Days Of Transition And Looking Forward To The New Light

Color Photography, Landscapes

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Trestle Bridge 112420a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The late Fall sun hangs low in the sky and hovers just above the ridges of the Appalachian Mountains. I find myself returning from a day of running errands and on the way home I’m drawn to the wonderful old railway bridge at Gauley Bridge. The small town bosts a population of around 600 people now that the mines are shut down and all the tourists are gone. With the exception of the occasional passersby like myself the streets are quite and it would be easy to think of yourself as having the world all to yourself. At the base of the bridge the illusion of solitude is enhanced by the vegetation that hides the homes which are nestled comfortably at the base of the mountain on the far side of river. Occasionally I can hear music or smell the smoke from a well tended hearth. But, for the most part the world consists only of the bridge and the quiet river. The small birds fluster about in the bushes collecting the bits and pieces that will thicken their nest against the oncoming winter. Bridges symbolize transition and we stand on the edge of of the change in seasons. In just 21 days Fall will end and winter will begin. The shadows start to grow short again and old Sol will slowly climb to his rightful place in the sky. In 21 days the new light will come. This is the transition that I look forward to as I stand beneath the bridge.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

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 would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

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.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

The Lesson Of The Willow

Color Photography, Landscapes, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Rebirth 112420a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Men came. They came with axes and saws and chains and they began to bite and gnaw at my base until they pulled me down. They dismembered me and hauled me away in pieces. But I was not defeated. Beneath the cold ground my roots found the strength to live. I will never yield. I will never give up. I will live.

On the banks of the Kanawha River at the little Kanawha Falls park is another of my favorite trees. The sandbar willows are vigorous. The roots are strong and grow deep enough to anchor them against flooding. Willows are also the source of growth and rooting hormones found in the gardening supplies. Which is why this particular willow has a second lease on life

A closer view of the willow prop roots.

This willow was cut down a few years ago and when I first noticed the trees growing up from the stump I thought that they were separate trees and that the stump was just caught up by the new growth. But on closer inspection I found that this is all the same tree. The tree was just that determined to live.

Forests are good analogs for society. In the Bible when Jesus heals the blind man it takes two attempts. Jesus spits on the ground and makes clay which is put on the man’s eyes and when Jesus asks what he sees the man replied that he saw men as trees that walk. I believe that it wasn’t a failure of Jesus and that he had to try again. Instead, I believe that Jesus first opened the blind man’s spiritual vision before opening his natural vision. In short, I believe that Jesus was showing the blind man something special. There are other places in the Bible where mankind is likened to trees. Actually, there’s a lot of places in the Bible that trees symbolize mankind, tribes or kings.

There is always going to be times of great loss. Times when it looks like we’ve lost all of our growth. The “powers that be” are always eager to pull us down and part out our gains. But if our roots are strong and we are determined we can come back stronger than ever.

Another tree secret is that trees are a community. Science has proven that they even talk to each other through a fungal network that even helps them exchange sugars. The forest will even keep very old stumps alive and try to help them regrow. It’s possible that some old stumps even serve as a databank for the surrounding forest just as mankind needs those from previous generations to lead and guide us.

When the leaves are on we can see that the old willow stump is definitely still alive.

My final thought for tonight is to never give up and never accept the face value of any situation as the final outcome. Each and every one of us is stronger than we think and we all have the opportunity to rise again and start over.Image Titled “Rebirth 112420b”.
Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

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 would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

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.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

Forage Friday #84 Hornbeam

Color Photography, Forage Friday

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “New Hornbeam Leaves 41620” 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.

One of the most interesting trees on my mountain is the hornbeam on the edge of my yard. This mature tree has limbs that twist and bend in ways that give it a unique character. Not to mention that instead of growing up it’s growing out horizontally.

My Hornbeam growing sideways. When the leaves are off you can see how twisty the limbs are.

These trees go by several different names. Hornbeam, Hop Hornbeam, Blue Beech, Musclewood and Ironwood. Hornbeam is said to be a reference to the hardness of the wood. Horn of course implies the horns of an animal and Beam is the anglicized version of the German Baum ( as in Tannenbaum). Ironwood comes from the same idea. The wood is so hard that it was once used to make wagon wheels.

Detail of the muscle-like texture of the tree.

The fluted texture of the tree really does resemble ripped look of a professional body builder giving it the name Musclewood.

The dense wood has also been used for tool handles and walking sticks. Once the bark is peeled the wood looks like bone. In spite of the fact that it’s notoriously hard to work because of the hardness and density it is said to be good for making bowls and such because it resists cracking.

The wood itself doesn’t really have a taste so it’s not going to taint the flavor of food. I think that it would also make a good mortar and pestle set for grinding herbs. And it’s a good hot firewood. At one time it was used to make coke for the blacksmith’s forge.

Perhaps a limb like this is a Shillelagh in the making.

This particular tree is actually due to be pruned. Not shown in the photos is my work shed which is being raked by the limbs on windy days. It would be a sin to not try to make use of the trimmed wood.

Hornbeam is both a food and medicine tree. The catkins resemble hops however that’s where the similarly ends. Online forums all seem to agree that it’s useless for making beer. The true food value of Hornbeam is in the fruit. The “hop” when mature will contain several nutlets about the size of sunflower seeds that are freed simply by rubbing them between your hands until the papery husk falls away. The nut will still need to be shelled. My suggestion is to grind nuts into a flour to add to other flour but the nuts themselves can be eaten raw, roasted or boiled. They don’t really have a strong flavor which means they could be added to other dishes to kinda bulk up a meal.

The hornbeam in full green.

The inner bark was used by Native Americans as a soak for arthritis and as a rinse for toothache. This inner bark tea is said to be antibiotic and anti-inflammatory as well as astringent.

The leaves have heamostatic properties and have been used for minor cuts and bruises. A distillation of the leaves is said to be useful as a wash for tired eyes and conjunctivitis.

The hornbeam prefers most growing conditions and partial shade. The seeds tend to only travel short distances in the wind. So if you find a mature one then it’s likely that you’ll find a few seedlings close by. If you have the right growing conditions this is a small tree that looks like something out of a fairy tale. And, even if you’re not interested in forage it’s a great food for wildlife. In Fall mine is constantly visited by squirrels and songbirds collecting those seeds.

That’s it’s for this week’s Forage Friday post. Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

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 would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

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.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

Thanksgiving Thoughts 2020

Color Photography, Landscapes

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Kanawha Falls 112420a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The failing afternoon light quietly slips away on the banks of the big river. As the sun ebbs away from the sky I find myself staring out across the river at falls searching for inspiration. This is Thanksgiving week and in the early days of American history the celebration was for more than one day. I’m told that in those days there was little difference between friends and family. The bonds were deep and lifelong. Today we often ask each other “What are you thankful for?” Most people will single out a favored possession or relationship. A few people will cite a spiritual blessing as the thing that their most thankful for. And all these things are good and they all have a massive amount of value. But, I think that our ancestors were thankful not just for these things but also for freedom they had to enjoy their blessings. Yes it’s true that it would be a long time before the Declaration Of Independence and the birth of a new nation but compared to the life they had in Europe life in the New World was second only to Heaven itself.

My final thought for tonight is that I’m thankful for life itself and thankful for the liberty to enjoy it.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

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 would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

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.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/