Breakfast Meeting

black and white photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Breakfast Meeting” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

The big blue truck rolls to the end of the parking lot as the morning sun burns away the previous night’s rain clouds. I turn volume down on the podcast and take a sip of the coffee I’d purchased with my sausage and eggs. I normally eat breakfast at home but the previous night’s storms had knocked out the power making the stovetop useless. I was quite a bit early for my shift and there was time to enjoy the change in weather. I love the way the world smells after a rain and after being sequestered by ice and snow I didn’t mind if it was a little on cool side. Just as was finishing my eggs I caught some movement out of corner of my left eye. I’d been feeling low about having breakfast alone since my little buddy Scout normally rests his head on my chair and waits to get the last bite. But doggies aren’t allowed in cubicles so he’s at home curled up on his pillow. I was not alone however. Well up into the treetops the movement was coming from the shakes of a bushy tail. I watched as the squirrel deftly shifted from twig to twig selecting only the finest and tastiest buds on the tree. The wind would occasionally shake the boughs but the squirrel was as steady as a career sailor in rough seas. He seemed to be watching me watch him as he enjoyed his meal.

Occasionally he would try to disappear behind the thin branches and peek out believing that he was really hidden. I lost sense of time while being amused by his antics and before I knew it I was down to wire for clocking in. The sense of peace from spending time with nature however was something that I was able to carry throughout the whole day.

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Refilling

black and white photography

Hello Friends!Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Ready For Refill” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

The thunder of the steel wheels and diesel engine quells to a rumble as the brakes screech. The train is approaching the tipple ready to carry another load out of the mountains. Empty cars clatter as they bump into each other when the train slows down. One by one the engine pulls them into position under the chute to be filled by the men who pull light out of the darkness.

There’s always going to be those days when we’ve given it all we’ve got and there is no more. We start of with a full load of whatever it is that we have to deliver. For the most part a trainload of coal will be delivered to a single destination but for the purpose of the illustration let’s suppose that the payload is divided up between several places. The train starts off with a mile of cars in tow. It stops and drops a few cars here and a few cars there. Sooner or later it will need to return home to refill.

We as humans start off with a load of whatever it is that we have to provide for those in need. All of it can be defined as one form of energy or the other. It could be spiritual energy in the form of prayers for those in need, or food for the hungry. Perhaps it’s simply our labor that we sell a little piece at a time to an employer. But whatever form it takes it’s a certain amount of our life’s energy infused into a token. Sooner or later it will run out and will need to refill our cargo and refuel the engine. We need to return home. For me that’s seeking God in the quiet time. It’s rest for mind and spirit as well as my body. I hope that it’s the same for you but however you get refilled it’s a necessary part of life and something that should not be ignored. If we find ourselves just going through the motions then it’s probably because we need to fill up again.

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A Few Moments At Fayette Station

black and white photography

Hello Friends!Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Quiet Crossing” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

The traffic speeds at a frantic pace on the interstate highway far above my head. But down at Fayette Station I’m well removed from that race. Today I have made the conscious choice to take the road less traveled and purposefully slow things down a bit. The wide spot near the bridge is barely enough for me to park the big blue truck but it’s well worth squeezing to the side of the road and stepping out. My Vietnam era military surplus boots make a noticeable clip clop sound on the wooden pathway as I step onto the bridge. It’s satisfying to me because it’s only the lack of traffic noise that allow them be heard and I’m in need of s little quiet time. Striding out over the New River I can feel the breeze that follows the river’s current. When I reach the approximate center I stop and lean on the railing so I can watch the water as it flows by. I become mesmerised by the swirls and rolls of the water as it crosses the rocks along the bottom and imagine how the submerged landscape must look. It’s not hard to envision the fish darting through little crevices in playful zigzag patterns. Somewhere upstream I can hear the cry of a red tailed hawk as it zips across the canyon. I continue to enjoy the solitude of this place for while with only the odd passerby on their way to the fishing spot just beyond the other end of the bridge. Soon it’s time to free up the parking spot in case someone else has plans to catch a breath of fresh air on the bridge and watch the water make it’s way through the Appalachian Mountains. As I cross the bridge in the truck I catch a glimpse of the hawk on it’s back to its spot on canyon rim and I too am on my way towards home.

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A Classic Cruise

black and white photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “1952 MGDT “. If you would like to purchase a copy please use the contact instructions at the bottom of the page.

As Winter draws to close I have started to think about cruising through my mountains with the windows down and the fresh air filling the vehicle. My big blue truck really fits my personality but there are times when I would love to have a convertible! Not just the windows down but the whole top open. Of course being tall means that’s not always practical. Several years ago I was driving my brother’s convertible and discovered that the top of the windshield was right at eye level and I had to sit up very straight in order to see where I was going. My dad was cracking up because he thought that I looked like a cartoon character with my great big giant head sticking up above the car. I may have looked odd but the sensation of the wind on my face was awesome! It didn’t take long for me to figure out that had to have my sunglasses on to provide a windscreen but it didn’t diminished experience not one little bit. Moreover, I considered it to be an enhancement to the trip. But that was in a K car. What’s really needed for a classic cruise is a classic car like the 1952 MDGT in tonight’s feature image. It’s said that British made MGDT is the vehicle that started American love of sports cars. Is there any doubt about why? Curved fenders, an awesome paint job and just the right amount of chrome. This wasn’t just for getting you there, it was getting you there with style. The open cockpit being the ultimate statement to freedom on an open road. It’s not about driving but about traveling with nothing to separate you from the experience. Yeah, you could go fast if you choose to but that’s only going to get you there faster. No it’s an experience to be savored like a fine meal. Every dip in the road and every curve is to be appreciated to the fullest. When the sun goes down and cool evening air carries the sounds of the frogs and crickets a classic convertible is perfect for pulling over and watching the night sky for shooting stars. And that’s even better with someone that you love in the passenger seat. Yes that’s it. The ultimate warm weather cruise is great in a classic convertible but it’s not perfect unless it’s shared. That classic car has a passenger seat for a reason and life is journey that’s best when shared.

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The Calling ( A Surreal Tall Tale)

black and white photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s image is titled “A Walk Through The Sky”

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The wind stopped blowing so suddenly that it seemed to make a thud and the rolling clouds froze in place. For a moment everything was silent. As I looked around I began to see other signs that something must be amiss. There was bird that was frozen in mid air. The flow of water which normally jetted from the overflow tunnels at the base of dam was suspended in mid stream and the rapids on the Gauley River looked solid enough to climb. Time was definitely halted. But for what reason? And why wasn’t I effected? I released my grip on the camera and it too remained suspended in mid air refusing to fall. I stood back and marveled at the world for a moment. I was tempted to hop but then on second thought what would happen if I didn’t land? I reached out and took a hold of my camera and it became free again. I began to realize that as long as I was touching an object it would behave normally. Then there was a voice. A voice that wasn’t as much heard as it was felt. It seemed to call me down to the water’s edge. I began to make my way towards the calling when I tripped over a stone in path. “Great!” I thought. “The only object capable of falling in this world is me.” I had laugh at the ridiculousness of my predicament. I seemed to fall in slow motion and barely felt an impact when I came to a rest at the bottom of the dam. That’s when I spotted the golden key laying in water. It was an odd shaped key with a tubular shaft and wings on one end. The shaft had a groove the length of the shaft and several knobs on the inside of tube. It hung on red silk ribbon that was seamless and without a clasp. Instinctively, I knew that that this was the purpose of the calling. I hung the key around my neck and continued on following the direction of the call. The landscape shifted as I traveled and soon I came to the mouth of cave. Just inside the threshold of the cave opening was a crystal doorway. The crystal door was ajar and at the top there was an engraving of two triangles with one inverted over the other. The tips of triangles touched. I felt that voice again urging me to step through the doorway as the door opened fully. I looked inside and there on a stone pillar was an antique mantle clock with a hole in the face that my golden key would fit. I knew then what must be done. Inserting the key in it’s spot I began to wind the clock. I continued to wind until the tension on the spring felt just right. However, when I tried to remove the key it was stuck. I gently jiggled and tugged but it was no use. This key was not for one person to keep. As soon as I let go of the key the clock began to tick. Slowly at first but I could easily tell that it was picking up speed. The voice began to call from outside of the cave. It was more urgent than ever. As I glanced away from the clock I saw that the crystal door was beginning to close and now that time was flowing again the opportunity to leave the cave was running out. I leapt through the closing door and rolled out of the mouth of the cave just in time to see it fade away into the hillside. I could feel the breeze on my skin and looked up through the canopy of trees to see the clouds rolling by. Time was fully restored and I would have to make my way back up to the big blue truck and head home. I wondered why this task had fallen to me. Was it fate? Was it something that I was born to do? Or was it just that I was in the right place when the clocks stopped ticking? I’ve been told that it’s a photographer’s work to freeze time. But I had not expected to be responsible for getting it going again.

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