fiction – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

The Traveler. The Last Duel

Color Photography, Fiction Story, Landscapes

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Road To Freedom 110621”. All photos found on my website are my original work unless otherwise specified and are available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Daniel walked alone along the trail in pursuit of Captain Smith. He was close enough to smell the smoke from the campfire lingering in the damp air. The steady mountain mists had softened the fallen leaves enough to keep his swift strides from making too much noise. Occasionally Daniel would pause for a few minutes and listen. By paying attention to the holes in the bird songs he could tell that Malachi was not only ahead of his position but also about one third of the way from the top of the ridges and to the Northwest where he could avoid the sun showing his silhouette. He could also tell that the settlers were only a few ridges away and still stationary. Daniel reviewed Malachi’s plan over and in his head and stopped walking just outside of the camp where he could stay out of sight until Malachi gave the signal for him to attempt to join the group.

Captain Smith was a captain in name only. In fact he’d never advanced above the rank of corporal. He was well versed in fighting skills and troop movements as well as general tactics but he had no gift for actual leadership. It was that very shortcoming that haunted him in every endeavor that he undertook. He simply couldn’t inspire his followers most of which were farmers and their families hoping for a land grant out west. They were pacifists for the most part but they had just about reached their limits with Captain Smith. They were weeks behind schedule, lost most of their possessions at the falls and now most of them were convinced that Smith’s shortcut had left them completely lost. They had paid for a confident guide to lead them but what they got was a conman who’d fell victim to his own con. Today enough of the party had chosen to elect a new leader that Smith was outraged. Alexandra was among those who had decided that enough was enough.

Daniel was having trouble restraining himself when he finally heard Malachi’s signal. Two crow calls followed by a whip-poor-will. An experienced woodsman might notice that the call was out of place for this time of year and time of day but the casual observer would not notice. Daniel checked the straps on his gear and settled his nerves and stepped into the pathway. He proceeded into the camp as if he was just passing through and gave a friendly “Hello in the camp” call as he got near. Alexandra looked up and knew immediately who was coming up the path in spite of the European style cloak. When Captain Smith saw the stranger he quickly questioned him. Daniel stated that he he always took this trail to the Hospitality House. He knew that this was where the group had hoped to reach days ago. That was when Alexandra spoke up and asked to go along with him. About eighty percent of group began to ask him to guide them. Once again Captain Smith’s fragile ego couldn’t withstand the challenge and he blurted out for Daniel to engage in a dual. Daniel had expected this and was actually counting on it. He readily agreed insisting that the winner gain the leadership position of the group. Captain Smith called for his sabers but Daniel refused his stating that he would use his staff while revealing the triangular tip. Daniel quoted from an obscure rule in dualing that gave him the right to chose his own weapons. The two men squared off and Smith made the first move lunging with the saber. Daniel simply pivoted allowing the saber to pass harmlessly past his chest while countering with a jab to Smith’s ribs with the knob of his staff. To Smith’s credit he took the blow that would have crippled most men in stride and brought his Saber down hard on Daniel’s forearm. There was a crunch and the saber stuck in place. Daniel made no expression on his face as the hard knob of his stick struck the flat of Smith’s sword breaking it in half. Smith was stunned. That cut should have taken Daniel’s arm off but he barely noticed. Daniel wasted no time sweeping Smith’s feet out from under him and sending him to the forest floor. A simple turn of the staff and the triangular spike was at Smith’s throat. “Pease yield” Daniel spoke calmly. Smith’s eyes shifted to the members of the group who had just witnessed his defeat. He relented. Alexandra ran to Daniel and took ahold of the arm that still had the broken saber blade embedded in it. Daniel raised the arm allowing the sleeve of his shirt to fall back and revealed the bundle of sticks bound to his arm by a strip of Malachi’s fur jacket. The crunching sound they heard was the top layer of sticks breaking while the second, thicker layer had caught and bound the blade. Cheater! Smith shouted as he took advantage of Daniel’s distraction and with a single motion he rolled out from under Daniel’s spike and grabbed the remaining eighteen inch section of broken saber. Malachi’s musket made thunder from his unseen position and for the second time saved Daniel’s life.

Soon after the duel Malachi and Daniel lead the party of settlers to the Hospitality House where they were able to resupply and continue the journey West. However, Alexandra returned home with Daniel and they were married. Malachi remained in the mountains and enjoyed the simple life of a trapper. Occasionally he would bring his furs and things into town and reconnect with Daniel. They did collaborate on a few more adventures together.. but let’s save those stories for later.

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.

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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

WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY.

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!♥️

The Traveler. Gaining Ground

Color Photography, Fiction Story, short stories

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Golden Crowns 110721” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Alexandra woke up to sound of angry voices. There had been petty disagreements during this whole journey. Mostly over small stuff like when and where to set up camp for the night or the lack of variety in the menu at dinner time but until yesterday it had never erupted into violence. Captain Smith was not only losing control over the group of pioneers but he was also losing control over himself. When Mr. Granger questioned his leadership yesterday Captain Smith’s immediate response was to insist on a dual. He had even managed to recover a set of sabers from the wreckage below the falls just for that purpose. He also demanded that sabers be used because most of the groups firearms and ammo could not be recovered and that the remaining supply was needed for hunting and defense from bandits or savages. But Mr. Granger wasn’t a combat veteran and had never even held a sword before. He swung the weapon like a farm implement with little form or technique and Captain Smith easily countered the attack slicing Mr Granger’s forearm. Fortunately Captain Smith was content to banish Mr. Granger from the group instead of executing him for insurrection. He’d even allowed Alexandra to follow him into the woods and bind is wound with moss and pine bark. Now the morning’s commotion sounded like there might be a second incident. Captain Smith was very insecure about his decisions being challenged.

Daniel and Malachi had already been on the trail for a couple of hours when they encountered Mr. Granger. He was weak from blood loss and lack of food but otherwise in good health. He told Daniel and Malachi that the dual was over how and when to get back to the main trail and that it was Smith who demanded satisfaction over the debate. Malachi refreshed Mr. Granger’s bandages and directed him to go and make use of his camp and the medical supplies that were stored there. They provided Mr. Granger with ample food and water for the trip as well as a spare blanket. Daniel looked ahead down the trail knowing that he had catch up with the group before anything else happened. He was a hundred yards down the trail when Malachi caught up with him and blocked his path. “Don’t be foolish and charge in without a plan” the big man said. Daniel came to himself for a moment and then simply asked Malachi what his idea was. Malachi grinned and began to expound…

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

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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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WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY.

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Forage Friday #130 / Traveler Crossover. Blue Lobelia

Color Photography, Fiction Story, Forage Friday

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Blue Lobelia 110621” 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.
⚠️ Lobelia contains a host of toxic alkaloids, including many with structural similarities to nicotine. Overdoses of the plant induce vomiting, sweating, pain, paralysis, low temperature, rapid but feeble pulse, collapse, coma, and even death.
“Blue Lobelia – CornellBotanicGardens” https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/plant/great-blue-lobelia/

Tonight I’m going to be blending two different categories on my blog. For the past week I’ve been running the Travler series which is set sometime after the Civil War but before the year 1900. Since one of the characters (Malachi) was a physician prior to returning to the life of a Trapper in the Appalachian Mountains he would have been familiar with vast number of useful herbs. Which allows me to continue the story without skipping a Forage Friday post.

Frost clung to Daniel’s wool cloak as the smell of coffee brewing in the pre-dawn forest aroused him from his slumber. He pushed back his hood slightly and saw Malachi seated on three thick sticks gathered from the forest floor. The sticks formed a low tripod and were laid out in such a way as that they supported each other while holding the big man aloft. Malachi hummed softly as he tended to his birch bark cooking pot that sat directly in the hot coals. “Breakfast is just about ready.” He spoke without even looking to see if Daniel reacted. Daniel couldn’t figure out how Malachi knew that he was awake. But in the short time since he met Malachi he sensed that Malachi was always aware of more than he let on. Malachi sat a hand carved cup on a flat rock next to a second tripod and motioned for Daniel to come and sit for breakfast. As Daniel sat precariously on the three sticks Malachi chuckled a little and handed him his own small birch bark pot full of breakfast soup. The single piece of bark was folded at the corners and the folds were held in place by split twigs. The soup consisted of a broth made from fresh gathered herbs and hen of the woods mushroom. The chicken flavored mushroom was a welcome change to the jerky and dried fruit that Daniel had subsided on for weeks. As he ate his meal he noticed a bundle of blue flowers near Malachi’s pack. Malachi observed Daniel’s curiosity and explained that it was Lobelia. Normally it would die back at this time of year but the heat from large rocks near the falls extended the growing season. It was Malachi’s belief that the Good Lord had caused them to be there in a time and place where they would be needed. Malachi also said that they could be used for breathing problems, to sweat out a cold, heal bruises and skin infections as well as to settle the nerves of anyone in Alexandra’s group who may be hysterical from the hardships of their journey.

Blue lobelia is a close relative of one of the Appalachian Mountains favorite wildflowers. The cardnial flower. Modern science suspects that lobelia may contain a chemical that thins the mucus and makes it easier to cough and expell congestion. Thus in the time frame that our story takes place it would have been used for asthma and other lung ailments. The Native Americans used it in treatment of VD. Because one of the components is similar to nicotine it was used as a wormer as well.

That’s it for tonight’s Forage Friday! Please let me know if you like the format of using fiction to cover the plant’s attributes. Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

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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

WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY.

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The Traveler. Discoveries

Color Photography, Fiction Story

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Water Colors 110521” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Daniel looked at the water’s surface taking in the Fall Colors in the reflection. He was confident that with Malachi’s help he could build his own raft from the river cane nearby and cover the same distance as Alexandra’s group in the same time and probably faster. However, if the group chose to port along the way he might overlook their tracks and lose them. If only they’d stuck to the trail he could be sure what direction they were going and maybe how fast. He figured that some of older members would have held the group back enough for him to eventually catch up with them. Malachi balked at the idea of using a raft as well. Instead, he suggested that they each take a side of the stream and head for the falls. If the group had ported anywhere along the way one of them would spot the tracks depending on which side of the stream the tracks were found on. They went back to Malachi’s camp where he generously topped off Daniel’s supply of jerky and dried fruit. He tossed in a few dried herbs as well. By mid morning the two men were halfway to to the falls when Malachi gave a sharp whistle. Daniel looked across the stream and saw that Malachi had found what looked like a piece of torn cloth. He quickly took the small spy glass from his pocket and saw that it was bloody. Daniel had been around the telegraph service enough to have learned the Morse Code but Malachi was older and kinda set in his ways. So they had agreed to use semaphore to communicate from the banks of the creek. Malachi signaled that this was the bandage that he’d placed on Alexandra’s wounds when she fell from her horse. It was on the muddy bank and soaking wet. But there was no tracks to show that anyone had left the raft. The bandage had either fallen off or been cast aside for whatever reason. They continued downstream and within the sound of the falls Daniel spotted a piece of river cane that had been worked with a saw. A piece of cordage that was made from torn clothing was still tied to one end. He surmised that it was a part of the frame of the raft. They were in sight of the falls and in a panic Daniel ran to the drop. As the water cascaded down it created a thick mist in the cold air. In spite of the fog Daniel spotted the raft broken up on the rocks. His heart sank as he climbed down the rocky face of the mountain to investigate. By the time Malachi reached the bottom Daniel was holding a few bits and pieces of the group’s belongs. Broken mirrors, smashed bottles and torn clothing was scattered far downstream. Daniel was softly sobbing as he sorted through the wreckage. Malachi placed a large hand on Daniel’s shoulder to console his friend. Suddenly Daniel looked up with a strange expression. He took his spy glass and did a few sweeps downstream. “But where are the bodies?” He mumbled. The pair went a couple of hundred yards downstream but they couldn’t find any sign of a person having actually fallen with the raft and possessions. He scrambled up to the top of falls and just a few feet inside the trees he found the sign he needed. Three stacks of three stones laid out in a triangle. It was a message from Alexandra. When they played in woods as children she’d leave stones in this configuration as clue as to where she was hiding. The tip of the triangle pointed to broken twig that confirmed her direction of travel. The wave of relief Daniel felt was beyond description. He motioned for Malachi to join him and they decided to camp on that spot for the night. Daniel produced a small box with a crank and wires sticking out of the end. When he turned the crank sparks danced across the gap. He used this to start the evening fire. In the morning they would follow the trail left by Alexandra.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

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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
WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY
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

The Traveler. The Next Step

Color Photography, Fiction Story

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Peter’s Creek In Fall 110321” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Daniel sat across from the big mountaineer waiting for more details about his childhood sweetheart and her party. Which direction did they go? Did anyone state that they might have been in danger? If anything they may have said to Malachi could give him a clue as to what their destination may have been then it could take days off of his journey. But Malachi was tight lipped. For all he knew she was traveling to get away from him. After all, Daniel was an oddity in the mountains. Daniel knew that he had to take the initiative help Malachi feel at ease. Fortunately, Daniel was an excellent interviewer and had a few skills gained from his experience as journalist. Daniel told of how after the war he became a freelance journalist and had traveled the world on a steamer looking for interesting stories to sell to various newspapers. During these times he’d also discovered a few inventions that he’d built including a few modifications to his walking stick. He produced a few clippings from various publications as evidence that he was in fact a journalist. The girl’s parents had discovered that Daniel was quite good at his investigations and asked him to return home to help find Alexandra when she went missing. The locket he wore contained a sketch portrait of her that he’d done himself while in school. Once satisfied, Malachi lead him to the creek and advised him that the group had put a raft in the creek to make progress on the journey while resting the horses. He’d warned them against this because of the fall’s downstream but they’re captain insisted that he was the asset and Malachi was just big and dumb and couldn’t possibly know what was downstream.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days and.

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

WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

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.