Tag: fictional story

The Traveler. A Light In The Window Of Heaven

Color Photography, Fiction Story
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “November Flames 110721a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

After breakfast Daniel and Malachi gathered their belongings and headed out in the direction that Alexandra’s stone pile triangle indicated. It has been several days since her group had ported and the trail had grown cold. Daniel examined the broken twig closely. The growing tip of the twig was still green and pliable which meant that it wasn’t broken by accident. He tested a second twig and found that it actually took a little bit of effort to break the twig rather than just bend it. He surmised that Alexandra was using this as a way to indicate the direction she was traveling. At that suggestion Malachi knelt down and lightly ran his finger over the soil. He placed a broken twig of his own in the soil like a peg and began to repeat the process until he had three pegs in a row. He cleaned the freshly fallen leaves from around the press and revealed the hoof prints underneath confirming Daniel’s theory. The horses were traveling single file which made it hard to guess the exact number but once a whole section of the trail was swept clear of the new leaf layer the amount of disturbance was large enough to be the group. They spent most of day following the small trail in the forest. Occasionally they would find a chevron shape either scratched in soft ground with a stick or scrawled on rocks and trees with charcoal from the fire. Daniel knew that this was Alexandra’s handiwork and felt that she’d left the marks specifically for him but he couldn’t account for how she knew he’d been tracking her. She hadn’t been in contact with her family since she took off on a wild whim to head west. Nevertheless these were the the same signs she used when they were children playing in the woods. Suddenly, Malachi stopped and pointed to a spot in woods where it looked like every branch in the forest had been broken. There had been a major fight between some of party members. The two men interpreted the tracks as best as they could. It seemed that the main part of the group stood off to one side while a smaller number of people were engaged in combat. At least one person had been wounded and a blood trail lead down into the landscape and disappeared. Daniel looked frantically down the main trail until he spotted one of Alexandra’s marks on an exposed stone. Whatever kind of fight had taken place she wasn’t a part of it. Daniel and Malachi continued to trace the group until they began to lose the daylight. They would need to camp for at least one more night. This time Daniel pulled another small box from his pack. Inside the box was a mirror and a frame that moved on a track. The box had a hole on either end. One hole fit his small spy glass and the other was slightly larger. It only took a few minutes for him to assemble the contraption which turned out to be a small projector lit by his carbide lamp. The frame held a few slides that he’d brought along however, these slides were not the typical family photos that one might project onto the wall of a parlor. The one he’d chosen to project was the same chevron that Alexandra had been marking the trail with. As soon as it was dark enough he cast the image against the clouds.

Alexandra sat on the edge of the main group and prepared to sleep on the forest floor another night. She was thankful that her bedroll had been attached to her saddle otherwise it would have went over the falls with her travel bags. She closed her eyes and said her prayers. She asked for God’s protection in this ordeal and when she opened her eyes she saw what she thought was the moonlight shining through the clouds in the very same shape as the signs she’d been leaving along the trail…

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

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.

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 Trapper Part 3

Color Photography, Fiction Story, winter

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Still Waters 120220” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

This is Part 3 of “The Trapper” series. Please read The Trapper Part 1 and continue to part 2 first for best enjoyment. I have placed a link to part 2 at the end of part 1.

The Trapper rose one more time to the chilling bite of winter and stoked his fire. The truth was that he spent more time keeping his fire hot throughout the the night than he did sleeping. The thick mat of evergreen boughs was just barely enough to keep him off the ground and he had to continually roll over to warm both sides of his body throughout the night. He was thankful that the Good Lord had seen fit to preserve his life in this ordeal but he also felt like a pig being roasted on a spit from rotating all night. As soon as he got the fire going he warmed himself over the fire once again and checked his clothes. Finally they were dry enough to put on. He held them over the fire a bit to get inside good and warm. It was good to be able to go more than a few feet from the campfire. He would now be able to search the edges of the creek for his lost equipment and set up more of a proper camp. The first thing he found was his boat that had come to rest on bank not far from where he’d spent the night shivering. The bore of his swivle gun was full of mud but otherwise undamaged. It was solid brass and once he was back at his cabin he could clean it out and it would be good as new. The powder on the other hand was nowhere to be found. He cut down a small maple tree with his axe and fashioned a lever to help him right the small watercraft and to steady himself on the uneven ground. A little farther downstream he found his tin pot for cooking and the stash of jerky which was also in a small tin with a scewtop lid. The lid kept most of the water out but the jerky had already begun to swell a little. Most of the smaller items were missing but he did manage to find his Kentucky long rifle that had been custom made for him. He swung open the brass plate on the side of stock and found that his patches and .36 caliber balls were still there. The plate on the other side held rendered fat that he used to maintain and lubricate the mechanisms that made the gun work. Most fortunately he found the the but plate was also intact and that’s where his spare flints were carried. If not for the loss of his powder he would have been able to fire his gun within a few minutes of cleaning it. He placed all these items in his boat and drug them up near the fire. He gathered a few cattail rootstocks from the edge of the creek as well as some wild mushrooms and with his recovered jerky he made a thin soup for breakfast. He then began to make a more proper camp. With his axe he dug a pit and placed the evergreen boughs in the bottom. The pit was long enough to lay down in and he covered it with his boat propped up like a leanto. The pit was 3 feet deep and 3 feet wide. It wouldn’t be really comfortable but it would get him below the frost and with a few stones warmed by the fire it would keep him from freezing to death while he slept. In case of any rain he would simply lower his boat over the hole and stay dry. The next thing he needed was a way to catch some food. He found a shallow place in the creek and with some stones he set up a weir to trap some fish. He made a gig by using the axe to split the maple staff into 4 prongs at one end held them in place with pegs and lashings of willow bark. Then he returned to his fire and waited. He was so busy that he didn’t notice the little feet that swiftly moved through the bushes away from his camp. Feet that would carry the story of a red haired giant to his family.

Continue to part 4

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement:

I am adding additional social media to my network. Eventually, I’ll be leaving Facebook behind for a multitude of reasons. Even though the Lloyd’s Lens Photography page is strictly non-political I have been restricted from interacting with followers with no explanation for why. But it’s not just that. For years now Facebook has throttled content providers in general. They encourage us to grow our audience and then want to sell us back the access to them. In addition, they collect and sell the data from our interaction. So Facebook has become an entanglement of thorns. In response I have created the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe. We can still interact directly on the blog but starting today I’ll be looking for more platforms that respect the privacy of my followers and don’t limit who gets to see the post.

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

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.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

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=238248269630914251

Lastly, 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 photographer

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

The Shattered Sunset. An alternative mythos of the Monarch butterfly.

Color Photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Monarch & Joe Pye Weed 90820a” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

From my youth I have always been fascinated with myth and legend. So much so that sometimes I write alternative mythos. My mythology isn’t intended to be anything but good entertainmen and any resemblance to the mythology of an actual culture is purely coincidence.

The marsh falls silent in the September sun as the Monarch explores the sweet blooms that dominate the edge of water. The orange butterfly gracefully navigates through through the bloom and checks each of the florets with delicate precision. My imagination began to concoct a mythos of the Monarch.

My minds eye conceives a sachem on the edge of a cliff looking out over the New River Gorge. As the sun sets below the canyon rim get beholds the sunset in all its glory. But in his vision a shooting star strikes that part of the sky and the sunset shatters into the night sky. The amber shards of the sky fall into canyon and litter the ground. Saddened by the loss of the beautiful sunset the sachem is moved to play a mournful tune on his flute. As his tears fall into canyon they rain onto the shards of amber sunset and they began to live. Through his tears the sachem sees the living sunset shards and his mournful tune changes to an expression of joy. He continues to pipe the more lively tune into the dawn when the transformation of the sky shards into butterflies is complete and the valley below is filled with life. And so the Monarch butterfly now begins it’s life feeding on the bitterness of the milkweed but soon transforms into little living sunset full of joy.

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/

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! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse 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=238248269630914251

Lastly, 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 photographer

Thank you again for your support of my page! ❤

An Angel Story

Color Photography, Fiction Story

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Wishes On Wings 81920” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

“When a butterfly lands on you it’s really an angel come to grant a wish”

-Spoken to me by an elderly man in South Carolina

The sweet aroma of hibiscus filled the late summer air as the angel approached the country home. The modest house was surrounded flower beds and little raised bed gardens here and there. A stone pathway led through a row of fruit trees and to a small pond on the edge of the forest. The angle felt drawn towards the path. Her steps were so light that she barely disturbed the lawn as she made her way onto the path. Being invisible to humans ment that to all but the most observant she appeared to be a stray breeze shaking the grass. As an immortal she was tall. So tall that she had to duck her head beneath the fruit trees. As she neared the pond her heart felt the sorrow of the child before her ears heard the soft sobbing. The small girl was knelt down in the tall grass holding an empty collar. The collar was purple with little bones printed on it and a small bell hung next the tag. The angle knew that this was why she was sent to this place. Then her ears heard the plea. “I wish Cuddles would come home.” The angel smiled as she took the only form that she was visible in. A beautiful butterfly flew in out from where the angle once stood. In her butterfly form the angel flew a few circles around the little girl and landed on her hand as it held the empty collar. The angel fluttered her wings and spoke peace to her heart. Then the breeze picked up a little and the butterfly opened her wings to catch the sky. Higher and higher she flew in widening circles. The little girl watched the butterfly climb until it was a dot way above the trees. She flew over the creek but saw that there were no puppies slashing in the water. She circled the fields but there were no puppies digging holes. The butterfly searched and prayed for guidance. When she opened her eyes she saw a sunbeam shinning down into the forest. Her heart raced as she glided down with her eyes fixed on the spot where the sunbeam landed. There was Cuddles curled up in a little ball asleep in the sunbeam. But now how would she get him back to the little girl? An inspiration hit her and she landed lightly right on the end of Cuddles’ nose and fluttered her butterfly wings which tickled the dog and brought him to full attention. Still in her butterfly form the angel began to flip and circle around enticing Cuddles to play chase. His little tail wagged as he furiously tried to catch the butterfly that teased him.

Meanwhile the little girl stayed near the pond where she had found the empty collar. Her eyes continued to search for the hint of a tail popping up through the tall grass. Suddenly the butterfly glided over her shoulder and disappeared into the cup of a hibiscus flower.

Image Titled “Spicebush Swallowtail Feeding 81920”

Behind her the little girl her heard the familiar yap of Cuddles and spun on her heels as he leapt into her arms and showered her face with kisses. She fixed the purple collar around his neck and scooped him up to carry him home. She hugged him so tight that he grunted a little. As the walked back up the path from the pond to the house Cuddles peeked over his little girl’s shoulder just in time to see the butterfly become an angel once more. Occasionally the little girl would catch Cuddles standing in a room by himself or barking at nothing in the yard. She would look to see what wad going on only to spot a butterfly nearby.

Story inspired by Frances Elaine’s comments on my blog. May your niece’s life be full of angels.

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/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

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! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse 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=238248269630914251

Lastly, 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 photographer

Thank you again for your support of my page! ❤

Forget-Me-Not

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Forget-Me-Not 52620” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Elkanah Devine sat on the edge of the little stream that fed his farm. He tossed small pebbles into the as he thought. He’d spent several years hacking brush piles and cultivating the soil. The modest log cabin was built by hand with the help of his father and brother. Having received the land and cattle from his father as a start in his own life he had no debts on his farm. He had managed to make a decent amount of profit in his first year and in his second season he purchased the wedding ring. Adelaide was a good wife. They had grown up together and the relationship had come a long way from their first encounter when he dipped the very tip of her braid in the inkwell on his school desk. He was pretty sure that she had forgiven him by their first dance at the harvest party. The trickling of the stream continued to be a hymn in his ears as he contemplated the choices that would change their lives forever. Being a godly man he had spent the past several days in prayer and he knew what he had to do. What he must do. With a heavy heart he pulled out silver locket from hos shirt pocket. He’d dug into his savings on his last trip off of the mountain and purchased the gift to soften the blow when he told her. He spotted the small blue flowers near the water’s edge. He had presented her with a bouquet of these very same flowers when they started courting and again when he proposed. A tear fell into the mud as he plucked a few.

Image Titled “Forget-Me-Not 52620b”

Elkanah made his way into the house and explained his decision to join the other soldiers from their area and fight for Virginia. War was coming wether they wanted it of not and the only thing he could do was defend the land. Adelaide resisted but she knew that what he said was true. As they cried together she opened the silver locket and placed a few of the flowers inside and then she noticed the inscription. “Forget Me Not”. Adelaide had no words. She didn’t need to speak for Elkanah could read her heart in her eyes. She left the room for a moment and returned to present Elkanah with a lock of hair bound with red yarn. The hair was stained with ink and looked to several years old. Tugging at the chain on Elkanah’s belt she pulled his watch from his pocket and placed the hair in the chamber on the back.

The next morning Elkanah rode out to the soldier’s camp and signed up to fulfill gi s duty.

At their first engagement Elkanah heard the pop of a rifle and the hiss of a minie ball before it impacted his left leg in the thigh. The world went dark as he lay on the forest floor bleeding from the snipers shot. He remembered the voices in the dark and the doctors debating if they should remove the leg. Eventually, he woke up in the prison hospital and there he would spend the rest of the Civil War. But as far as prisoners of war go he was treated well. The doctor managed to save his leg and had even arranged for him to spend most of the war right there in prison hospital. Elkanah’s knowledge of the Bible and general good nature allowed him to serve as a minister for the other prisoners.

When the war ended Elkanah found himself limping home. A lot of the landmarks had changed but the terrain was the same. His beard had grown long and streaked with grey. He weighed about 2/3 what he did before he left home and a good portion of that was recovered weight gained on the voyage home. As he walked he heard the sound of a wagon roll up behind him. A woman and her daughter were out alone. The child was very young. She couldn’t have been any older than 5 years. But Elkanah was looking into the sun and couldn’t really make out much detail about them. The woman spoke and offered Elkanah a ride and a meal in exchange for few chores at her homestead. Elkanah agreed as he climbed up in the back of the wagon. As he road along the little girl climbed into the back with him and gave him a small blue flower. It was a little ragged from being handled by such a young toddler but it made Elkanah smile in earnest for the first time since he rode out on that fateful morning. “Forget-Me-Not” the little girl said. That’s what mommy calls them. They go in her locket. Elkanah gasps and called for the woman to stop the wagon which she did. “Adelaide!?” He cried as he ran around to the font if wagon. Adelaide leaped from the driver’s seat and met him halfway. His long hair and beard had hidden his face from her but when he called her name she knew his voice. “But your daughter?” He stammered with his eyes on the child still in the back of wagon. “Your child.” Adelaide replied. “I didn’t know until a month after you left.” Elkanah embraced his whole family and when they got to the modest cabin and it’s farmland the little blue flowers were planted everywhere they would grow. Elkanah learned that every night at bedtime Adelaide had opened the locket and told their daughter stories about her father so that if the worst happened he would not be forgotten.

The flowers in tonight’s feature image are Forget-Me-Not. There’s several stories about the origin of the name and the most popular ends with a man whose last act as he drownds is to toss the flowers to his lady in the shore and cry out “Forget me not!” I don’t really like sad endings so I created my own version based on a young husband in the American Civil War.

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

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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.

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

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/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

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! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse 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=238248269630914251

Lastly, 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 photographer.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤