Tag: gifts

Red Skies At Night

Color Photography, West Virginia

The rains have fallen steadily all day today. The grey skies are offset only by the occasional hint of yellow and orange in the turning leaves. The drive across Sewell Mountain took a little longer than I had hoped. Unloading a truck in the rain is just an accepted part of the arts and crafts shows in Appalachia. Once the truck is unloaded the rest of the day is spent assembling the displays and trading warm greetings with the other vendors. As I place the last piece in its place I can tell that something special is taking place in the sky by the light spilling into the building. The grey is ending and the rain is nearly over. It’s time to climb back up into the big blue truck and head home to rest. I stepped out of the door and looked up. I was rewarded by the beauty of the last rays of the sun pushing back the clouds. A sense of peace washed over me. The grey has ended with a mix of the deep reds and purples. Red skies at night are the joy of artists and sailors alike.

Hello Friends! If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. Please also consider following Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook.

If you’re local to Lewisburg West Virginia or passing through and love art of handmade gifts please stop by the West Virginia State Fairgrounds and say hello! 😊

Anticipation Of Game Day

black and white photography, Thoughts and Musing

There’s a certain feeling that you get just prior to competition. All of the training and conditioning has been done. It’s game day. You go to the field and prepare mentally. The butterflies in your stomach seem to be not just having a party, but a hard core punk rock slam dance party. You hide it well beneath your cool exterior as you check out the other competitors. The truth is that they have the same butterfly party going on their own stomachs. It’s been a long time since I have been in an athletic competition but I still have to tame those unruly and wild butterflies before every important event.

Eventually I come to the conclusion that I’ve done all that I can do until the they fire the starting gun and it’s time to run. Then all you can do is run the best race you can run. If you lose then lose with dignity and work harder before the next race. If you win then win with grace and congratulate your competitors for a race well run. Sportsmanship is an important life skill. If we can’t learn to be a gracious winner or good loser then our lives become full of turmoil when we fail. It’s a fact of life that failures will happen. When they do it’s not a tragedy, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow.

As I write this post I’m preparing for my biggest show of the year. The 38th Annual Arts And Crafts Show at The West Virginia State Fairgrounds is one of the biggest events of year. I have the same feeling that I used to get on game day. But I know I’ll do well because I have done everything that can be done to prepare.

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 want to invite everyone local to come out to show and say hi to me in person. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook and as always you can sign up for email alerts on the home page of my website.