Red Skies At Night

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.

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The Children Of The Falls

The evening light spills ever so softly into the landscape at Cathedral Falls. The tall cascade of water flows from the mountain and over the stones. The cascade is the star of the show that draws the spectators but the dozens of tiny falls that dance and play on their way to the river are just as pleasing. I have to imagine that they are the children of the Cascade above. Born out of the sense of peace and serene beauty of Cathedral Falls she sends her offspring into the river to spread out and share the mountains with the rest of the world.

Hello Friends! Tonight’s image is the Stream Below Cathedral Falls in West Virginia. 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.

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Anticipation Of Game Day

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.

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The Little Brick Church

Tonight’s Feature Image is Virginia’s Chapel in Cedar Grove West Virginia. The link will take you to the Wikipedia article. The article is short but states that the Church (also known as the Little Brick Church) was built in 1853 and used by both sides of the Civil War And that’s in the national registry of historic places. But, is that all that history is? A few facts and dates can’t tell the whole story. I often pass through when a wedding is taking place and the Little Brick Church is all decorated. I see friends and family gathering on the walkway and occasionally see someone taking care of the cemetery on the other side of the chain link fences. I have to wonder about the memories that were made here when the lot was more open and cemetery less full. Back in days when the roads were not paved. I imagine that the fields were open and picturesque. The church was full of live music and joyful noise. I imagine that a few sour notes were sung as the rest of congregation gave each other “that look” and continued to worship God in earnest.

The church wasn’t fully completed until 1912. A full generation after the Civil War. I don’t think that was a coincidence. It could only be completed those who had put away their harsh feelings about the past and fully committed themselves to becoming one family. And that brings me to main thought for tonight. If we want to complete the work set before us then we have to put aside the outside world and come together as one people. I’m speaking mostly to my brothers and sisters in Christ but this concept goes for secular organizations as well. Time on this earth is finite. Effective time is in even shorter supply. Don’t waste a second of it. Find some middle ground and complete the tasks at hand.

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At The End Of The Day

Deep blue fades to black as the golden sunset transitions to red. In the forest edge the Katydids give their calls. The soft breeze carries the scent of freshly brewed coffee rising out of the warm cup in my hand. The day’s work is far behind me. I wasn’t really finished with all my tasks today but that’s alright. If we can’t take a few minutes to quietly enjoy God’s beautiful creation then what’s the value of the day’s effort in the first place? Sometimes a project turns out to be a little bit more than you anticipated. I started today with an ambitious list of “future accomplishments” to achieve. However, that didn’t happen. While it’s important to have goals life is more than a list. Life is a gift. At the end of day it’s not the accomplishments that should be counted. It’s the living that counts.

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