This Moment Is Mine

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Peaceful Resolution” and is available for purchase by using theinstructions at the bottom of the page.

The big blue truck veers from the highway and comes to an abrupt halt on the berm. The rain clouds have dissipated and the roads are clear of debris. It’s time to sit by the Kanawha River for a few minutes and recharge in the fresh air and warm sun. Down river Glen Ferris basks in the Sun beneath the dormant kudzu. The trees are still sleeping but the soil is starting to come to life deep beneath leaf litter. And the frogs are awake! Even though it’s broad daylight the forest is alive with the croaking and chirping of the males singing for a mate. I can also hear a cardinal high in a treetop declaring his love for his lifelong mate. The sun is at just the right angle to produce a nice reflection of the Methodist Church in the distance on the water. The breeze blows just enough to feel fresh but not enough to chill. I take a deep breaths and savor the atmosphere. There’s no rush today and the big blue truck ism going anywhere else for a while. Today is mine and I will take full advantage of each moment while it’s available because those moments when a person can clear away the mental clutter is just as important to health as diet and exercise.

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What Did She Say?

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is of Fayette County as seen from Nicholas County West Virginia. The image is titled “First Winter1” because it was the winter photo that ever took with a serious camera. If you would like to purchase a copy please see the instructions at the bottom of the page.

I woke up this morning with a cold chill running down my spine and stared blankly at the ceiling. Yesterday’s story played out over and over again in my head. It has finally happened… I was wrong. How could I ever face the day? Well. Actually it’s pretty easy. All humour aside I do need to straighten out an inaccurate statement from my last post. The ” 4 days until Spring statement. The funny thing is that I knew better. Yes Spring is close but it’s still about a month or so away. The first “official day of Spring is March 20th. Not March 1st. So how did it happen? I was able to locate a term for what happened but there should be one. I committed a basic internet rookie error. I trusted the answer provided by the Google Assistant without using a common sense filter. In my defense let me provide exhibit 1. A screen shot of Google’s misleading answer.

Now honestly I knew better and I got caught up in confirmation bias. You see, I wanted the answer that I got and turned a blind eye to the accuracy of the search results. Which brings me to the main point of tonight’s post. How much should we trust technology? In the age of instant knowledge can we be so quick to abandon objectivity? Well, last night’s post is an example of why we need to be vigilant about checking the source of information. For me the result was some minor embarrassment and looking silly. Y’know what? That happens to everyone for one reason or another and it happens more often than most people care to admit. There’s no real harm done. But what if I had been researching something more serious like first aid or how to make an emergency vehicle repair? The list can go on but the point is that the answer you want to be hear may not be the right answer. As for last night’s post I did update the word “calendar” in the second sentence to the word “Google” and added an update to bottom of the article for the purpose of honesty. And, while the countdown to Spring is a little longer than 3 to 4 days it’s not as long as it was when the days were shorter and the nights were colder.

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I have new way for you purchase photos!

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 message me on Facebook or use the contact form on my website and 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 to https://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer.

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Some Days Are For The Birds

Color Photography

Recently the warm weather allowed me to get out for a few minutes and visit the bird feeder at my dad’s house. Dad goes all out for his little feathered friends. The TV is on but he has his binoculars pressed to his face looking out the window at all the activity in the chestnut trees on the edge of the yard. The term “yard” is kinda used loosely at dad’s place. In general it’s any place where you mow plus just under the trees where the woods begin. As we observe the feeding dad recounts the events at the feeder over the past few days. He hasn’t actually named these birds out loud but he knows all of the species and individuals who frequently visit his yard. He tells me that the Common Flicker in tonight’s feature image is the boss of the yard and how he even challenges and keeps at bay the murder of crows that are larger and outnumber him. He talks about the covey of mourning doves and how one always lands on the feeder and tosses food down to the ground for the rest of them. A Pileated Woodpecker swoops in as dad talks and lands on a dead limb of a hickory tree. He hits the dead wood like a jackhammer and sends wood chips flying everywhere in his search for insects living in the wood. ( I tried to get a nice shot of the Pileated Woodpecker but he’s far too camera shy and took flight as soon as I stepped outside.) Dad has one mortal enemy at his bird feeder and surprisingly it’s not the squirrels. It’s a mob of Common Grackles that have run the bluebirds out of his yard and have even overwhelmed the Flicker on occasion. The former Marine came out in dad’s eyes when he postulated on how to defend his songbirds from the Grackles. A few minutes later he softened a little and said that God had a place for the Grackles too. Most of shots from the window didn’t really turn out well and so I put my wilderness stalking skills to work and began to ease myself closer to the feeder. Most of the birds scattered at first but soon the chickadees returned. Small and agile the chickadees figure they can be gone with a mouthful of food before the human can react. I remained as motionless as a stone until they began to ignore me. As soon as the others saw that I wasn’t chasing after the chickadees they also returned. Then finally the Flicker decided that it was time to let me know that this was his feeder. The others gave way to him as he came in for a landing. He dug into the seed mix and found the one he wanted. Then he flew directly at the camera so fast that I couldn’t adjust the focus. He pulled up at the last moment and landed on the branch above me. Few a few minutes he seemed to play peekaboo by popping out from the tree with the nut in his beak. Finally he tucked it into his hiding spot on an upper branch.

Common Flicker hiding a nut in a tree branch

I watched him repeat this stunt a few times before I went back inside to visit with dad some more and share the photos with him. I’ve been told that some days are for the birds but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I want to encourage you to spend some time birding. The songbirds not only bring much needed beauty to the dull winter climate but also share their beautiful songs and impart a little peace to your morning.

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A Few Minutes Of Peace In A Natural Sanctuary

Color Photography

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. Tonight’s feature image is titled “Sanctuary” and is available for purchase by using the contact instructions at the bottom of the page. This image is also available in black and white.

The cove of Cathedral Falls is quiet. The only sounds are the peaceful songs of the birds and the trickling of the water cascading down the rocks. Ripples emanate across the pool at the base of the cascade. Crayfish scoot about in pool and hide among the painted sandstone rocks. I take in the moment breathe in the oxygenated air at the bottom of the falls. Looking up towards the break in the canopy I notice the butterflies who seem to float down on a sunbeam and come to rest on a clump of moss for a drink. It’s a warm day and I take off my sandals and clip them to the snap link on my belt. The stone bed of the creek is worn smooth by the flowing water and a few crayfish dart out as I wade in. The water is only ankle deep but is a little cold at first. A glimmer catches my eye as I wade through. Bending over for a better look, I discover a shiny new penny. And it’s even heads up. I started to reach for it but had the second thought that maybe it’s a wish penny tossed into the pool by a child. I’m not superstitious but I suddenly felt like I was betraying the hopes of someone who made the wish and moved on leaving the penny where it landed. I’ve no need for any extra luck today anyway. All I really needed was a few minutes of peace in this natural Cathedral to seek some inspiration.

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Keeping The Wonder

Color Photography

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my blog! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Outpouring” and is available for purchase by using the contact instructions at the bottom of the page.

I don’t really know the history of the stone wall with it’s waterfall cascading down just outside of Charlton Heights West Virginia but it’s one of favorite places to stop and catch a moment of peace. The old stone wall looks like something that could have been left behind by forgotten civilization. In my imagination I can clearly see an Indiana Jones type adventure cautiously entering the nearby cave. ( visible on right of the panoramic)

I have to admit that more than once I’ve been tempted to gear up and see if there’s a deeper level of the cave with any ancient artifacts hidden away right under our noses. However, having grown up around miners I’m well aware of the dangers of a roof collapse or that it’s possible to simply step out of the breathable air deep underground and become an artifact myself. In my wild imagination I can see an Adena architect leading his tribe as they construct the wall. Or, perhaps the cave was a mine where chert and flint were brought up out of the Earth’s depths. Perhaps later on people used the cave for shelter. Pocahontas herself traveled this area and it’s possible that she camped in this cave with it’s nearby water source. Maybe it’s better not to know. The old saying goes that “the unknown is always more grand than the truth.” Maybe it’s better in some cases to have the wonder and mystery to inspire our dreams than it is to be anchored by the mundane. An unsolved mystery can inspire multiple stories with a variety of roots and outcomes and that might be the real reason why I have not looked inside the cave or climbed up to peek over the wall. Maybe I want the mystery to endure.

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