Symbiosis

Color Photography

Hello Friends. The feature for tonight is titled “Symbiosis” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

The cool misty rain floats in air and gently settles onto the forest floor. Because the ground temperature is warmer than the air the fog rises up almost immediately. The fresh scent of the moss wafts through the woods. As the rain slows to a halt the birds resume their songs. I decided to take advantage of the break in the weather and venture out. Throughout the sea of soft green that carpets the forest the tiny orange speck catches my glimpse. At first I thought that it was a gumball or piece of candy dropped near the trail but when I was close enough to focus on it I saw the tiny mushroom. To get a positive ID was a little beyond my reach but because of the location and growth medium I believe it’s some kind of Mycorrhizal fungus. No. Not “fun Gus”, fungus. Believe it or not Mycorrhizal fungus are a pretty important part of God’s design for planet earth. There’s a whole lot of impressive vocabulary connected with describing it’s job but for the purpose of this post it’s job is to deliver nutrition to the plants. In return the plants turn the nutrients into food that the fungus can eat. They don’t just grow next to each other. They share a root system. For most of us the word symbiosis is one of the first natural science terms that we learn. Just in case you were busy shooting paper balls through a straw at your classmates that day it means a partnership between two or more organisms. They are stronger together working as one than each would be on it’s own. The relationship means not just surviving but thriving.

Today’s world is pretty rough. Everywhere we look there are divisions and competition between people who have different angles on life and how it should be lived. Each side has it’s own talents and the potential for success in survival of the world but is there something more? If we could really come together in true partnership with each other and organize are talents while respecting each other’s needs what could be achieved? Because of the relationship between the fungus and the plants that surround it the underlying soil is far more productive for both. It’s productive enough to improve the life of organisms that are not directly connected to either the plants or the fungus. The fertility from the union helps the plants produce higher quality nectar which feeds the bees that produce the honey that fuels their flight to an other type of plant growing in a garden that gets fertilized by the bee and grows into a fruit that is eaten by us. We benefit from the strange little mushrooms that we’ve never seen.

And we might benefit from the relationship the doctor who cares for us has with the person who brews his morning coffee and ensures that he has a productive day even though that person might be someone who we don’t see eye to eye with in any options.

In closing I want to plainly say that my intention here is to encourage everyone to treat each other with kindness and respect. Because that person on social media that just makes your blood boil could be more important to you indirectly than you think. But even if they are not it’s still best to not engage with them and give your attention to someone and something that does have a mutual benefit so that you can get that positive return. 😊

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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.

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Meet Me In The Middle

Back and White Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Halted” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

I like to take the back roads whenever my schedule allows me to. It’s not just the slower pace. The landscape is less cluttered and so is the road. Last fall while traveling to meet a client for portraits I decided to take an alternate route. I had not been able to make it out to Nallen West Virginia in a few of years. I was looking for a particular structure but either I missed it or it’s gone. I did however spot the bridge in the feature image. As you can see the bridge is incomplete. I didn’t have to make too many guesses to figure out that the bridge was lost in the flooding of 2016. For someone in this area the way was lost and it was lost in a tragedy. But, I do notice that the foundation is still there. Where there’s a foundation there’s hope to rebuild. It’s not going to be easy. I imagine that the formula of blood, sweat and tears will be a must in the process. It’s also a job that’s too big for one person. The most efficient way to rebuild the bridge is for someone on the other side to begin repairs and for the two of them to meet in the middle.

We use the idiom “building bridges” whenever we refer to repairing a damaged relationship. Sometimes it’s one side involved that might have burned the bridge and sometimes it’s just a random disaster. Either way that bridge is gone and it’s too big of a job for one person to rebuild by themselves. Even if they try and work day and night it’s going to take a lot more time than it should. The job might even be so taxing that the person who is the only one trying to build might give up in frustration. Even with two sides working to rebuild a bridge that formula of blood, sweat and tears is probably going to be required.

I normally try to bring my posts to full circle before I close but tonight I think that I need to end on the previous thoughts. I don’t really have a clue why the bridge in the feature image out. But I do think that there’s a lot of the metaphorical bridges that are out simply because the job was too big for one side to complete by themselves.

Addendum

I’m not just speaking of romantic relationships. It’s my belief that this thought applies to friendships, business relationships, church outreach programs, politics and any other relationships. We all have something to gain by building and something to loose if we don’t.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

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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/

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.

Thank you again for your support of my page! 😊

When It’s True Love

Color Photography, poetry, Uncategorized

My heart still skips a beat when you walk into the room.

I’m still lost in your eyes.

I still tingle when you hold my hand.

I still dream about you all day.

I am now and always will be completely yours.

Antique Service Desk Bell — Ring this bell for Facebook

Recently, I’ve been made aware that many of my posts on Facebook are being buried in the feed. So, if you don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website at the bottom of theWelcome Page

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Blue Asters 1” and is available forpurchase by using theContactForm onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

Antique Service Desk Bell in Black and White — Ring this bell to order prints or schedule portraits

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.

To Share The Same Sky

Color Photography, Fiction Story, short stories, Summersville Lake, travel, Uncategorized

The September sky was crystal blue and the time of the Equinox signaled an end to Summer’s warm carefree days. The sun hangs low on the horizon. She meets him by the boat launch as her father and brother packs the camp. The last weekend is nearly over. This is last hour of their summer romance. Here on the edge of the fading lake they embrace beneath the sun and moon. Like the celestial bodies above they can only share the same sky for a short season. The lake boy looks deep into her eyes which are the same color blue as the sky. She noticed how the summer sun has left it’s golden tone on his skin. They continue stare silently into each other. Memorizing every line of the other’s face. Every freckle on his face and every colorful fleck in her eyes. The summer was a time when two worlds met and joined as one. But like the sun and moon the forces of nature will only allow the sharing of the sky for so long. As the embrace for summer’s last kiss, he reaches into the pocket of his shorts and pulls out a small box. “Close your eyes” he whispers. She’s a little bit nervous about what comes next but she trusts him and does as he asks. He places a golden chain around her neck. Suspended from it was a locket. It was small but elegant. Inside was the picture of the two of them on the local fishing pier. Her brother had taken the snapshot when they wasn’t looking. “Don’t let me be forgotten” he whispered once more as he clasped the necklace about her neck. A single tear rolls down her cheek and she thanked him for the gift. By now her family waits patiently in the packed car. “I’ll be waiting here for you next summer” she replied with her voice cracking. “True love is faithful no matter how long and cold the nights to come will be.” She added. With no way to delay their parting any longer the young lake boy stepped aboard his day cruiser and drifting off of the shore. He watched with anguish as she got in the car and went home for the school year. Throughout the coming months they would call, text and even attend prom together. The following summer they met again in the same spot by the boat launch. And never parted ways again.

If you’ve enjoyed my photos or tonight’s fiction story that was inspired by the feature image please let me know in the comments. Please also consider following Lloyd’s Lens Photography on Facebook and share in your social media.

Remembering The Country Store

black and white photography, Thoughts and Musing, West Virginia

I remember the country store. We still have a few country stores in the world but not many. There was one gas pump (Petrol for my international friends), a variety of canned goods, perishables such as fresh vegetables and hardware. There was no vending machine. Instead a large chest near the counter kept eight ounce glass bottles of soft drinks on one side and beer on the other side. In the back of the store you could find a small selection of sporting goods. All of fishing tackle, shotgun shells and 22 caliber rifle rounds were common as was traps for fur trappers. But the most sought after resource to be found in the country store was the counter itself. Not a counter that’s crammed to brim with cheap impulse buys but a spacious wooden counter that worn down from being well used. It’s stained with coffee and soft drinks and scratched from hardware or change being tossed down at checkout. A properly equipped counter in a country store comes with a smiling face and plenty of conversation. In the days before Facebook we made a public post by mentioning something to clerk ( Who was usually the owner/operator). The clerk would then leak the news to the next customer during his checkout. ( yup, back then gossip was done without any social media). There was a bit of an art to being a clerk in the country store. Just the right amount of conversation and gossip would keep the customer in the building long enough to encourage a subsequent purchase but not so much that they felt trapped. The clerk knew everyone in the community and what gossip to keep to himself. ( A built-in spam filter!) Well, most of the time anyway.

Today mostly what you find is the convenience store. The best way to tell the difference between a country store and a convenience store is the atmosphere. A country store is welcoming and inviting where a convenience store is focused on bulk processing of sales. The later type is usually clean and neat with no coffee stained counters and very little in the way of a relationship with the customers. Just pay and get out. With the onset of automation the friendly clerk will be replaced by computer and a scanner.

My friend Sophia and I was commenting about how something made by human hands was more valuable than something stamped out by a machine. As we move forward into the brave new world of robots and app purchases consider the value of the people who are out there building their business based on a relationship with the community rather than just bulk processing of sales. ( And do stop by Sophia’s blog. She covers a broad range of things from an intelligent and interesting angle in the UK. )