yarrow – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

Mid Year Marker

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Yarrow In Sunlight 62321” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

A cluster of small white flowers near the edge of the road catches my eye. The feathery leaves a medicinal scent are unmistakable. The Yarrow is blooming. If I haven’t made it clear the natural calendar that I observe along with the Gregorian calendar is based on nature’s reaction to the wavelength of light reaching the earth. When the Yarrow blooms the year is half over. Technically the 20th of June was the solstice and halfway mark in the circle of the Earth. The Yarrow began blooming a few weeks before and peaks around the solstice. There will be a period when it maintains its blooming for a while and then slowly fade with the season ending in late summer. It’s a reminder that time is ever moving forward and season overlap. We have have only the moment given to us to act in. We can either watch it slowly fade away or we can take advantage and move in sync with the flow of time to accomplish our goals.

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.

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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!♥️

Fences

black and white photography, Thoughts and Musing

It’s surprising how much good you can do for yourself just checking the fences. Thin lines of steel charged with energy that keep your livestock in their places seem to require vigilance. As a child my grandfather would sometimes just get into his truck and tune the AM radio station to the right channel an listen to the pulsating clicks of the fence charger creating a rhythmic static pattern in the signal. It was a way of making sure that the charger was working. If there’s no clicks on the radio then that means that the cattle could get out. Some people think that it’s the barbs that keep the cattle in but I’ve watched cows use the wire as a back scratcher and not be harmed. Only when the fence has a good charge does it really work and even then they might push their way through if the clover on the other side is sweet enough. But I digress. The normal way to check the fence was to walk along with a tester and every so many paces you stick a probe into the ground and hang a light on the wire. If there’s power on the wire the light will blink. Doing it this way also gives you a chance to check for places where the fence might be saggy. Cows aren’t great jumpers but they can jump. But in the process they can become tangled up in wire and if you cow breaks a leg it’s a financial loss.

Depending on the size of the land there are miles to be walked. Certainly there’s a benefit for physical health but there’s also a huge benefit for mind and spirit. It gets you out away from the outside world and because the task isn’t really demanding you find yourself sorting through thoughts that you only partially resolved earlier. Often I would hear my grandfather singing hymns as he walked the fence with the hemp baling twin that he saved from every square bale of hay hanging out of his back pocket. He kinda resembled a rooster which was amusing because his nickname in the community was “Banty Rooster”. There were times when I was a kid that I would practice walking quiet and try to remain unseen. I figured that if I could stay hidden from people that I would be a better hunter when I old enough. A few times I was able to spot my grandfather walking a fence line I was able to creep through the woods and follow him unseen. I remember one time that I caught him praying as he walked. He was talking to God as if God was walking right there with him and they were having a conversation. Later in life I’ve found myself doing the very same thing. Today I don’t live on the farm and I don’t have a fence to maintain but I do catch myself talking to God as if God was walking right there with me. Those kind of prayers seem to have the most beneficial effects on my life. Walking the fence has become a metaphor for unplugging and existing in my natural state of being. It opens up the real me that we all have and that we keep tucked away in order to function in the outside world. That inner person who cries for release and desires nothing more than to be able to be a human being instead of a human doing. I often wonder how many of society’s horrible problems would simply vanish if we dropped our masks and became who we were created to be. In some ways we are the ones behind the fences. Remember that cow that would push through the electric fence if the clover on the other side was sweet enough? It’s right there in front of us now. And the only thing that stands between ourselves and having our desires is the fear of the fence we built ourselves.

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.

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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.

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Thank you again for your support of my page! ❤

Before The Rainfall

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Yarrow 62020a” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Softly the sunlight flows through the overcast skies and washes over the land. The yarrow catches my imagination and for a moment I’m connected with the healers of antiquity as they treat the wounds of heroes and hunters and even the scraped knees of children. God put good things in the earth for us if we are just wise enough to learn.

The breeze gently disturbs the scene but only for a moment. Deeper into the bushes small wrens flicker from branch to branch chasing the insects.

A little farther up the hill on the edge of the fallow pasture a mourning dove coos. An older gentlemen who I once worked with in my youth said that he always called them rain crows because they call out just before it rains.

I turn my attention back to the yarrow and noticed vetches in the background. I began to work with the angles and focus to get tonight’s feature image. Without warning a giant raindrop found its way to the back of my neck. The old man was right in calling that bird a rain crow. No sooner had I closed the door on the big blue truck that the downpour began. It was time to get back to the house and process the images.

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.

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

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https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

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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! 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.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Treasures In The Grass

Color Photography, wildlife

Life in the meadow is rich and full. The wind softly shakes the grass and carries the scent of the pollen. The tiny mason bee zeros in on the source. A Yarrow plant. Her tiny wings angle slightly and she heads for the plant. She’s already loaded heavy but she’s not at her limit yet. She works each little bloom like a master. It takes only a few minuets to completely sweep every grain of pollen and pack her legs to the max. The load doesn’t slow her down. Her movements are fluid as she lifts into the air and carries her golden treasure back to the nest. Her body shines like an emerald in the sun. A jewel surrounded by golden dust and a living treasure in the grass.

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

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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.

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Forage Friday #11 Yarrow

Color Photography, Forage Friday

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Yarrow 6119A” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Achilles surveyed the battlefield. He was covered in dirt, sweat and blood. He and his men had won the day but this moment of rest wouldn’t last long. Many of the soldiers were wounded and he would most likely need them again before morning. He sheathed his kopis sword and held his hoplon above his head to shade his eyes from the Mediterranean sun. He barely make out the the white blooms growing on the edge of grass. His men looked on as he waded into the grass and plucked a few fern-like leaves from the woody stalk and crushed them between his thumb and forefinger. He held the freshly formed pulp up to his nose just like Chiron taught him. The aromatic oils even smelled like medicine. He called one of the warriors to his side and applied the pulp to the man’s wounded hand. Almost imeadiatly the blood clotted and the bleeding stopped. The plant was powerful medicine indeed. One day soon it would even heal the most famous wound in Greek history, Achilles’ own heel.

I may have taken a little bit of a creative license with Greek history in the story above. But when I saw the yarrow growing in the ditch near the old pasture I knew that I had to include it Forage Friday. Typically when you think about foraging you think about exotic wildcrafted herbs and spices. Or sweet berries and fruits that are gathered in buckets and baked into all manor of goodies. But tonight I wanted to introduce you to some wilderness first aid. Tonight’s plant is yarrow.

Yarrow gets it’s scientific name from it’s association with the Greek hero Achilles. The genus Achillea is found pretty much worldwide and it’s one of those special plants that needs to be treated with respect. I have successfully used it myself but with some caution. ⚠️ As I have stated in previous Forage Friday posts anybody can have an adverse reaction to any plant at any time. ⚠️ In Peterson’s Field Guide James A Duke states that yarrow has over 100 biologically active compounds. And while some traditional uses are internal I’m just not comfortable discussing internal uses. One of the reasons why is that some strains of yarrow contain dangerous alkaloids. Yarrow also has a tendency to retain contamination from the soil it grows in and so the history of the land is an important consideration. Overuse of yarrow is known to cause an allergic reaction to sunlight so it’s recommend that even external use is short term. With that in mind let’s take a look at the uses.

As stated in the story above yarrow is probably best known as a clotting agent. The last time collected it I hung it upside down in a cool dry place out of the direct sun and waited for the fern-like leaves to become dry and brittle. Then simply stripped them from the simi-woody stalk and crushed them into a powder by rubbing them between two spoons over a bowl. The resulting powder can be sprinkled into minor nicks and scrapes to control bleeding. Adding other plants like plantain (plantago spp. Not the banana like fruit ) will have synergistic effect that is said to help prevent an infection.

Yarrow leaves 6119 — A closer look at the light green fern-like yarrow leaves.

I’ve not tried to use the stem for starting a friction fire yet but my instincts say that it’s worth a try.

I don’t really remember where but I do remember reading somewhere that a few leaves added to the compost pile helps speed up the composting process.

One last word of caution. Yarrow is one of those plants that really resembles poison hemlock so if you think that you’re interested in exploring it further please do plenty of research on both plants so that you recognize the difference.

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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! Simply message me on Facebook oruse 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.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤