Evergreen and White

We all love seeing snow-covered pines, but let try to get a few views not seeing in a passing glance.

And a free bonus. Source of poem unknown; sung by Testimony Trio.

Snowflakes

I got a few pictures of snowflakes Christmas Day. It was a fun challenge.
Fuji S5 Pro/ Tamron 28-80mm aspherical auto/ +10 Zeikos macro/ #3 macro tube adapter
F 3.5/ Program Mode/ no Flash/ manual focus

Presents!

What will you give?

This Christmas Eve Snow is falling silently across a darkened landscape. As I finish my cold chores and head inside to stir up the fire, a sort of loneliness comes over me. The rest of my family is heading out tomorrow for a 2-month missions trip. Giving their time, talent, and treasure to the Savior on Christmas Day. I will be with them in prayers, but I'll miss them this holiday season and through the winter. Then it struck me: 

How did He feel?

The LORD and creator from eternity past, starting life on earth... 

as a tiny baby...

in a barn.

It must have been lonesome.

It must have felt like a prison.

But He came to do his Father's Will.

And I am again reminded this Christmas to strive to be more like my Savior.

The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant 

above his lord.  

                   Matthew 10:24

So what will we give to Him this Christmas?  If you are not saved He wants your heart. If you hare saved...

He wants your heart. 

And all the trimmings. And the ornaments. Strip off the shiny paper so He can use you as you are; make you what you should be.

He wants our dreams, our desires, our loves and hates, our few successes and many failures.

He wants to make something beautiful out of our lives.

Merry Christmas

~Elliott R . Parfitt

Old Paths Christmas Concert

Every year my family's church puts on an AMAZING concert (and they get better every year!)
I attended last night and got a few shots of the performers. It was a challenge because the lighting is terrible, but the sound, which I can't share with you unfortunately, was wonderful. The theme was "No Other Name."

The Name of Jesus

The babe in the manger that changed this world forever on that night over 2000 years ago.

Logos have associations with them - the brand's popular products, reputation, etc. - but the symbol of the Cross means more to the human race than any other picture.

Family Photo. (Thanks, Amy!)

2 Years

It's hard to believe it's been two years today since my Dad went Home.  A heartfelt thanks to all those who remembered and showed their care, and to the ones who simply sent up a silent prayer.
The memories are - to use a trite expression if I may - "like yesterday." A blowing snowstorm. Crawling down the road in my old Jeep for over two hours to get to the hospital. Almost in a wreck myself once. Wondering, praying, hoping, but preparing for the worst.

Spending an afternoon, evening, night, early morning in the same suspense, reality sliding ever nearer for its inevitable embrace.

But...through it all a strange sensation. A feeling past human understanding.

Beyond human comprehension.

Stronger than a lion.

Gentle as a dove.

Silent as the morning mist.

Soothing as a balm.

Like a lighthouse in the night.

Like a warm hearth in winter.

A mighty arm that carries the feeble.

May it be yours throughout the Christmas season and the years to come.

And the Peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
 Phil 4:7

Health Tip. # 2,364

"Oh, no; I knew it would happen!"

After 3 days of a hard-hitting sinus something-or-other, I wasn't surprised to see the red in the tissue. No big deal for the average mortal, but when you have an unfortunate history of long hours spent in vain attempts to staunch the flow of life-sustaining fluid from your nasal passages... well you will no doubt understand the despair which swept over me at the sight of that stained paper.

Ah! But then I remembered the trick that had saved so much embarrassment and discomfort in the past. As soon as I started taking a supplement of cayenne pepper capsules, the problems stopped. Of course as time went on the practice dropped off and I eventually lost the bottle of little pills.

But could this help me in any way now? I strode into the kitchen, rummaged around in a basket on the counter, and pulled out a long red pepper from this year's successful garden. Now fully dried and shriveled, it's emaciation could not fool me, for I knew the power it packed within its wrinkled skin. The red skin of a cayenne pepper is very hot in itself, but the seeds... If one could harness the potential energy contained in one of those flat, white round seeds, he could power his house for a year.

I looked at it for a second. Maybe two. Then, with the bravado of a thrill-seeker... ( er, more like the desperation of a madman) I bit it in two and chewed it up.

The bleeding stopped instantly. The joy of salvation was short-lived, of course. A dash to the fridge and the milk jug was to my lips. 5 seconds ( one pint) later I replaced it and reached for the freezer door. Several forkfuls of ice cream took the edge off. Cookie dough, my favorite... But I couldn't taste it.

Well, my nose is fine, my mouth has almost stopped burning, and I have no temptation to go finish the other half of the pepper. It is time for a good night's rest.


No one who visits me will ever ask for milk :-/

Improving?

First attempt:

Then I tried again Saturday, with a better lens, a little more knowledge, better light, shooting RAW instead of JPG and a thread-on +5 macro lens on the front: of the Tamron 28-80mm 

Here you go.

So what do you think? What should I work on to make it better?

Questions, comments, concerns...please?

Opening Day

The sun rises higher over the hedgerows, bathing the frosty cornfield in golden rays. Softened by the morning mists, it yet creates sparkling wonder wherever an ice-rimmed leaf turns toward its light. 

I abandon the 50cal. muzzle-loader, resisting the impulse to turn it upwards and obliterate the ruin-er of my hunting. Instead I reach for my side arm, with a 55mm barrel, aim, and fire several shots in rapid succession. I hit every time but he did not die. He is still very much alive and well, and waiting to warn the deer away tomorrow morning. But all the same I have captured him and put him where he can never escape, for all the world to see, and for all the world to call him on his deeds or rejoice with him in his impunity.  

You may have guessed by now.

A gray squirrel.

Don't let his innocent look fool you.

Acknowledging the little critter king of the hedgerow, I step out into the sunshine an start on a new hunt: for the abnormal, the little- seen, the seldom-pondered. The air is invigorating, the birds singing, the Nikon DX 18-55mm Nikkor auto-focus lens is a joy to use.

I come into the house, slide the memory card into the reader connected to my laptop, and promptly delete all but 17 images of the 50 or so I took.

And now as I sit here in front of the wood stove, a steaming  cup of coffee and the smell of frying eggs and pepperoni slices keeping me company, it is my prayer that as you view these photos, your hearts will join mine in thankfulness to the Father who created all things beautiful and good, and the Son who died that we could truly enjoy it all.

Splash!

Trying some fun stuff with the Fuji S5 Pro.

I lack the "tack sharp' look that the pros get in a studio, but it's a start.

Then I changed the background and lighting and got some really cool results, although it was trickier.