June in My Hometown

I am not in the habit of cramming so many different photos into one post. However, June has proved lovely in some respects. Slightly cooler and wetter than usual, the days that have been clear have been gorgeous.

All, pay attention, all of the photos were taken downtown. Even the doe and her fawns were captured (by Garrett) in one of our parks. I truly love our city. I would say I am countrish big city girl =)

I Saw God Today

Some days, it takes a conscious effort to find God. Circumstances around us point more to the Enemy of our souls than to the One who loves us more than life. Or there are the times when you are just bored--you want some positive excitement and adventure--and all you get is the same routine day....after day.....after day.

I am not by nature a negative person. I always try to find something positive in a situation. But it doesn't always happen. When I can't find something positive in life itself, I look to nature--and in the spring, I am always sure to find it.

Spring often comes quick as a flash. I have been waiting for my lilacs to really be in bloom for quite some time now. And today, I felt they were beginning to reach their prime. There is a spiritual lesson in there somewhere.....God's timing is always the best. Waiting is essential in order for true beauty to be revealed.

As you scroll those these photos, read the words to one of my favorite country songs by George Strait.

I've been to church

I've read the book

I know He's here but I don't look

Near as often as I should

His fingerprints are everywhere

Just slowed down to look

Opened my eyes

And man I swear

I saw God today

I encourage you to seek the Lord where He can be found. He is ALWAYS somewhere--even in the places we least expect. We are never abandoned. See Him today.

Trip to the Falls

Last weekend, our family took a car ride to the Falls about two hours away. They are the West's equivalent to Niagara Falls and indeed, they are slightly "larger" in some way.....but I can't remember what =) The run off has been fabulous this year as there was quite a bit of precipitation. Unlike Niagara, our falls cease to run in the summertime.....so we decided we should go and see them while we could.

I hope you are blown away by the Creator's majesty from these pictures. Only He could create something of this magnitude. Who could believe a big bang made all this?!

Antonio Vivaldi's "Four Seasons...." and My Backyard

In order to achieve the full effect, click on this link. Hopefully, y'all have Windows Media Player on your computers, so you can minimize the song and listen to it as you read what I have to say.

Currently in my musical appreciation study, I am on the life of Antonio Vivaldi. Not much is known about the early Baroque composers, yet Vivaldi's legacy has been preserved in his well known concerto "The Four Seasons." It's familiar to all of us--albeit certain movements more so than others.Right now, the weather here is like Vivaldi's Largo Movement from "Autumn." For those of you not familiar with music terminology, largo means "slow." Even slower than andante....which is usually the slowest I play.As I listened to the recording upstairs, I thought of my backyard. I could just picture leaves falling down, the world slowly down, everything getting situated for a transition period. Photosynthesis is no longer being produced; winter is about to settle on the land.Life for me has been one of transition this year. I am thankful it doesn't happen nearly as often as it does in Creation. Some days, I can feel just like the "Largo Movement:" slowly getting ready for the changes ahead. Graduation was only one of them. They are all good, though.Yet, Vivaldi's compostion is more than just "Autumn." "Spring"is probably the most well known of the entire piece. My back yard is more than brown leaves and barren trees. My life is more than transition and waiting. But they all have their place. There is something to be loved and found in each of them.

Hopefully, you enjoy listening to the movement. Why don't you listen to the whole concerto when you get a chance?! =)

Botanical Gardens with Daddy

I meant to post these earlier in the week, but family commitments come first. Only now do I have the time to show you these photos. Anyway....

On Sunday, Dad and I spent the day together and went to the Botanical Gardens. Since it is autumn here now, flowers were basically gone. But color wasn't! The trees were so beautiful! That's why there are a few pictures of me on here--I want you to see the bright hues that the Lord has painted. I cannot take credit for any of these shots; Dad had use of my camera.
I will only tell you about this shot. The botanical gardens are on a higher elevation so you overlook the city somewhat. It is a big thing of mine to take a picture of the city with all the trees in various shades of color. We're not quite there yet; we could even be higher.

Oh, yeah....you might have wondered what the wagon is all about. The garden has many different themes within its walls. One is more of a Lewis and Clark/ western/ desert type. Hence the wagon.

Just a Leisurely Walk Along the Greenbelt

It is still rather on the chilly side here....though better than the end of last week. I made it without a sweater. Since the zoo and KAP have been frequently haunted, we decided to walk along the greenbelt (which in effect means JDP.) You can see that while some trees have color, others do not. But that doesn't mean the squirrels aren't getting prepared. God made them to know that winter is fast approaching...so be prepared!!

This final picture I took in the river. Yes, I got into the river. In fact, if I didn't have my camera, I would have walked across the entire width of it. You can tell that that the flow is down and that the reservoirs have stopped for the winter months. Yet common sense prevailed over my adventurous streak--the last thing I want to do is wreck the good camera I spent money on! And those rocks are slippery!!