SHS Photo Challenge 35

So we meet again to share our finds for this week's scavenger hunt.   Might I say, they were rather challenging but that always makes it fun and calls forth the creativity in so many.  Looking forward to seeing what you all found.  

 1.  Meet Me at the Corner

 Last Sunday on my way to church I spied this lovely dogwood as I turned a corner.  

I made a date with myself to meet here at the corner and take some photos on the way home.  

I have included a close-up just because they are so lovely.

2.  Mother Nature Meets Technology

 This is a solar powered butterfly which flutters around the spike on sunny days.  It was originally purple but has faded to this lovely blue specimen after weeks in the sun.

3.  One Step at a Time

 On silent cat feet, one step at a time, she creeps into my suite for a visit . . .

Chloe, the eldest cat of the household.  
(Too funny, I just finished typing this and turned around and there she was . . . Hi Chloe.)

4.  What's Wrong With This Picture?

Okay, I confess, it is a contrived shot . . . I didn't find anything in my travels this week that fit the prompt.

5.  Standing Tall

 Although all the little purple petals have fallen away these alliums with their seed pods are still standing tall.

Linking with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos.

Columbine, Flower Art Friday

I had planned to do roses for this week's Flower Art Friday, but our hostess, LeAnne, requested that roses be featured NEXT week in honour of her birthday.  So . . . I decided to feature these columbines I snapped today.  They are my dad's favourite flower and since Father's Day is just days away, it seemed appropriate.

Short and sweet today,

 linking with LeAnne for . . .

Grace Notes - Counting the Gifts 838-864

All together now - applause for God!

Sing songs to the tune of His glory, set glory to the rhythms of His praise.

Say of God, "We've never seen anything like Him!"

When Your enemies see You in action, they slink off like scolded dogs.

The whole earth falls to its knees - it worships You, sings to You,

can't stop enjoying Your name and fame.

Take a good look at God's wonders - they'll take your breath away.

Psalm 55:1-5 (The Message)

838.  A project for a birthday girl

839.  A section of the parking lot roped off at senior's home because a mama duck had built her nest beneath a            rhododendron bush.  Do not disturb signs posted.

840.  Setting boundaries and standing firm
841.  A wallet found
842.  The sound it makes when you first cut into a watermelon . . . anticipation of juicy goodness
843.  Electricity . . . sewing by machine is something I enjoy tremendously
844.  Being patient with myself when I forget a step in my project
845.  My daughter - such a sweet demonstration of God's heart to so many

846.  God so loved the world that He gave . . . 
847.  More seed in the bird feeder
848.  A grandma getting stronger
849.  Smiles . . . they don't cost a cent and they brighten someone's day

850.  The bread and the wine . . . in remembrance of Him
851.  A call to the birthday girl . . . can she be 10 already?
852.  Regaled with tales of "high tea" and a daddy dressed up as the butler
853.  I am accepted in the Beloved
854.  Found something I thought was long gone
855.  Tendonitis less painful today
856.  Fresh mint to dry for tea
857.  A new birdie visitor . . .  male downy woodpecker

858.  Words of life that break off shame
859.  A new grandbaby for my cousin and his wife . . . such a cutie she is
860.  An eagle soaring circles overhead
861.  Sufficient grace to handle a difficult situation with patience and compassion
862.  Another blanket finished

863.  My Norwex dusting mitt that picks up everything so neatly
864.  Watermelon . . . I love watermelon . . . I could eat it everyday

Linking with Ann  . . .

SHS Photo Challenge 34

Well that's another week in the books . . . mine was filled with tears and laughter, challenges and  delights, birthdays and anniversaries and a new twig in the family tree.  My cousin Tim and his wife Lorrie,  who blogs at Fabric, Paper, Thread, welcomed another granddaughter this week . . . so happy for them.  I am looking forward to seeing all the submissions for this week's clues.  I am thinking there could be some really fun ones with one of the prompts being "silly".  

1. Travel

This shot is from my trip to the zoo last week.  It is a wonderful way to travel around the park if you want to see it all in one day . . . especially if you have little ones.  The big drawback, of course, is that it is not conducive to taking pictures.

 2. Silly

 Zack is such a silly kitty.  He strikes some of the funniest poses.  He actually fell asleep like this and when he tried to get out of this position later he was almost standing on his head.  It was hilarious!

3. Black & White

 Equally lovely in colour or black and white.

4. Spots

 I was totally tickled to capture a new visitor to the yard . . . 

a downy woodpecker identified by the white spots on its wings and red patch on his head.

  Not as sharp as I would have liked but with birds you take what you can get.

5. Paper

Some of my most precious paper keepsakes start with the words "Dear Grandma".

No, it is not my birthday week . . . that was back in February.
Linking with Ashley and friends for . . .

Wanna play with us?  Come find out how!

Clematis 'Montana'

Every branch . . . that bears fruit, 

He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.

John 15:2

 

A little research has helped me to identify this clematis that was already growing in my daughter's yard when she purchased her home late 2011.  It became necessary to prune it back to almost nothing when a neighbour backed into the fence and so we had no idea what kind of flowers it had.  It took off again very quickly and this year we were overjoyed to witness the explosion of growth and myriad small white flowers . . .

The small 'Montana' blooms vastly outnumber the larger purple variety but look so beautiful together.

You can see why the clematis 'Montana' is sometimes referred to as  the "mile a minute clematis".  It has also been said that even with hard pruning it is almost impossible to kill it.

The blooms attract many varieties of bees and other pollen gatherers . . .

 . . . as well as photographers in their quests for that "stunning capture".  

Linking with LeAnne for . . .

SHS Photo Challenge 33

Where did this week go?  Seems like I merely blinked and it was gone.  

Going to jump right into it today . . . here are the prompts we were looking for.

Shine, Fast, Left, Peace and Plain.

1.  Shine

Love the look of sunshine filtered through the treetops.

2.  Fast

I often try to capture butterfly shots but they are usually too fast . . . but not this day.

  Caught him/her? resting a spell on my Russian Red kale.

3.  Left

I still get thrown off by delayed left turn signals . . . always ready to jump out there.

4.  Peace

There's something so peaceful about a swan floating gracefully on a pond . . . 

unless it's chasing the ducks away, then it is quite agressive.

5.  Plain

The black swan I chose for the last prompt and this one as well were taken at the Greater Vancouver Zoo.  Many exotic birds populate the park's ponds and streams and I thought it was just too cute when I over heard a little boy say, "Oh , those are just plain old ducks."

Deep Thirst

At first glance, this post may seem somewhat of a hodge-podge of divergent thought.  In fact, it seems that way to me, as well, but I just have this sense that beneath the surface there is a cohesiveness that pulls it all together  . . . and so I post and trust that you will get the message.

Hydrangeas, which are associated with the qualities of friendship, devotion and understanding are also notoriously thirsty plants, particularly when potted.  They need deep waterings the first several years after being transplanted in order for their roots to grow deep and develop the capacity to survive dry seasons.

Reminds me of the seasons of life . . . how our first few years, even decades, we need lots of attention, pouring into, deep waterings.  As we grow older, it is considered a mark of maturity to be independent . . . not so needy, and thus we often allow the cry of our souls for water, for refreshment, to go unanswered. I am currently visiting weekly with an elderly lady at a senior's residence and see so many precious persons with untold stories and deep reservoirs of wisdom and experience.  So few of them have visitors and it breaks my heart that these dear ones depths are so rarely explored.  And so I share the following poem, used with the author's permission.

Thirst

by Peyton Leigh Stille

Hair flecked with silver streams

Grooves in the skin creating ripples of wisdom

Wisdom shown in the glossy eyes

Body of watery experience sitting in the rickety chair, 

the chair that squeaks with every rocky wave

If wisdom had a visible aura

it would be seeping out of his eyesockets

creating rivers of tears flowing down the cheekbones

 It would be pouring out of his ears

watering the hydrangeas that rest by his feet.

It would be running out of his nose

into the decades of wisdom gathering around his chin

It would be salivating out of the corners of his mouth

down his chin

drenching the front of his argyle sweater vest

But people walk by blinded by nearsightedness

they don't see the water that creates a tsunami

strong and tall

People walk by

content on their dry scratchy gravel, 

not wanting to dip their toes

into the murky pond before them

People walk by

closer towards the desert

where they get stuck

waiting for something to quench their thirst.

*  *  *

 A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water.  

Jesus said. "Would you give me a drink of water?"  

The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, 

"How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?"  

(Jews in those days wouldn't be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)

Jesus answered, "If you knew the generosity of God and who I am,

 you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water . . .

 Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. 

 Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst, not ever.  

The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life."

John 4:7-14 (The Message)

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, Come, buy and eat.  Yes, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy?  Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Isaiah 55:1,2