tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86023436427298034372024-03-05T04:09:04.705-06:00Edge and EssenceThe Rev. Dr. K's photographsThe Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.comBlogger271125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-24723892254855114362016-11-19T19:25:00.000-06:002016-11-19T19:25:28.997-06:00Things Unseen: Or is it you, God? <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kXrFzhCvERw/WDD6j6_j0VI/AAAAAAABKGY/xGEHBcUvr_4UvLQJFgPu0vWjlUbAZAPQQCLcB/s1600/IMGP9706%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kXrFzhCvERw/WDD6j6_j0VI/AAAAAAABKGY/xGEHBcUvr_4UvLQJFgPu0vWjlUbAZAPQQCLcB/s640/IMGP9706%2B72-25.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or is it you, God?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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New growth<br />of longleaf pine<br />Golden eye<br />of aster<br />Flaming leaf<br />of sweetgum...<br /><br />How do you know my name?<br /><br />Or is it you, God?</div>
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The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-8191940924050286442016-09-02T14:43:00.000-05:002016-09-02T14:43:09.815-05:00Garden Goodies: Allen Acres <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5xOum699v44/V8nWABIEQKI/AAAAAAABIC4/N8eiWWCpSBQV4hwPkYEKQfXacoCr1hAZgCLcB/s1600/IMGP2932%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5xOum699v44/V8nWABIEQKI/AAAAAAABIC4/N8eiWWCpSBQV4hwPkYEKQfXacoCr1hAZgCLcB/s640/IMGP2932%2B72-25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)</td></tr>
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The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-46678027400934688322016-08-23T20:46:00.000-05:002016-08-23T20:46:14.817-05:00Musings of a Plant Nerd <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5ICPIPeXoEykowdrBtCcNlKqvxuI515W5K-qVlKM9-HvMVTva0YlYhOb4EsIZzV0yf6UJi-pi7QDBpVyhG2tCN0wW9wkkzRilKBCgWTsL3rxt_2JkKrYKTyw_qKl62_Q2LyiZcLndQM/s1600/IMGP7252+72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5ICPIPeXoEykowdrBtCcNlKqvxuI515W5K-qVlKM9-HvMVTva0YlYhOb4EsIZzV0yf6UJi-pi7QDBpVyhG2tCN0wW9wkkzRilKBCgWTsL3rxt_2JkKrYKTyw_qKl62_Q2LyiZcLndQM/s640/IMGP7252+72-25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anatomy of a Flower Head</td></tr>
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Do you know the difference between "a flower" and "a flower head"? I didn't, until just a few years ago when I got serious about photography again and began documenting Louisiana wildflowers.<br />
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What looks like "a flower" and is often called "a flower," is instead a "flower head." What look like "petals" on the flower, in this example, the big yellow blades, are in fact "ray flowers," each with its own stamen, which you can see in this photo.<br />
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What looks like the center of a flower is actually a cluster of "disk flowers," again each with its own stamen. Or is that a pistil? Or...?<br />
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Here's where it gets complicated and my knowledge runs out! Stamens, pistils, filaments, styles, and on and on. Botanists have a name for every part and surface. And most of them have to do with reproduction. Welcome to the sexy world of wildflowers!<br />
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By the way, this Rosinweed (Silphium gracile) is particularly good for showing off anatomy due to its large size. And the glorious stand of over-my-head plants covered with flower heads in all stages of development that yielded this shot on a hot day in July flourished in the #KisatchieNationalForest along a gravel forest access road in the vicinity of Dry Prong in central Louisiana.<br />
The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-26163189591017472062016-06-14T23:01:00.000-05:002016-06-14T23:01:02.594-05:00Photographer's Journal: Mamou <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3I-dGCw68g/V2DPDLCbUiI/AAAAAAABGUU/x6Rn1_2Rio0lvQgJIamrI4DkKq1kG6hyQCLcB/s1600/IMGP6543%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3I-dGCw68g/V2DPDLCbUiI/AAAAAAABGUU/x6Rn1_2Rio0lvQgJIamrI4DkKq1kG6hyQCLcB/s640/IMGP6543%2B72-25.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mamou (Erythrina herbacea)</td></tr>
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Aka, Coral Bean.<br />
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So... I was on my way home from.... what? Can't even remember. Some kind of
meeting down in center of the state. Oh, yes, a Together Louisiana meeting in Alexandria.<br />
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I had my camera with me and had
very little time, but, you know, really just needed 15 minutes in the
woods.... <br /><br />So as I'm passing through the <a class="ot-hashtag aaTEdf" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/s/%23KisatchieNationalForest" rel="nofollow">#KisatchieNationalForest</a> where it overlaps Highway 165 for a few miles, I'm looking for an access point--preferably one I've never explored before. And sure enough I spot what looked like an unimproved access road that I had never noticed before.<br />
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Turns out, it was really short, just a "driveway" really, except into the forest, not a homestead. But enough of a driveway to get my car safely off the highway. And low and behold, glancing around I immediately spied this gorgeous, fresh, bright red Mamou spike right there on the edge of the forest. And around it, Monarda (aka Bee Balm)! But that's another post.<br />
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I rarely do this, but this image is straight out of the camera, #SOOC in photog lingo. This Mamou spike was perfectly fresh, with no spent florets, not hidden by foliage but proudly standing out at this exact angle at about head height. The light was perfect. For once I had no problem focusing the camera! That left choosing a depth of field to blur the background into this lovely dappled green, and... voila! there you have it. This one just might have to be printed and framed.<br />
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<br />The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-13087282587344961792016-04-15T22:23:00.001-05:002016-04-15T22:24:55.189-05:00Photographer's Journal: Atchafalaya <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5_9AxlUR46PQYzS9mvxDgqOfw243NpLB9efqOjI935J18vEietjvYiGk3VXHeo6oo8v3DykKwDXnyTr-yDU3-IhGoYOq30q6Dow5qQfwvZFXdCBxGQ0OT9JspXiMB5xULXlpC8X0fzA/s1600/IMGP4243+72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5_9AxlUR46PQYzS9mvxDgqOfw243NpLB9efqOjI935J18vEietjvYiGk3VXHeo6oo8v3DykKwDXnyTr-yDU3-IhGoYOq30q6Dow5qQfwvZFXdCBxGQ0OT9JspXiMB5xULXlpC8X0fzA/s640/IMGP4243+72-25.jpg" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inner Mystery</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Louisiana has two wonders of the world: The Atchafalaya Basin and the Kisatchie National Forest. The fact that neither are on the official list makes not an iota of difference to me.<br />
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Whenever I have a little time for myself, be it 20 minutes or 2 days, if at all possible, I will stop at or head to one of these two places. Both are enormous. I have every confidence that I will do this for the remainder of my life and neither tire of them nor make a dent in discovering their wonders.<br />
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If I live long enough and my health holds, God willing, I will produce two books: Kisatchie Splendors and one about the Atchafalaya. The title of the latter hasn't revealed itself to me yet.<br />
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During Spring Break, the week after Easter, I took two days to wander the Atchafalaya. This shot is from the edge of a backwater of the Mississippi River along Highway 131 south of Vidalia.<br />
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<br />The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-55928134076838925992016-01-16T19:12:00.003-06:002016-01-16T19:15:31.411-06:00Things Unseen: Love Like That <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uYyEprLHFck/Vprp7giBN6I/AAAAAAABCbw/_cCLv2utN2s/s1600/IMGP3598%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uYyEprLHFck/Vprp7giBN6I/AAAAAAABCbw/_cCLv2utN2s/s640/IMGP3598%2B72-25.jpg" width="466" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curvature</td></tr>
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"Even</div>
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After</div>
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All this time</div>
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The sun never says to the Earth,</div>
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'You owe me.'</div>
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Look</div>
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What happens</div>
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With a love like that,</div>
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It lights the whole sky."</div>
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--Hafiz</div>
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The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-53400209226935613052016-01-09T20:15:00.002-06:002016-01-09T20:15:51.362-06:00Photographer's Journal: Life & Love R One <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkZ5ClpeP5Hp-n-FpeyEXW6wHJdzBYJ1Mb_BiZV68hX1Ufcdzm6DD2prOsxgk5rL7frBAVn_xzo6raMuK2Qp67wyDTnEJW1aPxC8WqC8Jr_x-x0ZsE-5h9-PxblU8KNdyUCcT1SMdK2g/s1600/IMGP3165+72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkZ5ClpeP5Hp-n-FpeyEXW6wHJdzBYJ1Mb_BiZV68hX1Ufcdzm6DD2prOsxgk5rL7frBAVn_xzo6raMuK2Qp67wyDTnEJW1aPxC8WqC8Jr_x-x0ZsE-5h9-PxblU8KNdyUCcT1SMdK2g/s640/IMGP3165+72-25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life & Love R One</td></tr>
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<br />
from the Song of Songs:<br />
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I belong to my love, </div>
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and his desire is for me.</div>
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Come, my love,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
let us go to the fields.</div>
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We will spend the night in the villages,</div>
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and in the early morning we go to the vineyards.</div>
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We will see if the vines are budding,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
if their blossoms are opening,</div>
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if the pomegranate trees are in flower.</div>
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Then I will give you </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the gift of my love.</div>
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The mandrakes yield their fragrance,</div>
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the most exquisite fruits are at our doors;</div>
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the new as well as the old,</div>
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I have stored them for you, my love.</div>
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--New Jerusalem Bible, 7:10-13 </div>
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The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-91786927558558912262015-11-16T20:08:00.003-06:002015-11-16T20:08:29.244-06:00Things Unseen: Dare to Love <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gxNiZvuzd3Y/VkqLWrGC6TI/AAAAAAAA_NY/TQOv-D1Ncdw/s1600/IMGP8399%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gxNiZvuzd3Y/VkqLWrGC6TI/AAAAAAAA_NY/TQOv-D1Ncdw/s640/IMGP8399%2B72-25.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dare to Love</td></tr>
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<b><i>In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.</i></b><br />
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<b>--Michael Jackson</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>And in a world filled with violence, we must still dare to love.</b></div>
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<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> </b></div>
The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-31159846425357091372015-11-10T23:15:00.000-06:002015-11-10T23:15:16.598-06:00Things Unseen: Silently Drawn <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EG5OHBCF0Cs/VkLLU0PCRvI/AAAAAAAA_HQ/Jt0D68RzdgM/s1600/IMGP0347%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EG5OHBCF0Cs/VkLLU0PCRvI/AAAAAAAA_HQ/Jt0D68RzdgM/s640/IMGP0347%2B72-25.jpg" width="440" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silently Drawn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Let yourself be silently drawn</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">by the strange pull of what </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">you really love. It will not</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">draw you astray.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">--Rumi</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<br />The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-49014484022987909392015-11-01T19:39:00.000-06:002015-11-01T19:40:04.976-06:00Things Unseen: Emerald Prayer <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQLzheYK25o/Vja-N8ZAEUI/AAAAAAAA-3A/R8L0IihjFZM/s1600/IMGP1342%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQLzheYK25o/Vja-N8ZAEUI/AAAAAAAA-3A/R8L0IihjFZM/s640/IMGP1342%2B72-25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emerald Prayer</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Birth day. Death day.<br />
Between days,<br />
crying laughing,<br />
laughing crying...<br />
<br />
No difference, you know.<br />
<br />
Draw a circle<br />
around this moment.<br />
Say an emerald prayer.</div>
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The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-74800678135561578022015-10-17T18:16:00.002-05:002015-10-17T18:17:11.990-05:00Photographer's Journal: Devil's Eyebrow <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aKuNaoB2rmw/ViLVwj7NSeI/AAAAAAAA-f4/1Jgzw15YgxM/s1600/IMGP1328%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aKuNaoB2rmw/ViLVwj7NSeI/AAAAAAAA-f4/1Jgzw15YgxM/s640/IMGP1328%2B72-25.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming Down Was Easy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
Actually, coming down wasn't exactly "easy." Mostly dry stream beds in
the Ozark Mountains are never "easy"! But the climb back to the top
where our cars were parked was definitely harder, and this aging hiker
was somewhat embarrassed to bring up the tail most of the way up.<br />
<br />
And that blue sky reflected in this spring-fed pool? Yup. We couldn't have asked for a more glorious day.<br />
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It was a fantastic field trip led by my Google+ friend, Eric Hunt, <span class="proflinkWrapper"><span class="proflinkPrefix"></span></span>at the Arkansas Native Plant Society meeting last weekend. We are in the Devil's Eyebrow Natural Area, a well-named treasure in the Ozark Mountains just a few miles west of Eureka Springs, Ark.<br />
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Highly recommended, folks.<br />
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The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-23424431146687104872015-08-21T21:07:00.001-05:002015-08-21T21:07:44.330-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">
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WATERLINE: lan... </div>
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By Bette J. Kauffman </div>
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<a force="true" href="http://www.blurb.com/books/6395336-waterline-landscape-with-voices" only_path="false" style="color: #fd7820; text-decoration: none;" title="Book Preview">Book Preview</a> </div>
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<br />
The Hurricane Katrina WATERLINE book is for sale! Go to Blurb and check it out. About a quarter of the book can be viewed via "Preview."<br />
<br />
<br />The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-87928833929621274222015-08-05T10:54:00.000-05:002015-08-05T10:54:10.710-05:00Photographer's Journal: Gateway <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRwuNgM_nz1WaOmNa0HW0I6KnFO2E7q7Pro4lDSqvbZb9vYwS2a0Mr3-eNr3Ke4fY3Pl2V76iUaYOrSj2Ie9D_2reWIuBcdkqHzmkg3Y9qns5p6suIKcrog1tbFYNiXViO1xI-J1R4Lo/s1600/IMGP8402+72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRwuNgM_nz1WaOmNa0HW0I6KnFO2E7q7Pro4lDSqvbZb9vYwS2a0Mr3-eNr3Ke4fY3Pl2V76iUaYOrSj2Ie9D_2reWIuBcdkqHzmkg3Y9qns5p6suIKcrog1tbFYNiXViO1xI-J1R4Lo/s640/IMGP8402+72-25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gateway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This photo is so deceptive! I could barely stand in this opening between huge rock walls
to shoot. The wind was cold and hard in my face, so strong I
could barely be still enough for this handheld shot, even on a bright,
sunny day. But in the distance, clouds are rolling in. More
glories of the Oregon Coast!<br />
<br />
<br />
The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-54004047053828263122015-07-04T20:15:00.000-05:002015-07-04T20:15:26.772-05:00Brother, give me a word...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TrVM16NFMnM/VZiEJFm71oI/AAAAAAAA64o/toe4IbqRpzE/s1600/IMGP8360%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TrVM16NFMnM/VZiEJFm71oI/AAAAAAAA64o/toe4IbqRpzE/s640/IMGP8360%2B72-25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Haystack, Cannon Beach, OR</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong>Freedom</strong><br />
<div style="color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0; padding: 0; text-align: left;">
God
created us in his image with the capacity to love, and love requires
freedom. And with our freedom, we have the capacity to do great evil as
well as great good. God took a tremendous risk in making us.</div>
<div style="color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0; padding: 0; text-align: right;">
-Br. Robert L'Esperance<br /><a href="http://ssje.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=344ed142b391b2b520df4080c&id=3f0b0678fd&e=2f54c111a1" style="color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Society of Saint John the Evangelist</a></div>
<div style="color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0; padding: 0; text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-88867603237540245602015-06-07T21:48:00.001-05:002015-06-07T21:48:03.813-05:00Let Go <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxeQDHUC26Q/VXUCMOkKRzI/AAAAAAAA6QU/zKtXuy_ZBOE/s1600/IMGP7331%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxeQDHUC26Q/VXUCMOkKRzI/AAAAAAAA6QU/zKtXuy_ZBOE/s640/IMGP7331%2B72-25.jpg" width="542" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let Go</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0; padding: 0; text-align: left;">
If
we’re not paying attention, we can find we’ve accumulated a vast
treasury, truck loads of fears and anxieties, trunk loads of resentments
and grudges, crates of unrealistic expectations and boxes of
presumptions and unreasonable demands. Remember to leave all this
baggage behind, to travel lightly on the way. Remember to travel
forgetfully and follow Jesus.</div>
<div style="color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0; padding: 0; text-align: right;">
-Br. Mark Brown<br /><a href="http://ssje.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=344ed142b391b2b520df4080c&id=af8561a6c7&e=2f54c111a1" style="color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Society of Saint John the Evangelist</a></div>
<div style="color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0; padding: 0; text-align: right;">
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The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-13867666948457074932015-05-24T22:25:00.000-05:002015-05-24T22:25:04.067-05:00Things Unseen: Two Breaths, One Body <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3lN3OGyajQe918GxGEU14nZ-HIugs8Jg-DBgtRUzCvsUA6WVY7UiFtAEWecxHIuypURHGsKp_c73lSZDMSuyOPKStlW4s8GucCbVTjKbIgsZP8Umef-8LNuyMwTjoLF2Szm0xpaHt8U/s1600/IMGP1988+72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3lN3OGyajQe918GxGEU14nZ-HIugs8Jg-DBgtRUzCvsUA6WVY7UiFtAEWecxHIuypURHGsKp_c73lSZDMSuyOPKStlW4s8GucCbVTjKbIgsZP8Umef-8LNuyMwTjoLF2Szm0xpaHt8U/s640/IMGP1988+72-25.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Breaths, One Body</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am the One whom I love</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And the One whom I love is I--</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Two breaths and spirits</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sharing one body.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And when you see the One,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
you see us both.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
--Mansur al-Hallaj</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-89272143422162207202015-04-24T21:50:00.000-05:002015-04-24T21:50:03.038-05:00Things Unseen: Becoming Love <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NKAQDvf6oKU/VTsAUDVeW2I/AAAAAAAA4lo/G6NP1-HIH8c/s1600/IMGP1051%2B72-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NKAQDvf6oKU/VTsAUDVeW2I/AAAAAAAA4lo/G6NP1-HIH8c/s1600/IMGP1051%2B72-10.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i>Becoming Love</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 17pt; font-weight: normal;">You Are Love Becoming Love</span><span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 17.0pt; font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.2pt; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">--Richard Rohr, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Daily
Meditation, November 26, 2014</span><span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 17.0pt; font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Your True Self
is who you are, and always have been in God, and at its core it is love itself.
Love is both who you are and who you are still becoming, like a sunflower seed
that becomes its own sunflower. Most of human history has called the True Self
your “soul” or “your participation in the eternal life of God.” The great
surprise and irony is that “you,” or who you think you are, have nothing to do
with its original creation or its demise. It’s sort of disempowering and
utterly empowering at the same time! All you can do is nurture it, which is
saying quite a lot. It is love becoming love in this unique form called “me.”
</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">It seems to be
a fully cooperative effort according to St. Paul </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">(Romans 8:28)</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">, and
according to my own limited experience too. God never forces himself or herself
on us or coerces us toward life or love by any threats whatsoever. God seduces
us, yes; coerces us, no </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">(Jeremiah 20:7; Matthew 11:28-30)</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">. Whoever this
God is, he or she is utterly free and utterly respects our own human freedom.
Love cannot happen in any other way. Love flourishes inside freedom and then
increases freedom even more. “For freedom Christ has set us free!” shouts St.
Paul in his critique of all legalistic religion </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">(Galatians 5:1)</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">We are allowed
to ride life and love’s wonderful mystery for a few years—until life and love
reveal themselves as the same thing, which is the final and full message of the
risen Christ—life morphing into a love that is beyond space and time. He
literally “breathes” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shalom</i> and
forgiveness into the universal air </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">(John 20:22-23)</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">. You get to add your own finishing
touches of love, your own life breath to the Great Breath, and then return the
completed package to its maker in a brand-new but also the same form. It is
indeed the same “I,” but now it is in willing union with the great “I AM”</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"> (Exodus 3:14)</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">. We are no
longer absolutely one, but we are not two either! (Think about that if you
can.) </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt;">--Adapted from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Immortal Diamond:
The Search for our True Self</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-18220085669682564142015-04-12T12:18:00.003-05:002015-04-12T12:18:34.711-05:00Happy 2nd Easter!<br /> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scoXUbHg3QA/VSqj-S_OpBI/AAAAAAAA4UU/Tmq8PtDF-LI/s1600/IMGP1358%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scoXUbHg3QA/VSqj-S_OpBI/AAAAAAAA4UU/Tmq8PtDF-LI/s1600/IMGP1358%2B72-25.jpg" height="390" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If we really "got" Easter, this world would be a different place! See my sermon for the 2nd Sunday of Easter here: <a href="http://the-deacons-sermons.blogspot.com/2015/04/transformed-by-risen-one.html">Transformed by the Risen One?</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-370932834748001692015-03-07T12:42:00.003-06:002015-03-07T12:43:32.776-06:00Things Unseen: Courage <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GCerX_hpWsM/VPtFEdo6VTI/AAAAAAAA3cQ/pW0Hf-CbnBo/s1600/IMGP0191%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GCerX_hpWsM/VPtFEdo6VTI/AAAAAAAA3cQ/pW0Hf-CbnBo/s1600/IMGP0191%2B72-25.jpg" height="492" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But You Can't Keep Me Down</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Camellias - the South's blessed testimony to resilience and the beauty of woundedness! <br />
<br />
Last Saturday morning I had a few minutes at St. Thomas' to wait for a friend to arrive for our trip to Camp Hardtner for a Congregational Vitality Institute day--a wonderful one, too, BTW!<br />
<br />
The many camellias planted among the trees between the church and Bayou Dr. were clearly damaged by our icy weather, but blooming beautifully anyway. <br />
<br />
The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-22758243118693393152015-02-25T14:23:00.001-06:002015-02-25T14:27:29.013-06:00Snow day! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FPvomnHmWSI/VO4vZWg9pWI/AAAAAAAA3Ec/dezH46kdJds/s1600/IMGP0163%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FPvomnHmWSI/VO4vZWg9pWI/AAAAAAAA3Ec/dezH46kdJds/s1600/IMGP0163%2B72-25.jpg" height="394" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Today's question: How do you picture a day spent "being"--as opposed to "doing"?<br />
<br />
The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-60049091177659511772015-02-24T21:29:00.001-06:002015-02-25T14:20:36.229-06:00Photographer's Journal: Camp Hardtner <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uqAnTok3k-8/VO075cRowvI/AAAAAAAA3Ck/9idmXexAyW4/s1600/IMGP0093%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uqAnTok3k-8/VO075cRowvI/AAAAAAAA3Ck/9idmXexAyW4/s1600/IMGP0093%2B72-25.jpg" height="388" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invitation to Stop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Lkb">And I did. And took in the emerald water, the green
grass, the golden brown of last summer's grass-like plant, and the balmy
breeze coming across the lake. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="Lkb">For Lent this year, I am following an online series by the Brothers of Saint John the Divine. It is about our relationship with time, which was the first thing in creation God called "holy." </span><br />
<br />
<span class="Lkb">It has not been a surprise to me to learn already that my own relationship with time is pretty disordered. </span><br />
<span class="Lkb"><br /></span>
<span class="Lkb">Yesterday's lesson was about invitations to stop during the day. For the brothers, the monastery bells invite them to stop what they are doing for prayer four times a day. </span><br />
<span class="Lkb"><br /></span>
<span class="Lkb">Scenes like the one above are my monastery bells. They are invitations from the universe to stop for a moment, drink in the beauty, give thanks. That I do so with a camera makes it no less prayer. </span><br />
<span class="Lkb"> </span><br />
<span class="Lkb"><br /></span>The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-15124011013336526742015-02-22T22:42:00.003-06:002015-02-22T22:42:46.571-06:00Camp Hardtner <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HN391Mbq6p0/VOqu1VdkrsI/AAAAAAAA26o/HRgVt7Su23M/s1600/IMGP0086%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HN391Mbq6p0/VOqu1VdkrsI/AAAAAAAA26o/HRgVt7Su23M/s1600/IMGP0086%2B72-25.jpg" height="388" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect Peace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Home from Happening 53! What a blessed experience in a beautiful place with some fine young people. The Spirit was with us.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-21811603904597061282015-02-14T20:02:00.002-06:002015-02-14T20:02:40.053-06:00Wildflowers: Arkansas <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LfKOgoOLZjw/VN_6BAn-kUI/AAAAAAAA2mI/yBAEN-dDy5g/s1600/IMGP8244%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LfKOgoOLZjw/VN_6BAn-kUI/AAAAAAAA2mI/yBAEN-dDy5g/s1600/IMGP8244%2B72-25.jpg" height="640" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Sage (Salvia azurea)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In October, I attended the Arkansas Native Plant Society annual meeting in Texarkana. One of our hikes was in the White Cliffs Natural Area of western Arkansas. It is situated on a large outcropping of chalk that overlooks the Little River and gives the area its name. We saw many interesting plant species. It was October, so only a few things were still blooming; this lovely little blue flower was surely one of the prettiest!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
on
a large outcrop of Annona Chalk, rising out of the Little River
floodplain (now Millwood Lake) and includes a 100-foot high chalk bluff
over the Little River, from which the area derives its name. - See
more at:
http://www.naturalheritage.com/natural-area/white-cliffs/#sthash.CLUb4sD0.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
on
a large outcrop of Annona Chalk, rising out of the Little River
floodplain (now Millwood Lake) and includes a 100-foot high chalk bluff
over the Little River, from which the area derives its name. - See
more at:
http://www.naturalheritage.com/natural-area/white-cliffs/#sthash.CLUb4sD0.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
on
a large outcrop of Annona Chalk, rising out of the Little River
floodplain (now Millwood Lake) and includes a 100-foot high chalk bluff
over the Little River, from which the area derives its name. - See
more at:
http://www.naturalheritage.com/natural-area/white-cliffs/#sthash.CLUb4sD0.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
on
a large outcrop of Annona Chalk, rising out of the Little River
floodplain (now Millwood Lake) and includes a 100-foot high chalk bluff
over the Little River, from which the area derives its name. - See
more at:
http://www.naturalheritage.com/natural-area/white-cliffs/#sthash.CLUb4sD0.dpuf</div>
The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-72690472410240097802015-01-17T20:08:00.002-06:002015-01-17T20:08:40.863-06:00Kisatchie Splendors<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b5S3pf_x2_o/VLsS9ew3baI/AAAAAAAA2DM/NR9URUfEVSQ/s1600/IMGP9912%2B72-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b5S3pf_x2_o/VLsS9ew3baI/AAAAAAAA2DM/NR9URUfEVSQ/s1600/IMGP9912%2B72-25.jpg" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She Walks in Beauty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had just 30 minutes to spare when I arrived in the vicinity of Camp Hardtner this morning for a Congregational Vitality Institute day. So I turned west on FS 120, just across from the southern entrance to Camp Hardtner, drove about a mile and parked at the end of this old logging road.<br />
<br />
Last summer I set out to find an area of the Kisatchie that was reasonably close to home, an area along Hwy 165 where I could easily stop en route to and from Alexandria and Camp Hardtner. This was my third visit and I love the place more each time.<br />
<br />
This morning, after parking my car and getting out, my phone rang and it was an important call. I leaned against the back of my CRV facing the road, finished the phone call, then got my camera off the front seat and began walking down this road. I had gone no more than a few feet when a young deer--probably last year's fawn, based on size--bolted from a thick patch to my left.<br />
<br />
I was still adjusting the camera, setting shutter speed and depth of field, checking white balance, deciding which lens to use, etc. But, you know, it didn't matter. I just stood there and watched the deer, all rimmed in morning light, bound across the path about 70-80 yards in front of me.<br />
<br />
See it? Of course you do!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602343642729803437.post-20740199875088994012015-01-01T01:01:00.001-06:002015-01-01T01:11:52.935-06:00My Awesome 5 to Welcome, 2015! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rv7mvm11IcA/VKTxGnAOPfI/AAAAAAAA1BU/d16SA6G3u90/s1600/IMGP9629%2B72-25%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rv7mvm11IcA/VKTxGnAOPfI/AAAAAAAA1BU/d16SA6G3u90/s1600/IMGP9629%2B72-25%2Bcopy.jpg" height="386" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I have never been any good a New Year's Resolutions. So, instead, because a friend of mine on G+ started it, I took a quick look back. So here's My Awesome 5 that are the jumping off point for 2015:<br />
<br />
1. My son got engaged and now I have a lovely daughter-in-law-to-be, plus the hope of grandchildren! How awesome is that?<br />
<br />
2.
One of my G+ photo posts surpassed 100 +1's for the very first time---all the
way to 349 +1's! Yes, I know and agree, the point is not the numbers.
Nevertheless, after 3+ years of participating really quite a lot on G+,
it feels like an awesome milestone. (For you FB'ers, a +1 is a "like.")<br />
<br />
3. And just to say it wasn't a
fluke, within a couple of weeks another post went past 100 all the way
to 373 +1's! I hope that means my photography is getting better!
Awesome.<br />
<br />
4. I got wonderful support from many G+'ers and FB friends for the book
project I've been working on. It has really kept me going and now I need
to get cracking and finish it!<br />
<br />
5. I have set a date for retirement.
This might seem like an odd one, but... for me to know that in May 2017,
I'm walking away from full-time teaching, come hell or high water, is
liberating. It's an objective that will help me focus my efforts on
doing the things that most need doing to make that happen. I'm excited.<br />
<br />
BTW, I took this photo at Restoration Park in West Monroe, which really is a rather awesome place. I'm proud of West Monroe for healing that land.<br />
<br />
The Rev. Dr. K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18310453203065397126noreply@blogger.com0