a Sunday morning walk

I love going for walks early on Sunday mornings - it is so quiet, so peaceful, so fresh.



this reminded me of the very best scene from Pride & Prejudice 2005 version

















these thorny trees fascinate me - they are such lovely trees yet have such enormously scary spikes...












It was a beautiful morning... next time, perhaps you'll join me?

... faded memories ...

What a difference a week makes.

:: luscious ::

Another rose bush in my garden grows longstem pale peach roses that have a fantastic aroma, and they last a long time when cut.






I am loving this weather, I've been able to enjoy some gorgeous flowers again before it turns cold soon.

{ sweet }

my climbing roses are reblooming like crazy now that the weather has cooled and we've had some rain... their flowers don't last long enough to bring inside for arrangements, but their scent is the sweetest I have ever had in a rose, they truly smell like candy!

Self Portrait Challenge { Inspired by Literature 4 }

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

-- James 1:17


final week for photos inspired by literature with SPC

birds of a feather

I just returned from a trip to visit my grandmother, with my girls and my mom. We had a wonderful time!

These photos are from our walk to the pond in her neighborhood. We had a bag of leftover bread, and the sunset gave some gorgeous light.

wildflower walk

who knows how long this will last

I know a place where we can go
untouched by man
watch the clouds go rollin' by
watch the tall grass waving in the wind...

(The End of The Innocence, Don Henley - see & hear it here)

a few more from hiking in Colorado...

Can you find the log that looks like a rabbit?
It certainly seems tiny against the back of Pike's Peak...





Sparkling snow is captivating, therefore I opted to sacrifice light to capture it here...

{ thistle }

full moon morning

the last rose...

I cut and brought this indoors last week the night before our first freeze...
now I wait until spring for new buds...

summer finale

Fingerprint Friday { busy busy busy }

The crepe myrtle outside my front window is a magnet for bees, hummingbirds, and other assorted natural wonders. Today, it's the bees - munching on pollen and collecting it to take home.










There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in:

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints.

2. Be sure to link so others can find the entire list of participants! Go over to TheRustedChain blog to add your link to the list of participants.

Self Portrait Challenge - { senses - sight }

"To look at a thing is quite different from seeing a thing, and one does not see anything until one sees its beauty."

Mabel - An Ideal Husband, Oscar Wilde



And can I just say, I'm so thankful for optical technology.
Without it, my world is truly a blur.



Click here to see more of "The Five Senses" theme over on Self Portrait Challenge...

isn't it Grand?

Fingerprint Friday - { fuzzy }

It was hard to be mad at this big guy for eating my plant, knowing he's just doing what God made him to do in preparation for morphing into some amazing new creature someday soon!






There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in:

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints.

2. Be sure to link so others can find the entire list of participants! Go over to PamperingBeki's blog to add your link to the list of participants.

i heart spring

a Texas redbud tree

{ succulent }

Remember this coffee cup? Here it is, in action...

I was playing around with lighting angles & depth of field, as well as hoping to capture the ethereal beauty of water droplets...

Fingerprint Friday { seashells }

I still cannot get over the sheer number and variety of shells we found on Sanibel Island.

As I was walking the beach early on our first morning there, I was reminded of Jesus' words of reassurance - not a single sparrow falls without God's knowing. This immediately led me to this thought - not a single sea creature that lived in these shells vacated the shell without God knowing.

And as I stood there among shells of all shapes & sizes, I felt blissfully small and wonderfully cared for at the same time.





see what looks like a lighter tan reflection in the center of this beach?
and the dots everywhere that look like rocks?
those are the shells...

That's Nicole sitting in the water -
her body expression is a lot like how I felt inside the whole time we were there.


There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in:

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints.

2. Be sure to link so others can find the entire list of participants! Go over to PamperingBeki's blog to add your link to the list of participants.