Something missed, something gained . . .

"In every walk with nature one receives

far more than he seeks."

- John Muir

This week, that couldn't be more true!

As I mentioned on Sunday, we had planned on going to watch the sunrise. . . but, although I set

the time on my alarm clock, I forgot to turn it on. Yep, I woke up and saw it was completely daylight

outside and looked at the clock . . . 7:20, the exact time the sun would be peering over the horizon.

Let's just say I wasn't a happy camper, although I did make it later in the week, here.  When that happens,
I wonder if there was a reason I wasn't supposed to be there. Well, at least that's what I tried to
tell myself, and since we were already up we just decided to head over that way and take one of the trails.

First stop, butterfly garden, of course! We may not get much in the way of fall around these parts

but our wildlife is around a lot longer. This Gulf Fritillary didn't seem the least bit worried about me and my lens. But I was a little disappointed though, not to find any monarch caterpillars on the milkweed.

{Photograph life - fall color}

I was definitely not seeking a grasshopper, especially not a giant 3-4" one. But there it was blending right in and I can safely say that out of everything I usually run into, snakes included, that grasshoppers are not my favorite. It does look like he escaped with his life, just minus his jumping leg . . . ever wonder where they get ideas for alien creature feature films, look no further!

And as I was walking away, I spied this leaf, pierced by a falling acorn top!

Then we hopped back into the car and went further down to hook up with another trail. And as we were crossing over a small bridge on the road (on foot) I spotted this gorgeous Tri-colored Heron. I don't see many of these along my travels, so this was a treat! Just look at his gorgeous colors!!

After a few minutes he flew down to the water looking for food.

And this yellow stuff, ragweed, it's what's making everyone miserable - and it's just everywhere you turn.

And these pretty little flowers/weeds (?) lined a part of the path . . . what is that they say . . .  a weed is a flower in the wrong place. I would say these looked to be in the right place.

This week over at Pixel Dust Photo Art, Bonnie, instead of a theme gave us a fabulous freebie texture called leafy landscape for our challenge this week. I knew right away what photo I would use with this, that I had taken just days before. And wow, I love the texture with this - it was just the right touch for this photo, and then I topped it off with her vintage vellum.  Thank you Bonnie! If you haven't participated in her weekly photo art challenge before, I encourage you to go now and hang a piece of your art in her link-up gallery. (opens at 7 tonight, you can follow the theme or enter any piece of art)

"All walking is discovery. On foot we take the time to see things whole."  - Hal Burland

So although Saturday morning I was seeking the sunrise, and despite my foul mood, and showing up anyway, I received far more than I bargained for. And with each discovery, on foot, I was able to see the bigger picture and by the end of our walk I had almost almost forgotten about the sunrise!
I'm pretty sure I learned a lesson here!!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Love Kim,
XO

Sharing with Photo Art Friday, Finding Serendipity, This and That Thursday,
Fabulous Friday, Photograph Life, Little Things Thursdays

A textured Friday . . .

"Everywhere water is a thing of beauty

gleaming in the dewdrop,

singing in the rain."

- John Ballantine Gough

Oh wow, I haven't even been out with my camera this week - I haven't felt well, which is why it's been a little quiet on my side of the pond. So, I finally went to the doctor and have a sinus infection, fluid filled ears and seasonal asthma! UGH!!  It's amazing what a couple of days of medication can do though . . . which is a good thing . . . because I'm not very good at doing nothing.

This week at Bonnie's photo art Friday the theme is liquid. So I went to my archives for a few photos with some kind of liquid and decided to have some texture fun.


This first one, dew drops on a weed stem . . . 

If you haven't noticed, I do seem to have a fetish with water drops. In fact I carry a small spray bottle in my camera bag along with an eyedropper . . . yep,  my big tip for the day!!

{Photo Art Friday and Foto Friday}

This one I textured with her new freebie, Blue Depths in overlay - just love how it complimented the stone wall but in a subtle way.

These are the same rose, different textures . . . the bottom photo has her soft sunset texture in 2 layers, both in overlay. Such a great painterly effect . . .

{Flower Art Friday}

Short and sweet this week, I'm going to go take a nap now! ; )

Have a great weekend!

Love, Kim

XO

Sharing with Photo Art Friday, Flower Art Friday, Fabulous Friday, This and That Thursday,

Finding Serendipity, Foto Friday

Recorded moments . . .

"To us, the difference between the photographer as an individual eye

and the photographer as an objective recorder seems fundamental,

the difference often regarded, mistakenly, as separating photography

as art from photography as document. But both are logical extensions

of what photography means; note-taking on, potentially, everything in

the world, from every possible angle."   - Susan Sontag

I think that just about sums it up for me . . . I'm definitely a note-taker with my camera,

on everything I see, AND from every angle possible! (angles that make the people around me go, hmmmm) Just ask my camera . . . over 80,000 clicks in the last year, yikes!! And it contains the only card I know of that one can max out, costing nothing but time.

And speaking of time, I took my father-in-law who has been visiting on a little tour of some of my favorite spots, the butterfly garden and along the birding trail...it was a good day, but it's a good thing to remember that when in nature, sometimes curiosity can kill the cat.

We may not get the typical fall colors here, but when the temps cool off into the 80's nature gets happy again! Honestly, I have no idea what kind of plant/bush this is, but it's PINK and it was gorgeous.

{Flower Art Friday}

Of course there was a visit from another one of my green friends, who was trying to figure out

just HOW to jump that far back to the plant he was on.

And the dragonflies were out in full force . . . this one reminds me of a giraffe with his markings. 

But in between the dragonflies we saw, I spied this butterfly resting . . .

But then I saw some movement, thought I saw a dark colored lizard tail . . . I moved in further to investigate to find this staring back at me. He just stared and I tried to get closer, but couldn't, then I lost him.....

 . . . and more dragonflies

And ones that had wings that shimmered like gold!

One with dots, and what looks to me like a shade of red lipstick!

And oh yes, one made specially for me, in pink, holy cow!!

{foto friday}

We eventually made our way to the bay and started the trail back to the car when something caught my eye on the side of the trail . . . I looked down and said to my father-in law, it's dead right?! haha  Well, as I looked through my camera, to get a picture, I realized not only was it NOT dead, but he was in a threatening stance, and I was standing about two feet from it . . . but unlike the one I saw earlier, I knew this one was a cotton mouth, aka a water moccasin . . . poisonous!! One dead (sorry) giveaway that it is a cotton mouth rather than just a water snake is the stripe along the side of this head, well that and his wide body and boxy head.  They are known to stand their ground, but we didn't panic,  moved slowly and he turned and went the other way. 

And not to leave you with a snake embedded in your memory for the rest of the day, this is my submission to Photo Art Friday. The theme this week is figures. I thought about a statue from the archives but I took this one on our walk, a shadow of the two of us enjoying an afternoon watching the dragonflies, and the birds, and avoiding snakes!  I thought it was interesting that in our shadows is the reflection of the leaves on the trees above us.  I used Bonnie's Irish moss, and gold dust textures.

"We do not remember days; we remember moments."

- Cesare Pavese

Have a great weekend, recording as you go!

Love, Kim

XO

Sharing with, Photo Art Friday, Flower art Friday, Finding Serendipity, Foto Friday,

Fabulous Friday, This and That Thursday

Drifting along . . .

"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails."

-Dolly Parton

Oh, I would like to adjust those sails alright, by taking them down and just drifting for a bit.

I've still just not quite adjusted to the schedule of school yet, and being gone three nights during the weekday's, doesn't help - although we do love our football! So I'm pretending that I'm on that sailboat, with its sails down, 'cause it doesn't look like they're coming back for me! ; )

I did manage to get to the sunrise last weekend and I remembered reading in one of my photography books

that you could get a moonrise like photo if you changed the white balance. So I took a few with it set to incandescent, and although I'm not so sure it looks like a moonrise, I do like the effect.

{ Shoot.Edit.Submit}

And a short visit to the beach . . . I just love watching the pelicans skim those waves!

I kept seeing more and more pelicans, unusually so, flying by me, and then realized that they were landing on the State Park beach. I don't think in all the times I have been that I have ever seen them in this spot. But my euphoria didn't last long, as I was spotted and right on cue they all took off together. With a wing span of 6-8 feet, I have no idea how they take off with out getting tangled in one another....especially since they were standing so close to each other.

But this cormorant didn't mind me too much, even sang me a little tune of Galveston, Oh Galveston.

And what's a day at the beach without a few friends.  But apparently they don't like fudge poptarts . . .

Or they were just holding out for my Cheetos . . . oh do they ever like their Cheetos!

This week at Photo Art Friday Bonnie gave us a theme of movement. I overlayed two images and added two layers of her texture mauve threads. I think it surely works well with water and gives more movement to the piece. 

And my submission to Flower Art Friday with  two layers of Kim Klassen's texture take heart at hardlight.

{Photographers choice - Photograph life }

Happy Friday to you, and I hope your weekend is a restful one!!

Love, Kim

XO

Linking up to Flower Art Friday, Photo Art Friday, Mom Tried It, Photograph life,

Finding Serendipity {1440}

As the world turns . . .

{Galveston Bay sunrise, 6:26 A.M.}

Each morning as the dawn breaks

we all start with the same amount,

and it can be a challenge to manage it well.

It is a gift,

that some use wiser than others

because we simply take it for granted,

and are seldom thankful enough for it.

And although it unfolds right before our eyes,

it can not be seen or touched.

But even though we can't hold it in our hands,

the memories gathered from it can be held in our hearts.

Some always seem pressed for it,

but it requires some patience

as it can not be rushed.

We race against it, we run out of it,

and some try to buy, borrow and even kill it.

But it is a non-renewable resource

worth its weight in gold,

meant to be used in the present,

and can not be sold.

Its only requirement

is that we be here, now.

That we celebrate and not squander it,

and that we not wish it away on the future

to spite today.

Because once we waste it

it can't be turned around.

But make no mistake, it waits for no one.

It will go on without us, guaranteed, time after time. . .

- Kim

I made it to the bay this week twice to watch God paint with his many brushes. And to think that millions

of people world-wide are sleeping, unaware of the beauty, the artistry that goes on without them. When we first moved here to the gulf I thought people just had to be crazy to want to live so close to a body of water that can cause so much destruction during a hurricane season. But I have come to understand the pull it can have on you, the addiction to want more. There is something incredible about watching the sun rise, and it's not just the beauty of it, but the reminder that time does not stand still, that it waits for no man. So I'm sharing some pictures from the sunrise just yesterday morning and how time changes, and sometimes it is so subtle that unless we take the time of day, we don't even take notice.

6:33 A.M

6:34 A.M.

6:41 A.M.

6:56 A.M.

6:56 A.M. {photograph life, looking up at the sky}

7:06 A.M.

7:18 A.M.

This was later on in the afternoon . . .

{Textured with Pixel Dust Photo Art age it, and painterly}

And lastly my Flower Art Friday submission, using Kim Klassen's Oh My, and Red.

{shoot.edit.submit}

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely

in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke,

thoroughly used up, worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow, what a ride!"

- Hunter S. Thompson

Time, it's that one thing we can't save, that must be used.

As the world turns we get 1440 minutes a day, how are you going to use yours?

Make it a great day!

Love, Kim

XO

       

Beach happenings. . .week in review

"To live is so startling

it leaves little time for anything else."

- Emily Dickinson

In fact it actually leaves little time to clean one's house!

But hey, I don't think I want to be remembered for that anyway....

I was able to get to the beach twice this week, once on my birthday and once with a friend.

The birthday on the beach was well, a bit of a bust as it rained.

But later in the week my friend and I packed snacks and drinks, books, journals and of course

my handy dandy blue kids net, you remember that one.

We left fairly early set up our chairs, and umbrellas and had ourselves a grand time.

Eating, talking, relaxing, playing . . . rinse (literally),  and repeat.

And it was quite an eventful week at the beach . . .

This was Sunday morning, the birthday edition sunrise . . .

{Shoot.edit.submit}

It seems when I get out that handy dandy blue kids net (lol) I always make a few friends, and they are always quite a bit younger. Together, the three of us caught 375 hermit crabs with a few olive snails thrown in!! I put a few in my make shift glass aquarium and holy cow, one came straight out and took over the shell of another crab. Although this was much to the demise of that other crab, and he struggled for awhile trying to get him out all the way. I'm sparing you the photo and the details as interesting as it was. . . and yes you

are welcome!

They were all put gently back from where they came.....

As I was taking these pics of the hermits, I hear, "he got a shark".....

yes, I dropped everything to go look, well not the camera. It was a very young Bonnethead shark.

They can get up to 5 feet, but average around 3 feet, and are timid and not dangerous to humans.

AND, I just had to hold it . . . it was pretty amazing and its skin was a bit sand papery. He needed some

help staying above water until the water could wash back into his gills

I watched this guy practice his balancing act for the beach Olympics . . .

. . . and the seagulls take a bath.

But then, you see something that makes you go hmmmm . . . at first I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but I scooped it up with my net and was quite perplexed to see this poor red eared slider, a fresh water turtle, floating in the ocean, a very salty body of water. So I rinsed him with some fresh water, had a photo session and found him a safer home. Isn't he just adorable?

This year on the Galveston State Park beach, the vegetation is in abundance with these little yellow flowers and as I was looking for shells I spotted this tiny, and I mean dime size tiny butterfly looking for a snack.

{Flower Art Friday -I used Bonnie's (pixel dust art) painterly texture and love the effect I got on this}

And for Photo Art Friday the theme is doors, and in keeping with my beach theme I used doors from a church in Galveston and overlayed an image of pelicans with some clouds. I used a Kim Klassen texture sunkissed, and two from Pixel Dust - etched in stone and painterly, removing the textures at 100% off the doors in a way to accentuate the crosses. I thought the pelicans were perfect with church doors as they fly with such grace and the hint of clouds remind me of heaven.

"Heavens Grace"

Can you believe it's August already? My kids start back to school in a matter of weeks, and my son starts football camp for high school next week. We are a huge high school football fan family and in fact my daughter has the countdown at 21 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 40 seconds until the first football game.

And one last note, about a pesto called Ernesto, as in Tropical Storm Ernesto. It's on track to become a hurricane by Monday and currently in the Caribbean but it's a bit early to know just where in the Gulf of Mexico it will land. If the high pressure system currently in my area of the gulf stays then chances are it will most likely take a turn for Mexico. This is the time of year when hurricane season starts getting really fired up as the water is very warm, especially in the gulf which is what gives fuel to the storms to grown into major hurricanes. Keep your fingers crossed for all of us here in the gulf!!

Until next time,

Love, Kim

XO