Oh What a Beautiful Mornin' . . .

Oh What a Beautiful Mornin',

by Rogers and Hammerstein II

Oh what a beautiful day,

{KK Warm Sun}

 There's a bright golden haze on the meadow,

and,

All the sounds of the earth are like music.

Especially the sounds at a sunrise.

I've been absent from here, and have spent a great deal of mornings in the last few weeks at the sunrise. It's that one place that gives me the reassurance of a new day. Not tomorrow's new day, just this one, the only one promised.

This coming Saturday, May 16th, I'm participating in a unique "Awareness" blog hop. Each participant has chosen a special awareness to write about. Either something that has touched them personally or something very close to their heart, and I would be so grateful if you came back . . . I will be sharing a lot more information about Juvenile Arthritis and some of our journey. It will explain why I haven't been here, and our challenges going forward.

And one last thing, today is my last regular post as a contributor at FOL...Goodbye doesn't always mean, the end.

Love, Kim xo

Texture Tuesday, Song-ography, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Roses of inspiration

Soak up the sun . . .

"I"m gonna soak up the sun

while it's still free

I'm gonna soak up the sun

before it goes out on me."

-Soak up the Sun (by Cheryl Crow)

It seems lately, all the sun does is go out under the cloud cover.

And it's certainly not been the shining star (get it) of the sunrise these days either. :)

So I had to go back a few months, to last year really, 

for a sunrise where the sun wasn't so shy, or lost.

I've heard rumors that people like to wake up to Folgers in their cups,

me, I like to wake up to sunshine in my day....everyday.

[KK 1216]

And at least, when the sun can't get around all that cloud cover, there is always the blanket flower to act as an understudy!

Hope this finds you in a sun shiny day (we have a 10 day forecast of mostly rain),

*P.S. -  I almost forgot, I am over at Focusing on Life today musing about our {Flower Theme}. We are like flowers....Music of the Earth.

Love, Kim

sharing with Texture Tuesday, Song-ography, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Roses of Inspiration

I have a 'Pocketful of Sunshine' . . .

"Take me away, a secret place

A sweet escape, take me away . . . "

- Pocketful of Sunshine , Natasha Bedingfield

Yep, this space...

feels like a secret place, early upon the dawn

at the first sign of life

when the darkness turns to light,

and out of blindness comes sight.

As you are reading this,

I AM here,

with friends,

braving the cold

not just because I can

but because I have to

this place IS my stillness

my peace

my calm...

my sweet escape from the chaos of life

my center in the unevenness

in this space everything is right

everything is good, and sooo many possibilities exist

{KK 411 & 99}

THIS, is my pocketful of sunshine

that I carry around in my soul.

So thankful for this!

Love, Kim

sharing with Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Song-ography
Communal Global

Texture Tuesday . . . dream edition

The epitome of beauty

and of grace

in the water,

curiously they gaze back,

playfully as if to invite.

Sounds that are melodic

echo in the air,

harmonic like a symphony,

spontaneous and free.

The super surfer

a soul of the sea,

deeply spiritual

and one of the most endearing

creatures of the Earth,

your voice calls to me.

- Kim



{KKlassen deardreamer, overlay}

{KKlassen deardreamer, overlay}

{KKlassen grundgedup, overlay}

{KKlassen Oasis/Carol, overlay}

My in-laws were visiting for a long weekend and we took them on a Baywatch Dolphin Cruise off of Pier 21 in Galveston (there are no propellers as it's a jet drive boat and safe for the dolphins). It couldn't have been a more perfect day, not only weather wise, but for siting dolphins. You could hear them before you could see them, and see them we did! This is by far not only the most I have ever seen, but they were so playful, and as you can see at one point getting right next to the boat.  I don't care how many times I see this incredible creature, it always feels just as magical as the first time....and all for only $10!

I dream of one day being able to swim with this amazing animal!!

Love, Kim

XO

sharing with Texture Tuesday, Communal Global, Sweet Shot Tuesday

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}

Be still . . .

  

As the dawn breaks over the horizon, for which I see no beginning or end,

I sit in stillness and know that you are God. When I silence my heart and mind,
I can hear you call my name. And as my eyes take in the beauty around me,

I see all that you have written.  - Kim

I had set my alarm, but hit snooze a few times too many. I was pretty sure I wouldn't make it on time for the show, but decided to just go anyway. I'm glad I did . . .  I raced out of the car with camera and tripod in hand, and this was the very first click of the morning. And surprise, this week I do have more than just the sunrise. ; ) 

And as soon as the sun rose just behind the clouds, it turned into this . . .

If you look really closely in the photo above, far in the distance in the golden light,

is this shrimp boat that I zoomed in on.

There is just something about the stillness at the start of the day, although that doesn't mean everything else around us is still. There seemed to be a fierce game of chase going on.

And I wasn't the only one in need of a little reflection.

And then I was off, just down the street, to sit and just think about nothing. It's one of my favorite spots along the coastal birding trail, a small wooden platform off in a little alcove. This place is kind of like

an eraser for my mind, where inspiration comes in the stillness. The silence of real life. Where you can hear things you can't see rustling about, where you can hear the buzzing of a dragonflies wings.

And on my walk, I have to say that I was a bit surprised to see Wisteria blooming this late in the season. The photo art Friday theme this week is container and I'm stretching this one a bit. The heavenly scent is

contained by this beautiful vine....I know, I know, but it's all I got.

{Flower Art Friday / Photo Art Friday - textures, RHWest Script, and age it from Pixel Dust}

As I started heading back to the car I just happened to spy this Night Heron up in the trees. He wasn't at all

liking the clicking of my camera and didn't stick around long.

And then shortly after that, I had found a bench in the shade and sat down to take a break from the heat. And there it was, this Green June Beetle rustling around the ground. It was incredible, as the metallic colors seemed to glow in the shade. Oh, but I didn't have my macro lens with me (it was still in the car), so I looked around for something to carry it back on, hoping the whole while it didn't fly away and that I could actually change my lens without losing it.  

Just check out that antennae! And it was no small beetle at about almost an inch long and half an inch wide. It was pretty difficult to really capture all its shiny metallic colors, and he didn't want to play dead and roll over so I could show you his belly that was a metallic copper. He would have made a great specimen for some resin jewelry, but I wasn't about to kill it.

{Shoot.Edit.Submit}

"Not to be able to stop thinking is a dreadful affliction, but we don't realize this

because almost everyone is suffering from it, so it is considered normal. This incessant

mental noise prevents you from finding that realm of inner stillness that is inseparable from being."

-Eckhart Tolle

How do you quiet your mind, do you have a special place?

Wishing you a wonderful weekend with some stillness!

Love, Kim

XO

    

Foto Friday - A trail walk through Pine Gully Park

Another week and another vastly different sunrise. It makes me wonder what I miss when I'm not there...but so thankful for the opportunity to see what I can. It's hard to even imagine that there are people who live here that have never gone to watch such a beautiful spectacle.

After the sunrise I took a walk on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, that took me to Galveston Bay.  I went to the end of a pier and sat against the rails and it gently swayed as the tide came in. The sun warmed my face, there was a slight breeze, and I closed my eyes and just listened to the gulls and the water and it was wonderful. It was just what I needed after a very cold week.

When I got back to the car I was inspired to write in my journal:

The sun rose over the horizon

and seagulls flew in to perch.

The water rippled and shimmered like gold

while shrimp boats left for their search.

A rooster crowed,

there was a smell of fresh pine.

Near the waters edge were deer

and a Great Blue Heron dined.

A long walk on a pier

to sit against the dock of the bay.

A slight breeze and warm sun on my face,

while the motion of the tide made in gently sway.

A cardinal,

a woodpecker,

a hovering hawk.

On this day, I had the most heavenly walk.

      I really wish I had a audio to go with these pictures. The sound is just as much a part of it as the seeing.



The sun and the reflection in the water makes it look like a candle to me.

I love how the shadows of the wood makes it look like a water color painting.

Pretty much right after I got on the trail I came across these two looking

for food together. The one with the curved orange beak is a White Ibis and the other

is a Snowy Egret. I just love the reflections in this!

This one is a Great Egret, a large white heron.

This a Great Blue Heron and had caught a fish that he could hardly

manage to swallow. He worked at for about 20 minutes.

As I was watching the Blue Heron, a group of White tailed deer appeared and this one

came down to the waters edge. Everything that morning reflected so beautifully in the water!

Not sure what kind of bird this is, but it sure it cute!

The trail was just alive with bird activity, much more than I was able to photograph

with my lenses. This one is a Red-bellied Woodpecker.

This is a little walking bridge over a small inlet of water that comes in off the bay.

 And just beyond those trees is Galveston Bay.

Just shorty after reaching the bay, there is a park with this 1000' fishing pier. I have a similar picture in a previous foto Friday, but this one just reminded me of heaven. I went and sat at the end

and just closed my eyes and enjoyed the sound of the water and the seagulls while it swayed ever

so gently.

Oh, and as I was on my walk back I could hear hawks calling back and forth and then this one flew right

over to where I was and just hovered over me. It was a little difficult to get a sharp focus since he

was moving so quickly. This one is a Red Shouldered Hawk.

Did you know that Texas is one of the top birding destinations in the world, and extremely diverse in it's species of wildlife. And that the Lone Star State was the first state in the nation to create birding and wildlife viewing trails. I encourage you to check out the trails where you live!

I'm looking forward to the warmer weekend that is forecasted. Back into the 60's, which means I'll be back on the trail again......looking for that American Alligator! Perhaps I should get myself a walking stick?

Have a fabulous weekend. Be a hunter (of photos) and shoot something (with your camera) !  ; )

Love,

Kim