Everything has a season.

Post Oak Creek

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

[Sony A700 w/Minolta 50mm 1.7 | 50mm | f/3.2 | 1/80s | ISO 400 | pop-up flash -0.7 EV]

This day, I was hiking with one lens, a Minolta 50mm 1.7, prime.  For many years it was the only lens I owned and therefore the only lens I used; it enjoyed a long season.  As I accumulated more lenses, its use became less frequent.  It had been a while since its last use and I chose it this day because it is light, fast, pretty sharp, renders great color, and has a very nice bokeh.  Its only drawback is my legs are its only “zoom”.

When I made this image, I was on the return leg of a hike from the Treasure Lake parking lot to the base of Elk Mountain, just below the Apple and Pear.  I was following Post Oak Creek and had just passed Little Post Oak Falls.  The canyon carved by the creek is very narrow with vertical walls of solid granite on both sides.  It was late in the afternoon and the canyon was in total shade.  For whatever reason, the above seen caught my eye.  Without light the rich colors of the granite were very muted but I liked the composition.  The only light source I had was the pop-up flash on my camera.  I don’t care much for flash but it can produce very pleasing results if it’s controlled.  I dialed it down to what I thought might produce the desired result.  I think it turned out okay.

What struck me about this scene is the contrast between the grasses of summer, lasting only a few short months and the seemingly eternal granite wall.  However, the idea of granite being eternal is betrayed by the granite gravel that lines the creek bank.  Eventually, it will decompose into even smaller particles, becoming the grains of  sand washed farther down the stream.  This picture speaks of the irony of the short season that accompanies shallow roots sank in sand vs. granite, the rock of ages.  Yes, everything has its season; but some are shorter than others.

I'm Never Alone!

My loneliest moments have not been when I’m alone; I’ve been very lonely in crowds.  I’ve had some wonderful times with friends and family; times I’ll always cherish.  But my absolute best times are when I meet HIM in HIS garden.  It’s not that he’s not with me at other times; HE’s always with me.  I take that for granted and that’s the difference.

Sunday afternoon, we walked in HIS garden, I felt HIS breeze on my face, HIS rocks under my feet, heard HIS birds sing, and the warmth of HIS glow in my soul.  I stood in awe of HIS artistry as HE painted the canvas of granite walls with HIS ever changing Light.  If he can paint hardened granite with HIS Light and create beauty, surely he can paint the hardest of hearts, too; maybe even mine.

Tomorrow, at 7:30 AM, I go for my third attempt to complete an MRI.  My lifelong battle with claustrophobia has beaten me twice.  How stupid is that?  Tomorrow morning I’ll remember our Sunday afternoon walk, think of the picture above and know HE’s in the tube with me; I’ll know no fear.

Elk Mountain Aglow During The Golden Hour

Sunday afternoon marked the return to my beloved Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge following surgery to replace my right knee.  I’d driven to the Refuge a few times since the surgery but never wandered farther than 50 yards from my truck.  Sunday afternoon was different.  I went through preparations for a hike into the very special Charons Garden Wilderness.  I admit I was packing light but at least I was packing.  It had been perhaps two years since the last time.  I was really homesick for the familiar trails.  Not knowing how my body would respond or how much stamina I possessed my expectations were minimal.  I was packing only the “be prepared” essentials I’d learned as a Boy Scout far too many years ago and never went to the wilderness without ever since.  And, of course I was taking a camera, but leaving extra lenses, filters, cards, and of course my tripod behind.  This was  a “just to see if I could” trip. Read the rest of this entry »

Evans Family Thanksgiving Greeting

It’s been over two months since my last post.  During my time away, I had a total knee replacement of my right knee; my focus has been on recovery and not on much of anything else.  Well, I’m doing very well and am able to return to the things I really enjoy.  I’m not going to bore you with details from the surgery and rehabilitation.  I’m picking up where I left off, as if the past two months were an empty ( ).

The photograph above is not our traditional Thanksgiving photo.  In past years, the photo was taken with everyone standing behind a fully set table complete with the Thanksgiving feast spread upon it’s ample surface.  Because this year’s meal was so much later than in the past, stomach’s were growling, and the food so enticing, everyone wanted to eat and take pictures later.

You know how you spend so much time preparing this once-a-year meal and then, how in 20–30 minutes everyone has eaten and are clearing off the table?  This sort of makes it seem not worth the effort.  I think that’s why many people are opting to do something else for Thanksgiving and that’s very unfortunate.  To combat this trend, in our house anyway, I thought it would be nice to serve the meal in courses.  This way much more time could be spent on conversation and fellowship and enjoying the food.  I suggested this to Sherry and was pleasantly surprised when she agreed to give it a try.  The result was that the meal took 65–70 minutes to finish, there was much more talk and laughter, and just perhaps, each ate a little less than in the past.

Here is how the meal was served with course numbers and the name of the preparer.

1. JFK’s Favorite Soup w/ breadsticks:  Herbie
2. Wonderful Mixed Salad:  Marcy
3. The Meal:
   1. Golden Roast Turkey w/Stuffing:  Herbie
   2. Green Bean Casserole:  Sherry
   3. Creamy Mashed Potatoes:  Erin
   4. Delicious Cranberry Salad:  Sherry
4. Dessert:
   1. Pumpkin Delight Pie:  Linda
   2. Chocolate Pecan Pie:  Linda

The meal was wonderful, but then you know, there’s always the cleanup!

Parallel Forest

I love the Parallel Forest; I especially love it when I’m by myself!  The equal spacing and parallel plantings present a picture of calm, silence, and peace.  Planted in the the spring of 1912, the cedars are nearing 100 years old.  They’ve stood witness to many things now history and long forgotten.  They’ve stood and flourished through years of plenty and have withstood times of hardship, too.  The ice storm of January 28, 2010, was one that hit hard and left its mark.  Living in Lawton and seeing the destruction left in the wake of that storm kept me away from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge for months.  It was April before I made my first trip there since the storm and I was heartbroken by the scene.  However, even then I avoided going by the Parallel Forest for fear of what I might see there.  Even though I have made numerous trips back since then, it was only this past Thursday that I was able to pull off Hwy 115, and into the small black-topped parking lot belonging to this grove of native red cedar trees.  I think the reason that brought me here now, was the reality of an approaching surgery and the desire to experience the peace and calm I always found here.  I needed that and I needed to slow down, be still, and know GOD.  This is a good place for that.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Sun Rises Early!

I never know what I’m going to get with a sunrise.  I’ve enjoyed countless sunrises over the years:  the majority from getting up early, not coming in late, although there’s been a few of those, too.  For the past decade, or so, the sun risings I’ve witnessed follow on the heels of simple planning.  But in spite of the planning there’s no way I can know what scene will unfold in the eastern sky.  I’m always in the dark on that and leaving home at dark-thirty doesn’t help, either!  Sunsets are different and I can anticipate and see the event unfold;  I’m waiting on it to happen.  Sunrises are so different!

Best Made Plans?

It’s an easy matter to catch the nightly weather forecasts to get an idea of what the weather is predicted to be five to seven days in advance.  But gee whiz, I live in Southwest Oklahoma where moist warm air rising from the Gulf and dry arctic air sweeping down the Plains from Canada can ruin the best meteorologist’s forecast in a matter of hours.   Experience has taught me to check the forecast late the night before and then don’t bet any money on what it’s going to do.  It’s also easy to get the forecast for things like the times for Nautical Twilight, Civil Twilight, and actual time of sunrise, percent of cloud cover, probability of precipitation, direction and velocity of wind, and temperature at any given hour.  There are also plenty of simple software programs that will tell you the precise degree from North that the sun will actually rise on the horizon based on your geographical location.  I use a free one called “Ephemeris.  I plug in the angle of declination for Lawton, or any other location, and then every time I open it I have the time and angles for the rising and setting of the sun and moon on that particular day.  It’s very handy.  Now, with all that in hand a reasonable person would think it’s just a matter of getting out of bed.  “Not so Sherlock!” Read the rest of this entry »

Ali Harter performs in Lawton. (click picture for more)

Ali Harter

Red Dirt, Country Blues, Country Folk, Outlaw, or whatever you want to try to tag her with, Ali Harter must be tagged as unique, talented, pretty, and Okie through and through.  Last night was my first time ever to hear her music but it won’t be my last.  I bought her CD titled, “No Bees, No Honey”, released on March 13, 2010.  I ‘ve already listened to it three times and have my earphones on right now listening to a fourth time through.  Unique is the best word I have to describe her music; it is definitely her own.  She is only 25, yet her sound is so much more mature than that!  Visiting with her afterwards she told me her early childhood idol was Bonnie Raitt.  I’m a huge Bonnie Raitt fan myself, but not once during her live solo performance did I ever say to myself, “Self, you know what?  She kinda sounds like Bonnie Raitt!”  But,that could just be me.  But the connection  I do think exists between Ali Harter and Bonnie Raitt is each Read the rest of this entry »