Archive for the ‘Nature’ Category
Author: Herbie
Enchanted Tower
It had already been a magical morning. The magic began shortly after sunrise as I rounded the curve that bent back toward the southeast taking me to the dam on Lake Rush in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. The scene took my breath as the scene unfolded in brilliant colors in shades of reds, yellows, and greens. “Thank you, LORD!”, I spoke aloud, even though there was no one else around to hear them; just He and I. I continued to thank him throughout the morning as he showed me wonderful and glorious beauty. I knew I was rushing against ever rising sun and it’s changing light. I knew the wind was coming, as well, and understood this window was fleeting. A feeling of urgency arose within and I rushed to gather my equipment, locate the perfect place to set up and then to think clearly enough to manipulate the controls and settings to capture the image not only seen with my eyes but felt in my soul. My biggest fear was that after two days already spent on the Refuge, the planning, the preparation, and now the presentation would be lost because of mistakes I’d make and points I wouldn’t consider. To minimize all possibilites, I focused, not just the lens, but my total attention to the task at hand.
The next two hours were intense as I tried to capture as much as possible before the sun rose higher changing the angles of the light and chasing the enchantment away. I moved frequently trying to stay ahead of the sun and time. Each moved revealed something new requiring a changes in method and technique. I was oblivious to everything around me and yet, hyper-aware of all my surroundings. Finally, with a deep sigh, relaxation washed over me and I knew the window was closed and it was time to leave. I left with no regrets. But, I knew there was more left to the morning if only I could find it. I knew there was more He could show me if I wanted to see. Read the rest of this entry »
Author: Herbie
- Indian Grass Prairie
Native Indian Grass grows chest high on the plains of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. As a child I would walk through the grass, tracking rabbits by the droppings they left as they as they traveled well worn familiar trails. Giving up on the chance of ever catching one, I’d lie on my back in the grass listening to the prairie wind, completely hidden from all the world except the red-tailed hawk circling in the thermals overhead. I have heard early pioneer tales of prairie grass being as tall as a horse’s back and stretching into the distance as far as the eye can see. A large section of Southwest Oklahoma was once called “The Big Pasture” because of the grassland sea covering 480, 000 acres. These native grasses, as the swayed in the daily winds, and stretched to the horizon over the gentle rolling hills reminded the pioneers of swells upon the ocean.
Author: Herbie
Lace Cactus
This morning’s email from Amazon.com contained a list of the best books of 2009, so far. I clicked the link and soon began looking over the selections. The title that caught my eye, was “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie”, by Alan Bradley. I began reading the description with interest, all along wondering if it would be something Sherry would enjoy. Following the description there was an interview with the author, Alan Bradley. That’s when the “Aha” moment happened. Mr. Bradley wrote this book at age 70! He hasn’t always been a published author, although he stated he always thought he could write, even at age 5. He went on to note, “Seneca, an ancient Roman author, had said something like this, ‘Hang on to your youthful enthusiasms, you’ll be able to use them better when you’re older.’” Read the rest of this entry »
Author: Herbie
Independence Day has come and gone. The only thing that’s ever the same is the Oklahoma heat. What made this year’s Fourth of July rare was the rain. It never rains on July 4th in Oklahoma! Never, except this once, this year.
I was staying indoors this year, out of the heat, working like crazy trying to get Expression Web 2 to cooperate with PHP like it’s supposed to do. I believe it’s just another example of how Uncle Billy, et al, keeps giving us software that doesn’t live up to it’s advertising and then doing nothing to fix it until there’s an upgrade he can sell to add another $Billion to his worth. Anyway, I was busy as could be when I became aware of thunderstorms building northwest of Lawton. The idea came to me about heavy ominous thunder clouds behind the mountains of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and the bright July 4th sun to the south. I pictured an extremely high contrast situation with the mountains in full sunlight and the thunderheads behind. I couldn’t shake the images from my mind, so late in the afternoon I gathered my camera gear and headed to the WMWR. I was soon disapointed by the realization that I was going to be about an hour late. The thunderheads got to the Refuge first. This is what I wound up with. Not what I wanted, but it gives an idea of what could have been.
