Tag: Photography

  • ‘Lions’ and Lying

    The game cam recently captured this large local bobcat strolling along the path by our stream-side ‘Quiet Bench’. A persistent rumor exists that mountain lions still roam the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mischievously curious (one of my ‘Needs Improvement’ character traits), I envisioned an opportunity for prime rumor enhancement. Stretching the truth just a…

  • Reflections

    “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” Proverbs 27:19 King Solomon’s sobering words echoed from tulips’ ethereal reflections cast on the stream today. Pondering many of my heart reflections cast on life’s stream hasn’t created a lovely bouquet. However, we never step in the same stream twice, and by God’s grace…

  • Creation vs. Invention

    Fur and feather together . . . from my Quiet Bench I watched these two of His wild creatures sharing the stream together, and got to a-musing . . . Who among mankind could have designed a sleek otter or gangling heron with their intricately functioning life support systems uniquely suited for their survival, and…

  • Pondering ‘Empty’

    My vitamin D bottle came up empty today. Sure hope I can refill it before rickets sets in 😊  ‘Empty’ can be a depressing situation . . . an empty gas tank stranding a motorist; an insufficient funds notice of an empty bank account; the ‘empty nest’ left behind by children now grown; the empty…

  • Promised Land

    As a young boy . . . a really long, long time ago 😊. . .  I spent summers fishing and wandering the forests of Promised Land State Park in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Eight decades later it remains my Happy Place where life’s trails and responsibilities consisted of running out of worms and bailing out…

  • The Quiet Bench – Part 2

    During my quiet time morning, a yellowed page saved from somewhere long ago fluttered from my Bible. Looking at it, I realized it was one of those ‘Ah-Ha’ moments . . . an Divine addendum to the ‘The Quiet Bench’ musing posted yesterday on my blog. I don’t remember where I found this eloquent writing,…

  • The Quiet Bench

    Ever been so busy you skipped a meal?  Way back in career mode times, I often did. Retirement eliminated that. Now when I skip a meal it’s because I forgot 😊 Mark 6:31 tells of a time when Jesus’ disciples were so busy with the crowds they didn’t have time to eat, and Jesus told…

  • Wapiti Wanderings

    The Cherokee National Forest borders our Great Smoky Mountains environs. Except for sections lying within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, it comprises the border area between eastern Tennessee western North Carolina. A pristine retreat John Muir once described  . . . “And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my…

  • Silent Time Capsules

    The Arctic Blast that brought record setting sub-zero temperatures and snowfalls to parts of Tennessee’s  Great Smoky Mountains has finally begun its departure.  Above average temps and lotsa’ rain are predicted to follow later this week . . . century climate change condensed into two weeks 😊 Ice mystically captures flowing water’s soothing serenity in…

  • Too Cold ???

    The Arctic freeze has descended on Tennessee. Up here on the mountain – down in the ‘holler’ – over the ‘crick’ we awoke to a damp-cold winter wonderland of 4-degree pristine snow. It sparked a tinge of homesickness for the Last Frontier’s sub-zero, dry-cold winter wonderland. Truth be known, there’s no such thing as Too…