The Heavens Declare the Glory of God!

I Marvel at the Variations of a Single Sunset

Last evening I was chasing sunsets, as you know from yesterday's post. I got distracted when I saw an unexpected balancing act and wrote about that instead, only sharing a couple of the sunset photos. Sunsets change when you look in a different direction and as minutes pass. By the time I finished last night's photo shoot, I had 210 photos of just the sunset. It's really hard to pick only a few to show you. Here's one taken early in my walk. All photos were taken from Larry Moore Park or the Charolais Corridor Trail in Paso Robles.

I don't have a telescope or understand how every cloud is formed and what it means, but I cannot look up at a sunset without being in awe of my creator.

Pictures Cannot Do the Sky Justice

I can only share a bit of the glory of God here. 

Seeing a series of photos is like seeing pictures of food without being able to smell or taste it. To fully appreciate the splendor of the setting sun you need to be outside looking up in all directions. You need to keep looking until the sun is down. But all I can offer is the pictures, not the sky. So here are more photos. While you look at them, listen to the choir sing "The Heavens are Telling the Glory of God" by Joseph Haydn. The video is illustrated with photos by photographer Robert Stephens.





If you enjoy that music, you can download an even better version of it on MP3 or get the whole album, which is full of some of the greatest hymns of the Christian church.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! Psalm 8:1

When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established; what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him? Psalm 8: 3-4

Here's another song that comes to mind as I look at these photos and whenever I see a sunset. It was inspired by Psalm 19.



Several versions of this song can be found on MP3 for download at Amazon. I like the Azusa Pacific Version best because I like choral music.

Now back to the sky show!

We are finally beginning to see some pink now.

From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.! The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!   Psalm 113: 3-4                                                                                              

 `

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God upon the lyre! He covers the heavens with clouds, he prepares rain for the earth, he makes grass grow upon the hills. Psalm 147: 7-8

The sun has almost disappeared now.  Let's listen to "Taps" as it sets.

Lyrics to first verse of "Taps." See the rest in the video above. Photo © B. Radisavljevic

If you know someone who might enjoy this, please share it. And next time you see the sun about to set on a cloudy day, spend a few minutes watching it. A sunset nourishes the soul. 

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An Unexpected Daring Exhibition

You Never Know What You'll See When You Take a Walk

Tonight I went out to Larry Moore Park to chase the sunset. It appeared the sky would be beautiful. I left as the sun was just beginning to set. There was just enough left to wink at me from the sky behind the clouds.

As I walked, the sky grew more magnificent by the minute. As I stood at the entrance to the Charolais Corridor Trail across from the park, I saw an eye of blue in the middle of the gray and I wanted to chase it. But as I started toward it, I saw this. Of course, I stopped to watch.

I haven't seen anything like this since I was a kid and we used to walk from yard to yard on the tops of block fences. But this young man is walking only on the tops of supports that have nothing in between them. We didn't do that as kids. Did you? Let's watch this in video, which the young man gave me permission to record and publish.




By the  time my camera started to record he was almost across, but you get the idea. Here's a larger view of the balancing act. It's the perfect size to share on Pinerest if you would like others to see this.

When is the last time you did anything like this?

As for the patch of blue I'd been chasing before I stopped to watch this daring feat, here it is. 

Enjoy your day. May it bring you pleasant surprises. 


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A Rude Awakening!

Worse Than an Alarm Clock!

I got to bed later than usual last night because I encountered some technical problems I wanted to solve while they were fresh in my mind. That meant I got to sleep around 3:30 am. After all, the noisy roofers were gone and the neighbors' gardeners don't usually use their leaf blowers and mowers here until around noon.

As I was attempting to sleep, I heard a very loud and horrible sound that seemed to be right outside my bedroom window. It was actually in the backyard next door. By the time I jumped out of bed with my camera, the crew was working in the front yard, but it was just as loud. Imagine a dentist drill with the volume multiplied a hundred times.

Tree Stump Removal Crew, © B. Radisavljevic

They look a lot happier than I was. They had started at 7:30 am. At first my box fan and my white noise machine let me sleep another 90 minutes. I was going to try to listen to the radio on top of that to drown out the sounds and try to go back to sleep, but nothing doing. Their power equipment seemed to be causing interference with my radio transmission.

The Noise

Normally my fan or white noise machine can block out the common outside and inside noises like shutting the microwave door in the kitchen, neighbors slamming car doors outside, normal gardening equipment in other yards, and voices. They didn't have much effect on these sounds of loud tree grinding equipment.

I found out when I took my photos that the crew was removing stumps of shrubs and trees from my neighbor's yard to expedite his xeriscaping project. For your listening "pleasure" I have including a quick video with three small episodes of the noise I endured this morning. They are actually quieter than when they woke me when working in the backyard, which was closer to my bedroom.

Rain at Last!

As I was talking to my neighbor while I was taking the last batch of photos, it began to rain a few drops -- just enough to send me inside to protect my camera. What fell dried up while I was processing the video and editing these photos. Here's  proof that some rain did fall.

Raindrops on my Front Sidewalk, © B. Radisavljevic

The Aftermath of the Stump Removal

When the workmen finished, I had to admit they'd done a good job and left a pretty piece of bare ground where the old shrubs used to be. I just wish it could have been done more quietly so I could get my full night's sleep.

How well do you tolerate the noise of power equipment outside your window?

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Birch Trees Bear Fruit

Birch Tree Fruit is For the Birds

Many parts of the birch tree are edible for humans. These include the bark, the leaves, the buds, and the sap. However, edible does not necessarily mean tasty. The author of "Edible Birch, Chaga" shares the results she got when making tea, birch syrup, and just eating various parts. Most writers agree the fruits make good food for the birds.

The book Feasting Free on Wild Edibles by Bradford Angier explains how to make birch tea and birch syrup, as well as many other survival foods you can make from plants found in the wild.

Just Birch Leaves and Fruits

A Closer Look at the Leaves and Fruits at the End of October, © B. Radisavljevic

Birch Designs Make Great Throw Pillows

The graceful birch trees easily lend themselves to artistic photos and designs. Their bark is unique, especially the white birches with bark that peels like paper. The tree also can have a weeping appearance, especially when fruiting. You can see that in the photo above and in the final photo in this post. The birch tree inspired the creation of these throw and lumbar pillows on Zazzle.

 Birch Trees Throw Pillow AUTUMN BIRCH TREES PILLOW Autumn birch trees throw pillow The Birches Throw Pillow The Birches Pillow Birches In The Winter 

Birches are Very Useful Trees

Birch trees have medicinal uses. American Indians use the tea to relieve headaches. Some tribes roasted the fruiting cones over campfire coals and breathed the smoke to relieve nasal congestion. These are just a couple of the medicinal uses for birch I found in Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, my go-to book for everything herbal. One can also make a hot poultice of the leaves, bark, and fruits to apply to the skin.

The skin will absorb the methyl salicylate in the birch parts to help skin irritations and minor wounds. Such a poultice may also be used to ease arthritis pain. None of these remedies have been tested by today's researchers for effectiveness, but some modern remedies for muscle pain do contain some methyl salicylate combined with menthol.

We know the American Indians made canoes of the birch's waterproof bark. An oil extracted from the bark was used as a glue when making arrows. You, too, can make beautiful and useful objects from birch. Some suggestions are star ornaments, baskets, rings, woven mats, and shoes. The book below will show you how to make these and many other things from birch you can use.




I'm glad I have a birch tree in my yard. Maybe one day soon I'll make better use of it. I'm glad I have survival food if necessary, along with a possible way to relieve pain. I'll leave crafts to those who enjoy them. I'd rather take photos and write when I want to be creative.

Do you have a birch tree in your yard? Have you ever used it for anything except the joy you get from seeing it every day? 

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Rock'n'Roll for Theme Day

Inter-generational Rock and Roll

I haven't been to a dance since I started dating my husband of now over fifty years, so I don't see much rock and roll anymore. Coming up with a photo for this month's "Rock' n' Roll City Daily Photo Bloggers theme seemed almost impossible until I remembered my nephew's wedding reception in October, 2014. During the reception, my nephew's new wife was dancing with a young relative and they stole the show.

Rock'n and Roll'n at Wedding between Generations, © B. Radisavljevic

Here's the video version of part of the dance. Try to ignore everyone but the bride and her partner.

Templeton History: Day in the Shade, 2010

I don't get many still photos of dancing, but there was some rocking and rolling going on at Day in the Shade in Templeton, May 8, 2010. I share it with you here in video.




Day in the Shade, which used to be an annual art exhibit in Templeton City Park the Saturday before Mother's Day, seems to have been discontinued, but I have preserved some of the highlights from Day in the Shade 2012 here.

Band at Day in the Shade, 2012, © B. Radisavljevic

Which video did you like best? 

See how other City Daily Photo Bloggers have interpreted this theme. 

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Here's the Caboose of the October Ultimate Blog Challenge

The October Ultimate Blog Challenge Ends Today

It's been quite a ride! I'm rather sad to see it end. Thirty post cars have passed and this is the caboose.

Caboose on site at Pomar Junction Winery in Paso Robles, © B. Radisavljevic

It's been an exciting journey. I've enjoying meeting and reading many bloggers I didn't know before. I have followed many of them on  social media sites so I don't lose track of them. I have subscribed to many of their blogs. Here are just a few of them. I encourage you to pay their blogs a visit.

• Inspired by His Words, an urban contemporary Christian lifestyle blog by Ava James
• My Warrior Mom Life: A mom fights for her troubled teen and a lifestyle with less dependence on electronics. 
• Healthy Heart 4 Life: Ute Goldkuhle blogs about a healthy lifestyle.
• Home-Cooked and Handmade: Jill Robbins posts recipes and instructions on how to make many useful things yourself. 
• The Martha Review: Martha DeMeo reviews books and products for every part of life, links to coupons and great deals, and shares her love of photography.
• Ramblin with AM: Alana Mautone shares my interest in history, gardening,  photography, and more. I enjoy her observations and photos. 

What's Next?

Picnic Tables beside Santa Fe Train Cars at Pomar Junction Winery in Paso Robles, © B. Radisavljevic

The challenge has renewed my interest in this blog. I don't know if I'll be able to keep posting every day, but I will try to post at least two days a week and on Theme Day, the first day of each month. Of all my blogs, this is the one I enjoy most. I enjoy spotlighting my favorite places, events, and nature photos from the Paso Robles area. Here are the other blogs I write or contribute to: 

• Barb's Writing Life: This is where I post my observations on the various content and social blogging sites that keep popping up, as well as the more established ones like HubPages. I review some of those sites and analyze why some succeed and others don't. I use the site pages to hold work  I'm moving from other sites on a variety of topics. Most are being revised and transferred from HubPages and some of the sites that have closed. I expect to put more time into this site in the future. 
• Books to Remember: This site is dedicated to books and resources for home and school educators. The link goes to the blog. The tabs cover various education resources and children's authors with reviews of books. 
• Bookworm Buffet: Here I review many of the books I've enjoyed reading myself, fiction and nonfiction. I don't have time to review everything I read or I'd never have time to read. I tend to review Christian fiction and mysteries most of the time. I also review memoirs. 
• A California Life: I'm a life-long Californian and I use posts in this blog to share my state as I've known it for almost eighty years with photos, memories, and tidbits of California history 
• Barb's Garden Observations: This was my first blog just for fun. It details what I've done in my gardens over 25 years and what I've learned about the plants. I only post to this blog when I have time to get out into the garden and work or take photos. That's not as often as I'd like these days. 
• ReviewThisReviews is a group blog I contribute to twice a month. It's devoted to book, movie, music, and other product reviews for products that our contributors have used. The link goes to my own contributions, but you will also find links to the work of the other contributors and the most popular subjects on the blog. It's getting to be a very popular blog. 

My other blogs not listed here will probably not exist independently or grow much longer. I simply don't have time for them anymore.

Caboose on site at Pomar Junction Winery in Paso Robles, © B. Radisavljevic

Thank you for taking this journey with me. I hope you will continue to visit even now that the caboose is here. Only the challenge is over. The blog goes on bringing my unique observations of living on the California Central Coast in the midst of wine country. See you on the next train in November.

Partial View 

Caboose on site at Pomar Junction Winery in Paso Robles, © B. Radisavljevic

Ghosts and their Friends Who Lurk to Scare Visitors On Halloween

What Haunts These Yards?

This is the time of year I'm glad I walk to the neighborhood mailbox during daylight. All the ghosts and other scary things I pass on the way are less intimidating in the light. I will show you some of them. By the time I walk home the sun is slowly fading. Below you see the ghosts who live across the street from me.

As you can see above, trees seem to attract a lot of ghosts. Even tiny ones. I never would have found this one had I not been trying to take pictures of the fruits of the sycamore tree. There's one of those right behind the ghost's head.

These ghosts are ready to scare little treat-or-treaters from the air.

This home has ghostly greeters with a little help from their friends.

Scared yet? I didn't think so. If you want to get scared, read this book by my friend Lori Moore. She tells some very chilling ghost stories in this book. Just right to read on a dark night in a haunted house. Or any night when you don't mind a few shivers down your spine. You can even read the Kindle verson in the dark.



Get yourself some spooky classical music to listen to while you read. Or just get it to play while the spooks approach your home on Halloween.

Witches, Etc.

I guess you can't have a Halloween night without a few witches flying around or hanging on trees, like this one. And one also would expect to see Jack-o-Lanterns and skeletons on the scene. Most of the grave that have sprung up in front yards aren't on my block. Thank goodness! They remind me I'm getting old.

Enjoy your Halloween, and be safe. Don't let the ghosts or anything else spoil your evening. And don't eat all the candy your kids bring home.

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