The Old Cottonwood, Like 2020, Is Almost Gone

Dead Cottonwood Tree on December 30, 2020,© Barbara Radisavljevic

This cottonwood tree In Larry Moore Park was showing signs of ill health when I moved here and first photographed it in December 2004. At the time most of the green part of it was mistletoe hanging from the branches. It did still have a few branches with leaves, but not many. You can see the tree's history from 2004 to 2017 here. Now even the mistletoe has given up on it. 

Soon this tree will be history, just as 2020 will be. The sun is setting on this year in a few hours. 

Sunset from Charolais RiverTrail on December 28, 2020,© Barbara Radisavljevic

Let's hope 2021 will be happier than this one has been, but that is in God's hands. I hope the pandemic will be over and we will have more, not less, freedom to move and do business again as usual. 

Is This the Last Photo of This Tree I Will Be Able to Take? © Barbara Radisavljevic, 12/30/2020

Happy New Year!

Sky Watch the Day after The Rain Stopped

Tonight's Sky after Two Days of Rain

The rain is gone -- for at least a week. When I went out tonight to look for a sunset, I expected a stunning one because we'd had many clouds during the day, in spite of a blue sky. But by sundown, it appeared the clouds were all heading northeast.

Clouds Moving Northeast at Sundown

Sunsets on Zazzle You Can Send to Others or Keep With You

Time For Peace Wall Clock with Windmill in Sunset
I love photographing sunsets, and I've been able to collect some much better ones over the years than I was able to get tonight. Here are some I've made into Zazzle products that you can customize. Click images for larger views of the items on Zazzle. See more sunset cards and gifts here.

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Puzzle: Bare Oak in Winter under Stormy Sky Jigsaw PuzzleTempleton Feed and Grain Store at Sunset Canvas PrintRocky Cambria, California, Coastline at Sunset CardPoster: Sunset on Ventura Beach in December PosterCouple on Beach Gazing into Sunset and Ocean Canvas PrintPoster: Oak tree against golden sunset PosterBlank Greeting Card: Bright Sunset Framed by Trees Card

 A Skimpy Sunset

Looking west, most clouds were either gone or almost gone. The photos below were taken at intervals of a minute or two as I sought to find some evidence of color in the sky. The contrails added a bit of interest, but not much color.

As you can see, I'm moving my camera a bit toward the north with each shot.

This last photo shows the most cloud I could get in one shot. They had almost all moved northeast by the time I started shooting.

Here's one to pin on one of your sky or sunset boards.

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First Really Rainy Day This Year

The Weatherman Was Right and it Did Rain Today

It looks as though the roof repairs held, and the garage remains dry. The flowerbeds are wet, as they need to be. And the oak tree across the street is reflected on the sidewalk that leads to my front porch.

Oak Tree Reflection in my Sidewalk on This First Rainy Day This Year

This was no fine mist that barely left a trace. This was a real rain. Listen for yourself.



I like the sound of that, don't you?

The Promise of Rain Was in the Sky Last Night

I took this in the late afternoon.

I took this next one as sundown got closer.

Finally the sun went down, illuminating the clouds that promised rain to come.

Did you enjoy rain today?

See my take on The Blessings of Rain in music. 

See more of my sky photos at ClickASnap. Here's a sample from that album. 

A November Sunset at Doce Robles Vineyard.

Doce Robles Has a Great View of the Sunset

There is a clear view of the sky all the way around with no trees or buildings close enough to block the sight of the setting sun. I don't mind getting a silhouette of a tree in my pictures, though I wish the bottom of this oak hadn't been blocked by a shadow. It is just one oak but you can't see the trunk.

When I arrived and got out of my car, the security officer greeted me with loud barking but then calmed down when her owner told her to.

Guess she decided I wasn't a security risk since she immediately got to more important business than me. Did you notice the lawn is lined with oak leaves.

Back to the Vineyards and the Oak

At sunset, it's like there is more than one sky. One part is close to the sunset and contains the actual position of sundown. That's what we saw in the introductory photo. If we look away from the sun to shoot the sky we see the sunset reflected on the surrounding clouds. We also don't have the shadow hiding the vineyards and lower parts of the trees. This next shot looks away from the sun. I confess to adding a bit more light in processing than there really was because I wanted you to see the vines wearing their autumn colors.

The introductory shot faced west into the sun. This shot faced north. It was taken behind the tasting room.

Now that some time passed, the sun is no longer bright. Let's take another shot of the oak tree. This shot faces south, and no shadow hides part of the oak. Instead we have the silhouette with the hills and golden glow in the background. I believe the gray strip coming from the right towards the oak is Highway 46 West. If you look carefully you can see a car on it.

Calling it a Day

As the sun was almost gone, I walked back to the parking lot by the tasting room. It seemed to glow from within. Did you notice that unique weathervane on top?

As I write tonight,  I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. I'm very thankful for the free sunsets I get to see each day and the winery owners that let me access their vineyards to take pictures.

I hope you all have a safe and joyful celebration of Thanksgiving, even if it isn't a holiday where you are. It's always time to be thankful.

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This last photo was taken facing south. If you want to share it, it's the perfect size to pin.

A Lovely End to a Peaceful Sunday

Health Issues Have Plagued Me This Week

It's been a rocky week with a heart that would not settle down and beat the way it should. It either raced or my blood pressure dropped really low. It hit a peak on Thursday leaving me almost unable to function to meet my basic needs. I would get dizzy walking from the bedroom to the kitchen or even sitting at my computer. I felt really old.

I haven't had any new episodes yesterday or today, so I'm hoping I'll be able to drive again before the family Thanksgiving Celebration in Fresno. People are praying and I'm hoping. My husband can't drive that soon after his cataract surgery on Tuesday. All plans are moment by moment. But today had a beautiful ending. I'm blessed with a beautiful church family.

A Busy Week Ahead

The beginning of the week is full of medical stuff. Both I and my husband have appointments -- me to get a Holt monitor for my heart, and Hubby to have cataract surgery. We do not know yet if we will be staying or going away for Thanksgiving. People have offered help whether we go or stay home. I really appreciate the offer to bring dinner over Thursday and another to drive us to Fresno if we are well enough to go.

We also have to choose a new Medicare plan soon if we are going to. There are bills to pay and decisions to make and I'd love to stick my head in book and pretend it isn't so. But tomorrow I'll  do what I need to do as God gives the strength.

Meanwhile, I'm thankful for such a gorgeous sunset. And tomorrow will be another new day.

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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Time to See the Creator's Art

Creativity Comes from God

We are made in the image of God. That doesn't mean we look like him. It means we share his characteristics and desires. One of those desires is to create. Thus artists express their creativity using paint, charcoal, pencils, clay, marble, and even scrap materials and turn them into something new that they conceive in their minds.

So far as I know, though, none of them have been able to create anything like this sunset I captured from the Walmart parking lot last night. They can only use their art materials imitate or respond to what they see . So let's take a break in our series featuring the artists at Art after Dark and see the work of the Master Artist -- or at least my limited images of it.

Sky Views and Trees I've Seen This Week

After I left Studios on the Park Saturday night, I took a walk in the park to get more photos. Here are some shots I got of the sky and the trees.

Of course, the trees are also God's creation. Joyce Kilmer got that point across eloquently in his poem "Trees," which  has been put to music. I like this beautifully illustrated version sung by Paul Robeson.





The shot below focuses more on the oak tree than the sky. Although all trees are magnificent in their own way, it's hard to match strength and dignity of the oak.

My Posters and Canvas Prints at Zazzle Featuring Sunsets and Trees

Please click them to see a larger view. 

 Autumn Sky After Storm in Templeton, CA Canvas Print Poster: Sunset on Ventura Beach in December Poster Templeton Feed and Grain Store at Sunset Canvas Print Dark Storm Clouds Poster Sun Goes Down On Wine Country Poster Large oak at sunset declares its Maker's praise. Poster Large Inspirational Poster of Clouds at Dusk Poster: Trees in Autumn Colors Poster Huge Poster of Oaks in Setting Sun in Paso Robles Poster of Salinas River in Paso Robles

Some of My Favorite Photos that Feature Trees at Sunset

This photo was taken at Larry Moore Park in Paso Robles one evening in mid-January, 2015. That center tree really does look as though it's lifting its arms to pray, even though the branches are leafless. 

The oak below is one of my very favorites, since it lives across the street from me in Paso Robles and often helps frame a sunset.

Here's the other half of that oak tree with the palms across the cross street. It was taken in the middle of June, 2013.

The photos above are just samples of the hundreds I've taken of the sky and trees. Every time I see the scene above it's different. The Creator never makes two sunsets alike. He never makes two people alike, either. He made us all to praise his name -- trees, sky, and people.