Blessings in Disguise

Unexpected Blessings from an Inconvenience

If you have followed my last two posts, you know that I went for a photo walk on Wednesday and lost all but five of my 71 photos I took on my block. Seems I had a bad SanDisk. I was fortunate that all the photos were within quick walking distance and could be reshot. The plan today was to replace the shots I lost.

 Off I went with my camera. It was a beautiful day. Wednesday had been dark and overcast. One of the shots I had planned to reshoot was this pomegranate tree. I loved the sign at the bottom.

Loaded Pomegranate Tree with Sign, © B. Radisavljevic

I Left with Just a Camera and  Came Back with Much More Than Photos

Today as I walked by the tree I noticed someone was there, but it appeared to be a workman. I thought I'd ask anyway if the tree was his. He said it belonged to the homeowner, but he was authorized to let me have some fruit. He picked two lovely pomegranates for me and I brought them home.  Aren't they beautiful? The man who picked them for me told me they were ripe when they cracked. I never would have known that.

A Gift of Pomegranates,  © B. Radisavljevic

A Chat with the Neighbor Who Owns the Other Pomegranate Tree

I found Judy back in her front yard today, and stopped to chat and take pictures of her garden. I had noticed on Wednesday that all the pomegranates had been picked, so I figured she was planning to use them.  That's one reason I'm so glad the other neighbor shared. As we were talking, the neighborhood cat came up to us. I mentioned him in What's Going on in Kitty's Mind a couple of weeks ago.  He was a bit friendlier this time. I found out his name is Mack and that the neighbors want to fatten him up because he had been sick and not eaten. I didn't realize until I unloaded my photos that while I was trying to photograph him, Judy and I were both in the photo with him -- in shadow form.

A Shadow Chat over a Cat, Literally. © B. Radisavljevic

Then I caught Mac with his shadow.

Just a Cat and his Shadow, © B. Radisavljevic

We actually did chat about more than the cat. We talked about her plants and I found out the names of some of them I didn't know. Then she told me she had just dug out some bulbs she didn't want and offered them to me. She thinks they are daffodils. I can always use more of those, but it means I'll have to start working in my garden again. I really need to do that.

I didn't have anything but my pocket to carry the bulbs in, but I stuffed them in my pocket. Then I put them in this strawberry basket so you could see my gift.

A Gift of Bulbs to Plant, © B. Radisavljevic

It always amazes me how something as beautiful as a daffodil begins like this.

A Final Gift

This last gift was one only God could provide. There was quite a sky show as I was returning home after my walk. There were a lot of contrails going in different directions. Here's a photo.

Contrail Signs Lead to the Oak, © B. Radisavljevic

Now let's watch the contrails as they are made. Pretend you aren't in a hurry and spend this minute and a half watching jets you can't see making contrails you can see. You can even still see them when they are partly into the cloud.



The sky show was an added blessing and I would not have seen it had it not been for another inconvenience. After I'd talked to Judy and had a pocket full of bulbs, I shot a few more pictures on the way back home. As I was almost back to the pomegranate tree, which was to be my most important shot, my camera battery died. I had to go home and charge it. So I put it on the charger and fixed dinner and ate while it charged. It had charged enough to shoot again by the time I finished eating and the sun was beginning to go down.

I went back to the pomegranate tree and got my final tangible gift. Then the sky show started and I shot as much of it as I could. So I guess it was also a blessing that my camera battery died when it did or I would not have been outside for the sky show.

All in all, it's been a day of blessing. Have you had days when inconveniences were blessings in disguise?

Sky Journal of Rainy Day

Rain Off and On Until Late Afternoon

It was raining when I first looked out at the world around 10:30 today. I only photographed from the back yard then because of the rain. In back I had the shelter of a porch. The sky was gray. I took the first photo from the front yard at 11:20. The gray was beginning to lift. It looked like the rain might be over. 

A Midmorning Lull in the Rain, February 3, 2017

It wasn't. By 12:10 in the afternoon it was raining hard. I had to take this photo from my front porch to keep the camera from getting wet. How quickly the weather can change. 

Raining Hard by Noon, 2-3-17

Sky Changes in the Afternoon

The rain had turned to sprinkling by 1:16. The sky was blue, and I looked for a rainbow since the sun was out. I had no luck. It must have been somewhere, but it was probably blocked by buildings. This photo was taken about 2:15.

Rain Turned to Sprinkling, 2-3-17

The sun was very bright by 4:15. You can see it behind the oak tree. By this time the rain had stopped and the jets were out making contrails again.  

Sun Bright by 4:15, 2-3-17

Those contrails showed mostly facing northeast. I took this photo when they started about 3:05. I shot the sky over a palm tree. It almost looks like a spiderweb. 

Contrails Started Appearing in Midafternoon, 2-3-17

Approaching Sunset

By 5:15 darker clouds were rolling in again from the west. You can also see the contrails in this photo. 

This next series of photos were taken within two minutes of each other at about 5:25 as the sun was almost down. 

Just before Sundown, 2-3-17

Just before Sundown, 2-3-17

Just before Sundown, 2-3-17

These last two were taken at 5:31, a minute before the sun set. The only differences are in the direction I aimed the camera.

Sundown, 2-3-17

Sundown, 2-3-17

It appears the rain is over until at least Sunday. 

Please Pin Me: Sky Journal of Rainy Day

How is your weather today? 

All photos © B. Radisavljevic. All rights reserved.