Photo Journal of an Atypical Day of Art, Nature, Dogs, and an Accident Scene

An Accident at Kennedy Fitness Paso Adventure

I'd been feeling guilty about not using my gym membership much this month, so I decided to go today. I had two other reasons for going, too. First, I wanted an excuse to finish a book I was reading, and I could do that riding the stationary bike. Second, I knew two of my favorite photographers had their work on display and I wanted photos to share with you.

As I drove into the parking lot, I saw the scene above. I found a place to park, and then went in, hoping no one had had a stroke or heart attack. Lots of us senior citizens exercise here.

When I got inside I learned that a woman had fallen from the rock climbing wall. I saw her on a gurney just under the wall and the paramedics were moving her leg. I hope she is not too badly hurt, and will heal without too much pain or permanent damage. I have never dared to take up rock climbing. I'll stick to riding that bike and walking. 

The Photo Exhibit

The photographers with work currently on display on the walls at Kennedy Club are Dean Crawford Jr. and Deb Hofstetter, both of whom I saw in their studio Saturday night at Art after Dark. These photos and paintings are all part of the display.

Picture on lower left is by Deb Hofstetter. The others are by Dean Crawford, Jr. 

The picture on the left left is by Deb Hofstetter. I believe the one on the right is by Dean Crawford, Jr. 

I'll let you guess who did each of these. If you belong to the Kennedy Club, come in to see if you guessed correctly. 

A Walk at Larry Moore Park

The Dogs

I wanted to get some sunset photos again tonight, so I set off for the park as the time drew near. I was not too thrilled when these two dogs who should have been on leashes almost knocked me down multiple times. Their owners had no reason to give why they were loose, but it didn't seem to bother them to be violating the law as long as no one was there to enforce it.

These dogs should have been on leashes. 

The Trees

On the way to the park I passed the lemon tree I had seen packed with fruit in December. I wish now I'd been brave enough to knock on the door of its owner and ask if he wanted to sell any of the beautiful lemons. It looks as though the frost got them instead.

Lemons Bitten by Jack Frost

As I walked by this Bradford pear tree, I could see it was budding already. I expect to see it bloom within a week or two in this warm weather.

Bradford Pear Tree Budding

As I passed this pepper tree with its dried fruits, I could not help but notice the contrast with the bright colors the peppers trees had displayed in autumn.  Winter in the park is drab in comparison.

Pepper Tree Fruits Dry on Bare Trees in February

The Sky

When I started my walk the sun had just disappeared below the hills, but it was still golden.

After a few minutes it became more pink.

Pink turned toward orange a few minutes later.

In no time the contrails had combined and turned bright orange.

Although life seems pretty routine most days, this one stands out as unique this week. Maybe I should get out of the house more often.

If you enjoyed this post, why not pin this photo to a Pinterest board?

Has anything unusual happened to you lately?

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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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                                                                                              

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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.