It is early morning, about 6:20 in Chincoteague, Virginia along Main Street. It is pouring rain and the winds are about 35mph with gusts to 50mph. I have been to the shore, as if there a sunrise might be visible! As the rain was sweeping over the dunes and filling all the depressions in the sand I decided to head back to the town as I did not want to get the MINI stuck. The town was deserted because all the smart people were having their second cup of coffee or just rolled over in bed to wait for the third snooze alarm. But me, I am trying to keep my lens clean enough for a photo and leaning on a telephone pole to try and steady the camera. So, day two of the Twelve Days of Christmas with all the turtle doves snug in their nests, we get the old theater with a Christmas season wish.
What ever year Disney’s Cars came out Cindy and I were in Chincoteague and it was raining so we went to this theater for an afternoon matinee and saw Cars with a packed house with lots of kids. Must have been 200 seats. Now it is used for community events.
12 Days .1 /
Traditionally the 12 Days of Christmas begin on the 25th of December and continue to the 6th of January or the day the Orthodox Church celebrates Epiphany. At Two Lane Touring we are going to have our own 12 Days of Christmas beginning today and ending on December 25th. As is fitting for 2020 it is my intention to focus on some unusual, some abstract and some “really you thought that fit Christmas” photos.
We begin with a 25 foot snowman! This inflatable is just a block from my house and we often pass him on our afternoon walk. You will note that my wife is not even afraid of this creature.
Summer Storm /
Riding the roads around Lancaster, PA during a rain storm provides nice opportunities when the rain slows a bit.
“The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living.” Psalm 19:8 NLT
Ok boys and girls, the word of the day is Incongruous...(two photos) /
…can you say, Incongruous? With apologies to Mr. Rogers.
In rural southeastern Arkansas near the National Park Unit of Arkansas Post is a small collection by the same name but it is a state facility. It consists of four reconstructed buildings without much of a theme and one mid 19th century cabin. It is used most often by area elementary school groups for field trips to learn a bit of Arkansas history. They also have a picnic area where the kids would have their lunch. And adjacent to the picnic area (it was closed due to covid) is a gallows. Now this is an old gallows of a type used in public executions and one of only two still existing - according to the guide there. And it is the focal point of lunch.
Planning /
This is a panorama from near the top of Penobscot Mountain in Acadia National Park. My favorite hike! We have done this one four times and once pushed on to Sargent Mountain. That is the Jordan Pond below. I am excited because we are in the process of planning a trip there for 2021. No place I like better. Covid needs to cooperate next year.
Chincoteague Ponies /
The name Chincoteague Pony is an official breed. The fire department and scores of volunteers (saltwater cowboys) bring the herds into pens during June to prepare them for auction in July after the famous “Pony Swim.” Some are sold and leave the lsland a few are “sold” but called “buy-backs” and the buyer gets to name the horse but it stays with the herd. The male in this photo, Riptide, is the son of a famous horse and now is the alpha male of the southern herd. The other pony in the photo is “Get Milk.” These were a quite distant today and trying to stay a bit out of the wind which was blowing 30 to 50 mph. Smart horse - less smart photographer..
At Least One.... /
It would be cruel to make you wait for all the bird photos until Bird Week X, so…..
A Black Skimmer stands along the bayside of the strip of sand with the Atlantic on the other side. Skimmers like to glide just over the water and drop their lower and longer bill into the water and scoop up a few tasty morsels for dinner. Great bird to watch darting about.
Tiny Hamlet of Harborton (two photos) /
On the way back from a weekend of new friends and photography in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, I followed a road west of the main road that led to this tiny town in Virginia’s Eastern Shore called Harborton. It was clearly named for the nice, large harbor that gave easy access to the Chesapeake Bay. There were a couple of dozen houses, a score of piers and docks and a very large parking lot that indicated there were a lot of boats launched here doing the summer. Pretty place. I shot this crab/oyster shack in the early afternoon. I have a photograph of an old post office I will post later. Lots of bird photos so, we all know that means the long-awaited and eagerly anticipated Bird Week X.
If you are a fan of B&W I think this image lends itself to that look, added here with a wash of antique color in ON1
Hope Your Week is Glorious /
This is a sunset taken between Charlestown, SC and Myrtel Beach, SC. The cloud formation is just enchanting.
Country Church /
This is located very close to Smokemont in the Great Smoky Mountains on the NC side. It is a short walk from the campground. The Lufty Baptist Church was established in 1836 and this building erected in 1912. There is an outhouse down the hill from the building that is nearly hidden by the foliage. I am not sure if the church building is used for anything any longer although it appears to be set up for an audience. Maybe just shut down becuase of covid.
“Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path.” Psalm 44:18 NLT
Last Year /
We were able in early December to visit Disney World. One of the highlights was a tour of the 9 or so gingerbread creations. They are remarkable and this one, over two stories high, was set up to sell and serve hot chocolate from the front porch. Don’t think they did them this year - hope for 2021. This is located in the Grand Floridian. Turns out my neighbor’s son plays the piano here.
In Sight /
Thought it would be good to take a break from birds and streams and fall colors. I took this a few years ago but just processed it (or re-processed it) and I think it is a better photo. I like it because I am standing on the side of the Lincoln Memorial and the portico frames the Reflecting Pool, the Washington Monument, the US Capital and The Smithsonian Castle. Whew. It also includes a tired tourist resting on the steps of the monument.
Fill 'er up? /
You didn’t have to do it yourself and pay at the pump meant you gave the man $5.00 and he gave you change while chatting about the crops and weather and what happened at church last Sunday. And don’t back into the tree when you leave!
Excited... /
Not the Great Blue in this photo, but me. I am actually going out to take images this weekend at Chincoteague, Virginia. If you don’t know Chincoteague (or the famous horse, Misty) it is a small town on the Eastern shore and adjacent to the wild life refuge of the same name and it shares the long island with the Assateague Island National Seashore. It is one of my favorite places and I am going to be with other more experienced photographers so I expect to learn a lot and simply enjoy a beautiful place doing what I enjoy so much, shooting photographs, enjoying the beauty of the sea and unique wild life.
However, on the Great Blue, note the colors of his feathers they are so subtle and rich.
Soft /
Looking at one of the mountains surrounding Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains on a very foggy morning. The low fog was burning off across the valley but it was still very thick in pockets. The three tiers of this photo were pleasing to me.
Another Great Smoky Mountain NP Stream /
I took a lot of different steam and waterfall photos during the 10 days we were in the area. I simply love the colors of fall, the streams were pretty full after some soaking late September storms and the opportunity to be out in these leafy cathedrals rejuvenating. For some of the locations I would love the chance to shoot them in the spring when the deep green foliage is dotted with pink and while flowrers.
Thankful .7 /
I am thankful for the future and its promise.
In 1976 Cindy and I toured the West for the first time and had a remarkable 14 days. On Friday night of Memorial Day weekend we were in the reliable and durable 1971 VW zipping along the interstate in Missouri and needed to be home for Tuesday as we both had to work and a summer class I was taking also began. Our VW had 170k and never an issue. Then it did. Suddenly the engine blew and the now free spinning transmission thought it should join in the chaos. We were on the side of the road, little money, no credit cards back then and a very broken car.
I’ll give the end of the story but first, the point is the car. I have way more miles than it did and remarkably, I seem to be steaming down some sort of Interstate. But I know there are limits that I do not see and they can be gradual or sudden. I also know there is less of the road ahead than behind. But I am so thankful that is not the end of the story. Believers in the completed work of Jesus, imperfect as we are, faulty as we are, prone to fail as we are, are gifted with a future that is well beyond what might appear to be the end of the road. And, while an occasional doubt dances across my view, - that twitchy humanity again, it is a solid, logical and secure reality. “And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. …. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1: 4 & 11 NLT
What we did have is AAA. A tow truck arrived and towed us to a full campground - Memorial weekend, remember, but they let us pitch our tent on a hill. We had torrents of rain that night and spent the night watching the lightning & sitting up in the car, soaking wet. In the AM the tow driver came back - he thoughtfully left his ticket open so we could use the whole 50 miles, and took us to the airport in St Louis to rent a car and the remains of the 1971 VW to the VW garage. We had enough to rent a car for three days and slept on the floor of a room at St Louis Chrsitian College. On Tuesday we got the bad news on the car and the time we spent trolling auto dealers Sunday and Monday paid off as we had a car in mind and Cindy’s old boss at a bank arranged financing for us over the phone, so off to Johnson only one day late with our Western trip souvenir a 1972 green Dodge Colt with A/C!
It is hard to know the whole path before us only that it leads to the Son.
Thankful .6 /
Where do you stop being grateful when you start a list? I am so thankful for our home both here and “en route” to wherever we are heading, for hobbies & interests that lead me to form new friendships, learn new skills (or at least try) and are a joy to pursue. I am grateful for mobility: we walk most days, hike on trips, balance across rocky streams, climb hills and, adding in car travel we have driven hundreds of thousands of miles crisscrossing the USA and Canada..
I have been blessed to work part-time or full time since I was 12 and began selling donuts door to door. It is amazing that I have had the opportunity to work with so many solid, creative, outstanding leaders in scores of churches.
We have a warm house - the repair person just fixed our heat pump, in fact, we have what we need and more.
It is easy to be a bit cynical or start to compare one’s life with someone who aprears to have things or circumstances better than you - what a trap. Simply being grateful for what we have, what sustains us in the moment, what challenges us and what a grand adventure any aspect of life affords all point to living a life a gratitude and thanksgiving. A good habit is to recall two or three things each morning that you are grateful for as you plan your day.
Last post on thankful tomorrow but first another gem from the most quotable Mr. Lewis:
“We shall not be able to adore God on the highest occasions if we have learned no habit of doing so on the lowest. At best, our faith and reason will tell us that He is adorable, but we shall not have found Him so, not have tasted and seen. Any patch of sunlight in a wood will show you something about the sun which you could never get from reading books on astronomy. These pure and spontaneous pleasures are “patches of Godlight” in the woods of our experience.” (Letters to Malcolm p122)
Thankful .5 /
C. S. Lewis wrote: “Man can neither make, nor retain, one moment of time; it all comes to him by pure gift.” How completely true. Time is a most precious gift and I am keenly aware of that at this stage of life and I try, often unsuccessfully, to be grateful for every moment. I am privileged to have lived across parts of 8 decades, and soon, nearly 30% of all American Presidents. Each day is full of decisions on how that day can be used, often just doing ordinary things, accomplishing work (though 2021 is my last year for that!) having dinner or simply doing some small task that needs to be done. We should celebrate the ordinary as that is most of our lives. Regardless of how we use them every moment is a gift to be savored and pondered so we ought to shepherd them with diligence and purpose and, always, with thanksgiving.
Clock tower, Lowell, MA
Thankful .4 /
Family - our sons and daughters-in-law and GRANDKIDS are all a blessing. You pray that your children will become productive and capable adults, find someone to share life with who is more than a good companion and will who be a full partner to create joy and meaning in life. I am so thankful for them. I am thankful that faith has meaning for all of their lives. And then there is the bonus, super grandkids. What absolute joy they provide and to see them growing into fine adults is gratifying and a privilege. There is not a day that slips past that I don’t give thanks for all of those who comprise what we simply define as family, and….
…on this Day of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for Cindy. It is hard, perhaps impossible, to understand at 16 when you are enamored by a beautiful young woman, what that means for life as you date, marry, raise a family, work, travel, attend to life together and age together. It is not hard, however, to look back from that first glance and to see how blessed, fortunate, and gifted that life became because she shared herself on that journey. It is Cindy that made a comfortable home wherever we lived (or travel), provided an atmosphere that enabled our sons to thrive, gave me the encouragement and support in many dimensions that allowed me to succeed at college and work and, with her discipline and attention to life’s details, she solves many issues small and large that otherwise would be a problem. She makes the travel more enjoyable, dinners more enticing and every day a blessing and a joy. Thankful seems almost an inadequate word.
At one of her preferred places, along side the ocean. This one at the Cape Lookout National Seashore.