The Goodness of Light

On Tuesday last, Elder David A Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints challenged us to flood the internet with a wave of good, uplifting and positive. I love that challenge. I've seen many others accept that challenge as they post uplifting quotes, experiences and photos.

This week we've been blessed with our August monsoonal flow of moisture. We've badly needed every drop we have received. I love the quality of the light after thunderstorms. Each evening Harley and I take a little doggie-walk. As I was walking last evening, with a soft, cool breeze ruffling my hair, I was struck by how a walk on a pleasant rain-washed evening just feeds my soul. It fills me up.

It takes me back to my carefree days of childhood when I lived in the ultimate safe haven of Indian Valley California. I was free (and safe) to roam the pastures, mountains, creeks and forests of that beautiful area. Perhaps because I am the baby-of-the-family by quite a gap, I learned early on to be happy with my own company even though I am basically a social person.

I marvel at the goodness of our Heavenly Father, who created such a beautiful world. And the wonderful godly light that shines through the clouds testifies to my spirit of his love for me, his daughter.

I'm grateful to know that God *is no respecter of persons*. He loves all of His children!

Mare's Tail

We had one of those warm winter days today (read- 40*, but it's amazing how warm that feels!) I went on a little walkie at about 4:30 this afternoon. It was one of those lovely windless days! I could feel the sun baking through my charcoal-colored pants... Ah, lovely sun!

I hadn't gone far before the glorious clouds claimed my attention. Mare's tails- I love them.

Not 20 paces further and I NEEDED to capture this tree, I think it is a catalpa tree, hoping for warmer days... just like me!

MY Kind of Fireworks

Lasterday evening Harley and I took a little walk-a-bout. I have several favorite route that we take... and THIS-night I chose the right one!

This is what I was rewarded with after my fairly steep climb (it's good for me!)...



Isn't this just one of the most wonderful things you can see? AND to show just how wonderful this was... it was taken with my MPC aka iPhone! You know it's an awesome sight when even a low-end camera can capture this beauty!

My favorite part is the *God's light* coming through the clouds. Truly He has created a beautiful world for us to live in.

Pink Clouds

Tonight the phone rang at 7:13pm and shortly thereafter my timer went off reminding me that I needed to move the sprinkler. I walked out the front door and this is what greeted me.



"Bobbie... run outside right now and look at the big pink cloud!" Can you believe this? She was in a room without a west facing window, the door closed, and on a CORDED phone! She couldn't go look. Me? I would have said, "Hang on! I gotta go see this!"

Is it just me? Or am I strange? (Don't answer that!)

I will never get tired of beautiful sunsets, beautiful clouds, beautiful... anything! And I will run rabbit-fast to see it!

Saved Memories

Do you have a set of memories that you save for a rainy day? I do! Those happy thoughts that will brighten even the cloudiest day!  I like to pull them out of my pocket and let in those old rays of sunshine!

I decided to do the same thing with this photo. Just looking at this sky makes me happy and want to sing! Now if I could just figure out a way to enlarge it so it covers my workroom window I'd be in business!

344- Inversion Diversion

This time of year it is common to get an inversion layer that holds all of the cold air and, unfortunately, the smog down at the ground. Since we live at the south end of Utah County we escape much of it and the further north you go the worse it gets.

I was driving home on Hwy 89 aka ** State Street and could spy the exact point where the inversion was occurring!  See those clouds hanging half-way down Spanish Fork Mountain?  Yup, that's it.  But the cool part came as I started the mild climb over Ironton between Provo and Springville... I could see the underside of the inversion not 200 feet above me.  Very cool.



** Here is an interesting fact about State Street:

In the U.S. state of Utah, U.S. Route 89 (US-89) is a long north–south state highway spanning more than 502 miles (807.891 km) through the central part of the state.

From Springville north to Salt Lake City, US-89 parallels—and for a distance overlaps—Interstate 15, following the old Arrowhead Trail, once the main highway from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, through a number of downtowns.

336- Mackerel Sky

It was one of those beautiful cold, sunny days with a mackerel sky! I think this looks like quilt batting spread across the sky... where's my needle?

319- Cloud Choices

I tend to go through periods where my trusty Rebel XS is my close companion... there are so many things to capture that day.  I end up with way too many to post on one day.

Then there are stretches of long, grey days where there just isn't anything that photo-worthy. It is on those days (such as this day) when I start digging through my files and see what I've missed on one of those *high-photo-days*.

This cloud shot caught my eye; immediately I could hear Joni Mitchell's song (Both Sides Now) in my head.



When I *Googled-up* the lyrics I found something that spoke to my beautiful-cloud/grey-cloud dilemma!

Rows and flows of angel hair,
And ice cream castles in the air,
And feather canyons everywhere,
I've looked at clouds that way.

But now they only block the Sun,
They rain and snow on everyone.
So many things I would have done,
But clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down, and still somehow,
It's cloud illusions I recall,
I really don't know clouds, at all.

As I've sat here and pondered all of this I realized how much life is like my photo-ops.  Some days are bursting with positive energy; some days, well, not so much.

I'm grateful that I have looked at clouds from both side... the black, threatening ones, the silver-lining variety and my personal favorite, pink tinged.  I'm also grateful that I've learned NOT to let those black, threatening clouds get in my way!

I always have the option to go dig around in my mental photo-stash and find those happy, pink cloud days.  Happy thought!  So even on gloomy-grey days I CHOOSE to see those pink edged clouds... It's always my choice!

265- In Silhouette

I love it when the light looks like this. I've heard it referred to as *God's Light*. I just think that is so fitting. Clean, sharp beams of light coming down from our loving Heavenly Father.

182- Eastern Sunset

I know what you're thinkin'! There goes that dyslexical Joanie again! She can't say the correct direction (all of which is true).

But this time I really did have an eastern sunset display. 9 pm... sun just going down in the West, just like usual, but all the color and beauty was in the eastern sky.

What a beautiful world!


FONT- Albemarle Swash, ACTION- DPMoms Perfect Workflow, BRUSH- RhonnaFarrer_2ps_SnapShot_Horizontal6, FRAME- Hof3_RoundedSquare4FrameRF

272- Storm's a'Comin'

Today, right now at 6:19pm Mountain time it is 78 degrees... ahh, but that storm's a'comin'! Temperatures tomorrow are predicted to be 30-35 degrees cooler than today! I think fall is going to swoop in all at once tonight...

In anticipation of said storm I went out and did some yard work; including raking up soft-gooshie fruit that has lain on the ground for two weeks while I've been gone. Mmmmm-mmmm... DON'T get a spoon!

After some back-breaking work I took a break on the deck and looked up to find these beauties... the precursor of the storm.



Now I am sitting in my perch of a playroom and am watching the storm creep up *my* mountain. I just love to watch the storms move in.

148- Just No Substitute...

There's just no substitute for a good camera (or insert the word of your choice here!) My Daddy taught me this years ago. When I was still in my mid teens he started buying me useful gifts: mostly cutting implements (bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha), scissors, knives. I still have all of them. And since he taught me how to sharpen them (but I've forgotten the trick for scissors =() they are just as sharp and useful now 40 years later. I think that taught me that sometimes you really are better off to spend a little more and then the item lasts a lifetime.

So where am I going with this? I'll tell you. You know that I have (and carry with me) my little marsupial-pocket-camera. My new dSLR is just too bulky and expensive to carry in my purse. I've thought that little MPC was better than nothing or a camera phone photo... but just barely!

EXHIBIT A



We went up to the Draper Temple to do an endowment session. When we came out there was beautiful Lone Peak covered with huge cumulus clouds and a black threatening sky. I uploaded the photo to my computer and played with it. Tweaked the lighting, added blended layers to try to brighten it, high pass filter to boost sharpness. But I am still not happy with the results. It is NOT what my eyes saw!

EXHIBIT B



Every evening this week I have gone out on the new deck to enjoy the beautiful weather. I have my chaise lounge out there and then I drag out a pillow and beach towel to make myself more comfortable. I've done some reading, eaten dinner, listened to the sounds of nature and the neighborhood and tonight did some clouds watching. When I saw these beautiful clouds hanging over Hobble Creek Canyon I came in and got my new Cannon Rebel XS, put on my 50mm lens with a polarizing filter and snapped off some photos... THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT MY EYES CAN SEE!

The only *edit* I did on this was balance my lighting (it was a little underexposed) and add my watermark...

I rest my case.