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!

YLP Sunset

What a lovely bank of clouds spied on our evening walk to the hardware store. It been so nice to be here with Bekah and her men.

Star of the East

Tonight is the Wolf Moon, according to Fritz (aka Kevin Eubanks KSL weather- but every weatherman is Fritz since living in So Cal!)

I wanted to capture the moon in all of his beauty; but you know what? I never can. All I get is lens reflection and blurry, over or under exposed photos. I can see that I will need to study up on how the *big boys* get those awesome photos with all of the craters etc.

So, for tonight, you get to see the beautiful Star of the East. I've always loved that term. It evokes visions of wise men seeking the young child Jesus, come from afar.

(A quick internet search indicates that this star might actually be Jupiter.)

OK... and because I am basically a sunset-addict I had to share this one from earlier this evening.

Truly our Heavenly Father has created a beautiful world for us.

January Sunset

Lasternight, as I was driving home from Orem, there was the most beautiful sunset. Only problem? Yeah, I was driving!

So this night, as 5:15pm approached, I grabbed my camera and went in search of the sunset. There weren't as many clouds tonight so there was near as much color. But I'm never one to turn my nose up at a medium sunset.

Watercolor Sunset

I've been following the blog Bailey Road for several months and have watched Pat do some wonderful digital watercolor photo conversions. Check her out here... you will be amazed! I'm awed by her talents.

I have previously played around with some watercolor filters (I'll see if I can dig them out of the digital filing cabinet of my blog and tag them with the watercolor tag.) But I've not been as happy with them as I want to be.

What to do? What to do? Ah! Contact my talented-artist-niece! She always knows... and if she doesn't do it herself she will ferret out some online helps for me. She found a great video tutorial which I've been playing with for the last few days (and staying up WAY too late!).

I needed something with a bit more contrast than my currently available landscape of ice and snow. I went looking and found this beautiful sunset photo that I took a couple of years ago and thought it had lots of potential.

This is actually my final attempt... but I'm happiest with this one.

This is the culmination of the first attempt. I added a watercolor filter to this one and lowered the opacity on that layer. The thing that is funny to me is that I followed the same steps with the same photo and ended up with two different looks!

Here is the original photo SOOC.

If you've looked at Bailey Road she has a much more realistic watercolor paper texture which I'd love to find.

Chime in here if you have any helpful hint for me.

Trucks at 16 and 60!

For years (almost 8 to be exact) I've taken photos of the beautiful sunsets that always delight and amaze me and especially in the winter there is usually this teal truck in the foreground. Most of you probably don't even notice it... but I do!



Well I finally got sick and tired of it always being there so I moved that *dang-thing*! Where did I move it too?

In front of MY house!!! Bwahahaha!!



We've mentioned to several of our neighbors who have older trucks, "If you ever want to sell your truck, let us know!" Well, Brad did! He made us a wonderful deal AND we know that it has been lovingly cared for. How could we go wrong?

I've wanted a truck since we moved to Utah. We've kicked around the idea. Gordon's looked at trucks online but it just didn't come together until now. We've had to borrow a truck or trailer several times a season to haul green-waste, pick up something big at Home Depot, take a snowblower or mower into to be fixed or move something. But now! Now we have our very own truck!!

Lasterday as Gordon and I were high-fiving each other exalting that we were finally truck owners (for the very first time) I remember that *my first car* was also a truck. It didn't belong to me; my mom bought it after I wrecked her little Dart wagon (stupid kid!!) She bought it for the same reason we did- she just needed a hauler AND a second back-up car to drive her US Mail route, and make little-Joanie mobile. She was very kind to me in that way. (Let's be honest! My mom was kind to me in EVERY WAY!



For some reason I find it a little ironic that the only trucks I've *owned* are teal... the first one at age 16 and now, this one, at age 60.

OK- Here's another conundrum. What to name my new friend. Got any suggestions?

Ka-Pow

I'm in my office editing photos of my sisters family picnic yesterday when this sunset just KA-POWS me in the eye!



And if I didn't have so much to accomplish between now and tomorrow leaving for girls camp I would have taken a dozen of the changing, glowing, glimmering beauty that is a desert sunset!

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!

Golden Sunset

One of my favorite things is a that rich, golden light that we sometimes get at sunset! It turns the whole world that same vibrant colour!

These are the mountains just north of my house.



But here is the western sky...



I am so lucky that my office window looks to the west.

Thumbnail Moon Sunset

I have the very great blessing of west facing windows... I know Jane Austen wouldn't agree and think west-facing windows very incommodious. (Think all of that with a strong English accent!)  What I like is that I rarely miss a beautiful view of the sunsets if I am in my office.

I glanced up from my work tonight and saw the most deep, beautiful, soft sunset; it only got better when I pulled up the blinds to shoot through the screen (again) and saw my very favorite *thumbnail moon*. This first sliver of a new moon always reminds me of my thumbnail. (Guess that lets you know how long my nails don't grow!)



It was beautiful and soothing... exactly what I needed this evening.

Golden Sunset

Laster-evening during an intermission from a Harry-Pot-a-thon with Auntie P I went upstairs just in time to see the whole sky filled with that wonderful golden light that I just love! I whipped up the blinds, opened the window and shot right through the screen to capture this beauty. We live in such a beautiful world!

Gordon's Gal-Pal-Sal

The other night we took a drive up Left Fork (Hobble Creek Canyon) I came prepared with my super-zoom lens and I wasn't disappointed! Usually that means I found some wildlife; but this time it was the domesticate variety that caught my attention.

We stopped to see several herds of horses. There are always a few brave creatures who come over to the fence to get a scratch... but I've never seen this before with a stranger...


"Look at this! This horse is licking me!"



Sure enough this pretty palomino mare was giving Gordon a good cat-bath!



Does she have a male owner? Does he smell/taste like Gordon? (She wasn't interested in the way I smelled!)



I pointed out another horse to Gordon and while his attention was distracted Gal-Pal-Sal checked out his pockets. (Let's just say those pants went to the laundry when we got home!)



Gordon became so attached to her that he named her Pal, the palomino. Then later in the evening he changed it to his pal, Sal. (We laughed about the non-originality of the names!)

Lastly, a beautiful canyon sunset! It doesn't get much better than this!

January Thaw

We had the January thaw! It lasted 2 whole days! We had sun! no inversion layer (aka smog)! High temperatures in the high 40s and low 50s!  Did I mention the SUN?

Today the cold returned. As I left the Temple this afternoon it was sunny, cold AND horizontal snow!  (It is the Utah version of sunny and raining.)

But the best part of the day was this...



a golden sunset!

346- A Beautiful Day to Be Glad In

This morning dawned grey and drab but by the time we came out of church at noon it was a beautiful day to be glad in (my Mama used to say that!)

By 2pm, when I was leaving choir, it just begged you to bask in that stolen, golden sun.

At 4:45pm, with the sun fixin' to go down, it was still a golden day!

I'm so grateful for days like this... days when the sun is shining, there is no snow on the ground and the high was 50 degrees. We don't get so many days like this in December that it can be taken for granted.

327- Stormy Sunset

We have a blizzard moving in. It hit cities north of us a couple of hours ago and has just in our neighborhood. This is what I was treated to earlier. I could see the sky going into its sunset beauty mode so I jumped in Beatrix and drove the half mile to my favorite sunset op spot.

Can you see why?


LOOKING SOUTH ACROSS UTAH LAKE AT WEST MOUNTAIN


LOOKING SOUTH TO SPANISH FORK RANGE AND NEBO PEEKING OUT FROM BEHIND


LOOKING EAST TO MAPLE MOUNTAIN... another one of my eastern sunsets!


LOOKING SOUTH WEST at wonderful God's Rays of Light... one of my favorites

324- Maple Mountain Sunset

Last evening I'd just stepped out of the theatre from seeing the latest Harry Potter movie, the clouds in the western sky look almost Apocryphal... fittingly, very Harry Potter Voldemort! As I was digging my mpc out of my purse I glance east and there was Maple Mountain glowing in her evening beauty. I literally ran jogged over to the edge of the parking lot to capture this shot. I knew if I didn't it would be gone.



As I was driving home I was treated to a glorious sunset ALL IN THE EASTERN SKY (I just love how that happens here so much, all reflected light)! Timpanogos looked just like a painting: snow covered, clouds behind, pink sky, almost glowing! I wanted to stop right on the freeway and get another photo! (But seeing as how the I-15 corridor is under construction in Utah County that wouldn't be a wise move!!)

301- Autumn Sunset

I've been treated this week to a series of beautiful sunsets... here is just one example.

295- Pumpkin Walk

We got to enjoy a local festival, The Pumpkin Walk. It was very fun. Holly said that by the end her face hurt from smiling. There are HUNDREDS of carved pumpkins lining the park walks.



And the displays? They are created using pumpkins, gourds and squash depicting different children's movies and books. The first display was A Bug's Life. I thought the art work on this bug-guy's face was awesome.



These pumpkins as flower centers were clever.



And Freddy Feet! Gotta have a picture of Freddy Feet!



The penguins from Madagascar...



And, Phil, you filthy monkey...


(Funny story- when Christian was about 4 his mom asked him to go wake Daddy up very nicely.  He marched down the hall, flung open the door and hollered, *Dad, get up you filthy monkey!* bwahahahaha)

This corn husk, dried corn, fruit and berries is from The Polar Express.  Somehow I missed getting photos of the faces of the characters; again, a work of art.  Love the *punkin-presents*.



This little piggy was my favorite... look at the *nipples*!



It was finished off with a beautiful sunset and the rising full moon.



Good fun, good friends.

290- Silly Tree Sunset

This silly tree lives out on Canyon Road. I'm not sure what its problem is but, as you can see, it only has leaves at the tips of its branches.

What better way to see it than in silhouette against a blazing sunset. What a beautiful world.