Thoughts

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Close Encounters of the Lake Kind

I admire folks with the ability and patience to capture low light images.

Above is one of my fledgling favorites, back when the Lightning Tree still existed. Unfortunately, it (and my tripods) succumbed to earth, wind, and fire. C’est la vie. Some things are better left to experts.

Or memories.

Once in a Blue Moon

Over the years I’ve fooled around with nighttime photography and/or the full moon has fooled around with me. Raise your hand if its tidal pull gets the best of you, too. One thing I love about the photo above — blurry though it may be — is the spot on the lunar surface. What was that anyway? Don’t think it was a satellite zooming across the sky — it remained stationary. Ya never know when folks are watching.

I’ve even tried to take pictures of lightning. Let’s just say it was a hair-raising experience. (Do not try this at home!)

Last night I also witnessed a super nova. Such is my writerly life at 2:00 a.m. without photographic evidence. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of strays from the Perseid meteor shower — an annual August event —  when a familiar star blazed incredibly bright, then disappeared. Whether or not that celestial anomoly was documented by anyone else, I saw what I saw and was WOWED. Coincidence? I think not.

Full Moon over the Lake

What I’m trying to say is: live YOUR life whether you capture it on film or not.

Stellar moments happen but once in a lifetime.

Or at the right shutter speed.

Enjoying nighttime Lake Life,

~ Kim

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All Things Bright and Beautiful

Summer provides a revitalizing palette for my soul. (Ahhhh…) Besides the brilliant backdrop of greens and blues from our lawn, lake, and sky, there’s a veritable rainbow of fresh produce to cook with — and eat.

Serenity mixed with intensity.

Looking back through the ol’ blog archives (which I do every once in awhile to ensure that my writing and photographic integrity are still intact) I was tickled to rediscover these blasts from the past in somewhat “rainbow” order:

Regarding the Ranier cherries in the first photo (with a batch of ‘flat belly water’ in the background —see previous post) and the bell peppers below….

Sometimes colors meld into each other, transitioning from one hue to the next like “in between” colors of the rainbow. Love when that happens! Gradual is the name of the game here.

The striated cherries were a lovely snack all week and the peppers are soon to be stuffed. (Sorry, no recipe — “throw-together” supper tonight.)

What’s your favorite color of the rainbow and/or summer food to eat?

Enjoying subtle transitions,

~ Kim

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Wildlife At The Lake

Armadillos and squirrels and woodchucks, oh my! You never know what might show up at the lake.

(Actually we have two woodchucks, but “Mrs. Woody” is a tad camera shy.)

Our above-ground friends add to the entertainment.

Recently The Man Of Few Words captured a photo of Oklahoma’s elusive state bird, the Scissortail Fly Catcher, too. So proud of ’em both…

Most days we sit on the deck minus the camera intent on watching the world go by. Ahhhh…

But, every once in awhile we get lucky. Tickled to share our glimpses with you!

In between we’ve also spied bluebirds, orioles, cardinals, hummingbirds, bald eagles, Great Blue Herons, cranes, geese, wood ducks, blue jays, gray jays, robins, thrashers, wrens, and assorted other “little birds” but they’ve been too fast to capture on film. (Or we’ve been too slow.)

However, life’s been good. Nope, make that wild!

Enjoying Nature at the lake,

~ Kim

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Indelible Evidence

“Indelible” often refers to ink, but I believe it applies to life as well. You leave a trail whether you intend to or not. What will yours say about you?

The thumbprints above were my Dad’s (which I inadvertently discovered in one of his favorite books, besides Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove below) — James Michener’s Centennial. He told me he read it so many times he lost count! Evidently… indelibly. I included it in his eulogy five years ago.

Last winter I finally sat down to read one of Dad’s “faves” and discovered his posthumous paw prints. I bawled like a baby before I could read the rest. Not only did I touch his past, I discovered my future.

Above is the well-worn cover from his other favorite. Whether you’re into Westerns or not, it’s an entertaining read. (The Man Of Few Words ‘n’ I still watch the video series on lazy Saturday afternoons.) Dad left his mark on my heart, and my point is this: history precedes us and we all leave evidence of our existence.

Leave your trails wisely!

As for my lil’ corner of the planet, life lately has been experienced through my lens (at long last) — between intermittent storms, loss of satellite signal, and meals that will never make social media. (I ate the evidence!) It felt good. Slightly stormy, but good.

Fifteen or more tornadoes touched down in our immediate area this week — prayers to all those affected — to keep us mindful. Today it was “just” torrential rain. We’re grateful for every blessing, and truthfully I slept through most of it.  Apologies for the “post-publishing” edits, too… it’s been a long day, but I was compelled to write.

We’re doin’ okay, but the wind sock in our front yard provided evidence of the turbulent skies overhead. Nothing but “rotation” could accomplish that.

Gotta love Oklahoma!

Leave an indelible mark on your journey… the path is yours to define.

Or pass on indelibly.

Enjoying the past, present, and future,

~ Kim

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Life In Small Bites

Sometimes the memory of a flavor is all it takes to rekindle a foodie’s enthusiasm.

Mushroom bouquet

One fine Autumn day as I wandered around our yard, I happened upon an unexpected “mushroom bouquet” and my first thought was food.

They immediately evoked memories of mushrooms past. Slowly simmered in a velvety red wine sauce laced with garlic. Stuffed mushrooms. Mushroom pate’. Manchego mushrooms.

So many possibilities!

Autumn treasures

Lately I’ve been living life in “small bites” — one tentative taste at a time — until I’m ready to jump in again.

Rediscovering flavor.

And that’s okay. Autumn is progressing nicely at the lake. Me, too. 

Loving life,

~ Kim

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Life is like a…

Bowl Full of Cherries 1

Apologies for another post hot on the heels of my last one, but I felt the need to write. (Also, cherries were on sale at Wally World and I couldn’t pass up that bargain yesterday or the “photo op” this morning.) Thanks for bearing with me.

For some reason, corny phrases have inundated my mind lately trying to make sense of the senseless. Perhaps the better term is axiom, adage, analogy, or aphorism…? (Gotta love alliteration.) The term idiom also came to mind.

Whatever definition trips your literary trigger, look it up and apply it to your world! Phrases like those have been a constant source of inspiration and consolation in mine for nigh on fifty years — that’s over a half-century, folks — experience and English class can’t be all wrong! They helped me define my “reality” through words.

Even if you don’t know (or care) what they mean, you have the power to make an impact on others on the planet by writing what you “feel.” Keep it up. And…

Don’t be shy!

Let the world know your heart. (Today, mine felt like a bowl full of cherries.)

Bowl Full of Cherries 2

Enjoying new perspectives via half-century old literary definitions, 

~  Kim

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The Bluebird of Happiness

Bluebird of Happiness.JPG

I recently spent hours online — okay, minutes because I’m blessed with the gift of reading extremely fast — researching the term: “the bluebird of happiness.” We have bluebirds here and most of the definitions I found applied. (Feel free to Google it or “ask Alexa.”) The one above may be an indigo bunting indigenous to our area or a Mountain or Eastern Bluebird, depending on your reference materials and/or knowledge of all things Audubon. It still made me happy seeing it!

The Man Of Few Words snapped that pic while I was gone on another unexpected  extended stay in Minnesota. (By now you probably know that my Mom passed away.)  Thank you for your sympathy. I’m moving forward in spite of that loss — life is short and we only have one “go round” on the planet — make the most of yours!

A few other snaps TMOFW took of “wild life” at the lake while I was gone…

The bathing beauties on the paddle board were courtesy of our lake neighbors :) — the rest were provided by Mother Nature.

Enjoying re-acclimating to the Life at the Lake at last,

~ Kim

What makes YOU smile? Do tell!