Category Archives: Photography

Thankful for Special Friends

This morning, we had the vet put down our old cat, Princess. The last few days have been painful for us, as we knew this was coming. It was especially painful for Joshua.

Yesterday, when I picked him up from work, he was holding a bouquet of flowers that his girlfriend had brought him. Later that same afternoon, her parents had dropped by his work to express their sympathy as well. I can hardly contain myself even now, when I think of the kind of love that Joshua expresses to others, and which they express to him in return. My words on the image describe a virtuous cycle.

Here’s what I wrote on Facebook: I’m thankful for special friends along the way. [EDIT: I was knee-deep in poetry when I wrote that. In plain words, “Those who are unusually good at showing love tend to have friends who love them back in equal measure.” Photo bomb is by Rascal, who has a lot to learn in this regard.]

Goodbye, Princess

Our oldest cat, Princess, has a tumor, and has weakened to the point she can barely walk. Tomorrow, we’ll have the vet put her down. As anyone who loves their pets knows, this is extremely painful. The picture below is one I took about 13 years ago, shortly after I bought a Sony DSC-V1 with “Nightshot” infrared capability. I have several other shots of her sleeping on the bed with a very young Joshua. He has always loved her well, and this is especially hard for him.

Mountain Sunrise

Early this morning, we crawled out of our warm sleeping bags. The temperature was right at freezing, and a stiff breeze never died off in the hours of darkness. During the night, I had decided that I should not summit with my two climbing buddies. Whether from sympathy or prudence, they decided none of us would summit. Mount Columbia remains on our list of 14ers to climb.

It was a beautiful morning nonetheless.

The Path

This is one of my favorite places on the path around White Rock Lake. The path goes through some trees and then turns right to an open area that overlooks the entire lake. It is close to the Bath House.

Here, for those who insist on the truth, is the original photo. But do you really want the truth? The picture below is NOT what I truly experience when I am on this section of the path. Because of the magnificent way God designed us, we take in a scene with stereoscopic vision (try closing an eye and looking into branches to appreciate what this means). We hear and smell, look around, and the brain combines everything into an image that greatly surpasses what can be captured in a still image… no matter how good the camera! So, I must edit photos to convey what I EXPERIENCED, not merely what the camera captured in a thoughtless moment of time.

You’re Never Too Old for Counseling

By the way, the words I quoted were from a young lady with tremendous promise. This is not the first time of late that a younger person has pointed me in the right direction. My joking response was that old Scottish men solve their problems with Scottish drinks, but I DID hear what she was saying. I love being part of the family of God, where His Spirit makes significant use of old and young, male and female, rich and poor. Bless you, younger sister.

Horse Nettle Fruit (NOT Edible!)

Horse Nettle fruit (NOT edible!)

Last year, I wrote this Strange, Belated “Happy Birthday” to My Sister, Cindy DeBoer:

Walking at the lake today, I encountered a young family. The mom was picking what looked like wild green tomatoes from the weeds by the path. I stopped to admire the pile of fruit. The husband came over. Short and shirtless, he had the sort of build that told me “this man fears few things.” I asked, “Do you eat these?” Smiling, he answered, “Yes, we eat these in our country.” “What is your country?” “Nepal.” “Oh, so you lived at high elevation?” “Yes, we have the tallest mountain in the world.” “You cook these before eating them, right?” (I recognized them as some form of nightshade). “Yes.” “Well, God bless you.” I resumed my walk and sighed, “God, let me meet them again in Heaven.” Later, it occurred to me that if I do meet them in Heaven, they’ll probably say, “You’re Cindy DeBoer’s little brother, aren’t you!” By then, she’ll be known Heaven-wide as the one who loved strangers well, and did more than ask rudimentary questions. She’s my big sister, and I still have a lot to learn from her.