A Beautiful Flower in the Sunset! A Tribute!

Molly was one of those people whose smile you could never forget. Every time I saw her and in almost every picture I have seen of her, she has that beautiful smile. I made copies of over 100 photos of her this past week and in everyone ( except maybe one) she has that happy face. When ever I posted pictures on Facebook, she was one that always sent me a "LIKE". The week before she died, I posted some pictures of the sunset. The last batch of photos contained the photo you see here. To me it depicts a Molly to the Tee: "A Beautiful Flower in the Sunset".  We will miss her so very much, especially that infectious smile of hers and that heart of gold. For the past week she has been "Beyond The Sunset", in the presence of our Lord and Savior. I can picture Jesus giving her a big hug and saying "Welcome Home" and Molly just smiling and enjoying her new home. (Both of these photos do not contain a copyright, so you are free to use them however you desire.)

The amazing Butterfly!

Over the years, I have been known to be a little too impatient. Sometimes it is hard to simply wait for things to happen.  Waiting for photographic opportunities is no exception. It seems like I have been waiting forever for the butterflies to appear this year. But like with most things, the wait is worth the effort. Today I took a side road north of Springbrook which took me past several swamps and roadside flowers. In our adult Sunday School class at church we saw a video that showed us the amazing metamorphosis process that it takes to become an amazing butterfly. Only an omnipotent God can take a caterpillar and make a beautiful butterfly!

Rainy Day Colors

People always have different perspectives on the weather. When it rained this morning, I am sure there were a few carpenters and outdoor workers that were not too happy. Farmers probably had mixed feelings, with some really wanting rain and others who want to get their hay crop in, wish that it didn't rain. As a photographer I get excited when it rains, because of the way flowers take on a special shine in the rain. To me right after a rain is the "Golden Hour" and time to get the camera out. That is exactly what I did today. What a blessed combination God makes - Flowers in the rain!This time I don't mind being all wet!

What to do while "Waiting on a Woman"...

This morning my wife had a chiropractor appointment in Barron. While she was getting her back cracked, I went next door to the church, to the home our our renter. She always has such beautiful flowers and she allows me to take as many pictures as I want. I could have spent an hour taking photos, but I limited myself to about 20 minutes. For lunch we made a trip to Culvers. My wife went next door to Aldis and I took pictures of Culver's flowers. There is a country song called, "Waiting on a woman". Now you know what i like to do while waiting on my "woman", (I mean my wife). The conclusion of the song is that she is worth the wait (and so are the flowers)

Sunshine Yellow Iris

During the past few weeks I have taken several pictures of Iris' growing in peoples gardens. They are amazing flowers with a variety of colors. Some of the most beautiful Iris' don't grow in a garden they grow on the side of the road in the ditches. Tonight as I was coming home from Spooner I noticed a few of them growing along side of the road. The car made an emergency photo stop and I was able to shoot them with the sun shining on their beautiful faces. John Denver sang of a Rocky Mountain High. This time of year I have a Northern Wisconsin Flower High! God sure knows how to make even a side road ditch light up with His beauty.

Garden Variety 2013

One of the joys of this time of year is taking pictutres of different people's flower gardens. No two gardens are the same and have a variety of flowers. Next to the church in Barron is the parsonage, where a very lovely lady lives. Every year she has some of the most beautiful flowers that I have seen. Yesterday, I had some time to kill before a meeting, so I decided to take a few photos at her house. I was not disappointed in the beauty and variety of her flowers. She has a large bed of blue Iris' and yet, each bloom is different and has a character of it's own. God is the great designer.

Friendly Lady Slippers

One of my favorite places to take photos is only about 3 miles from our house - Whalen Lake Road. A couple of years ago, I was heading down the road and I saw some wild flowers by the side of the road and I stopped to take pictures of them. As I was taking the photos, a dear lady came by and started to talk with me. I told her my name, which she has never forgotten. Every time I see her, either on Whalen Lake Road or at the grocery store, she always tells me to come by her house and take pictures of Lady Slippers that come up in the spring behind of her garage. Yesterday, I finally had a chance to take her up on her offer and I am very glad I did. There must have been a dozen plants that were blooming and simply beautiful. Now I know why she was so proud of them and wanted me to see and photograph them. I already made a few photo cards from the photos and they are absolutely beautiful! Thanks Phylis.Let me know if you think there were worth the effort.