Snowy Christmas Lights

Frosted Window

First Snowfall

Beautiful Day

Colorful Artwork in Des Moines

Beautiful Flowers Mistake

You usually see only

my favorite photos,

those worth sharing.

Sometimes I think

mistakes end up beautiful

even though it's not

what I thought the

end result should be.

Chipmunk

Simply Autumn

Church at Night

Downy Woodpecker

I was in a bird blind this past summer,

watching all the birds, as well as the chipmunks,

come and munch away on the delicious treats left

out to attract them. One of the critters I saw

was this guy, a downy woodpecker.

He has a white back and notice he has just

a tiny bit of red on his head.

I was at Lake Iowa, in Iowa County,

in the state of Iowa, near Millersburg,

visiting their really wonderful 

bird blind and nature center.

Sumac Leaves

Sumac leaves are Autumn singing

with the most beautiful voices

in perfect harmony.

Wild Flowers

I perhaps owe

becoming a painter

to flowers.

~ Claude Monet ~

Sycamore

Foxy

The Noise of the Fan

The fan was running

in the silo

so I knew the farmer

had picked the grain

and had it drying in the silo

on this beautiful farm

near the Des Moines River valley.

I'm certain that the sound

of the fan running,

knowing there are crops in the silo,

must be music to a farmer's ears.

Persimmon Tree

Hummingbird Moth

All is Well

There may be clouds in the sky,

but none are as beautiful

as those found at the end

of a peaceful day

when all is well

and the sun is setting.

World with Octobers

I'm so glad I live in a world

where there are Octobers.

~ L.M. Montgomery ~

Des Moines Riverbank

Birds in Flight

Reflecting

Without reflection,

we go blindly on our way,

creating more unintended consequences,

and failing to achieve

anything useful.

~ Margaret J. Wheatley ~

Sunset Barn

Built Ford Tough

Living Stained Glass

The monarchs are working 

on their migration

to Mexico and South America.

Every year we get many 

of them traveling

through Iowa

 on their journey.

I think butterflies 

are God's 

living stained glass beings.

Every Leaf is a Flower

Autumn

is a second spring

where every leaf

is a flower.

~ Albert Camus ~

Fountain

You don't drown

by falling in the water;

you drown by

staying there.

~ Edwin Louis Cole ~

Sunset at Hickory Grove Park

The earth has music

for those who listen.

~ George Santayana ~

Can you hear the symphony?

 

Blue Iowa Sky

Cows at the Windmill

Sweet Calf in the Pasture

The Risk it Took to Blossom

And the day came

when the risk to remain

tight in a bud

was more painful 

than the risk it took

to blossom.

~ Anais Nin ~

Forest Path

Contrast

There are certain subjects in 

photography that I like.

There are also certain types of photos

that I like to shoot.

I like to shoot photos that

have great contrast in some way.

This photo shows the contrast in 

colors--purple on green--and the 

contrast of a clear plant versus

the grass behind that became so

out of focus it looks like a painting.

Each of us Angels

We are each of us angels 

with only one wing, 

and we can only fly by
embracing one another. 

 ~ Luciano de Crescenzo ~

Sunset on the Field

After the Rain

Sunrise on the Meadow

Purple Blooms

I credit both my friend Kristy

and photography for helping me see

old objects in new ways. 

This metal structure the clematis

is climbing on was once

part of a 3-section privacy screen,

with wood panels in each section.

I saw it and instantly thought, "Trellis."

I removed the wooden panels, 

added some thin wires for the vine

to help grow on,

connected it to one end of a shed

and now I have beautiful trellis

with a beautiful clematis.

It was planted only this spring

so I was delighted to have any flowers

on it at all, but am hoping

that next year the entire

trellis will be covered in purple blooms.

Yellow Begonia

I'm a little surprised my begonia

has made it all through summer

and is still blooming like this

as we enter autumn.

God made our world

such a beautiful place

and for that I'm thankful.

Barn 2

Faith and Love

As I walked through this cemetery this week,

I thought about how all of us will end up in

a similar place someday.

We have to make the most of each day.

It really is true that at the end of our lives,

the only thing that matters is how

we made others feel

and how much love we gave.

It's a sobering experience to see the

tombstones of all the people

who have gone before us.

I have love.

I am loved.

I give love.

I take love.

I create love.

I have faith.

 

Beauty of the Farm

Sweet Guardian Angel

The Butterfly Affect

What the caterpillar calls 

the end of the world,

the master calls

a butterfly.

~ Richard Bach ~

Stained Glass Sunset

Flower Patch

Lake View

Cone Flowers

These beautiful coneflowers were growing

in a butterfly garden at Lake Iowa County Park.

I am amazed at the beauty one can find

at the town, county and state parks in Iowa.

I've found that the county parks are really

underrated and are very worth taking

a second and third look at.

They are often underused and in

beautiful condition. 

Lake Iowa is certainly no exception.

Check out this park near Millersburg 

and Ladora, Iowa. 

Always Flowers

There are always flowers

for those

who want to see them.

~ Henri Matisse ~