Still Visiting Beautiful Places

Seems lately I'm drawn to beauty, tonight I was looking at old pictures of places I felt much beauty.  This meadow ws so beautiful.  Just looking at these pictures bring a smile to my face.  It was happy time for me.  I'm not really sure this picture captures it all.  The helicopter flight the next day was also pretty spectacular.  I've gone here once since my first visit.  I want to go again in the winter.  I've gone in October and I've gone in May.  I want a meadow I can run through and be free.  Our forefathers must have been in awe exploring this country.

Willow Tree

There's a little park I found, it's really just a lake with some beautiful trees.  This one's my favorite.  This tree isn't here, or even in this state.  I found it a year ago.  I took many pictures of this tree that day.  The day I found it was special.  I'd love to just stay in that day sometimes.  I still visit that tree in my head.  I picture myself under it's branches and shade.  Had to go there after my family left today.  There was a certain sadness when they left.  My mom picked up on it more than usual.  She said when she left.  I feel sad about leaving you.  I'm really fine.  I'm enjoying my company much more than I have in the past.  Sitting under the willow tree.  I say a little prayer.  Thank you for the many blessings, and thank you for my family.

Autumn in Summer

Yep my niece is visiting, we're eating lunch, back from the beach, and heading back.  The clouds are beautiful.  I'll write more later.

Peaceful Visitor (Blue Heron)

I once heard it's good luck when one of these fellows come for a visit, today I was feeling a little blue, I went to my special place, and in the lonliness of it all, here the blue heron comes to say everythings going to be ok. 

Heron: is associated with morning, and is the first bird to salute the dawn. A heron also tied in with regeneration of life. A heron provides for its young like a stork. It is associated with longevity, silent memory, overcoming danger, indiscretion, dual nature: because of it amphibious nature, and melancholy. The heron is sacred to the Muses and is related to priesthood. Herons are seen as a favorable of men. When heron's leave the marsh and fly above the clouds they announce the coming of a storm.

...signifying the world of life and light, as opposed to that of death and darkness. For the same reason the snow-white heron was much esteemed,... and the blue heron for luck in life.

Summer Songs

Summertime from "Porgy and Bess"

 

VH1.com : Doc Watson

Nothing captures the feelings of summer better than the much-loved song from "Porgy and Bess," "Summertime." Its majestic imagery and deep spirituality touch listeners today as they have for generations. Doc Watson's version is the ultimate version.  This picture says summer, my friend Amy brought her son over to my house right around sunrise, we took Kendall out on the Ocean to check things out.  He loved it.

."..there's a nothin'
can harm you
With Daddy and Mama
standin' by."

A good ending of the summer, and another one of my favorite summer song is John Denver's "Sunshine on my Shoulders"

Autumn and Eli

This is my heart.  Autumn and Eli are my neice and nephew.  I took this picture of them taking a breather from pulling them in the wagon.  I feel such deep connections with both of them.  Like when I saw both of them for the first time, all questions about life were answered instantly.  All this just from being an UNCLE.

Winged Victory

This is one of my favorite statues I go too on my lunch breaks.  It's called Winged Victory, and was put in Memorial Park back at the ending of World War II.  I find much peace sitting out on the St. Johns River just pondering life and all the wonderful things in it.  The renowned sculptor of Winged Victory was C. Adrian Pillars who lived in St. Augustine from 1919-1932 and represents the best known work of his.  The birds sure were enjoying it this day.

Boy and Dolphin

I just got off work and walked down too the beach.  I live in Jacksonville Beach.  This is a little piece of art I walk by every day when I take one of my thought walks on the beach.  I love it.  I think of my childhood, my imagination, and my love for water.  The artist that molded this could have done it just for me!  The piece is called "Sea Express"

Family

When I was little my favorite place was the zoo.  I especially liked the monkey's.  I think it was because of the family.  My mom and dad joked, "There's little Derek monkey, and Daddy monkey, and mama monkey.  I still love the zoo today.  I sat for hours watching these guys.  Mama was so good with little baby monkey.  So caring and gentle.  Aint life grand?

Father Above

This is my Father's Day Picture and the first picture of this journal.  The reason I chose it was because of what it means to me.  I took this picture of my niece Autumn with her dad, my brother Lance.  When I took it she was looking up into his eyes so lovingly.  When I first saw the picture.  I also thought of it as a little girl looking up to our Heavenly father with the same love.  So I named it "Father Above".    Bless all the Father's out there!