The reason for our light pole....

This ugly creature is now costing us $12 a month!  When we built our home here in the country over six years ago, we decided not to install a light pole to save $12 a month.  Instead we installed yellow lights on our home.  Little did we know that those lights would attract bugs, those bugs would attract frogs, and those frogs would attract snakes!  Because of the abundant rain this season, there were plenty of frogs to be seen like this one shown below which is crouched on our pool slab.  I noticed him from my living room as he was sitting up high.  When I grabbed the camera and laid on the cement to take his photo, he went into hiding mode!

Did you know that frogs don't need to drink the way we do: they absorb water through their permeable skin!  And did you know the world's tiniest frogs are smaller than a dime, and the largest frog can grow to be larger than a food and weigh more than 7 pounds!  Those would be some hefty frog legs!

Now when you come to visit our home studio at dark and see our shining light pole, think about this creature that was the driving force behind our light pole!

By the way, in case you were wondering, we haven't seen any snakes on our property!

The season's first wildflowers...

It is so relaxing to photograph nature!  I took the time to venture outside to capture the first wildflowers that have sprouted at The Smith Ranch.  The first image was taken on my first day outside of a blue wild-indigo wildflower.  On another day, I captured some more blue wild-indigo, Missouri evening primrose, a goatsbeard wildflower, prairie groundsel, and finally beardtongue.  I have also listed the flower names above the images below.  Enjoy!

This is the Missouri evening primrose.  It was sprouted on the side of our driveway.

This is a goatsbeard.  It is similar to a dandelion but when it sprouts it is much bigger than a dandelion.

Prairie groundsel is below and these look like tiny daisies.

Finally some beardtongue.  When you look close at the petals before they bloom they look like a lips!

Unfolding The Rose

Our recently planted rosebush that was a gift from a dear friend bloomed this spring.  I put on my plastic boots and got out in my yard after a recent  rain to capture this tiny rosebud.  It reminds me of one of my favorite poems that I have listed below.  Enjoy!

It is only a tiny rosebud, a flower of God’s design.
But I cannot unfold the petals with these clumsy hands of mine.

And the secret of unfolding flowers is not known to such as I.
God opens this flower so sweetly, when in my hands it dies.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud, this flower of God’s design,
Then how can I have the wisdom to unfold this life of mine?

So I’ll trust in Him for leading each moment of my day.
I will look to Him for His guidance each step of the pilgrim way.

The pathway that lies before me, only my Heavenly Father knows.
I’ll trust Him to unfold the moments, just as He unfolds the rose.

  – written by Darryl L. Brown