Crystalline Web

Walking in the ruins across the street from where my Sister Clytie lives, we discovered this amazing web of broken glass. How amazing to see beauty in the midst of the vandalism and destruction. My sister sees a landscape in this webbed glass, I see a flying saucer! What do YOU see???


Daddy Update: Today will be the last of the 100 degree weather. Last night it cooled down enough I was able to air the house. I think it will be much more comfortable for my parents today. Dad is showing lots of improvement. He says his neck feels better than it has since the accident, and the wound vac on the top of his head seems to be doing it's healing work.

Friday the physical therapist and the nurse will be in to do their magic. Tuesday I will drive Dad to the Veteran's hospital to see the plastic surgeon. Thank you again for all your encouragement, good thoughts and prayers.

Fractured

Sissy and I went for a long walk in the deserted mega church across from where she lives. With our cameras in hand, there were some, er, unusual photo opportunities. Vandals have broken nearly every window, savaged every wall, kicked their way through every barrier. It is a shame.
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The whole thing left me feeling . . . fractured. Heh.
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Daddy Update: Dad is getting stronger every day. To offset the effects of the heat wave, we have moved Dad and Mom to our home. We have a small air conditioner in the living room which we are using to keep Dad cool. It is supposed to be 103 today, which is dangerous for a person of Dad's age, especially with his severe injuries. Next week I will be driving dad to an appointment with the plastic surgeon. It looks like he'll need some grafts done to cover part of the open area of the wound.
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Thank you again for all your good thoughts and prayers. THANK YOU!!! Please keep praying for Dad's continued healing.

July Moon

I have never been able to successfully photograph the moon until just recently. Here is the moon as it appeared through a veil of pink clouds in the twilight of night. There is a wistful beauty about this photograph I can't quite put into words. Perhaps you can.

Summertime Magic

Early morning, on my way to pick up Dad to take him to the Hospital, I clicked this magical picture of fog lying on the golden grasses of the field in the morning sun.

Daddy Update: I drove Dad and Mumsie to the Veteran's Hospital. The broken bones in Dad's neck are seated in nicely, but are not healing as quickly as hoped. The surgeon says Dad will wear his neck brace for six months. Dad's bones are soft, and if the bones do not heal, they will have do surgery. The surgeon says the surgery is risky. Please pray Dad defies all expectations and heals faster than anyone could anticipate. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

A Cloud Angel for Clytie

I was on the phone this morning, talking with my sister Clytie. I was describing the cloud angels I was seeing in the skies--and the rainbow in the high clouds above the sun. I did catch the rainbow--but I also clicked this photo of an angel. Do you see her?

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Not much after that, she flew over to Clytie's house to make an appearance there.

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Daddy Update: Dad's cousin Fred came to visit Dad. Dad seems so much better for the visit. He is perky and told me he's getting really bored sitting in bed all day long! A GOOD sign!

Guffaw

Sometimes one can catch a glimpse of a rare and true laughter. Here during our Fourth of July celebrations, I caught my brother Prentice laughing. There is nothing quite like genuine, deep, from-the-belly laughter. He lost it even more when he realized I'd taken his picture.

So here you have it! Pure happy laughter--this picture makes me want to join right in!

Daddy Update: Dad did not have any hallucinations, or sundowners symptoms the last two evenings. Thank you so much for your prayers and concern for Dad. You are all very dear.

Golden

Last night, on my way home, I was stunned by the unbelievable beauty of an angel-shaped burst of glory blazing through pressed gold leaf clouds. I pulled over and took this picture. This photo is only a taste of the glory I saw.

Daddy Update: I stayed until dark last night, and Dad seemed to be doing a lot better. I'm so glad it will not be as hot today--with that collar he must wear to stabilize his neck, the heat was really bothering him. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Butterfly Flutterby

Every day two of these incredibly beautiful swallowtail butterflies flit through the garden. They visit the same flowers, follow the same ariel path each day. One can almost set a clock by when they appear. On this day one of them posed for the camera for quite some time.
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Daddy Update: Dad did very well yesterday and this morning. I can see visible improvement with every day that passes. He is getting stronger and more alert all the time. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Celestial

Last night my husband cut up a big watermelon and we all went outside to feast on that sweetness. Overhead the clouds swirled and swooshed. What a beautiful sight! I caught this unusual cloud formation in the sky over our back fence.

DADDY UPDATE: Dad is still doing well, but is now having some severe panic attacks where he is afraid and thinks he is going to die. It is worse in the evening and at night. Mom thinks it is something called Sundowner's Syndrome. These frightening attacks seem to have their roots in memories from his time in WW2 when he was a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany. It may be a result of his meds, they will re-evaluate this today and hopefully he will not have these fearful moments. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.

Critter

The view from Dad's 7th story hospital room window was stupendous with an amazing vista of capitol buildings, trees, sky and clouds.

I don't know what kind of critter this was, but he gamboled playfully up to the window. I think he was trying to get Dad's attention. The little fellow posed for my camera, then floated away.

DADDY UPDATE: Dad is eating well. Mumsie says he slept well last night, though awoke complaining of pain in the back of his neck where it is broken. He seems better this morning, and there were no hallucinations or flashbacks. Thank you so much for your good thoughts and prayers. Please continue to pray for Dad's complete healing.

July Whirl

On July Fourth, my friend TJ and I, who have the exact same camera, began to learn how to take pictures of fireworks.
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I am not sure how this photo came to be, but I love this
interesting twirl of light. If you look closely, one can see a heart and a tall woman in white who's rippling hair wafts out behind her.

Catching the Sun

Friday evening, baby Malaya and I went out to catch the sun. And we did. Unexpectedly the sun wore a shy curl over one eye.

Unexpected Miracles

This morning, looking for a photo to post, I found this picture of Dad I took last spring. Unexpectedly my eyes filled with tears, and I wept.

How incredible to realize the twinkle in Dad's eyes will continue to brighten our world. How precious that his grandchildren and great grandchildren will have the chance to know him and hold onto his strong hand. How amazing that he will survive to tell the tale.

An unexpected, wonderful miracle.

Smoke Tree on Fire

I was picking up some things for my parents at their home. Just as the sun was setting, it's last rays shot through the trees, setting the smoke tree on fire.

Hope of Heart

This photo is a reflection of my heart right now. Starkness, beauty, light, darkness, fear, peace, trust, worry, fear, relief, tension and pain . . . but mostly hope of heart.
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Yesterday afternoon our Mom and Dad were on their way home from staying with us for the weekend, when they were involved in a terrible accident n the freeway. Mom is alright, though she is terribly shaken and bruilsed. Dad is not doing so well. He went into surgery, where they used a wound vac to stretch the skin over where he was literally scalped. He has a fractured vertebrae in his neck, but the spinal cord is still intact. They did not have to do surgery to stabilize his neck. Thank God they did not have to do that. Dad is very frail.

I would appreciate your prayers for our parents and family.

Just Like the Big Boys

Waiting for the fireworks was great fun, and I happened to capture this darling photo of the little guy who wanted so to be like the big boys.

My Love

One of our first dates was to chase a steam locomotive along the river near Oregon City. You haven't lived until you've chased trains with my husband! We live near a busy train track, and my darling husband has figured out their routes, and the best ways to follow along as closely as he dares possible. Which, since it runs down the middle of the street here, is not hard! He is a rare man. Though we have had our differences, he has been a good Father and a wonderful husband.

Here, near Stevenson, Washington in the park there, he climbed a steep rocky hill to await the rumble and screeing of a passing train.

Eyes in the Sky

Okay . . . is it me or is there something staring out of that cloud??? I have not touched this photo up in any way. What a shock to see such a well-formed set of eyes in the sky. What a joy to be able to catch it mid-stare with my camera!

Viva la digital camera! Now people can see I don't make these things up! Over the past year I have seen perfect circles, a triangle and most recently a square in the clouds (see June 29 blog, Borg Cube Cloud). Puzzling to be sure.

Daisies and the Clouds

One bright morning I joined a crowd of giggling daisies to watch the scudding, whiffling skyscape. It was a day of clouds and sun--I saw so many different shapes floating by. Some were so silly I laughed outloud with the daisies.

Here's what I saw. A profile, two BIG eyes, a heart, nostrils, a long-necked duck and a triangle.

What do YOU see???

His Embrace

Walking with my husband on the narrow path, we came across this magnificent embrace. He--the muscular manly oak tree, tenderly enfolds she--the delicate elegant birch tree.