Sunset & Sea Grass

“It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?"
"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.
"Are—are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.
"I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.”

—The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 5) by C.S. Lewis

The sea and everything in it...

"He is the One who made Heaven and earth

The sea and everything in it

He is the One who keeps every promise forever

He gives justice to the oppressed

And sets the prisoners free..."

—From the song "Praise the Lord" sung by Natalie Grant and Laura Story 

(Glory Revealed II) 

There's no place like my 2nd home (Part 2).

Americana

This picture seems so "American" to me. Does it strike you that way? I was standing on a good ol' American farm, looking around over the rolling hills, and something just make me take this picture. The sky was so blue that day, and there was a wonderful breeze. We were in the middle of Fall. I wasn't thinking "America" when I took the shot, but now that I see it, it just strikes me that way. It transports me back to that beautiful day, and I can almost feel the breeze again.

Arcadia overlook

Lake Michigan is so beautiful! Isn't it? This particular day was especially beautiful. I love when I can see all the blues and aquas, with some white-caps dotting the scene. These pictures were taken from an overlook in Arcadia, MI, on a clear Fall day. The wind was pretty strong, and it was difficult to keep my hair out of the picture. :o)

The West Bay

We recently returned from a family vacation in northern Michigan. There's just nothing like Michigan in the Fall. It's so . . . Fall-ish! The colors are gorgeous. While the weather can be all over the board, the week we were there was absolutely breathtaking. It was cool, and the sky was as blue as blue can be. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful week!

I took the picture above, as we were driving along 37 South on Old Mission Penninsula, on the way back through Traverse City. At the time, we just left Chateau Grand Traverse, and noticed this gorgeous view of the West Bay over the vineyards. So, we all stopped for one last look and a few pictures. I already miss it!

Sunset & Cattails

"O setting sun! though the time has come,
I still warble under you, if none else does, unmitigated
adoration."

—from "Song At Sunset" by Walt Whitman 

View from the observation tower

View from the observation tower at Big Lagoon State Park

I couldn't decide which angle I liked better—portrait or landscape? So, I decided to post them both. The sun was setting when I took these pictures, and you can't loose with that kind of lighting. This is a small bay that empties into the Gulf. I love the swooping of the shoreline, and the way the water is flowing into the shore. It was a beautiful view!

A Bridge on a Very Nice Day

Bridges do more than just connect land masses or allow you to cross things you wouldn't otherwise be able to cross. They're part of the journey. They bring a different view to the world. They are a marvel—how do they stay up? These are just some of the reasons they fascinate me. They make me wonder, what's over there? What kind of wonderful things lie on the other side? I know—it's a very Anne Shirley view of things. :o)

This is another view of the bridge at Veterans Park. I took this on a hike with my family at the end of this past Winter. It was a warm, beautiful day, and it was so refreshing to experience.

Bridge at Veteran's Park

Our little family visited Veterans Park (Lexington) recently, and took a nice long walk through the meadows and woods. It was a really beautiful day, as you can see! I like bridges a lot, as I've mentioned before, so I couldn't help but stop and snap a few pics of this one. I don't even know what stream this is, though. It's a nice spot, and I really enjoyed being able to get outside and playing in the nice weather. Our dd has been walking for a little while now, too, so it wad a blast watching her deal with new terrain. :o)

The Beach

Ahhh . . . the beach. There's just no place like it! I get so much energy from being by the sea. We just got back from a mini beach vacation, and it was so nice to be there once again. It restores something in me.

The water was still a bit cold, but we enjoyed being on the sand, the warm sun, and watching the waves crash. Our weather was mostly beautiful with just a little bit of cloudiness and rain the first day—but, then again, is there ever a bad day when you're at the beach? Can't wait to go back!

Roupes Creek

Roupes Creek

Tannehill State Park

McCalla, AL

Trailside at Buckley

These plants lined the trail we hiked recently at Clyde E. Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary-Trust and Audubon Center in Frankfort, KY. There wasn't anything particularly breathtaking about the scenery along our path. But, there were many, many little pieces of breathtaking scenery that you would only notice if you stopped and looked closely at the minute details surrounding you.

High Bridge

High Bridge, 1877

I didn't know it when I took this picture, but this High Bridge is apparently a fairly famous historic engineering landmark. And I just thought it was a cool bridge. On the particular weekend this photo was taken, my little family, along with my husband's cousin and his wife, had decided to visit Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. We settled on a hike, but ended up on the road down to the Dixie Bell and the Kentucky River. We noticed this bridge about half-way down to the river, so I had to stop and snap some pictures of it once we got to the bottom.

As I did a little research on this bridge, I discovered that this High Bridge was the tallest trestle bridge in the world when it was finished in 1877. When it opened, it was the very first cantilever bridge in North America! It is 280 feet above the Kentucky River, and is still in use today.

On either side of the bridge are large, beautiful limestone cliffs and palisades. You can see them in the upper left side of the picture, near that end of the bridge. These types of cliffs line the Kentucky River at many parts. These beautiful cliffs have been quite a surprise for me. I never saw Kentucky as a state with this much beauty, but I'm quickly seeing that my assumptions were wrong.

One of my favorite places

Watching the waves at the Gulf Islands National Seashore—Florida district

This is one of my favorite places in North America. It's sort-of a secondary home to me. My family has vacationed in this area for many, many, many years, and it never gets old. My husband and I were sitting on the sand, and watching the sun set over the Gulf when I took this picture. There were Willets darting in and out of the waves, and the sunlight on the water was just incredible. Every time I look at this picture, it takes me back to that. It's like having a little mini-vacation in my memory. There's just nothing more peaceful than watching the waves roll in like this. It speaks to my soul! The world becomes clear, sitting at the edge of the sea. The chaos comes into focus. It's amazing to find peace in the roar of the ocean, but I do.

Amicalola Falls

Amicalola Falls

Dawsonville, GA

As I said in a previous post, our family spent Christmas in Georgia this year. It's easy to see why this is one of Georgia's most popular state parks. According to the Web site, "Amicalola, a Cherokee Indian word meaning 'tumbling waters,' is an appropriate name for these 729-foot falls—the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River."

Bridge over Roupes Creek

Bridge over Roupes Creek
Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park
McCalla, AL

Happy 2010! I think it's appropriate to post a picture of a bridge as we cross the bridge into a new year. I hope you find true Peace and Joy this year. May you experience abundant Grace throughout 2010.

I spent most of by growing-up years in Alabama. My family moved from Illinois to Alabama when I was six, and I lived there until I got married. There were many times (throughout those years) that I visited Tannehill State Park. When I recently visited my family for Thanksgiving, we went out to Tannehill for their Tannehill Crafters’ Open House, and it was the first time I had been there in several years. I remembered certain parts of it, but I had not remembered this bridge. I liked it instantly. Like I've said before, I have a thing for bridges.

Empire Bluffs Trail—Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

View of Lake Michigan from the Empire Bluffs Trail
in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

South Haven Pier Light

South Haven Pier Light
South Haven, MI

My husband and I took a weekend to getaway in South Haven, MI, several years ago. While we were there, we took the opportunity to do a bit of snowshoeing and sight-seeing. The snow was just beautiful. The South Haven Pier Lighthouse was covered in ice and snow, and I had to stop and take some pictures. I took a lot of them! This is definitely one of my favorites. I had to snap them really quickly, because the wind off Lake Michigan was extremely cold, and I had to duck out of it after a few pictures to get feeling back in my hands.

The Mouth of the Platte

The mouth of the Platte River, where it empties into Lake Michigan

We've been traveling a lot lately, which is why I haven't had regular posts. We first traveled to the Alabama Gulf Coast, then up to North Michigan. I'll be in Illinois next to celebrate my grandparent's 70th wedding anniversary. Then we have the holidays coming up, too! Whew!

This photo was taken when we were with my husband's family in Northern Michigan. My daughter had never seen Lake Michigan (even though she's 10-months-old and won't remember it), so we had to take her—if only to get pictures of her there. The Michigan side of Lake Michigan is so beautiful! It definitely smacks of home for me. This particular day was very cloudy (as you can see), but the reflection on the water was amazing! It's hard to believe that this is where a river empties into a Great Lake—it's just too serene. You can see Sleeping Bear Dunes in the background. Even though there was no blue sky, it was a beautiful day to see the Lake.