Leapin' Lizzards!

Yesterday I took the, soon to be five year old, grandson fishing at a local lake. Sugar Creek feeds into this little 40-50 acre man made lake. The lake has its share of bream and bass. Since the object is to get the young man interested in the sport, redear bream will be the targeted fish.

We stopped at the local bait shop and picked up some worms and crickets. Upon our arrival at the fishing spot, I baited his hook with the first cricket. After a couple of minutes, the bobber disappeared under the surface of the water. The grandson jerked, but it was too late. The fish had eaten the cricket and left the hook bare! After a few more unsuccessful attempts, I took the rod. Again, the bobber disappears, I set the hook and the fight is on. I hand the rod to my assistant and he promptly reels the fish to the bank. We turn it loose and reload. After a couple of more successful hook-ups, storm clouds form, thunder rolls and we get to the truck just as the rains come.

When we got home, the rain stops, and I set the cricket bucket in the grass so that they will get a little of the moisture. Several hours later I go out to check on the crickets and what to I find. A lizzard in the cricket bucket! He was stuffed! He was also unable to figure out how to escape. He had indulged in a cricket feast, but he had gotten himself trapped. After taking a few photographs, I turned the lizzard and the surviving crickets loose. It was a great beginning to a long holiday week-end. Hope you had a good week-end as well.

It's Friday, WoooHoooo!!!

It's been a great week!
Yesterday and today we have the grand crew! Our daughter and her husband are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary at Chateau on the Lake in Branson, MO. We got the kids and the dog for a couple of days. I'm taking today off of work and the grandson and I are going fishing, while his three sisters are in school. It's gonna just be us boys...a regular meeting of the "He-man Woman Haters Club." Of course we appreciate Nana fixing us that great breakfast this morning and packing our lunches for us too. It's all good.
OK, it's Friday and time for the weekly inspirational song. In our Tuesday night Bible study of Revelation, God revealed something to me. It is obviously not new information because I am not the only one to hold this particular view point. Don't get this confused with a vision. I did not have a vision. I have been studying God's word and a truth in it was revealed to me. It's that simple.
Chapter 5 of Revelation opens with the apostle John weeping because no one is found worthy to open the scroll with the seven seals. " Then I say in the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worth to open the scroll and break its seals?" And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found wroth to open the scroll or to look into it. An one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals." That scroll contains the judgment of God that is coming to the earth during the Tribulation. Only the Christ is worthy to open the scroll and administer the judgment of God. He is worthy of all glory and honor and praise. Worthy is the Lamb. Enjoy

Worthy Is The Lamb - Marsh Hunt, Guy Penrod, David Phelps

Flippin' Out

As most of you know, who read this blog, I live in Northwest Arkansas. It is truly a beautiful part of the world. One of the major attractions is Beaver Lake, a 29,000 acre lake that attracts people from all over the country. It is a beautiful, deep, clear water lake. About three hours east of here is the town of Flippin, Arkansas. That probably doesn't mean a thing to you unless you own one of these.Flippin, Arkansas is the home of Forest L. Wood and Ranger Bass Boats. Last year some buddies and I took a trip over to the White Buffalo Resort to do a little trout fishing on Buffalo River. We passed through Flippin, Arkansas. As we cruised through town, the humor of the situation hit us right between the eyes. We passed a local police car and there it was.... right on the side of the car, big as life...."Flippin Police!!!"
Can you imagine driving through this little rural town, exceeding the speed limit, and you get stopped by the Flippin Police? The Flippin Cop pulls you over and writes you a Flippin speeding ticket that requires you to appear in the Flippin Court. Two weeks later the Flippin judge finds you Flippin guilty and fines you two hundred Flippin dollars or you're gonna spend thirty days in the Flippin jail. I tell ya, I'm Flippin out!!! Maybe next year we'll find another Flippin way to get to the Flippin trout.

Wordless Wednesday

House of Mouse

Am I the only one to see the humor in this? Just asking.


Hey! It stands for Bentonville Fire Department...what were you thinkin"?

I Don't Know What To Say

I know that I said, a couple of weeks ago, that I was not a political animal and that I didn't like confrontation, so I stayed away from discussing politics in my blog. However, this YouTube clip of Obama discussing religion is something that I cannot ignore and certainly cannot support.

His misunderstanding of the truth of the Bible is laughable. While I would never claim to be a Bible scholar, nor even a good student of Scripture, I do know when it is being misquoted, misinterpreted, misunderstood, misrepresented, and misused. In his attempt to be all things to all people, he has entered into a discussion for which he is not equipped.
It is little wonder that his knowledge is minimal and his theology is flawed. He's been sitting under the misguided, racist teaching of Rev. Wright for the past twenty years. I find these remarks objectionable at best and offensive to say the least. Yes, I am a moderate conservative. I am a moderate when it comes to many political issues, but I am a conservative when it comes to faith, family, and the moral values that I hold. My views on these issues come from a Biblical world view. In other words, the Bible is my point of reference. Therefore, I cannot support this person for president on any level.
He has either allowed the lure of the power of the office to distort his theology in an attempt to please everyone, or he truly doesn't know what he believes. In either case, I cannot vote for him. The sad part is, I am left with a choice of the lesser of two evils.

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ^4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. " 2 Timothy 4:3

I Feel Like Dancin'

Hey gang, I got an award!!! WooooHooo!!! Who knew that I could give anyone "Happy Feet"? Mary the Teach over at The Work of the Poet (link in sidebar) honored me with this award yesterday. Mary is the originator of "Ruby Tuesday", in which you post a photo on your blog that has red in it. I do want to thank Mary for the great idea. I have really started using my camera again and that is something that I needed to do. There is no need for every photo to be a family picture of Christmas, weddings, family reunions, birthdays, etc. Just get out and photograph the world around you. You'll be suprised at what you find. I know that I was. Just check out my last Thursday Thirteen, Wordless Wednesday, and Ruby Tuesday. This place has turned into a regular photo blog in the past two months, and it's all because of Mary! Thank you again Mary for the award and the kind words over these past few months. OK, now for my "happy dance".


I'm done now. Have a great week-end y'all!!!

When I Get Carried Away

I decided to convert one of my cross photos to black and white and add contrast for effect. It's Friday and I will add my inspirational song at the end of the post as usual. But first I have something on my mind that I want to share with you.
I have been studying the book of Revelation lately. I've studied it several times over the years and I never cease to learn something new with every reading. I have several great resources that help me understand what I am reading. As a result of these studies, I know two things are certain.
First, I know that those who are truly Christians will be raptured and will meet Christ in the air.

For ^zthe Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with ^athe trumpet of God. ^bAnd the dead in Christ will rise first. ^17 ^cThen we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them ^din the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus ^ewe shall always be with the Lord. ^18 ^fTherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Secondly, I know that those who are not Christians will face unbelievable horror and judgment. It is not God's will that anyone should spend an eternity separated from fellowship with Him in a place that the Bible calls hell, but that is the reality that faces those who refuse to acknowledge their sin, repent, and call upon the name of the Lord for salvation. One might ask, "How can a loving God send good people to hell?" He doesn't. The choice is ours. We can choose to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior and receive the gift of salvation, or we can refuse that gift and expect to suffer the consequences of that decision.
This burden has been on my heart for several weeks now. I know that some of those who frequent this blog are not Christians. You are in my prayers. Please give careful consideration to your eternity. You will spend it somewhere and the choice is yours.
I am planning on a grand and glorious day, when I get carried away. Enjoy.

When I Get Carried Away - Ivan Parker

Thursday Thirteen No. 31

I've been shooting photos of steeples, bell towers, and other objects of inspiration on or adjacent to some local churches. Here are thirteen of my favorites. Enjoy.

1. These three crosses are a part of the Church at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, AR. The tallest is just over 100 feet in the air.

2. Traditional steeple adorns a Presbyterian church.

3. This tower stands at the entry of an Episcopal church.

4. This is a view from across the street and through the trees of the same steeple found in photo No. 2.

5. Front entry to a United Methodist church.

6. Close-up of dome

7. Steeple of a Christian church.

8. Interior of the Mildred Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista, AR.
designed by E. Fay Jones. The structure is steel. He designed a similar structure in Eureka Springs, AR (Thorncrown), which is wooden.

9. This tower is adjacent to a Catholic church.

10. The copper dome and cross at First Baptist Church, Bentonville, AR

11. Colorized dome and cross of a Catholic church.

12. Cross sits in a prayer garden of the same Catholic church.

13. Close-up of the same three crosses in photo No. 1.

Wordless Wednesday

Dad at 88

Ruby Tuesday

This Romanesque brick building was the high school in Springdale, Arkansas. It currently serves as the school districts administration building. The structure was built in 1910. The building was placed on the National Register of historic places in 1994. It is beautifully situated on a site of approximately five acres, which it shares with a colonial style elementary school that is also a part of the administration facilities. I am sure that when this building was built, it was the largest and most imposing building in town. I speaks volumes about the importance that was placed on the education of children in this town at the turn of the century.

Caboose

Here are a couple of photos that I took last week. They are part of a caboose that sits in a local park. I will post additional photos in a future Ruby Tuesday. Yep, I colorized one of them just for fun.

Sneak Preview

Here is a photo that I took today. It has been cropped for the internet and one small enhancement has been done, but it is pretty much straight out of the camera. I have a post in mind for several photographs that I have taken that are of this nature. I just haven't made the final decision about which photos make the cut and which ones wind up on the cutting room floor. At any rate, this one seems appropriate for my Friday inspirational song. While the clouds in this photo appear to be a little ominous, there will come a day for those of us who are Christians will rejoice when we see our Savior and we will live in a land of Unclouded Days. Enjoy!

Unclouded Day - Randy Travis

Shooting Gallery

Those few of you who actually stop by here on a regular basis have probably noticed that the past few weeks my posts have been mostly photographic in nature. In my very first post I stated that I had no idea where I was going with this blog, and I still don't.
I said it would provide a place to vent my frustrations about the world around me. Since I'm not a real political animal, nor do I thrive on confrontation, I haven't done much venting. That's a good thing. Trust me.
I also said I would dote on the grandcrew! Mission accomplished! Of course that is the source of a lot of the photos that have been a part of this blog. Recently though, I have focused on Ruby Tuesday and Wordless Wednesday, mostly because I've run out of topics with thirteen interesting things to post on Thursday. Ruby Tuesday and Wordless Wednesday give me a reason to post photos. They give me a reason to play with Photoshop Elements. They give me an opportunity to share the world around me with the whole world through the lens of my camera(s). I have actually started blocking out time in my week to shoot some photographs and I have Ruby Tuesday and Wordless Wednesday in mind most of the time. When I know I am going to be shooting, I take my Nikon D80 digital SLR. It takes spectacular photos and I love using it. This camera is capable of doing far more than I ask of it or even know to ask of it. I also keep a Canon A620 point and shoot digital camera in the center console of my truck. I think Canon still makes the best point and shoot cameras on the market. This gives me the opportunity to shoot anything I find interesting anytime, anywhere. So, if this blog has taken a more photogenic look to it lately, now you know why. I will probably return to more typical blogging one of these days, but for now, you will just have to get used to the idea that I am going to be taking a lot of pictures and wearing you out with them. So, were do we go next?

Well, I already have the next two Ruby Tuesday's planned and the next Wordless Wednesday as well. I will take you on a tour of the town square one of these days, maybe this fall, and I will shoot more of the grandcrew for sure. I have a couple of more ideas rolling around in my head for future posts so stop by often and see what I've been shooting. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I will still be posting an inspirational song every Friday. That's something that I look forward to.

Hey Pawpaw, I coulda been a Ruby Tuesday or a Wordless Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday

Sunset at Epcot Center

The "Money" Shot
Click on the photo to fill your screen with color.

Ruby Tuesday

Walton's five and dime opened in Bentonville, Arkansas in 1950. It is the birthplace of Walmart (formerly Wal-mart) Stores Inc. It is situated on the west side of the square in downtown Bentonville. Today it is a museum honoring the founder and his retail empire. Inside you will find Mr. Walton's office, which has been relocated from the corporate offices, just as it was the last day that he occupied it. You will also find his red and white Ford pick-up truck. I met Mr. Walton once. I got the impression that wealth was never his ambition. His ambition was to create the best retail business possible. Money just happened to be the way you kept score.
One of these days I will take you on a tour of the remainder of the downtown square. You will swear that you have been to Mayberry RFD and that Sheriff Andy Taylor, Barney, Opie and Aunt Bea used to live here.

Wordless Wednesday

Super Heros

Arkansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial