Matthew Henry (1662—1714) was an English Presbyterian minister and Bible expositor best remembered for his Commentary on the Whole Bible, a verse-by-verse, devotional commentary spanning every book in Scripture. His biblical exegesis profoundly influenced British revival leaders like John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield and, consequently, evangelical churches throughout the world. GotQuestions.org
Photographed today, Monarch Butterflies in different stages of development. The one who eclosed today is ready to begin its adventure of flying to Mexico for overwintering. Later in the morning, the one on the left also emerged.
I nurtured the caterpillars on my screened porch rather than leaving them outdoors because they fall victim to predatory bugs that are not affected by their poison. Many created their chrysalis beneath the coffee table that held the milkweed they fed upon.
Years ago, a blogging friend sent me seeds from her Rose of Sharon. I nurtured one sprout for years and now it stands in our backyard garden border as a Rose of Sharon topiary.
Growing bushes that normally sprawl in many directions as a topiary saves the garden bed beneath the branches for annuals and perennials. In the vicinity of the Rose of Sharon grow vinca, violets, iris, gladiolus, and two Knockout rose bushes; all have enough room and sunlight to thrive.
The color of the flowers is a lovely lavender accented with a band of red in the inner recesses of the petals. The stamen is interesting, and I have seen bees and hummingbirds dip into the center. One of the pests that can attack these flowers is Japanese beetles, but so far this year, the beetles have not appeared.
I love the way the petals glow when the sunlight illuminates them from above. I used this flower as my blog’s August header. Today’s photographs are part of Skywatch Friday and Floral Friday Fotos.
PS Another wonderful aspect of this plant is its ability to self-seed. On either side of the tree, and a bit further down the border, I have identified seedlings that are a year or two old and growing well. When it is time, I will bring them to topiary size too in the coming years.
I haven’t taken part in Xingfu Mama’s One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge for a few months and thought this rather drab background behind my sunflowers might be worth perking up a bit.
I processed the photo three ways with an end vision in mind. I first cropped a bit and then used Ribbet to create a focal color with black and white.
I wondered if the original would look better boosted and posterized in Ribbet, but decided against using the brighter version for the final version. I might use this for another project. I like the chunkiness of the color blocks in the leaves and petals.
I next loaded my tweaked photos into Adobe Express and created a background of blue sky to really make the sunflowers stand out. I downloaded a flipped version of the image and removed the background, adding a second layer of the same sunflowers to the composition. I was happy with the finished product and decided it was perfect to use for a poster for my Signposts blog. Thank you to Xingfu Mama for this fun challenge.
HEAVENLY SUNLIGHT
BY
Henry J. Zelley
Walking in sunlight, all of my journey,
over the mountains, through the deep vale;
Jesus has said, “I’ll never forsake thee,”
promise divine that never can fail.
Refrain:
Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
flooding my soul with glory divine:
hallelujah, I am rejoicing,
singing His praises, Jesus is mine.
Shadows around me, shadows above me,
never conceal my Savior and Guide;
He is the light, in Him is no darkness;
ever I’m walking close to His side. [Refrain]
Shadows around me, shadows above me,
Never conceal my Savior and Guide;
He is the Light, in Him is no darkness;
Ever I’m walking close to His side.
We visited Sanibel Island in June, and I brought home quite a few seashells. One of the more common varieties was a clam called a Buttercup Lucine (Anodontia alba). I love the color yellow, so the gold edging on the interior appealed to me, and I collected about three to four dozen of these clams in different sizes. Happily, they were easy to transport back home as they stack together nicely for traveling.
I probably wouldn’t have brought so many back home if I didn’t have a specific project in mind, a wind chime. We found a piece of driftwood on the banks of the Delaware River that resembled a bird’s beak and head. It was just the right size to create a mobile with the Buttercup Lucines.
I was glad I had extra shells because one out of every three cracked when I drilled it with the Dremel tool. I had success with many and had enough to create the chime.
I left the beak a natural color for contrast and added a graphite and colored pencil eye. I painted the rest of the bird-shaped driftwood a golden yellow to match the inner colors of the shell.
As far as ease of making this project, I’d give it a five out of 1-10. The painting and the stringing into screw eyes were fairly easy. The hardest part of the project was drilling the seashells. Whenever I look at my project, I remember the joy of collecting shells on Sanibel Island.
I used waxed hemp thread/cord for the stringing material. It is sturdy and very easy to knot and tie off.
PS My husband made a keen observation that I had to agree with: the chime is more of a clacker than a chime, but hey, it sings the song of the sea, and that is definitely music to me.
I love the enthusiasm of children. Even strips of paper thrown in the air are great fun. My grandsons are all older now, and I miss the fun of their young years, but they have grown into wonderful young men. I am blessed.
This post is part of The Life of B blog, Simply Red Squares.
I had a great deal of fun and was filled with enthusiasm myself as I participated in this wonderful square challenge. Thank you so much Becky for hosting.
Everything in Jamaica has more color. The fenceposts are brilliant, half coral/half red. The pigeons have rosy feet, and one seems to have red eyes. My photograph of a fence at Rick’s Cafe in Negril, Jamaica, is part of The Life of B’s Simply Red Challenge.
Both of my sons are now in their mid-forties. No longer boys, but grown men with families of their own. This photo is a reminder of how they loved to mimic boxers and wrestlers when they were young. They would set up rings in the backyard, gather friends, and put on their own wrestling matches. Oh, of course, there were sometimes bumps and scuffles, and perhaps some hurt feelings amid defeat, but I am so glad they spent a good portion of their childhood outside, rather than being glued to a screen.
I was sorry to hear that Hulk Hogan passed away on Thursday. He brought a lot of joy to many little boys, as well as just as many grown men and women. Rest in Peace, Mr. Hogan.
My wrestler with his pop of red gloves is my choice for today’s Simply Red Squares.
A parasol of zinnia petals, illuminated by sunbeams, glow like stained glass. A different perspective on what we usually view from above. The beautiful zinnia is part of today’s Simply Red Squares and Skywatch Friday.
The towns of Bivalve and Shellpile are located along the Delaware Bay. This Simply Red photo was taken on one of the docks.
She’s almost a teenager now. I love this photo of her with a few of my old dollies, one in red for today’s Simply Red Squares Challenge. Thank you to Becky, of The Life of B blog, for hosting the challenge.
I have cut and vased almost every stem of Gladiolus so far. Only one or two have lived out their bloom time in the garden. My Glads are always floppy. I found out a week or two ago that this happens if you don’t plant them deep enough. I am already imagining where I will fit in the new Gladiolus bulbs next year. I love the bright, long-lasting bouquets I can create with them.
This post is part of the Life of B blog, Simply Red Squares challenge. Thanks to the host, Becky, for the challenge.
Are you like me and remember when these rides cost a dime? I wonder if you now need a credit/debit card to take a ride on this Fire Truck with Snoopy and Charlie Brown as companions. The fire truck is part of The Life of B’s blog Simply Red challenge. Thank you to Becky for hosting.
The Elk Neck State Park has a beach area for visitors on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. My family has had many camping trips to Elk Neck State Park. I love this photo of the grandgirls looking for rocks and treasure and my family relaxing. My son is wearing the shirt that is my pop of Simply Red for The Life of B blog’s photo challenge.
The beautiful red roof of the East Point Lighthouse is just one of the charms of this beautiful building. Built in 1849 on the Delaware Bay in Heislerville, New Jersey, the lighthouse is still an active lighthouse.
The pop of red of the lighthouse roof is my choice today for the Life of B blog, Simply Red photo challenge and Skywatch Friday.
I wasn’t sure what to call this small red fungus for today’s #Simply Red challenge. When I used the photo in a Google search, it showed me several possibilities. Since I’m not entirely sure, I’ll label it a simple red fungus on a green, mossy log. I find the contrast of colors lovely, and the delicate fronds of moss always amaze me. The hand of our Creator, revealed through nature’s beauty, always lifts my spirits.
Thank you to Becky and The Life of B for hosting the challenge.
