"Do You See What I See?"

No, I am not talking about a star, but when you look at your electric meter, does it look like the first one below or the second one? OK, maybe you have not looked at it for awhile, so go look now. Does the display with the numbers have an "arrow" like the first photo here, or is it just a rectangle like the second photo shows?

Electric Meter Display with an Arrow on the Left Edge (27-Jun-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Electric Meter with a Rectangular Display (27-Jun-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Yes, both photos are of the same meter. In the first one the "arrow" is an artifact that arises because I am looking at the left-edge of the display through the thick curved part of the glass surrounding the meter. When I first noticed it, I was puzzled and then soon figured it out. Bu I hope some of you  had fun with this.

Since my color for this post seems to be gray, take a look at my photo of some storm clouds coming our way from the East. They did not bring rain, but they were fun to watch.

Storm Clouds (27-Jun-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Definitely enjoy observing your world today and the people in it!

More Fun with Trees and Clouds

The interplay between the crowns of our 50-ft (16-m) high Ash tree and the 15-ft (4.5-m) high Flowering Plum tree next to it make for some interesting color interactions.

Ash Tree Interplays with Flowering Plum Tree (I) (14-Jun-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Ash Tree Interplays with Flowering Plum Tree (II) (14-Jun-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

And when I am outside on a balmy day, I'm often intrigued by the clouds.

Clouds on a Balmy Day (14-Jun-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Enjoy your world today!

You Have Grown Really Tall!

That is what we often tell our grandkids, but in the photos for today, I'm talking about a tree. About 20 years ago, our youngest daughter received a live "twig" for Arbor Day. She was in fifth grade in elementary school here in Harrisonburg, VA, USA. For some reason my care and planting of the tree worked. The tree survived! Today it is a 50-foot (15-m) Ash tree that dwarfs our house.

Twenty-year-old Ash Tree (9-Jun-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

The main trunk has a 16-inch (41-cm) diameter

Trunk of 20-year-old Ash Tree (9-Jun-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

What the leaves are hiding very well is the scar from a limb being ripped off during a wind storm a few years ago. Nature often has a built-in resilience. Thank God for that design!

June 6, 2013

Storm Never Came, But Rain Is Here!

The storm pictured back on May 23 did not bring much rain. And just a few days ago, it again looked like we might have more stormy weather.

Storm Clouds (I) (3-Jun-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Storm Clouds (II) (3-Jun-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

No rain came with these clouds, but it did make for a awesome sight.

Now today we do have rain--not heavy but steady.

Reflective Rain Puddles on Our Deck (6-Ju-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Rain Drops Make Ripple in Puddles (6-Jun-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Did you notice the difference in focal length? In the first photo, the camera focused on the tree that was reflected in the puddle and not on the deck itself. In the second one, the camera focused on the deck boards themselves. Interesting--to me, at least.  

Storm's a Comin'!

Just after 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, as I came out of a meeting at our church on a hill, here are some of the cloud formatons I captured with my simple LG digital phone (not a smart-phone, by anyone's designation!)

Eastern Storm Clouds, west of Harrisonburg, VA, USA (23-May-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

That was looking toward the southeast. Below is looking directly west.

Western Storm Clouds, west of Harrisonburg, VA, USA (23-May-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Dangerous, but bueatiful! 

Let's Eat, While Watching the Virginia Creeper Creep!

I do enjoy cooking good meals with a slight Pennsylvania Dutch flavor--good solid food that is comfort for the soul. So here is a meal I made for Elsie and I the other evening.

Hot Dogs, Potatoes, and Green Beans (20-May-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Isn't that pan a beautiful sight? Smell the fragrance in the steam coming from the pan?

Now to a much slower process, but still one that has beauty in its own right. Virginia Creeper seems to enjoy climbing the one side--OK, two sides--of our small barn. 

Virginia Creeper Paints Our Barn.  (17-May-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Up-close With Virginia Creeper on Our Barn  (17-May-13; © Richard L. Bowman)

Sometimes even the annoying things in our lives have beauty, if we can only see it! 

--©2013, Richard L. Bowman