Last week was Spring Break and I was doing springy breaky things, like wandering around East Texas  taking advantage of the hospitality of nice people who are willing to take in a family of three, one of whom is always pointing her annoying camera at something or somebody.

Our first stop was my friend Amy’s lake house where we stayed for a couple of days just hanging out and eating Oreo’s and watching the children do dangerous things. Don’t ask. There was fire and fish hooks. That’s all I’m saying.

The weather was lovely and sunny and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen prettier clouds or bluer skies. The Dogwoods are in bloom. I think they are Dogwoods.  They could be Red Buds, but then shouldn’t their buds be, you know, red? Anyone?

This a bloom off a lace magnolia tree.  At least that is what Amy says and I think she asked someone, so it must be true.  These big showy flowers grow on spindly skinny little limbs and from a distance, it almost appears as they are floating in mid-air.

This is the view from the porch at the lake house early in the morning. Amy and I got up early to sit outside and drink coffee and watch the sun come up over the water. AD doesn’t get up early or drink coffee and that is the only thing missing in my marriage.  I might ask Amy to marry me.

After we wore out our welcome at Amy’s place, we went over to the other side of the lake and hung out with some other folks where Sean had even more children to play with and I had even more things at which to point my camera.

This is Checkers. I asked him if I could put his picture on the internet and he said it was okay. Checkers is a good old dog.

This is a ginormous Sycamore tree, although you can’t really appreciate the scale from this photo. It’s white bark sparkled so pretty in the sun.  I never could figure out a way to capture the grandness of this big old tree.

Here are some carefree children who spent a whole day happily playing in a pile of dirt. Better’en Disney World. And cheaper too.

The next day was the official first day of Spring and it turned freezing cold and snowed.

And that was the end of Spring Break.

This was the view out my front door last night around 6pm.  Just as the sun began to set, a rain storm rumbled through leaving behind this rainbow ~ a nice way to end the day.

This morning,  I looked out the back windows to see my yard filled with robins. They were the biggest, fattest flock of birds I have ever seen.   It was fun to watch them nibble and peck invisible delicacies out of the wet earth, their orange feathers glowing in the pink morning sun, sharp black eyes gleaming.

Naturally I grabbed my camera and tried to get some pictures.  I came away with a huge appreciation for wildlife photographers.  I neither have the equipment nor the patience.  I did manage to get a few shots through the window without scaring them off but nothing that came close to capturing the wonder and beauty of the moment.

But what I love about Photoshop is that I can make something nice out of a cruddy photo.   The picture directly above is the original picture.  I applied a Photoshop action by PhotographyBB to it which gave it a painterly effect that I like very much.

I may make them into note cards and give them as gifts to everyone I know.

Created in about 30 seconds with a free Photoshop action from PanosFX.

In my garden right now, all the seasons of life are happening and all at the same time.  Some things are just beginning life, other things are in the bright sweet middle spot in the life cycle and other things are all but played out.

A tender hydrangea bud promises of beautiful things to come in the months ahead.

Plump winter berries provide a vivid spot of red in a gray January winterscape.

Neither rain, nor hail, nor sleet, nor snow… shall cause this stubborn leaf to loosen its grip.  This is the only leaf left on my Japanese Maple.  I have to admire its persistence.

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There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

Taking some time off to play with my little boy and my camera.  Have a great week!