Tag: nature photography

Butterfly on Milkweed Flower
Posted on in Life Goals, Memories, Uncategorized

Halfway Through 2023

Picture of Question Mark Butterfly. Image by Theresa Davidson
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis). Image by Theresa Davidson

How are we already halfway through 2023? I haven’t blogged in a while and the only excuse I have is life has been BUSY! There are just so many things vying for my attention. Most of the year I have not even prioritized all of the right things. I am trying to get back on track.

Word of the Year

Even though we are halfway through this year, I am going to memorialize my word of the year. This years’ word is hope. Without hope for a brighter tomorrow, for a future in heaven, I don’t know how to get through the bad times. Living in the present is so important, but having hope keeps me grounded in the things that matter to me. Do you choose a word every year? If so let me know what it is in the comments. Found this on youtube: https://youtu.be/CMiQD7brjgk . Also like this: What Is Hope? | Catholic Answers

Soccer Mom Again

The heading is a little misleading, my grandson has been playing recreational soccer since he was in pre-school. This year he started playing on the towns traveling soccer team. It is so much fun watching him grow stronger as the teams goalkeeper. His team went from the “the bad news bears” (remember that gen x-ers?) to winning their first tournament! They didn’t lose any games in that tournament but tied one against the most experienced team in their division (they beat the same team in the final). To say we were all surprised and proud of them is an understatement. We are halfway through the calendar year with one season down, a summer full of training, and then the fall season. Bring it on. I love it.

Authors grandson drop kicking a soccer ball. Image by Theresa Davidson
My grandson dropkicking skills continue to improve. Image by Theresa Davidson.

Family Fun

We have had a good time with the family in between soccer practice, games, school and work! We had a great easter celebration at my mom’s house. It was a nice day and we celebrated with cascarones (confetti eggs) and other yard games and corn-hole. Of course we went to mass to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection.

Authors grandchildren having fun with an easter egg hunt. Image by Theresa Davidson
The grandkids had easter fun at their great grandparents house. Image by Theresa Davidson

Unexpected Storm

I guess you can’t get halfway through a year without some exciting weather, can you? This spring brought a couple of intense rain and wind events, with a little hail thrown in for good measure. Thankfully, we were spared from tornados! But we did get some damage to our house. We have to replace the siding and roof on our house. Some sections of siding were ripped off the house or just up and away from the house. One section became home to a colony of big brown bats. Being the “battyowl” and a wildlife biologist who happens to love bats, I thought that was pretty exciting. Not all people would welcome the bats and the mess they made down the side of the house but I was. I also knew it was temporary. We are replacing the siding after all.

The Lord has come through with his beautiful artistry once again. I have so many pictures of flowers, birds, and landscapes. I will add a few pictures here for you to enjoy. All images are mine. My art could never compare.

Great spangled fritillary on milkweed flower head
Great spangled fritillary on milkweed
Great spangled fritillary on coreopsis
Downy woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Poppy mallow. This stuff is growing like crazy!
Two juvenile red-shouldered hawks

Also had fun with the grandkids (and the big kids too) on Memorial day weekend. I tried my hand at taking pictures of them blowing bubbles and the bubbles themselves. All images are mine.

Granddaughter blowing bubbles
Grandson blowing bubbles
Granddog popping bubbles
Two bubbles
Lots of bubbles

Summer’s Here

Well, this year is halfway through and summer is here. I hope you take time to enjoy time in nature and with your families. May God bless you with wonderful weather – warm sun and lovely drought quenching rains when you need it. Do you have big summer plans?

Peace!

Posted on in Life Goals, Spiritual

Capturing Nature

Image By Theresa Davidson 2022 Wildflowers at Loggers Lake, Missouri

“On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.”

Psalms 145:5

Within a few months of the covid pandemic, I knew I would want to spend a lot of time outdoors. I needed something better than my phone to capture the beauty of the outdoors. I was very lucky to happen upon an ad for a barely used Nikon D3500. It’s a nice entry level DSLR. The man whom I bought it from, bought it for the same reason I was buying it. He decided within months that he loved photography so much that he was going to upgrade to an even better camera. This camera makes me very happy, but I will probably upgrade when I retire and have more time to really get out there.

Image by Theresa Davidson – my camera (picture taken by my phone!)

I just love to get outside and take pictures of all of the wildflowers my husband has planted trying to convert some of our land back to native species. Some of the pictures I take are of non-native flowers (they are so pretty; I can’t help myself). I am not great at bird photography, and I probably need a better lens for that, but I have managed to get some good shots. I have captured dragonflies and butterflies too!

Image by Theresa Davidson: Goldenrod
Image by Theresa Davidson: I could not stop myself from taking this picture of a curly vine growing on this tree.

Being in nature always brings me closer to God. Seeing his wonderful creation always leaves me in awe. I always thank him for the beauty all around me. I can only capture a little snippet of what I am seeing (even if it’s a landscape). Many of these pictures will be used to create watercolor or acrylic paintings at some point! Practicing that will bring me great joy!

Image by Theresa Davidson, Turtle on branch at Lion’s Club Park, Rolla, MO.
Image by Theresa Davidson: Mushroom in my back yard.
Image by Theresa Davidson: Dragonfly at Lion’s Club Park, Rolla, MO

I will leave you with this quote below. Let me know how you like to enjoy nature. Peace.

“Let all creation help you to praise God. Give yourself the rest you need. When you are walking alone, listen to the sermon preached to you by the flowers, the trees, the shrubs, the sky, the sun and the whole world. Notice how they preach to you a sermon full of love, of praise of God, and how they invite you to proclaim the greatness of the one who has given them being.”

St. Paul of the Cross
Image by Theresa Davidson: Loggers Lake, MO