Saturday Thru the Lens: Easter Egg Hunt

This morning our ministry held a pancake breakfast & Easter Egg Hunt. Normally on a Saturday morning, we have between 25-50 people who come for breakfast, Bible study and to receive a food box. This morning, our volunteers served 214 people, twice what we expected. But there was plenty for everyone.

Over spring break, a youth missions team from Texas came to help at the ministry. One of their tasks was to assemble 200 Easter baskets to be given to the kids who would come this morning.

They also filled several hundred plastic eggs.

Some of the parents said their kids had never been to an egg hunt. Hyped up on pancake syrup, orange juice and excited anticipation, the kids were still well behaved during the mad race for eggs.
 

It was amazing how those little egg scavengers cleaned the lawn in, probably less than 5 minutes!

Our friend, Capt. Dennis, brought his planes and let the children operate the controls. That was a big hit, too.

The weather was a bit chilly, but the ground was dry & the sky was clear. Everyone had a great time and many families were blessed.  I asked one little boy if he knew what Easter was about. He was shy and didn't answer, so his Dad said "It's Jesus' birthday." I hope Dad doesn't try to help with homework.

Saturday Thru the Lens: Doppler

I think Dopplers are interesting structures. After seeing the movie, Tornado, many years ago and living in tornado country, I started noticing them. It was always a bit exciting to discover one of these giant golf balls rising up from the landscape. On my last Saturday drive, when I thought I was going to come home with an empty SD card, I saw one and quickly pulled over. Never been this close to one!

All alone on this country road, I heard all kinds of sounds - insects, frogs. I think there might've been frogs inside this ... hole. Can't you imagine that creepy clown popping out?

Across the road, a huge old tree splayed its branches in a graceful shape. It hadn't started blooming and color-wise, it's just a blah picture, so I played with some effects to draw attention to the branches.
Since this photo-trek it's a lot greener around here. The temps are still going up and down, but spring has officially arrived!

Saturday Thru the Lens: New Life

Once spring started to pop, there was no stopping it! These aren't snow covered trees, this is one of the many fields of Bradford Pear trees that have sprung up everywhere.

Spring is so full of promise; so much potential. I think we should change the calendar to start the New Year in April.

Easter, Resurrection Sunday, will be here before we know it. A reminder to us of the most magnificent promise ever made.

Revised Photo

This picture appears in the next post in its original form. Playing with Photoshop. I think it has an industrial futuristic look now.

Or maybe I've seen too many sci-fi movies.

Saturday Thru the Lens: Signs of Spring

Doesn't look like a "sign of spring," does it?  But it does remind me of a flying beast..like a dragon! That would be a sign of spring - if you're a Game of Thrones uber-fan, as I am. GoT airs in April. I can hardly wait! It will be a season of surprises, as the show has run past the storyline of the books. No longer can I sit smugly knowing what's coming while keeping my poor hubby in suspense. (At least he pretends to enjoy the suspense. He only watches the show because I do.)

I love the look of industrial pieces. I should've done a Photoshop effect on this picture, make it more gritty, but it was too hard to pass up the beautiful blue sky as I saw it Saturday.

Are the wheels turning? Are you wondering what we're looking at here? (I do understand if you're underwhelmed.)

All the above photos are parts of this watering-machine. I don't know what it's really called, but they're used to water the fields of sod (lawn grass), hay, and other grains that grow nearby. Definately a sign of spring!

Saturday Thru the Lens: A New Discovery

Ever wonder where pallets come from?

 Did you assume, like I did, that they are made in a pallet factory?

Maybe they're made from "reject" wood. The second stringers. The stuff that wasn't considered good enough to be in a fancy home. A lot of people know that feeling. But that's changing - pallet wood is in! Not only is it a warehouse necessity, but thanks to creative crafters, pallet wood is welcome in the home.

So back to our original question...where do pallets come from? I discovered the answer on my Saturday photo drive...

They grow in Pallet Fields in Bixby, Oklahoma!

1 Corinthians 1:28-31 The Message (MSG)

 Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. 

Saturday Thru the Lens: Untitled

On my photo jaunt Saturday, I stopped at a field of blooming Bradford Pear trees (pix to come). They are everywhere this year, as I mentioned the other day, but this particular field was convenient to park my car and walk around in. Always be on the lookout for a unique shot, even amongst a field of beautiful blooms.

Someday I'll come up with a metaphor for this photo, but for now, I'll just let it speak for itself.

Saturday Thru the Lens: Bad Gamble

This ugly little building sprung up one day a couple years ago. It was supposed to be a casino. A tiny little tribe that most people never heard of owned this small piece of property. It's near an elementary school, churches, and nice neighborhoods. Once people found out what was going on they were quite vocal with their objections. The mayor resigned. He had lied about not having knowledge of the plans to build this thing.

The courts, tribes, gaming commission all got involved and the project was stopped. The construction site with its half built tin structure sits. It's an eyesore, yes, but also a testament that when enough people speak up and speak loud, their voices will be heard.

Let's see how the lesson of that story plays out this November.

Spring's a-Poppin'

We had a super-mild winter in these here parts and spring started poppin' the last week of February.

 

I took these pix last week of the Bradford Pear tree in our yard. Since then all the Bradfords nearby are in full bridal regalia. There are entire fields of them!

I have a friend with miserable allergies to these trees. My husband says they have a sickening sweet smell. Since I can't smell and not bothered by allergies, I think they're just beautiful.

It's a sunny Saturday morning. I think I'll grab my gear, a cup of coffee and head out for some camera time; see what else has popped out of the winter doldrums.