Tuesday, March 06, 2012

tallgrass

Illinois is nicknamed the Prairie State. You can find occasional patches of tallgrass around here, but it's certainly not as ubiquitous as the nickname suggests. I like this stuff from a distance. I wonder what it would be like to walk right in the middle of tallgrass, but I have never done that. Ever. I wouldn't want to leave the mess of a trampled path. I am the type of person who does not walk across fresh snow on the front lawn, because I like the pristine look of a white blanket with no blemishes. A trail of footprints is tantamount to grafitti. Is that a little OCD? Maybe. By the way, the acronym for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder needs to changed to COD. Why? Because that's in alphabetical order... as it SHOULD be! (insert wry grin here)

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Sleep has eluded me for many days, and I feel like I have been pushed every which way, whipped around by the wind like this grass. The strangest symptom is embarrassing... I have found myself feeling exceptionally irritable. I mean I have to constantly resist the urge to fly off the handle and unleash a temper tantrum at common, daily occurrences. I feel as though I am less capable of liking anything. That goes for food, work, recreation, ...people. That's not like me. It is more than a little frustrating because I am like a reed that is barely hanging on by its roots. Lord, forgive me for my pernicious heart.

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Let me tell you about the photograph. Until now, I have not used the scene settings on my camera. Frankly, I forgot that it was there. That's where you can select between such things as pets, fireworks, museum, etc. This is the sunset mode. I used a tripod and the flash, and dialed the power down a little. The sky had more dramatic moments, but you know how fast that changes! I had a few decent shots of sky, but wasn't happy with the foreground of those landscapes... there were lights, power lines or the composition was just wonky. This sky shows less drama than the others, but I am more satisfied with the picture as a whole.

14 comments:

imac said...

I love this shot my friend, AND you WILL bend and sway - like the tall grass AGAIN.
You do not need forgiveness my friend, we are all only human and we all go through these feelings, dont blame yourself or anyone too.

We all have to go thru these feeling sometime - so we can bathe in the glory when alls well.

Craver Vii said...

I appreciate your sense of compassion and grace, Imac, and my hope is that you find the joy of connecting with the ultimate source of those wonderful attributes.

I am acutely aware of two things: my own depravity is one, but the other is the astounding grace and lovingkindness of God.

"If we confess our sins, he (Jesus Christ) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Carletta said...

I've visited a couple of times to see if you'd posted. I wanted to see how you were feeling.
A little better, a little not I see.
There's always a light shining brightly at the end of the tunnel.
Give it time, your light too will shine.

happyone said...

Great photo. Love the tall grass.
I am just the opposite of you! I love to be the first to make prints in the snow. : )

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Craver: Nice capture of the grass and sky, nice outcome.

Craver Vii said...

Thanks for checking in, Carletta. I'm like the guy who prayed, "Lord, I need patience, and I need it NOW."

Good to know, Happyone. If you ever make it up this way, I'll relent and let you make tracks on my lawn. :-)

Thank you Fishing Guy. Hey, I didn't go fishing even once last year. That's a crime.

Shammickite said...

That is a really nice photograph Mr. C. I like the tall grasses in the foreground. And I'm glad you are feeling better after your week off work. I haven't been sick all winter (knock on wood, crossing fingers etc etc) which is a first for me. I usually get a really bad cold, but I suppose the winter's not over yet so there's still time!

Shammickite said...

are you anywhere near the states where the terrible tornadoes created so much destruction recently?

EG CameraGirl said...

Lovely shot of the grass and sky. We have small patches of tall grass prairie here in Ontario too... even one conservation area of it here in East Gwillimbury! :)

Craver Vii said...

Shammy, tornadoes hit my state pretty hard, but the most damage was 300 miles (480 km) South of here. A neighboring town called Plainfield was ravaged by deadly tornadoes in 1990. I hope we never see that again.

May your good health continue. What providence to remain strong through the whole winter! I don't believe in luck, but tried crossing my toes, just for kicks. ;-)

I like to think that I have also been exceptionally resilient to contageon, but this episode was primarily a case of high blood pressure. (It was a relief to know that I did not have a stroke!)

I'll bet your conservation area is absolutely breathtaking, CameraGirl! (Shall I call you that instead of EG?) Besides the small patches here and there, we have a 15,000 acre conservation area that is not too far from here, but part of it is closed off due to toxic waste contamination. :-(

George said...

This is a marvelous photo. I would say that you have the scene setting pretty much under control. I really like the tall grass in the foreground with that sky in the background.

I pray that you will soon be able to sleep. In the meantime, don't be too hard on yourself for being human.

Betty Manousos said...

oh no, craver, you do not need forgiveness...don't blame yourself my friend.

we are all only humans...
don't ever forget that.


i love this shot!
looks heavenly!

very nicely done!

Craver Vii said...

Thanks for the encouragement, George. I appreciate your comments too, Betty. Self deprecating talk can be unhealthy when a person uses those words to establish their identity. This is different. I am simply allowing the reconciliation process to be transparent. God already knows my heart. When forgiveness follows confession, it is a wonderfully redemptive part of life. (1st John 1:9)

lime said...

lovely picture. i have to giggle. i'd probably make you nuts because fresh snow is a blank canvas asking to be trod upon. and if it's the yard of a family with kids it MUST be trod upon, sledded upon, snow angeled upon, etc....it means a lot of fun happened. hehehehe

sorry you're not feeling yourself. hope you're back to your chipper self soon.