God's love

Today, I'd just like to offer my photo (stretched for effect) and some lyrics from The Love Of God by MercyMe

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Could we with ink the ocean fil

And were the skies of parchment made

Were every stalk on earth a quill

And every man a scribe by trade

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To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry

Nor could the scroll contain the whole

Though stretched from sky to sky

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If you've never heard the song, here is a link to a YouTube video. It is a three minutes and thirty-three seconds well spent.

going medieval

The Craver clan benefitted from someone else's generosity and we were treated to a day at Medieval Times. (I don't know exactly how much she paid, but I'm sure I could never afford it.) This was a treat for the whole family. If you are not familiar with this, here's what you get: You go into the castle, and except for the bathrooms (thankfully), everything is themed back to the middle ages. We take our places at narrow tables in an arena, and eat with our fingers, while watching a classic adventure unfold before our eyes. The horses are stunningly magnificent, and the actors do their parts so well! Their weapons handling, equestrian skills and athleticism really impressed me.

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When we first walk in the door, they assign a color, indicating which section of the arena we are to be seated, and which knight we are to cheer for. Then, a professional takes a group photo in the next room. I asked them what their rules are, concerning photos, and they said that I was free to take pictures of everything, except for that one particular room. Sweet!!

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They're very good at shaking all the money out of your pockets with so many delightful extras that can be purchased, whether it be at the dungeon (museum), bars, gift shops, or photo booths. I personally did not feel the need to buy anything else. The main event and my own pictures were quite satisfying; thank-you very much. Our benefactor bought trinkets and souvenirs for the kids, though.

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Normally, I do not like clapping, cheering, or yelling like a simple-minded fool. No, seriously. But this time, I told the family, that to enjoy the experience thoroughly, we had to completely immerse ourselves, and cheer for our green knight without restraint. It turns out, he was the bad guy. (Don't worry; they change the story.) But we had a blast, and I'm sure it was more fun for the performers and other fans as well. If you've never been there, I definitely recommend it.

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...More pics on Facebook & slideshow on Youtube!

Sky Watch Friday!

Jacob's ladder?

Ho hum. We had a rather UN-interesting overcast sky. Sorry to bore you. Bye.

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Wait! Before you leave, let me tell you what was happening in the foreground. A rooftop air conditioning unit malfunctioned and set off the smoke detectors. This was not a drill; we had to evacuate the building immediately. There were LOTS of emergency vehicles outside. Apparently, the automated system also notifies the adjoining suburbs... wow!

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No one was hurt, and I have no idea how bad the rooftop unit was, but I could not see any damage from inside the building.

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I have two questions for you. Choose a place... home, school, work, whatever. If you had to evacuate immediately, what would you take with you and what would you miss the most if all the property was consumed?

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Here's my answer: I grabbed a book off my desk, because it is part of a discussion group. (The camera was not optional; it's permanently attached.) If the whole place were damaged by fire or water, I would miss all the photographs I have stored in the hard drive. Precious few have been saved to a Web-based album.

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Visit Tom if you want to play along with Sky Watch Friday.

buds

buds under a clear blue sky

(This week, I must take a diversion from SkyWatch, because it would not be fair to post, knowing that I cannot answer that many comments.)

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These two shots are from the archives. The magnolia buds belong to my next door neighbor. I took that on March 16 with my own camera (Mavica). I used my wife's Fujifilm A303 to snap a shot of this other "bud" on the same day.

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Remember this: Whether or not you see blue skies today, know that the sun is still shining. (If it wasn't, we'd all be dead.)

Leftovers!

spring snapshots

1. Downy woodpecker
2. tongue-wagging wabbit
3. silhouette: bird feeder
4. No soccer practice tonight!
5. Naperville's switching busses
6. cloudy canopy ruptured by sunbeams
7. high-contrast skies
8. goose posing pretty
9. pals conversing in tree

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Leftovers! is a new feature. Feel free to group recent miscellaneous remainder shots to share YOUR leftovers and please insert my link in your post. It is intended to enable more of us to enjoy some of your photos that might not otherwise be posted.

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Participants: Dot's Leftovers

Sky Watch Friday!

goose poop

What a cool hallway! You can gaze upward at heavenly splendor and yet remain sheltered from the elements. It rained this week. A lot. Tuesday night, the rain was so heavy, I wondered whether I would survive driving in it.

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After I took this photo, a goose did a foul thing on one of the panes. Party pooper!

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Sky Watch Friday

crocus

This is one of the first flowers to bloom in front of the house this spring. That's a crocus, right?

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I get it. I try to be responsible and do the right thing. The thing is, do I really love The Maker or just the things he made? Am I enthralled with The Benefactor or the benefits? There's nothing wrong with appreciating the good stuff He provides, as long as our priorities don't get flipped.

Leftovers!

This time, we have a collage from three separate events last week, but now, there is actually a unifying theme! Feel free to group recent miscellaneous remainder shots to share YOUR leftovers and please insert my link in your post.

Oh, deer!

Have any of you seen the movie Enchanted? I cracked up at the idea of bringing the land of make-believe to the streets of New York. Among other things, the movie shows how the cute, furry and feathered friends in the animal kingdom are loyal and devoted to the sweet princess. My whole family laughed heartily as they turned a walk through central park into a Disney musical number.

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Last week was my week for enchanted animals. I felt like I was an extra in a Bambi remake. Deer sightings, bunnies and birds, oh my! They weren't exactly spellbound, but they did abound, nonetheless!

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More animal news: On Friday, someone acknowledged receiving something from me on Facebook, but didn't know whether to accept it, because it was unclear who the "lion" was. Do you see the Facebook image in my sidebar? That's not a lion; it's a cartoon beast from a breakfast cereal. It is known for its cravings.

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I was hoping to use Facebook to draw more traffic to Blogger. Funny thing... I have added Facebook "friends" from Blogger, but I do not know if I have even one extra Blogger comment because of Facebook. Maybe I should stick to luring cute garden varmints.

Leftovers!

Today's menu: Leftovers!

Do you have photographs that for some reason didn't make it to last week's posts? Are you concerned that they will end up lost in obscurity? How about throwing them together in a collage and serving them up as leftovers?

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The sunset for example, was too spectacular to hide away, but the lens was dirty or something, and the image won't stand alone as a "main course."

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Just right of the sunset, we have some flowers proclaiming Spring, despite a covering of (hopefully) our last snow... March 27.

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In other words, this is a random collage of pictures taken last week.

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What do you think of the Leftovers idea? And has anyone else done this?

Sky Watch Friday!

Good Friday

[It was tough to think of something appropriate for Good Friday, but I like this stark image of a rough, barren tree. Though I don't usually write poems, it seemed a good time to give it a try.]

The city's cool evening air carries the blend Of frankincense from the temple And some 250,000 passover meals.

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A myriad of souls in this great town are blind and deaf to The events unfolding before them Despite a quarter-million clues.

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The sons of men can hardly imagine The begotten Son's anguish, But His Father is aware.

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One solitary drop splashes Upon an oblivious soil which absorbs it. Was it sweat or tear or even blood?

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And so begins the great exchange And all heaven leans forward Anxious and ready to intervene,

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But the Unblemished Lamb Yields with perfect submission To the Father's great plan.

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Sky Watch Friday! photo taken by my wife, Mrs. Craver.

night traffic

There is nothing of consequence to say at the moment. Things are very busy at work, home and church. But last night, I was fiddling around with my pictures on the computer and for no reason at all, I superimposed the moon and a splash of purple on this otherwise plain photograph.

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Shallow? Maybe, but I kinda like it.

identification

I'm gonna go on a limb and guess that it's a Red Tailed Hawk. This was taken a block or two from where I work. The bird was kind enough to pose in the middle of its dinner last Friday.

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It looks like that building's foundation is in trouble. I wonder if they know.

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Addendum

A conversation last night at the Craver house between my daughter and me: (I had just finished a rant about restricting the use of my special hairbrush, because I don't like having any hair tangled in it.)

D2: I think you have "OBCD."

me: That's "OCD."

D2: Right. **grin**

Sky Watch Friday!

It is a joy to participate in SkyWatch Friday! But please forgive me if it takes a little longer to respond to your comments. (I am trying to limit the time I spend on the blog.) It is not likely that I will participate every week.

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If anyone else wants to join the parade, check out the link above and there, you will find the proper instructions. That being said, here are my submissions for this week. Sorry, no moon this time. Instead, I have a picture taken at a wedding reception. This was taken (Feb. 23) at the Bristol Oaks Country Club in Kenosha, Wisconsin. By the time I broke away from the table to look at the sunset, the event was already waning. I took the picture anyway, and was quite pleased with the color. Especially because they had colored floodlights on the grounds and a green light under these trees caused this image to turn out almost surreal.

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Then, as I left the office the other day (March 3), the sky was so colorful I just had to take a picture. That one turned out okay, but eight minutes later the view became even more dramatic. I pulled the car over, braced against a pole, and took this next picture... Let me give a special thank you to Sharon who emailed with helpful advice, and though I can't apply it with this camera, remote capability is something I would surely consider for the future.

star gazing

Hymns hold a special place in my heart, but I'm not one-sided. I began enjoying Christian (rock) music in the summer of 1986. My favorite band is called Petra. They've won a bunch of Grammys and Dove awards. They're retired now, but their lead singer for 20 years was a man by the name of John Schlitt. I saw him debut his new solo project this weekend and got permission to take pictures. Twice. I wish you could hear his amazing voice! [click on photos to enlarge]

He let me get waaaay up close while he was doing the soundcheck, and I used the flash for that one.

The rest of the time, I went without flash, crawling around and trying to be stealthy like a ninja-tographer.

This was my attempt at getting artsy with the "solarization" feature on the camera.

Other people were taking pictures. Some with cellphones, and some had real cameras. I told you that I was not using flash. By chance, two of us clicked simultaneously, and so I benefit with a remote flash effect.

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Oh! By the way... Sunday, 3/2/2008 in BOLINGBROOK, IL

High Temperature: Actual: 57°F Today's temps are back down to normal.

Sky Watch Friday!

Craver's craters

[February 16 @ 5:30 PM Bolingbrook, Illinois]

On a trip to the grocery store last night, I took a minute to browse* their digital cameras. Who decides to buy digital cameras at a grocery store, anyway? "Hon, I'm off to the supermarket for a sack of potatoes, kitty litter... and that new digital camera we really like." I can't wrap my imagination around this option, either: A five hundred dollar item as an IMPULSE purchase??

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**deep breath** I digress. My point is that there are always plenty of shiny new toys on the market, and it's great to upgrade if you can, but I try to be content with whatever I have.

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That being said, I'm really happy with today's submission for Sky Watch Friday. It is fun to know that I can see the craters on the moon, even before the sun has completely dropped below the Western horizon. Notice that the background is blue, not black.

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I know, I know, this is my third entry for Sky Watch Friday, and they have ALL had something to do with the moon. I promise that next week's will have a picture of something other than the moon. Quit trying to change the subject.

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What I am trying to say, through all the distractions of wandering thoughts, is that crater shots can be achieved with low tech, inexpensive equipment. I used a tripod and instead of using my finger to press the shutter, I used the camera's timer. That gave me even LESS shake and vibration. Between zooming and cropping, voila! I get a giant picture of the moon which includes the craters I like so much. Hmmm, I wonder what other simple photography tricks or techniques this regular guy can learn. (Hint, hint.)

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So far, I have not been able to get such dramatic craters with a full moon. Only the other phases have the light source angled so favorably. Okay, I'm done; did you want to say something now?

*I was just browsing. I am still using my friend's hand-me-down.

clicketty cliques

[Mrs. Craver (with her "new" camera) and two of our children.]

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Some of the Craver clan attended a wedding this weekend. It was beautiful; profoundly so. We have known the bride's family for a number of years.

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Lots of people were taking pictures. Now that we're in the digital (and disposable) camera age, are more guests toting cameras at weddings than there used to be? Probably.

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Does this (the plethora of cameras) interfere with the business of the professional who is hired to record the event? I hope not, but from my own perspective, It was nice to get reunited with some of my old buds and get each other's pictures at our table.

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I even got an interesting sunset shot from the reception hall. You can see it in two weeks. (I have one more moon shot to post this Friday.)

Sky Watch Friday!

Many Moons

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I suppose this week's Sky Watch will have a lot of similar pictures. There was just a lunar eclipse, and it was seen (and photographed) my lots and lots of people. But there was a clear sky, and I snapped a few shots, so I'll share what I have.

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It first appeared as an enormous amber globe as it lazily floated close to the horizon. I wish I could have taken earlier pictures with the houses to get some perspective! But here, for my first picture, it came out very low, and very orange.

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I've always loved to look at the full moon, and the eclipse is a marvelous event, to be sure! But can I tell you what you're missing? The craters are more spectacular in the other phases. Maybe I'll have one of Craver's craters for you next week.

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I need to express my appreciation to a young man I shall dub Sonny Smith. Without his help, I would not have been able to break away from band practice to take these pictures. Muchas gracias!

scope and sphere

My camera's viewscreen freezes from the moment the shutter button is pressed. The image remains frozen for several seconds. As for the intended photograph, the image capture takes place in some undiscernable moment between those five seconds (or years!). The more pics I have on that disc (yes, disc), the longer it takes. That makes it almost impossible to capture anything that is moving, like cars or birds, especially when using the zoom.

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So, from spare parts, I fabricated a simple scope. It's just a flash mount and hollowed-out shell from a mechanical pencil. There is a little wiggle in it, so it needs to be calibrated before I use it, but it came in handy last night.

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I was taking pictures of the moon for the next Sky Watch Friday. Everything was fine, until I got to the last picture. It was too dark to find the reddish moon in the camera's viewfinder! Click, I mounted the scope, aimed it at a floodlight for calibration, and voila! Now I could take a good aim in the dark.

hunting the hunter

With multiple layers of protection from the cold, I took the camera to a local forest preserve Saturday. I was hoping to catch a hawk.

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I won't bore you with the details. It was basically a long time waiting, and many missed opportunities. A tiny bird in the thicket chirped as if to say, "take a picture of me, instead." [click on photos to enlarge] I've no idea what it is.

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So, I went home with some ideas of what I would do differently next time, and would you believe my elusive hawk followed me?!! It swooped down across my windshield as I backed into my driveway, then landed in a tree two houses up. I couldn't shoot the angle I wanted, but you get what you can take, right?

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We ran our Saturday errands, and as the sun was beginning to set, we pulled into a strip mall to buy a fun dinner for the kids, and there it was again! This time, our Redtailed Hawk was kind enough to sit and pose for me. Good bird!

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Don't worry, I'll keep trying until I capture a photograph of this bird in flight.

sky watch?

Monday's fog was the thickest I think I've ever seen. Mrs. Craver said that it was even heavier just an hour before we drove through this soup together! She offered to take the wheel, and so I sat, gazing with amazement at the soft, beautiful haze.

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A few hours later, on our way back from the house where Goo Goo stays (see previous post), I was struck by how one spot looked like sun streaks, except that it was not a celestial spectacle. Rather, it came from a combination of a streetlight, trees and a low, hazy fog. Unfortunately, it was too late to stop the car and mess around with the camera; I had to take the family home.

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So what is this picture? Well, it was only 2 or 3 blocks from home, so after dropping them off, I went back to see if I could capture the image, and here it is. :-)

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Is this heaven? No... lower.