20 Dec 19 With Christmas literally just around the corner I thought I'd go with something Christmas festive for today's close up. Hard to believe we are just days away from a new year, but we are and just 7 more photos to close it out. So here is a shot of a Sweet Gum Tree which I know is known by other names, the most common of which is Liquid Amber. Not sure from where the Sweet Gum moniker derives, but the Liquid Amber comes form it's Latin name, Liquidambar styraciflua. It's a nice tree to have in your landscape as its seeds are eaten by eastern goldfinches, purple finches, sparrows, mourning doves, northern bobwhites and wild turkeys. Small mammals such as chipmunks, red squirrels and gray squirrels also enjoy the fruits and seeds. So this plant has just about all of the U.S covered. Not bad. We are thinking about adding a couple to the landscape but not until we make for some more room, which put in terms of our eldest cherub when she was much younger, maybe later. In the meantime, we can just enjoy them wherever we see them and around here they are used aplenty by the local communities for landscaping the roads. Other than some severe cropping this is what the camera recorded. Christmas Tree Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 1000; 1/100 sec @ f / 9.
13 Dec 19 Back to the yard scenes again today and another of the stained glass lookalikes since several of you have asked for more. These are fun and easy to make. This is a triad of leaves from a large bush whose name I don't remember that is part of a hedgerow that currently lines the back side of the front garden area. They have a tiny little white flower in the spring and beautiful yellow leaves in the fall with distinct green veins. I wasn't thinking very far into the future when I planted them believing that I would never consider enlarging that landscaped area. Unfortunately for me I now want to expand it considerably which means I need to transplant all of them. Maybe the smart thing would be to put them all in half 50 gallon barrels that could be moved from place to place as the garden area expands. It might even be a good approach to containing their size. Other than the conversion this is what the camera recorded. Needing a Frame Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 250 1/60 sec @ f / 9 with fill flash.
Christmas In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Text from the 2nd chapter of Luke's gospel. Base image from our church's courtyard and the graphic from clip art. Christmas Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 250; 1/160 sec @ f / 9. Merry Christmas one and all!
