Walk With Me ~ After the Storm

Now and then, I'll ask you to walk with me as I share photos and stories of life here on the Cumberland Plateau (also part of the Southern Appalachians). I live on the middle / east Tennessee line, just barely across the eastern time zone. Thankfully, we were spared from the tornadoes that ravaged the south yesterday and last night. We had localized flooding, lots of trees down and several power outages, but our homes and lives were spared. Others were not so blessed. Please remember all those families in your prayers. They will certainly need them in the days, weeks, and even months to come.

This morning, after all the rain, thunder, lightening, high winds, and sitting in the dark with only an oil lamp for light yesterday evening, we awoke to an absolutely beautiful day! The birds were singing, the sky was a gorgeous blue, and everything looked so fresh and clean! I got my little Canon Powershot A470 and walked around the yard to take a few photos.

First stop was to show you this weird stuff. Each spring it grows on the ancient cedars in our yard. It's actually called Cedar Apple Rust Gall. Although it's a fungus and bad news for fruit trees, it doesn't seem to harm the cedars.

These cedars are HUGE! When we moved here 20 years ago, I planted 1 little ivy plant at the base. It looked so pretty in magazines, rambling up the trees a bit... little did I know it would totally take over the tree! If you click on the photo, you can see the ivy nearly to the tip top! You can also see all the orange blobs on the branches.

Next stop was at the... ahem... overgrown flower bed that I was going to clean out this spring and never got around to it. Has that ever happened to you? Please tell me I'm not the only one. Thankfully, it's mostly overgrown with beebalm and other flowers and not weeds. I managed to point my lens down through the greenery and get a little shot of a trillium. Isn't it such a pretty color? I have some white ones in there, too, but I think they already bloomed.

The viburnum is blooming now and just beautiful! It's sure to be loaded with berries for the birds this fall.

And the irises... ahhh, they smell heavenly! Mama loved irises and always had them wherever we lived.

Even the wildflowers were opening up after all the rain, lifting their little petals toward the sky as if to thank their Creator for keeping them safe and for blessing them with a lovely day to bloom!

Perhaps we should take their lead and do the same, thanking God for sparing our lives, for giving us another day to share His goodness with others.

I just couldn't stop taking photos of the blooms. They looked ethereal with the sunlight shining through.

I have no idea what that extra flash in the sky is in the photo below...

After leaving the flowers, I made my way through the back yard and into the edge of the woods where the sunlight filtered down through the leaves...

Have you ever noticed that nothing in God's creation clashes? Here we are, always worried about which colors goes with which, and nothing clashes in nature! God must laugh at us sometimes... or a lot!

I enjoy quiet times outdoors. It's nice to walk along, admiring God's handiwork, and just talk to Him. Not in any hurry. Just talk, ask, and listen. He's always there, ready to listen and always with love.

This morning the little stream was making the sweetest melody as it slowly and delicately washed over stones and around the trunks of trees.

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

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I hope you enjoyed the walk and will come back for another one soon.

Take Care & God Bless,

Lana

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