My new HOBBY

Last summer I started taking pictures with a digital camera I bought for $50 on ebay. I thought that if I took pictures of the Paul's garden that it would be fun to have them to display at the Farmer's Market. I wasn't sure if Paul would like that, but when I talked to him and told him what I was doing he said he had read of others who had pictures of the their garden to show at their farmer's market. It was fun to feel I was contributing to something that was such a big part of Paul's life and something he loved. After that, my sister Deanne, showed me a site online called Red Bubble and thought I ought to get an account and put up some of my pictures. So I did and I was hooked. I got ideas from Red Bubble of things to take pictures of and have had such fun taking pictures of flowers and animals and clouds and ... well I could go on. But with that intro....I wanted to write about my last adventure as a photographer ha ha!
I was in Ogden the other day to have Ogden Clinic send records to Primary Children Hospital. (I have an appt. for Aaron on May 12. For some testing to see if FAS might be part of his challenges.) One of the groups on Red Bubble called the scavenger hunt this week the subject to hunt was birds. Since I was close to Beus Pond ( which is a pond that is a park with a path around the pond and some benches, but mostly a huge pond where all kind of birds have made their home.) I hadn't been there for a long time and never with just me, but I decided to be brave and take pictures without feeling embarrassed or self conscience. (why I feel that way, I don't know) I decided to not worry about that and just have fun. It wasn't long before I forgot about all of the others who were there and it was just me and nature. I love that part of taking pictures. I saw all sorts of birds and the sky was blue and the sun was shining. A perfect day. From the path I saw a couple of Canada Geese (I was told on Red bubble that this is their proper name) I thought they must be mates because one was standing guard and one was laying on the ground. I took a few pictures and moved on. I came back after a little bit and I guess I startled them again, but this time I moved behind some trees. Even though I could clearly be seen by anyone, but to the birds I must not have been visible. I noticed the female's wings move a bit and I could see little feet and a bit of yellow fuzzy feathers. I was excited, not only did I have a chance to see the beautiful geese but they had babies!
I took some pictures of those tiny webbed feet under the protection of their mother's wings. The family must have felt safe because they all got up and started to walk away. I was able to see the whole family, the mom and dad and their yellow fuzzy babies. Then I moved on and sat on a bench and took more pictures. I had a mom wood duck and her babies swim right up onto the shore where I was sitting, It was fun to sit and take pictures of her and her little ones. I slowly made my way around the path stopping now and then to take pictures and ended in the parking area where they had all these beautiful tulips and so I took pictures of those and then decided I had to leave to get home. I felt like I had been given a gift.
I can't quite put into words the way I feel when I start taking pictures. I feel very peaceful and the Spirit is so strong and I feel grateful and renewed in a way as if I just came from a very spiritual meeting. I'm not very good at explaining this kind of feeling. I guess maybe words don't quite describe it.
I had such a wonderful time and enjoyed the beauty of God's creations and was so grateful to have my eyes open to all of the magic of nature. That is what this new hobby has done for me. It is as if I see the world in a whole different way. I notice the clouds and how beautiful they can be as a storm is breaking up or a sunset as it changes from moment to moment. I notice birds flying and how they seem to enjoy the winds before a storm as if they are riding the winds like people surf the waves of the ocean. It looks so fun. I notice the brilliance of the snow covered mountains against the blue sky . It has been fun to see the close up view and the details inside a flower and really looking at the different blossoms on the trees and how different they are from the apricot tree to the pear to the peach tree. There is such beauty that I have taken so much for granted for years and hardly noticed it. I think most people are like that. They get caught up in the day to day and forget just how beautiful their surroundings are. When I've been chasing a sunset (which is driving to find a good place free from power lines to take a picture... and a sunset changes so quickly that it feels like a chase) cars drive by intent on getting home or wherever they are going and I think wow how can they not notice the beautiful sky, the amazing clouds and the way the sun is shining through them. But I also understand how easy it is to get lost in everyday living that you don't see the beautiful gifts that Heavenly Father has put up for display. If nothing else, this new hobby has opened my eyes to those gifts and I feel awe and gratitude for the beauty that is all around me that I was blind to before. Maybe that is why I feel the Spirit so strongly while I get wrapped up in trying to capture that beauty on a camera. I am truly grateful and am noticing the wonderful gifts Heavenly Father gives us everyday in one way or another through the beauty of his creations. The hymn How Great Thou Art (I think that is what it is called) comes to mind. That is how I feel. My new hobby is to try and capture that in a picture to share that beauty with others.