And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.
LUKE 1:76-79
The old barn in still enveloped in the early morning mist, barely visible through the blush of pink..
The barn, which has drawn me down this road over and over for years, seems even older and more mysterious in the damp morning chill.
As the sun rises higher in the sky it takes on a soft yellow glow which mixes with the pink for pastel perfection over this icy vineyard!
The golden rays spread throughout the sky….this photo is unretouched, though the camera intensify the colors somewhat…
Suddenly off in the distance birds begin to lift into the sky. One by one more than a dozen egrets took off and headed South…..when the show is over I have to go see where they’re headed!
High in the sky flocks of smaller birds pass by and the mist in the distance seems to be rising from a body of water…..something else to check out! I would have missed all this rushing around searching out that perfect shot!
A little to the side the sun finally reached the tree tops…a fact throughly enjoyed by this small egret….
Note to self: get a down jacket that actually zips up and warmer boots before stalking birds on a 29 degree morning again! I could hardly open the car door I was so cold by this point! Moving along in the direction the birds traveled I turned onto Oakwild Road, one of my favorite spots to wander…
I found them! Look closely at the shore line on the right and you’ll see a group of egrets huddled together….as I waited a few more swooped in from the direction of River Road.
Continuing on along Oakwild I spotted another subject I’ve wanted to capture for quite a while…I’ve always loved this old water tower….I have to admit I added the pink to the sky in this one…it was 8am by now and getting too late for a great sky in the western direction. Turning to the east though in response to some noisy birds….
the sky was entirely different! Done with the beautiful early morning rays lighting the landscape,I looked around for something small and colorful to capture….
And spotted this lonely fallen leaf…it’s life slowly slipping away…as it decorated the fence with brilliant color as it’s final act of beauty…
Colorful fallen leaves always remind me of my grandfather who taught me that getting old is the path to wisdom and that sometimes the greatest beauty of all comes right at the end after a lifetime of living and loving and learning…..He dearly loved nature and spent hours telling my brother and I stories of his years traveling on horseback through the Sierras….probably why I find my greatest joy wandering out of doors and capturing perfect little moments for a lifetime….
Want to see more of Donna’s Inspirational Photography? Check Out Hidden Gardens of Santa Rosa
To learn more about Donna’s work visit www.donnajonesphotography.com
this is just wonderful. I, too, enjoy a lot of photography, along with my husband, which has grown more regular for both of us this last year. Donna narrates and photographs beautifully – which is greatly appreciated! Thank you. we are amateurs, so no website …