Rt 66 Landmark

 As I'm going through folders looking for a particular picture, I came across one that I had intended to post a few years ago. I'm glad I didn't because there was more to the story later!

I was just doing a random photo drive one morning and went past this building. It's in an area that I seldom travel so that was the first time I noticed it. I thought it looked interesting and since I was stopped at the traffic light, I grabbed my camera and got a quick shot. It turns out that the street I was on is part of old Route 66 and the Brookshire Motel was considered a landmark. The Route 66 Commission was trying to save it, but fires in 2019 and 2020 caused so much damage it was beyond any kind of preservation.  I remember reading about the first fire and thinking "oh my goodness! I just took a picture of that building a few weeks ago!"  I'm so glad I did. 

(I put a watermark on this photo in case some hobbyist historian gets twitchy).

The Storm is Coming

This is an old Catholic church in my hometown. It sits up on a hill, so from a vantage point just a bit higher than this, I was able to shoot from eye level. The camera captured what I was seeing, but not what I was feeling. I used some technical magic to convey my impressions.

I was Catholic for a few years, undergoing the catechism after my marriage. In one session, I challenged the priest with a Bible verse that didn't jive with what he was teaching. His answer? "When there is a discrepancy between the Bible and tradition, we go with tradition."  Hmm.

Although there are aspects of Catholicism that I still love, I moved on to a Bible teaching non-denom a few years later. I am so grateful for the knowledge and understanding that I've gained from such excellent teachers, including how to study and discern God's word for myself.

This photo spoke to me of several things, but one in particular. Traditions of faith, all denominations, are being challenged and we might say, rightly so. As our understanding of the word of God increases, our faith should be growing and our relationship with the Lord should be deepening. Some of mankind's traditional thinking needs to be retired. And that goes for all denominations!

With the current pope in ill health, the Catholic church is about to undergo another transition. No matter who is chosen, or what course a new pope sets for them, God says this:

"I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

~Matthew 16:18

Covered Bridge & Pond Scum

I've always wanted to photograph an old covered bridge. I just haven't been to places where they are easy to find! On a summer trip back home a couple years ago, I did discover where one was located and I dragged my family out there for some photography adventuring.

I wasn't really happy with how the images turned out, and since I really do love to manipulate photographs anyway, here are a few artsyfartsy versions.

I do have fun adding ghostlies to photos, usually cemetery shots. When I edited this image with an X-ray filter, I thought an ethereal figure would add the perfect eerie touch. (note: I don't actually believe in ghosts.) 

I just did some light color editing on this one. There was sooo much bright green surrounding the bridge, that it overwhelmed the red color. I also had to edit out some graffiti that was popular at the time, an acronym referencing Joe Biden. Clearly the graffiti artist was not a fan.

But going back to the abundance of green, you can see what I mean in this photo. In addition to a bountiful number of trees, the water under and surrounding the bridge was totally covered in some kind of pond scum. There were shades of green every way you turned. 

By the way, pond scum has a fancy name - filamentous algae. Much more fun to say than "pond scum!"

So after a break from photography art and blogging, I've used this entry to dip my toes in the water again, so to speak, (but not the pond water). I've been editing some other pictures from that trip and will post them soon!