Ramblings

Snippets of Life From Thanksgiving Till Now

2008-12-20T22:33:00.005-05:00

The past few weeks have been going by like a blur. So below are a few scenes from those weeks. The first four pictures are from Thanksgiving day with the extended family on my side.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Four Square

Parlor Room Dancing
The dancing took place to piano music
being played by my nephews and nieces

A card game

Holly Berries

A Holly Berry Farm Field

Our Christmas Tree and Shelf Display

Playing Tongiaki at the home of one of my brothers

Playing Pit at the home of one of my brothers

A Scene from Yesterday's Ice Storm

A Visiting Family's Tradition of a Traveling Manger Scene

Views Along Swamp Creek Near Sumneytown

2008-12-02T18:51:00.005-05:00

I went for a hike around noon this past Saturday along a portion of Swamp Creek near Sumneytown. Below are some of the sights I enjoyed.

Reflections

The woods and autumn sky

Cloud reflection

Red berries along Swamp Creek

Moss-covered roots

A boulder - A common sight along Swamp Creek here

Lichen

Do you see the mouth?

Green ferns in the midst of the prevailing brownness

An Autumn Hike Near Telford, Pennsylvania

2008-11-18T08:06:00.005-05:00

Yesterday just before dark I went for an autumn hike just off of Cathill Road near Telford, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a good time outdoors but chilly. My fingers that held the camera and tripod were feeling a bit frozen by near the end of the walk.

East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek

An Autumn Sky

Groundcherries

Swirling Bubbles

Clump of Mushrooms

Ragweed Seeds

Fungi on a Log

Sunset

Hay Bales on the Hill Side

What Once Was

Family Gathering to Celebrate My Mom's Birthday

2008-11-11T19:17:00.003-05:00

Sunday a week ago, most of my extended family gathered together to celebrate my Mom's birthday. These are a few pictures from that celebration.

Birthday cake presentation

Talk time - the photo includes among other people
my sister and my wife

Arrival time for one of my brothers and his family

Catching up and enjoying one another's fellowship

Talk time - three of my brothers and my Dad

Supper time!

Playing the game of Life

Playing the game of Memory

Playing "Crazy Uno"

Playing Upwards

My Mom's birthday cards

A Hike in Peace Valley Park

2008-10-28T21:31:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday late afternoon and evening my wife and I went for a hike in Peace Valley Park near Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the autumn colors.

At Haycock Mountain

2008-10-19T20:04:00.005-05:00

Last Monday, I went hiking on Haycock Mountain in Haycock Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Below are some of the sights from that outing. I started the hike in early evening and left at or just after dusk.

Autumn Colors at Lake Nockamixon

2008-10-14T18:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday and today, my wife and I enjoyed autumn's beauty at Lake Nockamixon on the Quakertown side, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Here are a few photos from our time there. Some day we'll have to rent kyacks or a canoe and enjoy the scenery from that perspective.

Along the Delaware River

2008-10-12T20:29:00.003-05:00

Back on August 16, 2008, I took a hike along the Frenchtown, New Jersey side of the Delaware River. It was a beautiful sunny day. The photos below were some of the highlights of the hike.

Chincoteague, Part 4

2008-09-27T15:34:00.005-05:00

My wife and I were at Chincoteague, Virginia September 5-8 to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. Except for the first and the last photos, all these pictures were taken during a boat tour around Chincoteague and Assateague. As shown in the fourth picture we were blessed to see two bald eagles near the top of a tree. We also saw a number of dauphins. Unfortunately, I could never time my camera right to show much of the dauphin.

Chincoteague, Part 3, Wild Ponies

2008-09-20T17:18:00.007-05:00

My wife and I were at Chincoteague, Virginia September 5-8 to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. Chincoteague and Assateague are known for their wild ponies. The first six photos below are wild ponies seen from a boat tour taken Sunday evening. The last three photos were taken during a late Monday morning bike ride. The second of those three photos shows how far away we were from the ponies on our bike ride. The bikes we rented were single speed bikes and it seemed strange to brake by pushing the bike pedals backward.

Chincoteague, Part 2

2008-09-18T19:09:00.004-05:00

My wife and I were at Chincoteague, Virginia September 5-8 to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. Below are some photos from Sunday morning and afternoon of that trip.

We were on the beach looking for seashells;
this bird was on the beach looking for its breakfast.

Yours truly walking accross the huge Assateague sandbar

A small segment of the Assateague Lighthouse

An artistic painting of the Assateague Lighthouse

Marshland

And crabs

Egrets flying

A horseshoe crab

And a jellyfish - one of many

Chincoteague, Part 1

2008-09-15T18:23:00.005-05:00

My wife and I spent September 5-8, 2008 at Chincoteague, Virginia to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We were married on September 8 last year. We went as Tropical Storm Hanna was approaching not knowing what it would bring. As it turned out, it wasn't too bad and we were able to explore much of the area.

All except the last photo was taken on Friday when we arrived hence the cloudy skies. Friday afternoon, we did a lot of sightseeing driving with occasional stops for short walks and/or photo taking. We spent most of Saturday morning and early afternoon browsing various small shops in Chincoteague till the heavy rains came. When the heavy rains came, we went back to our hotel and played cards for the rest of the day except for supper time. For supper we went out to a nice restaurant and had a very delicious tropical shrimp salad and some very good crab cakes. They also served us a loaf of warm bread that tasted homemade. I'll describe Sunday and Monday (our mostly sunny days) in the next post.

Deer in the marshland with Canadian Geese in the background

One majestic tree

A Great Egret

Grass Plumes

A flock of Great Egrets

A mystical feel on the beach

The Assateague lighthouse in the distance

A beautiful sunset

A Hike along the Tohickon Creek near Stover-Myers Mill, Part 2

2008-08-26T14:44:00.005-05:00

Tuesday evening two weeks ago, I went hiking along the Tohickon Creek near the Stover-Myers Mill in Tinicum and Plumstead Townships, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful, mostly sunny evening for a hike - not to hot, not too cold. Below are some photos from that hike. This is a continuation from the previous post.

An evening view along the Tohickon Creek

A beautiful yellow wildflower

Another beautiful yellow wildflower against a tree trunk

A view of the Cabin Run Covered Bridge
The Cabin Run Creek flows into the Tohickon Creek

Yellows and Pinks along the creek bank

A sunset view taken from the creek bank

The same sunset view reflected in the creek

A Hike along the Tohickon Creek near Stover-Myers Mill

2008-08-19T17:28:00.002-05:00

Tuesday evening a week ago, I went hiking along the Tohickon Creek near the Stover-Myers Mill in Tinicum and Plumstead Townships, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful, mostly sunny evening for a hike - not to hot, not too cold. Below are some photos from that hike.

A view of the Tohickon Creek

A beautiful red wildflower on the bank of the creek

Another view of the Tohickon Creek

A small white wildflower

Creek scene

A large beetle

Yellow wildflowers on the creek bank

A wild grape vine

Mushrooms still intrigue me :)

A Hike at Swamp Creek Park, Part 2

2008-08-04T17:07:00.006-05:00

Below are some more photos from a hike I took about three weeks ago at Swamp Creek Park in New Hanover Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

A view of Swamp Creek
Notice the orange lilies on the creek banks

Butterflies enjoying the damp ground

The wide open meadows

A beautiful purple wildflower

As shown in this photo and the next two photos,
the park has an area for flying model airplanes.

A Hike at Swamp Creek Park

2008-07-29T16:38:00.004-05:00

Tuesday two weeks ago, I went for a hike at Swamp Creek Park in New Hanover Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was a warm sunny delightful day to be out and about in nature. Below are some of the sights from my hike.

A view of Swamp Creek

A beautiful view along a hedgerow

A close up view

Swamp Creek Schoolhouse built circa 1850

Swamp Creek Schoolhouse bell

Pretty blooms

A fallen tree trunk with a beauty all its own

I think this might be an older schoolhouse
used prior to the one built circa 1850

A 5th of July Party

2008-07-14T10:10:00.000-05:00

On the 5th of July, many of my family and friends got together for a party over in Bedminster Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a partly sunny day with an hour long shower thrown in just around mealtime. Below are some photos from the day.

Enjoying the pool

My parents sitting by the pool

The family of one of my brothers arriving with some food

A crazy game of croquet
Look where the hoop is! :)

Family members catching up with each other

Getting ready for supper

Four of my nephews

Just talking and playing

Playing volleyball
But where's the ball? :)

One of my nieces rope climbing

Another of my nieces rope climbing

Garden and Wildlife Views from our Home

2008-07-10T19:00:00.004-05:00

Except for the last photo, all these pictures were taken in the past week or so. The last photo was taken early this Spring but is so beautiful that I still want to post it here. I do not know the names of all the flowers; but I do enjoy them anyway.

Morning Glories

Impatients

Petunias

Doves

Petunias

A Hike in Stover's State Park and Tohickon Valley County Park, part 2

2008-07-09T13:11:00.004-05:00

This series of photos from my hike in Stover's State Park and Tohickon Valley County Park, Bucks County, Pennsylvania gives me the feel of the John Denver song Sonshine on my Shoulders. The hike was so peaceful. And it reminds me of days gone by when I had more time to hike and roam.

A Hike in Stover's State Park and Tohickon Valley County Park

2008-07-04T10:50:00.003-05:00

Tuesday a week ago I went for a several hour hike from mid-morning to late mid-afternoon at Stover's State Park and the contiguous Tohickon Valley County Park in Tinicum and Plumstead Townships, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful mostly sunny day. Below are some of the sights from that hike.

A portion of the Tohickon Creek

A humongus fungus
Measures more than fifteen inches across

A beautiful pink wild rose

A path going down into Stover's State Park towards the creek

I like the color of this red fungus

A moss-covered fallen tree trunk

A majestic view even if it is only a vulture

Impressive brown fungi growing on a live tree

Branchwood Park

2008-06-24T18:28:00.006-05:00

Last Saturday evening my wife and I went for a walk at Branchwood Park near Morwood, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful sunny evening perfect for a walk.

From studying MapQuest, I think this is Indian Creek - a subsection of the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek.

A bluejay perched on a fence

Large fungi on a tree trunk

Some pretty wildflowers

Wild raspberries

Play Time

2008-06-17T17:35:00.003-05:00

Today was once again time for me to play with keleidoscopic art. These all come from a photo of some rhododendron blossoms. A portion of the original photo is shown down at the end of this post.

An Afternoon in Nature

2008-06-03T20:35:00.003-05:00

This afternoon I took a short hike a few miles away home. These are some of the wildflowers and a beautiful tree trunk I saw.

Visiting Monte Maria in Mexico City

2008-05-28T20:31:00.004-05:00

From May 8 to 13 my wife and I went along with our pastor on a trip to the Monte Maria Church in Mexico City, Mexico. Our pastor was teaching in a school of ministry being held during that time period. My wife and I went along to help build relationships there between our two churches, to serve as prayer companions, and as it turned out to help with child care. Below are some photos from our time there.

This photo is from the early worship service held on Sunday mornings. This service is for members only. In order to enter the building, the members have to hand in a computer card. This first service is a teaching and dicipling service. Following this service an outdoor evangelistic and healing service is held. The building for the members only service holds around 3,000 people; the outdoor worship area has benches for many more people.

On the left in this picture of a picture is Pastor Arelio who was the founder of this church. He was a Catholic priest until the Catholic church kicked him out for his evangelistic activities. The person on the right is Pastor Roberto who was chosen to fill Pastor Arelio's spot when he passed on. This particular photo was taken during an outdoor evangelistic meeting in Mexico City. Notice how the hands in the photo form the symbol of the cross.

We were down there over Mother's Day. And in honor of all mothers, the Monte Maria Church gave all mothers free ice cream after the worship service. This was part of the line-up for the ice cream. The women dressed in red and white uniforms served as ushers in the church.

As I mentioned earlier, my wife and I assisted with children's activities. In this photo, we were out on the playground and I was catching the little children as they came down the slide. It was fun!

We made one overnight trip into the mountains three hours northeast of Mexico City. They were holding evangelistic tent meetings there. This photo was taken during a prayer time. During prayer times both the speaker and the attenders pray at the same time.

This is a view in Mexico City near the church's guest house where we stayed while we were down there.

Here are some beautiful flowers from an early morning hike in Mexico City. In a later post I may show some more flowers from down there.

Here is a view of some mountains from when we traveled outside of Mexico City.

You can see more photos from this trip on the web page of Perkiomenville Mennonite Church.

Barnegat Bay Lighthouse and Wild Fowl

2008-05-06T15:15:00.005-05:00

The same day that my wife and I visited Island Beach State Park in New Jersey, we also visited Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on Long Beach Island in New Jersey near evening. The first three photos are different views of the lighthouse. And this lighthouse is tall! The next three photos are bird pictures; the two of the white bird are best viewed in the larger size. Sometime we want to go back and spend more time there. But that day it was too windy and cold and we were getting hungry. :)

Across the inlet is Island Beach State Park
where we were earlier in the day.

Island Beach State Park, Part 2

2008-05-03T18:06:00.006-05:00

Sights along the Trail at Island Beach State Park, New Jersey

My wonderful wife :)

Island Beach State Park, NJ, Part 1

2008-05-03T17:34:00.003-05:00

Saturday a week ago, my wife and I took a day trip to the New Jersey shore. One of the stops we made was Island Beach State Park located near the town of Seaside Park, New Jersey. Most of the photos below are landscape views of the area. In another post, some of the plant life will be shown closer up. It was a cold windy mostly cloudy day yet good for walking as long as one did not stay on the shore line too long.

Fishermen - Brrr!!!

The shore line and a seagull

Sand dunes

Lunch in the car

A view from the bay side, no. 1

A view from the bay side, no. 2

Revisiting the Hilltown Bog

2008-04-28T20:14:00.003-05:00

About two weeks ago on a Tuesday evening, I went hiking in the Hilltown Bog just outside of Telford, Bucks County, Pennsylvania near the railroad tracks that go from the Souderton/Telford area to Quakertown. It was a beautiful evening and these were some of the views.

Notice the cloud reflections in the water

Some of the coolest green moss I've seen

The bog towards sunset

Some more of the coolest moss I ever saw

Reflections before sundown

Hints of Spring

Moon rising

Just before night fall

A walk around Telford

2008-04-20T15:06:00.003-05:00

This past Monday I took a walk around Telford. The first two photos are wildflowers growing in my lawn. The rest are garden flowers located around town. Spring is here! :) :) :)

A hike on the Banbury Mopac Trail, Part 2

2008-04-12T15:21:00.006-05:00

Wednesday a week ago, I took a hike on the Banbury-Mopac Trail in Franconia Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was beautiful, sunny, spring day. And it was good to revel in it's beauty. And the birds in the last three photos I believe are some kind of hawks.

An evening with our nieces

2008-04-12T14:36:00.004-05:00

This past Monday evening, we had our three nieces at our place. At the beginning of the evening, we spent some time at a nearby playground in town. Later we spent some time playing games, watching a video, and doing some other miscellaneous things. It was an excellent evening of fun and spending time together. Below are a few photos from the evening.

A Hike on the Banbury Mopac Trail, Part 1

2008-04-06T20:43:00.003-05:00

This past Wednesday I took a hike on the Banbury-Mopac Trail in Franconia Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was beautiful, sunny, spring day. And I was rewarded with a number of signs of spring some of which will await for part two of this post.

Budding trees

Forsythias blooming

More early tree buddings against the sky

Some of the first new leaf growth sighted

Early spring flowers

A creek passing through and tree shapes

A barb wire landscape

Jet lines in the sky

A sight to make the imagination soar

Creek Hike, Part 2

2008-04-05T21:17:00.005-05:00

Tuesday evening a week ago, I took a couple hour hike along a portion of the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek that divides Franconia Township from Salford Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. This section of the creek is bridged over by Allentown Road and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. These photos were taken near or at dark.

Reflections in the Creek

Silhouettes

More Creek Reflections

A Car Wasting Away

Time to Ponder

Creek Hike, part 1

2008-03-30T12:00:00.010-05:00

This past Tuesday evening, I took a couple hour hike along a portion of the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek that divides Franconia Township from Salford Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. This section of the creek is bridged over by Allentown Road and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It was a partially cloudy evening.

This is a view of a portion of the creek taken from the Allentown Road bridge.

An early spring flower

A rock jutting over the creek bank

Brilliant, green moss on the rocks

Moss brightly illuminated by the evening sun

I loved the bark patterns on this log.

Trees against the sky

Leaf buds just appearing

A Hike along the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek near Perkasie

2008-03-22T08:44:00.004-05:00

Wednesday a week ago, I went for a hike along the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek near Perkasie, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a cold but mostly sunny day. My fingers sometimes almost froze. :) But these were some of the sights of the hike.

A moss and fungi covered portion of a trunk hanging over the creek

Deep blue skies, puffy white clouds

Yellow sprouts just out of the soil

I see a bird's face and scarecrow
What do you see?

A contrast of rough and smooth
Notice the tree reflections in the smooth background

White fungi in a dark woods

Do you see the reflections in the creek of blue skies and white clouds?

Signs of Spring

2008-03-16T19:42:00.002-05:00

Saturday afternoon, my wife and I went for walk in Lenape Park near Perkasie, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a beautifully warm, mostly sunny afternoon. These were a few of the sights we saw.

Daffadils soon to be blooming
Spring is coming! :) :) :)

A pretty yellow wildflower

Crocuses blooming along the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek

A Mallard duck swimming in the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek

A goose sunning itself :)

A Visit to Chile, Part 5

2008-03-11T17:12:00.004-05:00

During our Chile trip, we got to see some of the mountainous part of central Chile. Most of these photos reflect those views. Chile has a beauty that makes me want to go back both for the people and its natural sights. The second last picture shows some of Chilean agriculture with the Andes Mountains as a backdrop. The last picture is a view of some sand dunes on Chile's Pacific Coast.

A Hike Near Perkiomenville Mennonite Church

2008-02-25T19:33:00.004-05:00

This afternoon I went hiking near the Perkiomenville Mennonite Church near and along the Perkiomen Creek. It was a beautiful, sunlit day and good to be out. :)

Tracks in the snow

The Perkiomen Creek

An evergreen twig

One of the many paths in the woods

A fern leaf in the snow

A beam of light

Red berries

seed pods against the sky

A Visit to Chile, Part 4

2008-02-23T16:32:00.005-05:00

While in Chile in January, my wife and I also got to enjoy some of the natural landscape and sights in the vicinity of Viña del Mar. Viña del Mar is about an hour and half drive North of Santiago, Chile. Some of the many enjoyable views we saw are pictured below.

At the sand dunes near Viña del Mar
Pastor Alfredo (on the left) and myself

At the sand dunes near Viña del Mar
Pastor Alfredo's wife (on the right) with my wife

Some of the plant life and rocks along the Pacific coast

Note the contrasting color segments of the rocks

Waves crashing in

Note the pelicans and other birds on the rock

On the left and top center, there are sea lions

An aerial view of the Andes Mountains near Santiago, Chile

A Visit to Chile, Part 3

2008-02-09T18:36:00.000-05:00

During our trip in January to Chile over twenty teenagers and adults from the Tabernacle of Christ Church in Viña del Mar went to assist with a Summer Bible School in the mountains near Frutillar, Chile. Throughout the whole Summer Bible School I was impressed how enthusiastically our Chilean brothers and sisters in Christ (both young and old) sought to share their relationship with Christ with others. They shared their faith joyfully from the heart. Below are a few pictures from the Summer Bible School.

Singing from the heart with joy

SBS worker interacting with the students

Bible story lesson

A teaching session

Watching a video

A student asking my wife a question

SBS staff meal time

SBS staff playing soccer

A Visit to Chile, Part 2

2008-02-02T17:18:00.000-05:00

During our Chile trip in January, we spent one morning at a fish market in Valparaíso along the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean. Below are some photos from that experience.

Seafood on display at the entrance of the fish market

More seafood for sale

Behind the seafood stands, the boats loaded with their catches of fish are brought in from the dock further out in the ocean pulled by a tractor.

There are many of these boats with their fish catch behind the seafood stands. And it appears that many people buy their fish fresh and uncleaned directly from the boats.

Here the fish are being cutted and cleaned.

A statue of Saint Peter who is the the patron saint of fishermen

Sea Gulls line up in a row along the fish boat tow path

Pelicans waiting for fish scraps

As we left the fish market, a pottery stand was being set up

A Visit to Chile, Part 1

2008-01-27T20:02:00.000-05:00

From January 15 to 23, my wife and I were on a trip to Chile in the regions around Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, and Frutillar all of which are located in the Northern half of Chile. Viña del Mar and Valparaíso are large cities located along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The Frutillar which we visited is located further inland in the Andes Mountains northeast of the above two coastal cities.

Our church relates to a sister church in Viña del Mar named Tabernacle of Christ. My wife and I went to continue building relationships with the people of that church. For two days, we assisted with a summer Bible school near Frutillar. Much of the rest of the time was spent with people from the Tabernacle of Christ church visiting in their homes over meals, attending a couple church services, and also seeing some of the local sites of interest. As we were leaving, my wife was told that our visit was much too short.

At times communication was a challenge. Yet between the English that many of them know, the limited Spanish that my wife and I know, the use of our hands, and the help of a Spanish/English English/Spanish dictionary, we were able to have much meaningful conversation. The members of the Tabernacle of Christ Church also knew how to make us feel like family. And two families down there told us that anytime we come back their home would be our home. These people live the love of Christ and it shows in everything they do. They truly are my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Below are an initial sampling of more pictures to come from our time in Chile. Following posts will show more pictures from the Summer Bible School, other church meetings, a fish market in Valparaíso, and some nature pictures from along coastal regions and in the mountains.

Summer Bible School in Frutillar

From a church service in the Frutillar church

Fellowship over refreshments after a service at Tabernacle of Christ

A view of a neighborhood near where we stayed in Viña del Mar

A scene from the fish market in Valparaíso

Cactus on a mountain side in Frutillar

A view of another part of Viña del Mar

My wife and I on the sand dunes near Viña del Mar

A Trip Back to our Honeymoon, Campobello Island, Canada, ocean

2008-01-05T20:50:00.000-05:00

Back in September, my wife and I went on our honeymoon in Maine, USA and Campobello Island, Canada. The following photos are some scenes from Campobello Island.

FDR's summer home looking towards Maine

FDR's summer home close up
Believe it or not, this summer home is officially called a cottage

To the beach

On the beach towards the Atlantic Ocean
Facing the bluffs of Grand Manan Island six miles out

Another bluff and beach view

The curving shore line

Campobello Island coast line

Another bluff and coastline view from Campobello Island

Perkiomen Watershed

2007-12-18T18:41:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday my wife and I went for a short hike along the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek at the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy Headquarters near Schwenksville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. With dressing up warm, it was a good day for a hike.

Some bright red berries

A large moss-covered tree trunk

A green sprout in the midst of winter brown

Tell me what you see.
Let your imagination run wild.

A winter forest view above one's head

Jet lines in the sky

A fallen moss-covered log

A white and gray barronness

A lone dancing evergreen

Selected scenes from Thanksgiving Day with my wife's family

2007-12-12T20:30:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Day my wife and I spent with her family in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. After the meal some of us went for a walk to a nearby playground and small park. All except the last picture were taken there. It was a great way to spend the afternoon after having a delicious and sumptuous meal.

My wife's oldest nephew with almost unending energy

Framed :)

My wife and I at the playground

My wife and her oldest nephew

Enjoying the view

My wife, youngest brother, and oldest nephew

My wife's youngest nephew

Thanksgiving Dinner on My Side

2007-12-07T20:19:00.000-05:00

The Sunday after Thanksgiving we had our gathering on my side of the family. It was an excellent day of food, fun, and fellowship catching up with one another. Below are some photos from that day.

Feasting at the table of plenty

My wife having a conversation with one of my nieces

Playing games

Playing Pit - this gets loud and active

Women's time

Wrestling

Story Time

An Early November Visit to Otts Greenhouses

2007-12-04T19:28:00.000-05:00

Back in early November I visited Otts Greenhouses near Schwenksville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Its a large greenhouse operation that I like to visit every once in a while. And with it being rather wintery of recent I thought these flowers would brighten up the scene. :)

Thanksgiving Day Walk

2007-11-26T18:33:00.000-05:00

I spent Thanksgiving day with my wife's family. A few of us took a walk to a park in Quakertown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The afternoon was mostly cloudy with the sun coming out a bit after a windy light rain came through. Below are some views from our walk.

Having Our Nieces for a Sleepover

2007-11-24T14:27:00.000-05:00

Around two weeks ago, we had our three nieces over for a sleepover. It was a fun time together. The photos below show some of the things we did together.

Putting a puzzle together and playing with Boggle

Showing some of my wife's cuddley friends

Playing with the red doll house

Making pizza rounds for lunch

Playing SkipBo

Cuddley animal fun

Keleidoscopic Fun

2007-11-15T20:45:00.000-05:00

This evening I decided to take some time to play. The first image is the original photograph. All the images that follow the first image are keleidoscopic variations of the original photograph.

Hiking Lenape Park

2007-11-13T20:35:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I went hiking in Lenape Park in Perkasie, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a warm, sunny afternoon. The following photos are some of the sights I enjoyed.

An Extra

A couple weeks ago, my wife and I with a little help from a friend put the following 500 piece jigsaw puzzle together over a few days. I found out that my wife is really good at finding matching pieces.

Late Autumn at Green Lane Park and Reservoir

2007-11-04T19:54:00.000-05:00

Early Saturday morning, I went on a two hour hike at Green Lane Park and Reservoir near Green Lane, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in the early morning. It was a cloudy, windy morning and I was out hiking before sunrise. The photos are presented in sequential order from during my hike.

Renditions of the Moon

2007-11-02T19:41:00.000-05:00

It was an evening to play around after visiting some blogs. The first photo below is the original. The rest are manipulations of the first photo. What attracts me about some of these pictures is the mood effect. The last two are my favorites.

Mums at Otts Greenhouses

2007-10-31T17:19:00.000-05:00

Monday a week ago I visited Otts Greenhouses in Schwenksville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. They have a large mum hill there from which many of these pictures came from. Some of the mums in these pictures also came from separately potted mums that were for sale.

Tuesday's Hike

2007-10-21T05:25:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken near a creek just below the
Vernfield Landis Supermarket in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

A former mill along the Perkiomen Creek near the
Spring Mount Ski Area in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

A Forest View from the Perkiomen Trail near Spring Mount

The Perkiomen Creek near Spring Mount

An Early Autumn View Along the Trail

A Piece of the Perkiomen Trail near Spring Mount

Fallen Leaves

Reflections

Another View Along the Perkiomen Trail

Lighthouse views on our honeymoon in Maine and Campobello Island

2007-10-14T19:10:00.000-05:00

During our honeymoon, my wife and I viewed several lighthouses in Maine and Campobello Island, Canada. A few photos of these are shown below.

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse near Lubec, Maine

Mulholland Point Lighthouse on Campobello Island, Canada

East Quoddy Head Lighthouse on Campobello Island, Canada

East Quoddy Head Lighthouse on Campobello Island, Canada

Egg Rock Lighthouse in entrance to Frenchman Bay
near Acadia National Park, Maine

Bass Harbor Lighthouse, Acadia National Park, Maine
We saw this from land; it would be better viewed from the sea.

An Interlude of Creative Effects

2007-10-09T14:41:00.000-05:00

Schoodic Point, Acadia National Park

2007-10-07T19:12:00.001-05:00

Below are seven photos from Schoodic Point, Maine, from when we were on our honeymoon. Schoodic Point is located North across the bay from Bar Harbor and the main part (Mount Desert Island) of Acadia National Park. It has a lot of neat coastal views and is lesser known than the Mount Desert Island section.

This last photo below is a picture of where we stayed during our honeymoon. It is a part of the Quality Inn at Bar Harbor, Maine. We were in the last room on the right. The room contained two queen size beds and a kitchenette.

Cockscombs near Telford

2007-10-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

A Night Time Interlude for the Moon

2007-10-02T10:16:00.000-05:00

Sunsets and more from our honeymoon vacation

2007-09-25T16:39:00.000-05:00

Two different evenings during our time in Maine, we went to the top of Cadillac Mountain to watch the sun set. As you can see in the first photo below, the one evening was quite windy and chilly - actually my wife would dispute that; she would say COLD.

This last photo is a bonus; it was taken back home in Pennsylvania. The last eight days before the wedding I was living on the farm and had to travel a long, dusty lane twice a day. The day before the wedding I was at my now wife's home and one of her friends wrote on my car as shown above. Made me smile!

Some pictures from our sightseeing during our honeymoon in Maine

2007-09-22T11:50:00.000-05:00

Below are a sampling of photos from some of sightseeing in Maine. There will be other series coming including sunrise, lighthouses, sunsets, and perhaps some pictures from Campobello Island, Canada. There may also be a series of pictures from Schoodic Point which is a lesser known part of Acadia National Park. Except for the photo of the Wild Blueberry Land Gift Shop, all the photos below are from the main part of Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor, Maine.

A self-portrait at Jordan Pond

A sunset view from Cadillac Mountain

Wild Blueberry Land Gift Shop along Route 1

Captain of the Lulu Lobster Boat and tour guide

A lobster from the Captain's trap

The beach and rocky coastline

Some fall leaves

Some more rocky coastline

We're back! :)

2007-09-19T14:23:00.000-05:00

Just a short note to let you know that I and my wife are back from our honeymoon in Maine and a little bit of Canada. This is just one of many pictures to come from our sightseeing up North. This is a sunrise photo from the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park in Maine. We had an excellent trip; but it feels good to be back home, too. :) Look for more posts from me in the days to come. And thanks to all of you for your best wishes.

Packing Toils

2007-08-28T20:13:00.001-05:00

Today I worked at packing for moving out of my apartment. It's a happy occasion; but I dislike packing with a capital P. Trying to decide what to keep and what to throw out is difficult. Plus today would have been a perfect day to go hiking - beautifully sunny and yet not too hot. By October when the wedding and the honeymoon is done, I'm hoping to get back to weekly hikes even if they have to be short and nearby. And I want to get back to doing at least weekly posts and visiting my blog friends and visitors regularly once again. But all in things in their place and time. Right now getting ready for the wedding on September 8 is rightfully and quite willingly top priority. Our time is coming! :) :) :)

Sunflowers and a Hike on State Game Land

2007-08-07T14:33:00.000-05:00

The first two photos were taken from some fields of sunsflowers at a farm over Schwenksville way, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The rest of the photos were take on some Pennsylvania State Game Land on Game Farm Road just a ways beyond Schwenksville.

A Close-Up View

The Larger Field

Early Signs of Autumn

Queen Anne's Lace

A Pretty Wildflower - Not a Thistle

Some Tall Field Corn I Hiked Past

Fluffy Seeds

Huge Straw Bales

Cattails

A Hike Along the Tohickon Creek Near Pt. Pleasant

2007-07-24T16:06:00.000-05:00

This morning I took a hike along the Tohickon Creek near Pt. Pleasant, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The weather was partly cloudy but quite pleasant.

Tohickon Creek near Stover's State Park, Part 2

2007-07-13T17:21:00.000-05:00

Below are some more photos from my June 22 hike along the Tohickon Creek near Stover's State Park. Wedding preparations and a weekend men's retreat took away any time I used to have left to work on this blog. Hopefully, my schedule will get better; but it probably will be sporadic at least until October.

Hiking Along the Perkiomen Watershed Trail

2007-06-24T19:58:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I went hiking along the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek at the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy headquarters near Schwenksville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures being just right.

Brown-Eyed Susans

Berries on the way

The East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek

Self-Portrait of the Hiker

Bluffs along the creek

I'm always impressed by the size of this tree

A wild lily

A landscape view not far from the creek

Tohickon Creek near Stover's State Park, Part 1

2007-06-23T12:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday evening, I went hiking along Tohickon Creek near Stover's State Park in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Below are some shots from this hike.

Peace Valley Park (Continued)

2007-06-18T14:25:00.000-05:00

Peace Valley Park

2007-06-11T18:47:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday, I went for a hike at Peace Valley Park near Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful sunny morning and a great time for reflection.

For those of you wondering about my decreased presence and activity on Blogger, the reason is that I and my fiancée are spending more time together and working more on wedding preparations for our September wedding. I find it amazing how much work planning a wedding takes. But I am eagerly looking forward to it. :) :) :)

Fireworks

2007-06-02T23:11:00.000-05:00

Saturday night I was at a wedding reception which ended with fireworks. Below are some of the pictures I took. They don't reflect the real scene since my exposures were too long for that. But nevertheless, I thought they were fascinating images.

Visiting with My Brother's Family

2007-05-31T16:12:00.000-05:00

This past Monday evening, my fiancée and I visited with one of my brothers and his family. It was a great time of playing, fellowship, food, and just plain fun. :)

Both my fiancée and I had our birthdays last week. So they had made a beautiful birthday cake for us. I took our names off the photo as it is my policy not to share other people's names on my blog.

Cutting the cake

Two of my nieces and my fiancée

My oldest niece

Meadow Flowers and more

2007-05-29T16:27:00.000-05:00

A little over a week ago, I went hiking on the Perkiomen Watershed Association headquarter's land. With two exceptions, these pictures were taken from the meadow area a little distance from the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek. In a later post, I will show some photos from within the wooded area along the Creek.

These wildflowers seem to grow in both meadow and forest.

The shape of the petals of this blossom draws me.

These wildflowers were located in a woods very near the meadow.

Some common yellow wildflowers

Some beautiful daisies

A buttercup flower

A catapiller that does a lot of damage to trees yet beautiful

Butterfly

2007-05-19T21:51:00.000-05:00

These last few days have been filled with a variety of non-hiking activities. And tomorrow, my fiancée and I are planning to go see Riverdance in Philadelphia. So I thought I bring back a butterfly photo from September of last year.

Buttercups Transformed

2007-05-18T15:29:00.001-05:00

Those of you who have been regular readers of my blog know that now and then I like to play with photos and see what I can do with them. This is one of those posts. I took a photo of a small clump of yellow buttercup flowers and tried a variety of effects resulting in the following pictures. Even men have to play sometimes. ;)

Reflection On Deep Run East Mennonite Church

2007-05-17T18:50:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I will soon be attending my fiancée's church Perkiomenville Mennonite full time. But in the mean time I am doing some reflection on Deep Run East Mennonite Church which has been my home church for more than four decades. In this post, I am showing some pictures centering around the worship service activities.

The people in my congregation enjoy fellowshipping with one another

My church's lead pastor

One of our many lay leaders

A worship team leading singing in my church

Children's time being led by my church's associate pastor and wife

Our chimes choir

Trumpets or Trombones at Easter time

Ushers handing out bulletins before worship begins

An interior view of our sanctuary taken from the balcony

Some Azaleas around Souderton

2007-05-15T16:52:00.000-05:00

Today my car was at the garage for exhaust system work. So I took a short walk around parts of Souderton and took the following azalea photos. Some day I'll have to grow some of them myself. :)

More Blossoms From Around Souderton

2007-05-13T19:10:00.000-05:00

Below are some more pictures from around the town of Souderton, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania taken the beginning of May. Now if I can get out and take some photos of the azaleas from around town, that might be my one of my next tasks.

Beginning Good Bye at Deep Run East

2007-05-10T17:14:00.000-05:00

The following nature photos were taken at Deep Run Mennonite Church East in Bedminster Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania located about ten miles North of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. They were taken the last day of April. Deep Run East has been my home church about all my life. But the time is soon coming that I'll be making my fiancée's church Perkiomenville Mennonite my home church. We have been splitting our time between our two churches for the past several months. But I am eagerly looking forward to the time my fiancée and I will be attending one church again even though I'll miss my many friends at Deep Run East. In one sense taking these and other photos is a part of my saying good bye to what was once my home church. The very last picture is a photo of Deep Run East Mennonite Church. These pictures are just nature photos but sometime between now and the end of June I may select some of my most valued people photos from Deep Run East activities and present them here in a few posts.

A Piece of Land at the Edge of Town

2007-05-07T04:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I went hiking on a piece of undeveloped land on the edge of the town of Telford, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The wildflowers and tree blossoms were absolutely gorgeous that afternoon as demonstrated by the photos below. It was a mostly sunny day with temperatures near 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tulips Around Town

2007-05-06T07:23:00.000-05:00

The beginning of this past week I took a walk around part of the town of Souderton. This particular post is focusing on some of the tulips that were blooming then. I find peace and beauty in them and in the Creator who made them.

The Moon In Souderton, Pennsylvania

2007-05-03T15:42:00.000-05:00

Last night after I came home from a Live Your Calling Discovery Group session, I took some time to photograph the moon. The moon had been really large in the sky but till I got my camera out and set up it had already decreased somewhat in size. Nevertheless, I thought it was still beautiful. The last photo was a slow shutter speed and the second photo was cropped before making it the same pixel width as the other photos here.

Reflects proportions of original photo

Cropped photo shown at same pixel width

Reflects proportions of original photo

Photo taken at a slow shutter speed and a moon reflection

Views at Nockamixon State Park

2007-05-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday in the early evening hours I went hiking at Nockamixon State Park on the Bedminster side branching off of Kellers Church Road. It was a beautiful sunny and breezy evening. The weather was so warm that I chose to ware sandals and shorts. And it was good that I did so as many sections of the trails were muddy and covered with large water puddles. Below are photos of some of the sights I saw along the way.

Around Home

2007-04-28T17:27:00.000-05:00

Recently, I haven't been able to get out on hikes too much for a variety of reasons. So today I took a walk around my apartment building vacinity to see what I could find. The pictures below are some of nature's beauties that I found.

I like the rosish red color of the tops of these plants

Many people consider dandelions to be just weeds. But I remember when I was little how I liked to take dandelion flowers and color people's noses yellow. I still like these bright yellow flowers. And their leaves when still young taste so good when in the proper sauce.

Wild violets blooming

White blossoms with a pink tinge

A tree with beautifully, rippley bark

More beautiful yellow wildflowers

Bluebells

Niagara Falls

2007-04-26T15:40:00.000-05:00

As some of my readers know I ocassionally post photos from vacations I took many years in the past. The photos below were taken probably around twenty years ago when I went on a houseboating vacation in Ontario, Canada. This stop at Niagara Falls, Canada side, I think was before we reached our houseboating location. These photos were not selected for their photographic excellence but for the memories of a good time. If you have not been to the Niagara Falls, Canada side, it is definitely worth a visit.

An Afternoon hike on the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek

2007-04-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I went hiking along the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek at the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy Headquarters near Schwenksville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day with the high in the seventies degrees Fahrenheit. Some of the photos are not quite as good as some times due to taking the hike in the afternoon rather than early morning or late afternoon/evening. But they still announce "Spring is here!" :)

Some beautiful white wildflowers larger than life

A forest scene with two decaying trunks

Some blue wildflowers

A tiled photo of some yellow wildflowers

A bluebell

A single leaf on the sandy Perkiomen Creek Bank

More white wildflowers

Purple buds

Love Pours Forth

2007-04-17T15:31:00.000-05:00

Three Photos from Enos B. Godshall Park

2007-04-17T10:29:00.000-05:00

Over a week ago I went hiking at Enos B. Godshall Park in Franconia Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Here are three photos from that hike.

Spring Beauty

More Spring Beauty Close Up

Want to join me for a picnic?

Easter-Some Indoor Activities

2007-04-12T17:14:00.000-05:00

In the previous post I showed some outdoor activities from my family's Easter gathering. In this post, I am sharing some indoor activities. It was a good time of fellowshipping, playing games, eating, and just enjoying being with one another.

The first three pictures show a dice game in which one scores either 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 times the value of the number facing up on the die rolled depending on where the die lands.

Throwing with intent

Smiles and laughter

Reading time

Playing Rook

Easter-Some Outdoor Activities

2007-04-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

For Easter this past Sunday, some of my family got together at the home of one of my brothers up near Coopersburg, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The photos below show some of nieces and nephews enjoying my brother's farm animals. My brother just in the past couple weeks gained seven new baby goats. When I get the time, I also plan to post some pictures of some of our indoor activities that afternoon. But it might not happen before next week.

Signs of Spring along the Banbury-Mopac Trail

2007-04-04T16:31:00.000-05:00

Tuesday afternoon I went for a hike on the nearby Banbury-Mopac Trail in Franconia Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was a warm,sunny afternoon. This seems to be one of the earliest places to find Spring flowers blooming.

Along the Tohickon Creek near Pt. Pleasant

2007-04-02T16:34:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning, I went hiking along the Tohickon Creek near Pt. Pleasant, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a mostly cloudy morning but warm enough for me to hike in sandals though wearing a lightweight windbreaker jacket.

A view of the Tohickon from the trail

An impressively thick tree trunk

Another view of the creek

Ferns

Rapids

Rocks

The trail

A rock in the creek

A different perspective

Crocus Keleidoscopes

2007-03-30T16:26:00.000-05:00

As many of you all know, I play around with keleidoscopic and abstract art from time to time. Here is the most recent fun with that. The original photo is the first photo in the previous post.

Yesterday afternoon at Nockamixon State Park

2007-03-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon was the warmest day yet with temperatures in the 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It was a beautiful day for hiking and I returned to a different section of Nockamixon State Park.

A lone crocus just off the trailhead parking area

A beautiful piece of moss

A rocky overhang

A large overview along the hiking trail

A rocky ridge line

A rocky lake shore line

A ruin in the forest

Along the Tohickon

2007-03-26T15:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday late afternoon I went on a hike along the Tohickon Creek near Ralph Stover State Park in Plumstead and/or Tinicum Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was a beautifully warm sunny day.

A small portion of the Tohickon Creek

A moss-covered tree trunk

Another view of the Tohickon Creek

A heavily fungi covered tree trunk

Some rock bluffs along the Tohickon Creek