December 31, 2016

On the road again...  We took a trip to Thomasville, GA, which is less than an hour from Florida.  We cannot say enough about the town and the people.  Very, Very nice.

We spent most of our time, yesterday, in the downtown area and then went to one of the many plantations that are in this area.  More about that in the next post.

The sign at the Big Oak tree speak for itself.  One of the pictures is of the inside of a gift shop.  Guess who the customer in the light green coat is.  There was not anything that Linda did not like...  The shop was called 'Quirky Perk.'

The photo of the Courthouse, which went through a $10,000,000. reconstruction three years ago was fascinating.  While I was taking a t picture, a man walked up to me and asked if I liked it.  I said 'Oh, yes.'  Hes was the person in charge of the reconstruction and gave us a tour; telling us what they found under the building, how some of the work was done, and so many other items of information.  The story was fabulous.

We ate at Jonah's Restaurant, which was highly recommended.  Linda had Salmon stuffed with Crab Cake and I had Shrimp and Girts over roasted vegetables.  Both were extremely good.

December 29, 2016

We took a quick, afternoon trip to Dahlonega, GA yesterday and we were not the only ones.  There were many there.  The weather was great.  We went later in the day so I could take some pictures of the area around the courthouse.

December 28, 2016

Yesterday was a particularly foggy morning and I went out to see if there was of anything interesting to take a photo.  The first picture is on Aaron Sosebee Road, not far from the exit of the sub-division.  The next two are of a tree on Hyde Road, which is idyllic in the Spring.  Linda would love to swing on the swing.

December 24, 2016

Merry Christmas!

 "Jesus is the Reason for the Season"  We read it, we say it, we write it and we think it.  

We have Jesus, the Babe in the Manger.  We have the Season, which is different in the lives of many.  Yes, "Jesus is the Reason for the Season," BUT what is the Reason?

The reality is that Jesus was born so that, ultimately, He we would die on the Cross.  When He died on the Cross, He was providing the payment for the sins of mankind to God.  It was a gift from God.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.
 
However, as with any gift, one must accept it in order to have it.  By accepting what Jesus did, His dying on the Cross to pay the penalty for your sin, one receives eternal life and not death, that is, eternal death.

Simply put, By accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior, that is, accepts His payment as payment for ones sin, will have eternal like.

It is the most important choice one has to make in life! 

"But as many as receive Him (His payment for our sin), to them He gave the right to become children of God, ..." John 1:12.

 

December 19, 2016

I love not working on Monday...  It gives me extra time to do whatever.

Today, I am back to Black and White photos, of which I am wanting to do a photo project.  This photo is of fireworks that were taken at our church on Fourth of July Festival two years ago.  I did add the 'frame' from Photoshop Elements to enhance the composition and have a black background on one and white on the other.

The big question is, "Which do you prefer?"  Taking it further, "Why do you prefer the one chosen?"

I am very interested in your replies.

December 10, 2016

It is a cold, cloudy Saturday morning and I was looking at pictures taken recently at Gibbs Garden of the Japanese Maples.  They lift my spirit.  Here are some that did not make the list earlier, only because of space on the blog.

December 3, 2013

No Go or Van Gogh... or just go!

But, before I go on, I do search for tips and tricks for using some of the software that I use and this one is from Rick Peterson (  essential-photoshop-elements.com ), who does a great job.

Going back... the first picture is of a patch of pond lilies at.. guess where?  Gibbs Gardens.  I had taken two shots; one of which the camera was focused on the lily-pads, and this one, which was focused on the purple flowers in the foreground for a different project.

The tip, "How to create a Van Gogh effect with Photoshop Elements," was followed to change the original picture to the end results.  This rendition is a second try.  The first one, which will be the third picture, needed tweeking.  I had it printed at Costco and was disappointed with it and therefore, the do-over.

Remember, for better viewing, click on a picture.

November 29, 2016

We went back to Gibbs Gardens for a second straight day to walk up the trail to the Manor House  These are of the trail and around the house.  The last one is of the bridge and ponds, which in the lower part of the gardens.

Trivia;  How many feet does the windy trail rise from the valley (lower part) to the Manor House?

Answer:  150 feet.

November 26, 2016

I was looking over the pictures that I posted earlier today and one stood out to me.  It is the picture that I would choose as being the least of those posted.  My mind began to churn, as I studied it, and ...

November 26, 2016

Linda and I had a little time yesterday to take another quick trip to GIBBS GARDEN, in which the Japanese Maples are in full color.  We went there on October 31 and it is amazing the change in the foliage.

We did not have time to walk up the the Manor, but we were told that the Japanese Maples along the trail are in full bloom as well.  These pictures were taken as we walked out to the Japanese Garden.  We were there for a little over one hour, and these are just a glimpse of what were saw.