The fog Tuesday morning was thick. And when I went out to get the morning newspaper, I noticed an enormous dew-covered spider's web in the driveway. The errand was forgotten and I went back inside to get my new camera with a 100mm macro lens. I'm still learning the intricacies of the new camera but I took nearly two hundred in my yard and the lot next door. But this photo of a dogwood bud declares to me that there are seasons to come. The bud will likely make it through the fall and winter and blossom pink in the spring. Some promises come true.

Ranked as the 21st must-see attraction of 122 Nashville sites, Hatch Show Print has specialized in letterpress posters since 1879.

The business used to be located on South Broadway in the midst of the "honkey tonks", but moved to the Country Music Hall of Fame when the building recently expanded. The posters are collectors' items which provided an idea for me recently. I will be making a collage of about 4'x6' of Hatch Show Prints (not the collectable ones) and attaching it to a small ceiling area near our kitchen and laundry room. I think it will add interest. It could just be Nashville "tacky". I hope not.

No, it is not the season for daylilies, although we do have one (Autumn Minaret) still blooming. But we are imagining what next summer will bring. We have enlarged the original bed and stacked stones to make a retaining wall on the west side. We brought in more dirt and compost to make the bed level, and have made plans to re-arrange some of the plants so that the taller ones will be toward the back, away from the pool. And we bought a few more plants at Iris City (they grow lots of flowers), so that now we have 49 varieties that will begin blooming in late May and continue into September. The season almost lasts as long as the pool season (5 months). We are having fun imagining what next summer will look like. Peak will be mid-June through much of July.

Nature paints.

And inspires.

Art is.

The Gospel lesson for Sunday is Matthew 18:15-20 which concerns the process for dealing with conflict and sin in the church. I found myself using this passage many times to help a congregation and its pastor to find its way through difficulty. But "just because the Bible says it" doesn't make it easy or even helpful. Most of the time I felt like I was wading in mud, and sometimes I was up to my neck.

What I found helpful was that sometimes wronged people need to deal with an issue face-to-face. It did not work, nor did I do it, with an abuser who would victimize, terrorize, and manipulate the one they harmed all over again. In other situations, I hear that it is important to be honest and vulnerable and genuinely to listen to the other. It is difficult to extend or experience forgiveness without being willing to listen. And it is difficult to experience forgiveness without some intention to live differently. The Bible calls that repentance.

What I found to be a problem was that congregations were generally unwilling to confront persons who were harming the church by their arrogance or meanness or gossiping ways. I fail to understand why the most destructive persons in a church are tolerated. They complain about them, but no one wants to deal with them. And if they are substantial financial givers, then it will never happen.

And then we hear these words to treat the unrepentant as tax collectors or Gentiles. Hmmm... Jesus loved the sinners and the outcast and the marginalized. And Matthew continues next week with the question of whether there is a limit to the number of times we ought to forgive. I'm glad for the grace. And I think it goes all the way down in the mud.

This lighthouse on the south channel of the Savannah River, rebuilt in 1855 or 1857, is the shortest lighthouse at 46 feet along the Georgia coast. Built on an oyster bed, it survived the civil war, especially the Union bombardment of the nearby Fort Pulaski. Cockspur Island Lighthouse is only accessible by boat, although at low tide there is a small patch of visible land. John Wesley first landed at Cockspur Island (just west of the present location of the lighthouse) on February 6, 1736. A simple brick column on the island notes that the small band of travelers gathered for prayer at their first stop in America.

From the National Park Service: "Wesley's departure from Savannah to his native England was unplanned. He left Georgia a very disappointed man. His plans to preach God's word to the natives never materialized. Wesley also became a man of great controversy in the new settlement. His love affair with the Chief Magistrate's niece further isolated him from the citizenry."

And what really became a problem was when he declined to serve the Eucharist to Sophie and her new husband. He had to escape in the dark of night. Lots of stories, even before the lighthouse was built and directed sailors to this place, could be told here.

I have a good view of the sky from our home, but not of the western horizon. There are so many things I appreciate about our retirement home, but I had hoped that we would have views of dawn and sunset. We can see the morning sky over the top of the houses across the street. The sky can be spectacular some mornings as it was one day last week, but it's not photogenic. I still appreciate it, but my photo spirit is a little disappointed. The same is true of the western sky. We have wonderful trees beyond our fence. And the late afternoon light as it comes streaming through the leaves, well, you just have to see it. And there are hills, taller than the Illinois prairie, beyond the trees that prevent any clear view of a sunset. Again, I appreciate the beauty of what I can see. At times, it is nearly magical. But I love sunsets. And this photo is an example of why I enjoy the experience. This is from Maui.

Not far from Munising, Michigan is AuTrain Falls. I love to go to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to photograph or just to be.

This scene is further down the river, closer to Lake Superior. Autumn comes early here and winter is harsh and long, with feet rather than inches of snow. But the scenery is beautiful, and one can find silence easily in these woods. The autumn colors are as vibrant as any place in the country and in spring the wildflowers make you glad you can see.

I used a 100mm macro lens with 6 second exposure at f/20. Polarizer and neutral density filter was also used. A long exposure like this required a tripod as well. I like the flowing green vegetation on the left side of the frame as well as the leaves in the right center.