Vertical or horizontal? High or low viewpoint? Even if one is shooting with a phone, the photographer has a decision to make, several actually. How will I frame this shot? Where should I stand? What about a real low perspective that might require lying down? How close should I be? What things should I include and what should I leave out? At what moment should I take the photo?

I usually see dozens of photos within a photo. I recall a workshop with John Shaw where he asked photographers "what were you taking a picture of?" and "Why did you take that photo?" Of these two photos, I like the horizontal one the best. These photos were taken at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. It's just a day's drive from Nashville with 33,000 acres and a railroad and waterfalls.

Rutland, Vermont. Historic Merchants Row. We stayed overnight in Rutland on one of our autumn trips. I was weary from driving and had never been here, but I knew I wanted to take a photo of this building because I had seen it in travel information. So, we drove downtown in the rain just to find its location. And the scene energized me. Lots of activity near the dinner hour, and then I saw this fellow preparing to cross the street. I took 4 or 5, but this was the first one of the bunch. I chose this one because he's in the middle of the street and adds the most interest to the photo. His umbrella and the rainy streets add information. All of these buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic Buildings. This was a fun night to take pictures.

I've been to Niagara Falls twice. I'd go again. If I lived closer, I would go every week! The noise and the wind and the chaos of all that water is more than fascinating to me. And of course I have bunches of photos. When we were there the last time, tourists were everywhere, all kinds of different groups standing by the railing and taking photos. I waited because I didn't want all those people in my picture. But then, surprisingly, everyone was gone and there was just this one woman left in a bright dress and a vivid hat! She made my picture!

I'm not a fan of the book of Job. The whole scenario of a perfectly righteous man experiencing tragedy upon tragedy and being counseled by his friends that it must be his fault, having some sin in his life that is causing these problems doesn't appeal to me. Rabbi Kushner wrote a little book years ago, "Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?" ultimately answering why not. I think he came to the same conclusion as Job which is to hold onto one's faith even through the bad times. Obviously, a challenge for any believer. What I do value in Job is part of the reading for today, an extended answer by God: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Tell me who determined its measurements--surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?" (38:4-7)

We all want someone to listen to us. Without interruptions. Face-to-face. Feeling like the listener has all the time in the world. Body language that indicates a posture of attention.

Soon, the speaker will discover limitations in the listener's stony response and steely-eyed stare and quiet demeanor and lack of dialogue. At least, I hope he eventually notices.

Fascinating that the ocean level rises and falls. And that someone figured out long ago that the timing could be calculated. And tables are published for specific locations when low tide and high tide will occur, and how much. It's a wonder that the seas vary that much and amazing that the variation can be determined and timed.

This is Popham Beach in Maine, where we got fooled. Large expanse of sand invites explorers to venture toward the sea, and especially to Morse Point. which is a large rock mass in the ocean. We walked on relatively dry land out toward the rock, and the tide rises quickly when it returns. The dry land disappears. Feet get wet. Frequently the tide here varies by more than 10 feet.

I have not had the luxury to live by the shore. I certainly have visited a number of places near an ocean. And each time I go I notice the patterns in the sand that the water has left behind. I do wonder if I went back to the exact same spot everyday if the pattern would be the same. I suspect it would always be different because of the variance of wind and waves. I suppose there would be some measure of dependability if was always the same. Kind of boring if so. And would we notice? What if we looked ten feet to the right or left? What pattern would we notice?

I make several notations of activities on my calendar every day, a journal of sorts. So, when I suspect that every day is the same, I can look at my calendar journal and note that something different happened that day. And I noticed it wasn't the same as yesterday or last week, and hopefully won't be the same tomorrow..

Last October we visited our friends, Gerry and Christie, who moved to a continuous care community in New Hampshire. The travel turned out to be a treat for us as we drove through Pennsylvania and New York ablaze with fall color. We had never been through that part of the US in the fall. Our autumn trips usually took us north to Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, or west to Colorado. Hard wood forests put on quite the show.

Our friends love the outdoors, so of course we had to venture to a number of places during our visit. But the surprise was the trail on the grounds of the facility that bordered a stream. The day was gray and threatening rain, but when we turned a corner, the sun burst through the clouds and illuminated the scene before us. 

I'm always the slowpoke because I want to stop and take photos. And thankfully, our friends are never in a hurry. Christie is interested in everything she sees and wants to be able to identify it. And Gerry, the ever-present teacher, is so excited to share details from rocks to trees to little critters. Good friends to spend time with. 

We've been blessed with innumerable friends to share food, and books, and faith, and photos, and walks in the woods.