a journey through landscapes real and imagined
I love this time of year when I can take photos of all of the different kinds of pollinators! So much variation! Here’s what’s blooming and buzzing around our garden.
We always have music “blooming” around here too. Wren recorded a hymn from my childhood for you tonight. I remember when I was little, my friend Sally and I always tried to get Mr. Landrum (the music director) to pick Share His Love on Sunday night hymn sings! Enjoy!
We’ve been out watching the comet again! I’ve also been working on my night photography skills, and I’m excited to share! First, some music to set the mood!
Comet Neowise was discovered in March of this year, and will not be back for 6,800 years! We enjoyed seeing the comet so much last weekend, that we decided to try again this weekend! We went out on Friday night and it was so amazing! This time, we could actually see the comet without my camera lens! The stars were really out, and we could even see some of the milky way! We had some friends who met us out in our favorite soybean field, and they brought a spotting scope (don’t worry, we all wore masks!). With the scope, we could even see 4 moons of Jupiter! I don’t have a photo, but trust me…it was beautiful! Here are some of my favorite shots!
Time is just moving along. Some days I have to remind myself just how long it’s been since we’ve been anywhere. Then I look at the photos I take of my child…and I see how she’s grown!
She learned a new hymn for you tonight! It’s Bless the Christ of God.
We are off on another family adventure that will include fireflies, comets, and possibly ice cream! More about that soon…
I really enjoy my walks through the prairie. I especially enjoy seeing how it has changed since the previous walk. At some point, I’ll post a series of photos showing how it’s changed, but for this post I’ll just show you my favorite things from my past hike! First, here is a little tune that Wren wrote for you!
We went out to try to see the NEOWISE comet last night. We didn’t see it (yet), but we were treated to an amazing sunset!
Then the fireflies came out!!!
We didn’t get a hymn recorded tonight, but we made this video for our Church’s virtual VBS! It definitely fits the theme of sunsets and fireflies. Thanks again goes to Nonnie for the arrangement and accompaniment!
I’m hoping that we will see the comet some evening soon! Stay Tuned!!!
Another collaboration between Wren and Nonnie! This is one of my favorite arrangements yet, and one of my favorite hymns (we hear it’s Uncle Nigel’s favorite…so this one is for you!)
Tonight I’m posting the second movement of Wren’s Quartet in F. I thought I’d also post a quartet of images from my walk this evening!
Last night we were able to camp on our friends’ farm! It was so amazing to be able to visit with others (at a distance, of course), and for Wren to run around with another child. They roamed in the pastures and the forest, met the sheep and chickens…it was so nice for her to feel that freedom. She said that her “heart was so happy.” That makes my heart very happy! We put our tent out in the pasture where we would have a good view of the fireflies, the fireworks, and the moon (and supposed eclipse).
Rick was very happy that he was allowed to fly his new drone! He got a pretty nice video, and I’ve taken a screen shot to show you this beautiful place!
We set up camp as the sun was setting, and I got my cameras ready for the light show!
The fireworks were an unexpected surprise. When our friends told us that everyone would be shooting them off, we thought they would be the “at home version”…we didn’t realize we were in for this big of a display! The town cancelled the fireworks…so others decided that the show must go on!
The fireflies (lightning bugs) were even more spectacular than the fireworks! I haven’t seen this many in a very long time!
We were expecting a lunar eclipse, and I suppose it happened (at least that’s what google says!), but we didn’t see a change in the moon. It was really pretty, though!
It was a beautiful night! Hopefully we will go back again soon! We didn’t record a hymn last night, but Wren has been recording some more of her compositions. This is the first movement from her Quartet in F for cello!
Normally Wren attends two or three camps each summer. She has tried several, and the plan this summer was to go to Blue Lake and then attend a new (to us) camp in Nebraska with some friends. Of course, everything was cancelled, but some camps switched to virtual experiences. This week Wren is attending the Chicago Suzuki Institute Virtual Camp. She has attended their in-person camp one time. Normally this camp isn’t a possibility because I teach in July. So, one good thing of a very different summer is that Wren gets to attend this “camp.” She has lessons, “arranging for cello choir” lessons, and technique classes over zoom. Today was a pretty big day because she played in a master class. She was selected by audition to play for Amy Barston (an amazing cellist who performs and teaches in very prestigious places). It was so fun to see her play so well and to enjoy learning some new strategies for making music! Tonight I’m posting Wren’s recording for her “arranging for cello choir” class. The assignment was to pick a piece from book 1 and arrange it for 4 cellos. She then had to record it so that it can be shared with the class tomorrow. Here is Wren’s arrangement of Allegro by S. Suzuki
Wren played He Leadeth Me for her hymn of comfort tonight. I write a lot about my walks on the blog, but this hymn reminds me that I’m never walking alone. God walks with me, and he leads me! I think Wren is starting to understand this, which is wonderful! Tonight as she went to bed, she asked me if she would have a cello in heaven…. what a lovely thought!
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