I believe that I have led a very fortunate life. I will admit, that I did not always think that way. Sometimes we all need to take a moment, and thank God we are living in better circumstances than we might be. God will Bless you if you allow it.

I was always pretty blessed when making pictures. Lots of good subjects, often good light, and much joy greeted me when in the field.

I made this image of a raccoon many years ago in central Missouri. I have made technically better images of this species since, but you never forget that first one.

This photo of a coyote hunting in the morning light was captured in Wyoming also a long time ago.  A great subject and great light.

The Lord has blessed me with hours and hours of sitting near water and watching and photographing ducks and other water birds.  The Goldeneye duck was always one of my favorites.

This male gave me much pleasure and many pictures as I watched him preen, fish, and pretty much make a beautiful spectacle of  himself.

I was fortunate to be blessed with three seasons of mated Ospreys on a platform made by man, just for the purpose of the nesting of this species, and possibly Bald Eagles.

Below we see the “honey I’m home” spectacle.

I have spent many an hour, great hours, kneeling in prairies and on forest floors, attempting to capture the essence of a flower blossom or two. I always loved out of focus “washes” of color in the background. I was fortunate (blessed), to consistently find such circumstances presented to me.

Of course, then there is the American West.

Everybody who travels or lives in locations such as this one in New Mexico, are blessed, whether they realize it or not.  In the American west they are blessed with scenes of rocks, deserts and mountains just waiting to be “translated” with your camera.

This scene is actually dripping with powerful and almost surreal natural color. I have shared it in that form many times. Still, the photographer who made this (me), has a background in years of black and white photography and darkroom work. I would never trade color image making for black and white, but there is something incredibly artful about reducing a subject like this to tones, shapes and textures.

Sometimes one of the hardest things to perceive, is just how fortunate we are. I rarely look at anyone with envy.  I care little about what others own, how they dress, how much power they have, or how famous they are.

If you are not homeless, have a reasonably full belly, are physically well enough to lead an even modestly “livable” life, and anybody in the world cares about what happens to you, then you are blessed. I feel like I live the “life of Riley”, so to speak.

There were two times in my life when I thought I might become homeless. They never happened. I did go five days once without food because of a lack of funds, but even that is long in the past. I have come close enough to dying a violent and untimely death a few times so I am grateful for life as I now know it. I am currently comfortable in a house, well fed, I am fully clothed (thank God) and am free enough and well off enough to own a car and drive it when ever I feel like it.

Given my life, and some of the choices I have made, I am amazingly well blessed. Blessed by God. How about you? 

God will Bless you too,
Wayne the fortunate one.

Blessed Be The Tie That Binds

Text:
John Fawcett
Music:
Wendell Kimbrough

1. Blessed be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like that to that above.

2. Before our Father’s throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one
Our comforts and our cares.

3. We share each other’s woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

4. When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

5. This glorious hope revives
Our courage by the way;
While each in expectation lives,
And longs to see the day.

6. From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

It’s often a confusing and hateful world that we live in. None the less, each day lived is a day worth giving thanks for.