Kris Kristofferson said (sung by Janis Joplin) in his song, Me & Bobby McGee, “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose“.

I do not agree. Freedom is how so many explorers discovered parts of this planet that they did not know existed. Freedom took us to the moon. Freedom taught us how to read and write.

The search and drive for freedom, has also brought many to fight horrifying wars, just so we and others could be free.

With all that said, the search for freedom cannot be not a selfish endeavor. We cannot rob some people of their freedom be it freedom to move about or the freedom to succeed,or the freedom of speech, as an answer to bringing freedom to others. In other words, we cannot rob the freedom of Peter, to pay Paul. Regardless of race, ethnicity or other such differences.

Racial profiling for school admission is and always has been wrong and immoral, regardless of who is being accepted and who is denied. These things always work best in a color blind world.

We can lose our freedom when we begin to ignore that freedom or take it for granted.

One way to lose it is to cheat, steal from, hurt or kill our fellow mortals. For good people to experience freedom, people who do bad things sometimes need to lose theirs. Of course, only after a fair and honest court has convicted them. This promotes and provides for a society which is more free, not less.

Making decisions that one feels makes them free, but ends freedom for others, including unborn children, is a false freedom. You are not experiencing freedom, you are the antitheist of freedom.

Freedom given to some, and taken from others, only so that the first group can prosper, is not true freedom.

I have always cherished freedom including the freedom of the road. Whenever I planned photography trips across this continent, I always left room for the freedom to roam. In others words, I’ll go here for the wildlife and there for the landscapes, and the rest of the time I will just wander. Some of my best days of outdoor photography came when I just wandered. Freely!!

I write a lot here about my religious beliefs. I believe, there is a scope or range of freedom in those beliefs. They were created and written by those who through God, wanted everyone to realize the personal freedom of righteousness.

“Do onto others as you would have them do unto you”.

Of course, they were created, written, and given, with us having the freedom to accept or reject. It is up to you and I. It is a free choice.

Freedom dictates, that good decisions have rewards, and bad ones have consequences.

Let freedom ring, and may God Bless,

Today’s photos.

Below is a random selection of images, for no specific reason.

The rising sun.

The warm colors of sunrise illuminate this Snowy Owl.

The color of light changes as the sun rises, which means that your subject will change as well.

This Rough-legged Hawk is checking the ground below of for breakfast. No voles or mice appeared and my subject went back to relaxing.

The dance. Male Greater Prairie-chicken with its courtship dance.

I always looked for as many poses or angles if you will, with all of my wildlife subjects.

Even slight differences as you see below with this Wilson”s Snipe, change how we feel about an image.

Caterpillars spend a lot of time on the bottom side of leaves. Of course the idea is to photograph them wherever they are. I suspect some photographers occasionally transport them to more photogenic locations.

Some subjects are made to order verticals. Cypress trees.

One of the great aspects of the desert southwest is, there are as many compositions as there are rock forms. Too many photographers (in my opinion) ignore verticals when they make landscapes.

By now you all know that I was always anxious to photograph anything and everything in nature.

Whether this coniferous plant is a tree or a bush, I simple do not remember. I was attracted by the repeating patterns, and the design they produced.

I loved wandering around and visually capturing how I saw things. The key is, “how I saw things” The angle, the size, the shadows and the light? Make it yours.

Below are Kristofferson’s lyrics to the song that I reffered to in the begining of today’s post. While he and Joplin were considered very hip in their day, I can say with absolute assurance that Kristofferson’s Bobby McGee was a woman, and Joplin’s was a man.

Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin’ for a train

Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before a rain
And rode us all the way into New Orleans

I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana
was playin’ soft while Bobby sang the blues
Windshield wipers slappin’ time, I’s holdin’ Bobby’s hand in mine
We sang every song that driver knew

Freedom is just another word for nothin’ left to lose
Nothin’, don’t mean nothin’ hon’ if it ain’t free, no-no
And feelin’ good was easy, Lord, when she sang the blues
You know feelin’ good was good enough for me
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee

From the Kentucky coal mine to the California sun
Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Through all kinds of weather, through everything we done
Yeah, Bobby baby, kept me from the cold

One day up near Salinas, Lord, I let her slip away
she’s lookin’ for that home, and I hope she finds it
But, I’d trade all of my tomorrows, for one single yesterday
To be holdin’ Bobby’s body next to mine

Freedom is just another word for nothin’ left to lose
Nothin’, and that’s all that Bobby left me, yeah
But feelin’ good was easy, Lord, when she sang the blues
Feelin’ good was good enough for me, mmm-hmm
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee

Adios Amigos and may God Bless,
Wayne