Connecting With Nature

I am a person that loves to take pictures of nature, but I have a lot of allergies that can make it a bit challenging. It is exhilarating for me to capture pictures of birds flying, butterflies fluttering, squirrels scampering, trees blowing in the wind, and the sun shining through trees and clouds. I can literally lose track of time when I am taking these photos. It has a calming effect for me, and it brings joy to my heart.

My favorite place in which I have ever taken photos is in Georgia at Lake Lanier. The views were absolutely breathtaking. I had gone to a memorial service for my dad who had recently passed away in August 2019. The family gathered at a lake house at the end of October to remember my dad and celebrate his life. This was an especially stressful time for me.

Dad had moved to Georgia to be closer to his side of the family about a year before his death because my mom had died in September of 2017. Keep in mind that I am an only child. This lake was said to be one of his favorite places to visit during the last year of his life, and I can see why. It was like a last chance to connect with my dad on this earth.

From the moment I got there, I began taking photos with my cell phone. I had over six hundred pictures by the time the weekend had finished. I was able to capture geese flying across the lake just before the sunrise. This is my cover photo and my favorite one from the visit to the lake. I also captured sailboats on the water, a blue heron on the lakeshore, spiders in there webs, a sunrise and sunset, squirrels in the trees, and leaves as big as my head.

We all arrived on the evening of the last Saturday in October 2019. Sunday morning, we had his memorial. I pretty much coordinated and did most of it myself. I sang a couple of songs, and the birds literally sang with me. I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but someone recorded it on Facebook live. They showed it to me later. I tried to stay in the moment so I could keep my composure and honor my dad.

My dad was a veteran of the Korean War, a preacher, and a general laborer. There was no preacher at the memorial, so I led a Bible study. I couldn’t imagine my dad’s memorial service without some kind of Biblical teaching. He also collected poems that other people wrote because he loved poetry. I read about three of his favorite poems. A friend of mine from high school and church also put together a video memorial of family photos. We watched it during the memorial, and the family loved it. I actually got through it without too many tears. I saved those for later. It went beautifully. I think my daddy would have been proud of me, and I believe he was very honored by this get together.

We had family time for the rest of the day, and you know I had to take even more pictures. We also got together, and took pictures around a fire pit. After that, we tried out the jacuzzi. That was nice.

The next morning, Monday, we all got our belongings together and went home. It was this Monday morning that I was able to get the pictures of the sunrise and the geese.

I will never forget this experience. I believe it brought some healing to my aching heart and some beauty that touched my soul.

Locally, I say there is never a better place to take pictures then at your own home. I live in apartment, so I don’t have my own yard. However, these particular apartments, have their property resembling a small park. I have enjoyed taking photos here. In fact, unusual in this area, there were a lot of robins gathered together in the snow today. I was able to take some awesome pictures from my bedroom window of them.

I also enjoy taking pictures at parks and cemeteries. You never know what you will see in them. They are another great place to get in touch with nature!


Notes ▼

Word count: 720

Prompt:
A special favorite spot in nature, include where, what and why.

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