If you have been struggling with what to get for Christmas this year consider giving the gift of a lifetime through Compassion International. If you are not familiar with Compassion International they are a Christian child advocacy group that provides kids with food, shelter, education and health care as well as Christian ministry. They help more than 1 million children on 25 countries to be released from poverty.
Here is how it works…you sign up to sponsor a child. You receive an informational package about your child. You write to your child and you receive letters from your child. You grow a relationship withyour child, get to know them, encourage them and just be a friend to them. The financial cost to you is $38 a month but the reward you gain by making a difference in the life of a child is priceless.
We have really enjoyed getting letters from our sponsored child and watching her grow over the years. It’s really been a blessing for us. So here is the pitch…if this sounds interesting to you there are plenty of unsponsored children waiting for you at Compassion International. We have been commissioned to try and find a sponsor this Christmas for a special little girl. Her name is Vanesa and she lives with her mother in Columbia. For fun she enjoys playing with dolls, hideandseek and running. If you would like to connect with Vanesa and make a difference in her life email me with your mailing address and I will send you all the information you need to get signed up with Compassion International to sponsor Vanesa. The sponsor card needs to be received by January 15th so don’t delay if you are interested.
Keep these kids in your prayers. The more we can do to help and encourage those in need the better the world will be. It’s up to each one of us to make a difference in the world. Thanks for your time today.
Last year in August we camped at Waldo Lake but this year we just made a day trip. Waldo lake is one of the purest lakes in the world. It’s waters are ultra clear. On a calm day you can see 120 feet into the water. We arrived just in time to head out on the lake in kayaks. I got in one with my youngest son and headed across the lake to a secluded beach. I felt bad for my son as every time I paddled with the oars it dripped water on his head. But he seemed to enjoy the ride. It was a bit windy so the water was choppy and on occasion a wake would spash us in the face. So the boys enjoyed a nice day at the beach while I paddled around a bit on the kayak. One thing I failed to do was put on sunscreen so my legs and top of my feet burned which is turning out to be quite painful. But it was worth it. Sitting out alone in the middle of the lake in a kayak just looking at the wonder of nature surrounding me was very relaxing. As the day wore on we took a hike along the shore of the lake and then as the sun began to set I snapped a few photos (more can be seen on my Flickr site). As soon as the sun went down the mosquitos came out in full force. We all got chewed up pretty good but my eldest son got one right on the eye lid which proceeded to swell up. We arrived home quite late but with wonderful memories on our minds.
Took a trip out to see Sweet Creek Falls on this Memorial Day. I really would have liked to have gotten out there earlier in the day when the light was not so harsh but we got a late start and as I expected it was difficult to get a good exposure. Here are a few I took that turned out ok. We hiked from the Homestead trailhead up to the head of the falls. Round trip it was about 2.2 miles. The trail is very well maintained and follows along the creek passing by lots of smaller punch-bowl type falls and shaded by large big-leaf maple trees. At one point you walk on elevated platforms that are bolted into the side of the cliff. The kids really loved that part. The falls itself was really beautiful plunging into a deep wide bowl. There is an other spur trail that goes up to an overlook at the top of the falls. I really want to go back either early in the morning or late in the evening to catch the better light and photograph these falls. Lots of opportunities there. Until then you will have to endure these mediocre photos. They look the same but they are slightly different. I’m interested to know which one you prefer.
Took my boys fishing today. We came home with 8 rainbow trout. Here is a picture of the catch.
I shot this sunset at Waldo Lake during a family camping trip. Waldo Lake is a large natural lake, approximately 31 miles east of Oakridge and 70 miles from the Eugene, Springfield area. Waldo is located at an elevation of 5,414 feet in the Oregon Cascades. This was a 30 second exposure shot with a Canon 20D. Later that night there were some big thunderstorms that rolled through the area. We heard what sounded like a freight train off in the distance that seemed to grow closer with each passing minute. The sound turned out to be heavy wind that soon hit the trees surrounding us. We laid in our tents in the dark with the sound of heavy rain, the occasional flash of lightning and the trees swaying back and forth, creaking like an old wood floor. We huddled in our refuge hoping the top of a tree or a large limb wouldn’t break off and crush us in our sleeping bags. Eventually the storm gave way to a gentle rain and the sound of water droplets on the nylon skin of our tent put us to sleep.
The second in a series of shots from the Aufderheide Memorial Drive in Oregon. This one is of French Pete Creek. We followed along the French Pete Trail #3311 into the Three Sisters Wilderness.
French Pete Trail
As promised in my previous post I am putting up an image taken yesterday from my Aufderheide Memorial Drive photo shoot. This one was taken at French Pete Creek. Come back tomorrow for another image from this shoot.
Fall in the Pacific Northwest is a beautiful thing. The changing angle of light in the sky creates some incredible scenery among the changing colors of all the leaves. With work and family and the tendency for it to rain a lot this time of year, it’s hard to find the time to get out and take some good photos. Finally had a chance to get out and captured the above image of water drops on fallen leaves. I think it is a good image of the changing season; leaves tired from a season of giving life to the tree, falling and and covered with nourishing rain. Comments/critiques appreciated.
Recent Comments