(Apologies due to technical difficulties I was unable to upload the document directly, and my scanner seemed to have stopped working as well, so I had to photo it instead and upload it that way.) The basic thoughts that brought about the text on the photo occurred some years ago when I was reading the latter chapters of 1 Chronicles where David makes preparation after preparation for the temple which he had been told not to build himself. It almost seemed that all Solomon had to do was assemble the kit of parts when he became king. When you read these chapters it seems to be more of David’s temple than Solomon’s. In building Solomon was very much accomplishing his father’s will. It was then that I saw the parallel with Jesus and his prayer to do the Father’s will. Last week at church there had been a theme about David so I thought I would produce this piece. The idea is that those who want a copy can click on the photo and print a copy for themselves if they find it inspiring.
David Rose, 2016.
The mountains were covered in snow but the valley floor was clear. As I walked towards the River Spey I noticed some birds in birch trees as I passed them and amongst them yellowhammers which usually fly off…
The mountains were covered in snow but the valley floor was clear. As I walked towards the River Spey I noticed some birds in birch trees as I passed them and amongst them yellowhammers which usually fly off when they see a telephoto lens but on this occasion they hung around to photographed. When I reached the river and walked along in a downstream direction I noticed a dipper on the far bank. Again it allowed me to take a few pictures. And so it went on, I also saw goldeneye and a pair of goosanders. It was late afternoon when I reached the north end of the golf course and began to head back though I was distracted with bird calls a couple of times. There is a stretch of the riverside walk where it on top of an earthen cliff quite high above the river when I heard a splash which I initially assumed must have been a fish surfacing and stopped to look what had caused it but my vision was partially obscured by the trees along the bank. There was another splash nearby and then another. I was beginning to get my eye in but it took several glimpses of the creature to realise that it was an otter because I had never seen one in the wild. My first attempts to photograph it were hindered by the trees and I had to use manual focus but the time it spent on the surface was usually so short that by the time I focused on it was beginning to dive again.
Eventually, it came onto the bank to swallow a catch and I managed to get several shots of it before it returned to the river. It was gradually moving downstream to a place where the cliff was not so steep and by going ahead I managed to descend down towards the river’s bank and get better shots of it.
Even so I still had to use manual focus to see through the overhanging vegetation so most shots were often slightly out of focus. The above picture is one of sharpest taken. Then it came ashore again a few yards upstream. But it was largely hidden by a fallen branch and when I took a picture the flash went off and it jumped to a position right in front of me. Its face was partially obscured by grass and I took a couple quick shots but only the second one was in focus. The flash went off both times and it was clearly disturbing the otter.
cairngormmusings 