“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” — Aaron Siskind

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Sunday, 06/08/2025: Posted photo — Pentecost Sunday.

Pentecost is the day that the Holy Spirit fell upon the Apostles and gave them the courage to go out and speak to the people about the faith. Before the Holy Spirit fell upon the Apostles, they did not know what why they were told to spread the Good News, and how they were going to do so.

They left their shelter and spoke to the people. Each heard them in their own voice. The message was one of love and understanding. These are all people, not just the people that you like.

Today, people forget this message to love one and other and to preach kindness to one and other. Today, if you are not of the same social economic class, same religion, same skin color, come from the same country, you are an outcast and troublemaker. The message of the Holy Spirit is to include all, help all, and love all, even if you are told not to do so.

Monday, 06/09/2025: Posted photo — Jack Frost Trail.

What a great hike today. The mountain was fogged in so there was an airy feeling on the hill. I just finished two weekends of teaching navigation, so tonight was a perfect day to use the skills that I taught to navigate the mountain. This is from old-growth area of the Jack Frost Trail. Most of the mountain was clear cut, apart from this area of Jack Frost and an area around the visitor center.

When I saw this area, to took out my cellphone and took this picture. I liked the way the fog and the old growth contrasted with each other.

Wachusett Mountain is home to one of the largest known stands of old-growth forest in Massachusetts, covering approximately 100 acres. These trees, some dating back to the 1600s, have not been cut and are living out their natural lifespans of several hundred years. The mountain also boasts a high diversity of lichen species, including those rarely collected in Massachusetts.

Tuesday, 06/10/2025: Posted photo — Mountain Laurel in Bloom.

Last week I posted a photo of the mountain laurel in our year starting to bud. This week I am posting a photo of the delicate looking flowers on the mountain laurel. There were a few areas in which there was more bloom than other areas.

Mountain laurel is unsafe for people to take by mouth. It can cause many side effects such as pain, cold sweats, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, numbness, dizziness, headache, fever, loss of vision, muscle weakness, serious heart and lung problems, death, and other severe side effects. You can touch mountain laurel, just don’t eat it.

Wednesday, 06/11/2025: Posted photo — Lost Summit.

One of my brothers made a 3-D topographical model showing the relationships between contour lines. I use this model during my classes over the last couple of weekends. The model was in an old hockey elbow pad bag that the summit piece fell out of.

He needed the model back from some training he was giving, so I taped up the holes in the bag so that the pieces did not fall out. When I put the pieces in the bag, I saw that all of them were in it, including the summit, so I thought.

Later in the day, after I handed the model off to another hiking leader to bring to my brother, the summit was found on our living room floor. The model will still work for training purposes. I just need to find a way to always keep it in the bag, otherwise the mountain cannot be claimed!

Thursday, 06/12/2025: Posted photo — Waiting for a Bed.

These rose bushes have been at our house for a few weeks and I have not been able to plant them due to the weather. We have been looking for a good location to plant them, since we had rose bushes before and they did not like their location. We tried multiple locations with no luck.

The new location seems to be a good one for them. The only problem is that they are in an area that gets the heaviest snowfall. The area is also in a location where snow is thrown while shoveling the walkway of the roof.

It was decided to make a raised flower bed in this location to plant them. This will be one of my first summer projects. I just need to keep room around the bed for mowing the lawn and for shoveling the walkway and roof.

Friday, 06/13/2025: Post photo — Daisy.

Today is the first day of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. I took this photo earlier in the day since I do not know how busy I will be tonight. I will be taking photos at the RFL and will be posting one for tomorrow’s photos.

The photo that I plan on posting is one of the luminaires that are around the track. Luminaries are bags with candles in them. The bags have the names of cancer survivors, living and deceased. I take a photo of the luminaires every year.

About the photo — I saw a few patches of daisies as I was packing my vehicle with supplies for the RFL. I spotted the bug resting on one of the daisies. I always look for bugs or bees on flowers since they take a better photo than just the flower on its own.

Saturday, 06/14/2025: Post photo — Luminaria.

Luminarias honor every life touched by cancer. They are dedicated to a loved one lost, someone currently battling, or anyone who’s overcome it. It is one of the most emotional ceremonies at RFL.

Here are some of the hundreds, maybe thousands, of luminaria that surrounded the track last night.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

“Sumens imagines consolatur et inspirat me.”

“Quod scripsi, scripsi.”

“Ingeniarius sum, non scriptor.”