A Night Around the Fire

In the nicer weather we've been having lately, my family has been sitting around our outdoor fireplace to read. The sky was really clear the last time we did this and I practiced a little night photography. Clearly I need to work on it or learn the secrets of the trade or something, but I still think they look pretty cool.

You could see the moon through the trees, but you can't see them in the photos. I'm sure there is some technical way to do it and I'm going to work on figuring it out, but for now I still think it looks pretty neat.

You can kind of see the trees here, but it still doesn't look as cool as it actually was.

A test picture that I thought actually looked interesting.

I love the sunsets out in Fulshear lately, so beautiful.

Guest Photographer

A little known fact is that my dad is an excellent photographer. Here are some lovely pictures of the sky he took for me recently. I believe they are all from Fulshear but I may ask him to bring us some pictures from Algeria when he heads back next month. Thanks Dad!

"This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations; I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh." Genesis 9:12-15

*As always, thanks to Kiki for the idea. Now go visit her blog.

Skies from Fulshear

This morning, 7:45... or so.

So, this is supposed to be for Friday, but the pictures were too pretty to wait. I need to go get a memory card for the camera a got for christmas, so for the moment I'm using my camera (hence the not so good quality) but phone camera pictures will have to do for now. What struck me so today as I was driving was the beautiful scene spread before me. I was overwhelmed by God's artistry, by the fact that He not only orders the universe to work as magnificently as it does, but that He makes it breathtaking, beautiful.

This evening around 6PM

"For since the creation of the world god's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20

More on Living in Fulshear

Ladies and gentlemen, not only do we live in the boonies, but said boonies are low lands. Ever since moving out here my parents have been in an epic battle with the sump pump to try and drain the rain water from our yard. Imagine the scene in Christmas Story where Ralphie's father fights with the furnace... only without all the language and no ugly broken leg lamp. Thus far the score remains sump pump: 2, parents: 0.

This is a picture of our yard this morning after a night of rain. I'm waiting to see the squirrels floating around in little ships reminiscent of Noah's ark with mocking birds, skunks, and snakes lining up two by two. Or maybe even a few of the snails my Jr. High girls harassed the last time they were at my house. Either way, I have thankful for the rain. If anything, it always inspires me to write. More to come on living in the country.

Fulshear Sky

Week two of linking up to Kiki's blog. I took this through my car window (See the little black spot in the corner? Compliments to a pebble I believe) this morning. I love this idea of getting skies from all over. Last week mine was a College Station sky and this week it's from Fulshear. Enjoy!

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Psalm 19:1

A Funny Post: Living in "the Country"

There are many perks of living in "the country" (a.k.a. Fulshear). It's pretty quiet, there's not a whole lot of traffic, you can see the stars with a startling clarity at night, and it's absolutely beautiful. But sometimes, every so often, nature gets just a little bit too close. Like last night. I can't say that my perspective is the best, after all this story is really second hand, but I think you will appreciate it none the less.

Considering the wonderfully cool weather we have been experiencing in the Houston area for the past week or so, my parents have been leaving their windows open at night to let in the breeze. Great idea, right? Well... around one in the morning I awoke to the faint smell of... skunk. I was still partially asleep and could not decide whether or not I was dreaming so I decided to roll over and ignore it. Little did I know, things were not quiet as simple as that for my parents down stairs. This morning when I got up I went to eat breakfast with my mom in her room and noticed it was much cooler than the rest of the house. With a smile she informed me that they'd left the windows open again last night, but that things had not ended well. Apparently, that faint smell of skunk that slipped up stairs came from their room. Sometime in the middle of the night, around one I expect, my parents had been shocked from sleep by a skunk attack so bad that they had to shut the windows and fumigate. Ok, maybe not, but it was bad. Neither of my parents got much sleep after that.

Now I don't know if this kind of attack was initiated by a single disgruntled skunk, or a band of terrorist skunks, but either way I seriously doubt there will be many more nights of open windows for my parents. Unfortunately, while closed windows will guard against such stink bombs, I highly doubt it will save my mother from the chorus of frogs that have been keeping her up these past few months.

Dear nature, please allow my parents a good night sleep tonight, and register all complaints with my department of animal/human relations.

signed,

Courtney Lott