Dear Reader:

Several occurrences popped out at me today to lead me in the direction of beautiful wild flowers growing in seemingly unlivable conditions.

I caught the last part of a documentary on one of the cable stations on the Burren… the rocky, limestone terrain near Balyvaughan where Anne and I stayed almost four summers ago. In all the cracks and crevices of the limestone beautiful flowers, like the one in the title photo,  bloom, especially beautiful in the pastures around the Burren in May and early June…Spring Gentian. Just breathtaking!

When you first see the Burren (Irish root word mean rocky) you assume  no flowers or very few could survive and grow in such a hostile environment. But Mother Nature always find a way. The surrounding fields are filled with these beautiful blue wild flowers.

The documentary took my memory right back to that wonderful trip to Ireland and the surprising beauty of the Burren. It is amazing how flowers can exist on this planet in the most hostile setting we can imagine…it almost looks like some kind of defiant act when we witness their blooms…but the more I think about it…it is God’s way of showing us hope when we feel overwhelmed in our own environment some days. So no matter where we are planted or live…we all can bloom right where God placed us.

As my mind was working along those lines of thought Word Press sent me a notification that another blogger was now following Chapel of HopeStories. I am always curious when this happens and the blogger turned out to be a “Physicist Learning Photography.”

Now I was getting “curioser and curioser.” So I went to this blogger’s site and discovered the most amazing photos and pictures. His name is Kiril of Kirilson Photography...a resident of Sofia, Bulgaria. Earlier this year he took a Northeastern Road Trip to the Black Sea Coast. As a photographer he had set a final goal on the spring journey (along the Black Sea Coast) for photographing the wild peonies that grow there…especially in May.

Kiril wrote about this photo: “And here are the legendary wild peonies, hidden in the bushes among the other spring flowers. Unfortunately we couldn’t find any wild peonies growing right next to the cliffs in order to get the best photo possible, so maybe I should think about a second try next year.”

I find myself wanting to travel this world through my new friend, Kiril, vicariously seeing these beautiful flowers in the most amazing places. Thank you Kiril for initiating this connection. (*If you are interested in learning more about Kiril and his physicist/photography adventures, see the video/photos on this beautiful journey.)

kirilson photography – the stories behind the pictures, and vice versa

Trust

A group of botanists were searching in the Alps for rare flowers. A very fine specimen was spotted on a small ledge of rock that could only be reached with a lifeline. The job was far too dangerous for the inexperienced botanists, so they summoned a local shepherd boy who was familiar with the terrain. They offered him several gold coins to climb down the rope and retrieve the rare specimen. 

Although the boy desperately wanted the coins, he feared the job was too dangerous. Several times he peered over the edge of the cliff, but he couldn’t see any safe way of getting to the flower. Besides, he would have to place his trust in the hands of strangers who would be holding his lifeline. 

Suddenly, the boy had an idea. He left the group for a few moments, then returned holding the hand of a much older man. The shepherd boy then ran excitedly to the edge of the cliff and said to the botanists, “you can tie the rope under my arms now. I’ll go into the canyon as long as you let my father hold the rope.”

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So until tomorrow…Thank you God for new friends and new experiences right at home. Having the blessing of you for Someone we can always count on and trust makes new adventures even more exciting!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Today is Susan Cadwell’s birthday! Happy birthday to you and my two adorable nieces Carrie and Catherine! The “Gobble Gobble” birthday gals!

The Big Game is today! I pray there are no injuries and the players support their teams with good sportsmanship that reflects well on our mutually beloved state. With all that said and done…As Rutledge screams: “Go Tigers!”