thanks for the kind comments...glad you enjoyed the story!

I was in an old abandoned school building the other day, looking for some pictures and just enjoying being out with the camera. This was a fairly large building, 3 stories of concrete, which is mostly still standing. It had been abandoned rather abruptly when the great flood of '51 made it unusable and most of the town's citizens had moved elsewhere.

As I stood in the empty halls taking pictures I wanted to hear the voices of excited school kids, to feel the rush as they hurried from class to class...it just wasn't happening. Then I saw something small, something quite ordinary. Yet it was something that could be touched, knowing that it had been touched by many other hands.

It was a simple light switch that remained on a wall. I put my hand over it, closed my eyes and for just a moment there was laughter and voices...there was the hopes and dreams of children whose lives had been switched on as they sat in that classroom...there was the teacher who proudly stood at that switch and gazed back into her classroom before turning the lights off for the day. For just that few seconds I let the imagination roll...I love moments like that!

The Switch

(Download)

Once a rich man made it to Heaven. Upon his arrival, his escort greeted him and said, "Welcome! Follow me to your new heavenly home."

Along the way, the rich man saw an awesome mansion. He asked the escort, “Is that my house?” “No sir." responded the escort, "That’s your maid’s house.” The rich man thought to himself, “Wow, if that’s my maid’s house I can’t wait to see how magnificent my house will be!”

As they turned the corner the man saw another house, bigger and even better than the first. He asked again, “Is that my house?” and once the escort responded, “No sir, that’s your limo driver’s house.” Amazed at the size and splendor of these heavenly homes the rich man was filled with excitement and wonderment as he thought about what his home was going to be like.

Just then they went over a hill and came upon a small, old, rundown swamp shack. The escort said “Well sir, we’re here.” The rich man, with much disbelief, sheepishly asked, “This is my house?” With all the grace a saint can muster the escort said, “Please forgive us sir, but we did the best we could with what you sent.”

Always remember... "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-20

...and no two are ever just alike!

Thank you sir...!

Thanks carlysue...yes, been out on several storms...last Sunday I got pictures of three tornadoes in twenty minutes...that was pretty cool...sometimes I don't see three tornadoes in a year!

Thank you...!

One morning the husband returns after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap. Although not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to take the boat out. She motors out a short distance, anchors, and reads her book.

Along comes a game warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the woman and says, "Good morning Ma'am. What are you doing?"

"Reading a book," she replies, (thinking, "Isn't that obvious?")

"You're in a restricted fishing area," he informs her.

"I'm sorry officer, but I'm not fishing, I'm reading."

"Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you up."

"If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault," says the woman.

"But I haven't even touched you," says the game warden.

"That's true, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment."

"Have a nice day ma'am," and he left.

MORAL: Never argue with a woman who reads. It's likely she can also think.

-Author Unknown

Of all the beauty in God's creations that I've seen and photographed, I suppose its a sunset painting the sky with a brush of infinite colors that inspires me the most. This was last nights sunset over Buffalo lake near Buffalo, Kansas.

(Download)

it does...them some weird looking things for sure.

Thanks James, its always fun taking pictures of these old machines.

lol...because he could?

Looking more like some medieval war-wagon than a farm implement off a Kansas prairie, this old threshing machine surely seen its share of action. This is a 1937 Case thresher that was used around the St Paul, Kansas area for many years threshing wheat, oats, barley and flax. It was finally replaced by the more practical combine. This relic of yesterday can be seen on display at The Osage Mission-Neosho County Museum located in St. Paul, Kansas.

This is a 3 shot tone-mapped HDR image. The sky was replaced by the original -2ev sky then processed with a high pass filter in GIMP.

btw...I really don't know anything about medieval war-wagons...just sayin'!
© KD Shots 2014

(Download)

lol...sure enough did, also seen a gaggle of sheep running around!

Thanks Erv...! yeah, ruby red...you'd have to know my wife to know that's one of her tamer colors!