A hush of dawn, the world held still,
Mist curls soft o’er water’s chill.
Bare trees stretch high, then bow below,
Reflections dance in morning’s glow.
Golden light through silence streams,
A canvas brushed from painter’s dreams.
Time forgets to move or race—
Peace has found its quiet place.
A Hush of Dawn
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Ocean Views
Sunrise over the water, well we have left the deep south. We are on the road again. But, I still have some photo that I will be sharing from the past winter and from our travels as we head north.
Thank you for coming along with me, warmer days are ahead of us all. Spring is in the air.
Have a great weekend.
Ocean Views
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Here are just a few of the cats I was watching and feeding for some folks who went on vacation last week.
There were more, but could not fit them all in one photo.
They are mostly stray cats, the owner gets them all fixed and feeds them. Some are tame, others are a bit skittish.
Most all with beautiful green eyes.
By Sandra Js Photography
Evening Light, A Silent Moment in Time
I was kindly invited onto private land by a man whose quiet generosity lingered long after our meeting. He had an old dead tree with an Eagles nest in it, that I asked if I can photograph.
Later, I saw him sitting in the open garage light with another man—maybe a friend, maybe kin—sharing silence and conversation in equal measure.
An old Chevy rested beside them like a memory parked in the shadows. The scene felt like a frame from a forgotten black-and-white film—honest, unhurried, and full of story. I asked if I could capture it, and he nodded. I’m grateful he did.
Evening Light
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Five little kittens in a cuddle tight,
Purring and dreaming through the night.
Tails all tangled, noses near,
Wrapped in warmth, with love so clear.
A furry bundle, soft and sweet—
A snuggle pile where hearts all meet.
By Sandra Js Photography
Have a wonderful weekend 😀
There’s a quiet, profound beauty in the way a child connects with the world—pure, unfiltered, and full of wonder.
In this tender moment between a young girl and her lamb, we witness something rare: the innocence of trust and the silent language of love.
Her small hands gently cradle the lamb’s head, eyes locked in a gaze that says more than words ever could. Adults often rush past these moments, too busy to notice, but a child—she lingers, she feels, she sees.
And in doing so, she reminds us of a gentler way to be.
In the Eyes of a Child
By Sandra Js Photography
The Spirit of Creation – “In the dawn of all things, the Creator pressed spirit into flesh. Strength was shaped into form. The horse was set to run with the winds. It became a living echo of heaven’s first breath.”
“Not all masterpieces hang in galleries. Some run free beneath the endless sky.”
The Spirit of Creation
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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When Indigo Jack Found Sora
There are moments when the wind stills, and the world leans in.
High in the pines, where the sky folds softly into needles and light, I met a pair of great blue herons who seemed untouched by time.
I had seen them before from afar—graceful silhouettes skimming the water’s edge, sentinels of the marsh.
But that day, they flew right beside me. Not away. Not afraid. Just there, like I was part of the story. And in that moment, I was.
He came first, bold and brushed in indigo, his wings cutting wide through the blue. I call him Indigo Jack, a name that feels just wild enough to belong to a creature of wind and water. He carried a stick in his beak, not for himself, but for her. The one who waited.
Her name is Sora, meaning “sky,” and she wears it like a crown. There is a hush about her, a quiet knowing. She is moonlight in feathers. Not soft, but sacred.
Together, they built a nest—twig by twig, moment by moment. And I watched, breath held, as Jack passed a branch to Sora, their bills touching not in hunger, but in offering. A ritual older than memory.
Link Two Herons Building Nest Video
I often feel that nature lets us in only when we’re still enough. Quiet enough. Respectful enough to be trusted.
This was creation unfolding, and I was invited to witness it.
Have a Wonderful Weekend.
And the wings kept beating.
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Small Rookery – I found a small rookery by accident actually. My first time getting to see herons up close as they build their nest.
They were so busy finding sticks that they did not seem to even notice me. Most of the time herons fly off the minute one moves.
I took lots of photos and I will share my video on Friday, I decided to name two of them. Because the male looks like he has a crooked leg and the majority of my photos contained this bird flying back and forth to the nest with sticks.
It is not easy to tell the difference between the males and females. Except that research states the males usually brings the nesting material as the female builds it. So that is what I am going on.
Small Rookery
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Bird Art
The Great Blue Heron
Bird Art
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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King of the Sky – I photographed this eagle in Kentucky. We have some friends who knew about a place where we can park off the edge of the road. It’s not far from an eagle’s nest along a riverbank.
The nest is in a dead tree, in the middle of some farm land. But there is a nice size lake not to far away. These eagles come back to this nest every year. They had one eaglet this year as you can see it looking at the parent.
Coming in for a landing.
Have a great weekend.
King of the Sky
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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In the Country – I love going for drives in the country. One never knows what one might see, from old tractors to old silos.
I do like photographing things like this. Now this tractor might not be that old, it just looks old from sitting outside.
But this silo is quite different. I am always on the look out for old barns as well.
Below is the before picture of this silo. I took it from inside the jeep, it needed a little editing.
In the Country
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Who Knew Illinois has so many waterfalls. Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois.
Have a great weekend.
Who Knew
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Nice to Have Sunshine Again and get to go on some hikes. We found some small waterfalls in the area we had to evacuate to. Would have never found these if that had not happened. A blessing in disguise.
Nice to Have Sunshine Again
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Reflections of the Past
Well, after looking into the shut down of this blog. I was on line with WordPress discussing what happened with my decision to shut this site down.
They automatically changed my site to the Premium plus group. This change put a snag in my travels. They tried to charge my card without my approval. As a result, it went to a fraud alert. So intern, I had to cancel my site so as I could use my card again, by the way, I was at a gas station when this all happened.
We also have been driving and trying to escape this huge rain storm that has been going throughout the Midwest. We have been right in the middle of it for 5 days now.
I have talked to WordPress. They did see that the auto renewal was not checked and did not know how this happened. But, would put my site back on my original plan, if I wanted to. So I chose to reopen it again. I have actually missed posting over the last few days. I have been doing this for 6 years now. I love sharing my photos with all of you.
Thank you for all the encouraging comments. A few of which stated that other folks are thinking of leaving WordPress blogging because of the price.
My suggestion is to call them first and ask what other options are there. They were actually very helpful. Definitely check your subscription yearly. To make sure they don’t automatically charge you for something you are not signed up for.
We are currently on the northern edge of this storm, the rain is easing off today. There is massive flooding all around us. We are thankful to this campground we are at now that let us arrive yesterday at the last moment as we had to evacuate another campground that was down by the Ohio river.
Thank you all, I do appreciate all your comments over the years and I hope to keep blogging and sharing photos for as long as I can.
Reflections of the Past
Sandra J’s Photography
I had to delete my site because of the rising cost with wordpress. Plus charging me for the Premium plus package that I did not order. But, working with wordpress, they were able to change my plan back to what I started with. More information on that next week.
Thank you 🙂
New Growth after the fire. We are camped next to an area that had a controlled burn in a bird sanctuary, they do this about every 8 years.
So on today’s walk, I had to photograph the new growth popping up out of the ashes.
New Growth
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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April Showers bring May flowers as the old saying goes. From the gray colors of winter to the spring colors soon to come.
April Showers
SS United States – you may have heard about this old ship that was towed to Mobile Alabama. We were fortunate enough to be in an area where we got to see this historic old ship.
It says that it is bigger than the Titanic, and was quite the ship back in the day. But it is going to be sunk over by Destin Florida somewhere for a reef. It has to be cleaned first. They will be doing the cleaning in Mobile Al for about 6 to 9 months.
While I was taking these photos, a gentleman came up to us and said they flew here from Ireland just to see this ship.
Have a great weekend.
SS United States
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Almost Set the Moon – I was just a little late to take this photo. Trying to set the moon on top of this bird nest. 🙂
Almost Set the Moon
Southern Views
Southern Views
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Peaceful Scenes – The peaceful calm of a morning, with the soft light gently kissing the horizon, brings a sense of stillness and reflection. As the water mirrors the landscape, it invites us to pause, breathe, and appreciate the beauty of simplicity.
This quiet moment serves as a reminder that each new day holds endless possibilities. Embrace it with gratitude and an open heart, for today is a fresh opportunity to grow, create, and find joy in every step you take.
Peaceful Scenes
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Colorful Shrimp Boats
Colorful Shrimp Boats
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Scenes Around the Beach
Scenes Around the Beach
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Spring is Around the Corner
Spring is Around the Corner
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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German Shepard – It is about his eyes. This dog is in the camp spot next to us. He is only one years old. Beautiful dog and very friendly, but he has a bark that will make you think twice about going up to him.
German Shepard
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Busy With Dog Portraits, I have been so busy with doing puppy portraits and people portraits this winter. I just wanted to say thank you for all of you that stop by this blog page to look at my photos. I truly appreciate it, along with the comments that you leave.
I hope my photos bring a smile to your faces and maybe gives you a warm feeling to start your days.
I have not had time to read all of your blogs, but on occasion I do get to open up some of them to look at your photos and read your stories.
Thank you again.
I am learning a lot about using flash with my photography now. That is a new genre I have not worked with much. I really like it though. What a difference it can make with portraits.
Busy With Dog Portraits
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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Water & Birds – Beautiful egret bird flying by. Have a great weekend. 🙂
Water & Birds
Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors
Real Christianity the Great Awakening
By RJ Dawson
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