Marylake

My camera is sitting on a shelf collecting dust. I have no desire to pick it up and especially have no desire to be outside. With heat indicies over 100 I'd rather stay inside. I know, that you know, I DO NOT LIKE SUMMERTIME!! Enough said about that! Anyway I was scrolling through some old summertime blog posts trying to get a little inspiration when I discovered a post I'd begun, but never finished. So I thought, why not share it now? I can do that from the coolness of my living room and it's an amazing place with an interesting history!

Nestled in the woods beside a lovely spring-fed lake sits a castle-like rock building built in 1926 as the Shriner Country Club which included a golf course, clubhouse, and swimming beach. During the late 1920's, the country club was popular with wealthy Little Rock residents, who drove 15 miles down a dirt road to attend dances in the ballroom. Although the country club did well for a while, the Shriners struggled to make payments on their construction loan during The Great Depression and were forced to close it.

a postcard view of the side away from the lake

found at http://www.rrmerritt.com/mabelvale/MHS_Brinkley.htm

After the country club closed, the land and the building were sold. That's when the inhabitants of the building gets interesting.

• 1937 - Property was bought by the infamous Dr. John R. Brinkley  who was known as one of the greatest quacks of the 20th Century! He preformed surgical procedures transplanting animal organs into humans. He used the building as a convalescent home for his patients. Needless to say, he was run out of town!

• 1944 - Little Rock's Baptist Hospital bought the property for use as a convalescent home.

• 1947 - Property was sold to R. G. and Evelyn LeTourneau with the stipulation that it be used for "Christian purposes."  The couple opened an interdenominational camp called "Pine Lake Camp" for underprivileged boys.

• 1951 - The property was sold to Carmelite Friars. The clubhouse became Marylake Monastery which serves as the novitiate house of our Province of St. Therese. Here men undergo a year of intense prayer, discernment, and training in the Carmelite life.

Jesus was given honor when the property name "Pine Lake" was changed to "Marylake" after was His mother. The former country club ballroom was converted into a chapel.

This beautiful swinging bridge was built in 1963 by Father Herman Estuan prior at Marylake. Father Herman studied the Golden Gate Bridge to get the proportions correct, and then he designed this suspension bridge, that leads over to the cemetery which was formerly the 9th hole of the golf course.

Even though Marylake is on a fairly busy road, there is a feeling of peace as you stand looking over the fence.

I've been there several times and every time I've seen dragonflies land on the fence posts.

The still lake is perfect for reflections and . . . 

waterlilies!

I hope you enjoyed this little history lesson about the great rock castle in the country. I have this insatiable appetite for information about historical buildings. I want to know when it was built, who built it, and who occupied it. I find if I post the information on my blog, I can remember where it is and revisit it.

Hope you're having a great summer!

The Good, The Random, The Fun - No. 2

Summer has arrived! We've had the nicest summer weather, well maybe a little too much rain, but this week it has been horrendous. Upper 90's with the heat index around 110. Much too hot and sticky for me to be out much. I did manage to get out early a few mornings and take pictures. I am extremely grateful for air conditioning!

The Good

To get what you want, you sometimes have to wait a very long time. Over seven years ago we bought a very rusty piece of metal that has since been in three different shops to create the beauty she is today. She spent time in the metal shop, the paint shop, and then the interior shop. She came home this weekend to stay. She's beautiful and she rides so nice!

The Random

In a recent blog post by my friend, Lee, she explained the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly. This valuable information came from a six-year old. Drop over and read her story, it's very sweet. The difference lies in the position of their wings. Quoting the six-year old "when you see one resting, if its wings are opened flat, it's a dragonfly. If its wings are folded over its back, it's a damselfly."

The Fun

Playing Uno Spin with my grandsons. Sharing laughter as the four year old had to keep drawing cards, winding up with 28 in his hand. He thought it was hilarious. Even with the odds against him, he still won the game!

Linking with

Friday Finds & Randomness

I had another chance to spend a few days with my daughter. She has the most beautiful roses. The old world kind that comes in rich colors, feels like velvet, and smells amazingly sweet!  As I was about to poke my nose in the blossom,  I spotted this beetle.  Even though they can be destructive, they are fascinating little insects with their iridescent elytra and green thorax and head. Not being an entomologist, I had to Google "beetles" to see what their body parts were called. The elytra serves as a protective wing-case for the hind wings, which are used for flying. The thorax, is the division that lies between the head and the abdomen. Sometimes we older generation balk at the new electronic world, but I do love Google. Makes me sound like I know some things!!

Thanks to Wikipedia for the above information.

Linking with Kim's Friday Finds

A Little Randomness

#1

My daughter also has some other flowers in full bloom. Her Hibiscus are beautiful. This bloom happened to be behind a patio chair that was sitting in the bright morning light. You know me, I'm crazy about shadows.

#2

I was looking for patterns for one of my classes and spotted this guy. It was rather hard to get his picture as he swayed on the long stemmed clover flower.  If you look in the section of his wing that has white at the bottom, you can see heart shapes.

#3

I can't seem to take enough pictures of barb-wire fences. The tendrils of the muscadine bush seems almost alive as they wrap themselves around the wire. 

#4

While at my daughter's we had a such great time at the pool with all five of our grandsons. We pretty much had the pool to ourselves, which was just find with me. I think the afternoon heat kept everyone away. I just wish the bees had stayed home! Rose of Sharon bushes are not the best choice for planting around a swimming pool.  

#5

Speaking of bees...we haven't seen too many around home. My Queen Bee must be scaring them away.

Have a wonderful weekend!

August Break - Day 31

Smile

 

 

Everything about this makes me smile;

The katydid,

the shadow,

the reflection,

and the fact that this katydid

rode on the top of our trailer for

13 miles up to the top of a mountain!

Seriously!!

Does he/she have suction feet?

 

 

And, then there's these smiles...

 

they melt my heart!!!

 

I'm also smiling today because I did it! I posted every day during the month of August. This is supposed to be an August Break, but I have do differ with that. I don't usually post every day. To make this month easier I did go to my archives a lot and find pictures that I liked but hadn't posted. Sometimes I followed the prompts, sometimes I didn't. Starting tomorrow it's back to normal, whatever that is! I have no normal schedule. I just post. when the mood hits me and I have something to share.

I have enjoyed spending this August with you!
 

 



Just A Little Bit Closer!

I'm starting to like my tripod!  It think I need to give it a name since lately it's been going everywhere with me!  It's pretty amazing even if it can be a pain!!

 

In the macro class with Suttercal we had a lesson on focus. He gave us tips to help us get sharper images and to get more of the object in focus by using different camera settings.

 

It was suggested that we try to photograph something relatively flat to work on sharpness. By adjusting the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO you can get more in focus. All of these were taken with manual focus and are straight out of the camera, no cropping.

 

I started out with a postage stamp. Wouldn't you love to go back to the days of  three cent stamps!!  I took this picture inside near a bright window.

2.8/100mm macro lens, tripod, shutter speed 1/125, aperture f/8, ISO 1600

 

 

This Vinca is fairly flat with gently curves.  I used a mist bottle to add the drops of water, just cause I like drops!! It was taken in morning light on my porch.

2.8/100mm macro lens, tripod, shutter speed 1/80, aperture f/7.1, ISO 100

I have learned since I took this photo that the shutter speed should have been at least over 100 since I was using my 100mm lens.  Another rule to rattle around in my brain!

Have to start with a disclaimer on this one! I would love to photograph a flitting butterfly up this close, but that's not going to happen!!  I'm sorry to say this lovely butterfly met it's demise in the car grill!  It was a very windy this day, so I brought the wing inside and placed it near a bright window.

2.8/100mm macro lens, tripod, shutter speed 1/125, aperture 4.5, ISO 1600

 

 

 

Another not so active insect!  This guy had been stung by a wasp. My grandson and I saw the wasp. It was carrying the caterpillar and dropped him on the porch near us. Of course, what do all little boys want to do? Touch it!  Aaron had just rolled him over to see his feet, when I grabbed the camera and took a few shots. This is a good example of how narrow field of focus can be in macro photography. You can see the blur in front of and behind the caterpillar.

2.8/50mm lens, propped camera, shutter speed 1/125; aperture f/9, ISO 1600

This shot of a  quilting pin in a strawberry pin cushion was taken near a bright window.

2.8/100mm macro lens, tripod, shutter speed 1/100, aperture f/4, ISO 800

I saved my favorite for last!  I love this shot of a tiny acorn!  There's so much detail and texture. It also makes me think of the cooler days of fall!

2.8/50mm macro lens, propped camera, morning light, shutter speed 1/125, aperture f/9, ISO 1600

 

I hope this hasn't bored you since it's filled with photography jargon!  You can always skip that part and just enjoy looking at a few beauties of nature!!

 

Those

who dwell among the beauties

and mysteries of the earth

are never alone or weary of life.

                      ~Rachel Carson