Journey with John Stokes

Friday, April 17, 2026

Of much

of much we never spoke, of loved ones gone, of our journey home, of hearts broken, always the lilies listened, taking in the unspoken, petals wide open, our

silence born willingly.

Prodigal

Keep the old paths open

There are prodigals about

Forever running

Home without....

Crescent contemplation

Of Crescent constellations and contemplations

Focus

Focus Man

I post this as you would never know that this Coopers Hawk at Alligator Lake is captive and flying just above many heads into his cage.

I post this as I have another shot of a fellow photographer from the side this hawk was on, and he said people were in the way, that the photo wouldn’t sell as it would show the jesses, etc.

In other words, he didn’t bother.

I guess that was the beauty of his ultra expensive get up he had, the Nikon D500 with the 200-500mm lens on monopod. He could afford not to bother.

With my amateur get up of the Nikon D3300 and the 18-300mm, I was free to be bothered and shoot away.

Just saying.

Just because you can afford to drive a Lamborghini, it doesn’t make you a race car driver.

Crow above

Crow mentor

And I was given a tormentor

A crow above me

To buffet me

Lest I should think more highly

than an eagle should be

What I carried

In the Tokina

Trying to vary what I carry

Today the D850 with 70-300 polarizer

D40 with 11-16 polarizer

GoPro Hero5

Iphone6

Extra 18-300 lens

Batteries, etc

Two belt bags

As usual, too much.

Little Shoals

Suwannee River

The River recedes

Nikon D40

Tokina 11-16 2.8

Polarizing filter

6MP

Vivid setting

Lise

Following a most satisfying time at Restaurant Carrel

Bouquet boy made his way to Montmartre

There in the field he met Lise Treholt

The lover of his friend Renoir

Girl Gathering Flowers

Renoir

1872

Void of one

Is the scene one to stand alone?

Does the scene depend upon one?

One says, for the one I so long

Another says, let’s rejoice ones gone.

It was one of those idyllic great days in April, akin to today, that the road led to Madison Highway 333, or Cherry Lake Road 53 to Quitman. Somewhere between Bottle Tree Trail and Barney Fife Blvd with Duval Pond and Sheriff Peevy’s place nearby, we came upon this scene. It was a car stopper.

All thy works

All thy works shall praise thy name

Have you heard the Amaryllis play Holy! Holy! Holy! upon the fernaphone, have you walked quietly by Mary and the Christ child? If so, then you will never know why I sing the Song of Songs. All thy works shall praise thy name

Unless you've heard Amaryllis play Holy! Holy! Holy! upon the fernaphone, then you will know why I sing along.