In the Woods, and That Lost Feeling

Looking into the woods from the edge of the trees in the woodlands of Tennessee. This is the latest in a series of photos from Around Home in Spring 2025. I decided to make a tag for them to make them all easier to find. And I may have one or two others to share, too.

These woods actually begin in our horse pasture. If you look at the lower left of the photo, you can see the posts of the fence in the trees. But the woods go quite far back from that. And they are fun to explore, as long as you do not mind things like poison ivy, snakes, or whatever other critters might be in there.

All of the growth gets pretty thick during the summer, and we just let it grow. It isn’t hurting anything. And if it gives the snakes a place to live to keep them away from the house, then that is just fine.

That Lost Feeling

Laura and I like to go for hikes in the woods, but because of all of the conditions mentioned above, we usually reserve that for the dead of winter, when everything should be either dead or hibernating. It is a little safer that way, at least in theory.

When we go, one of us usually ends up getting a bit turned around as to which way is which. I will not tell you which one of us it is, but you have a 50-50 chance of guessing correctly.

Fortunately, the other one can usually get us steered back in the right direction. If you have ever felt lost, you know how helpful it is to be able to rely on someone who can help.

If you ever feel lost, ask someone for help. It is best to develop relationships with people you trust, so that you feel comfortable asking for help. Don’t wait until you feel lost to try to build a relationship.

If anyone comes to you looking lost, point them in the right direction. That might mean helping them yourself, or it might mean taking them to someone else who can help. Either way, it will be a blessing to the person that you help.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” - John 14:6

About the Photo

When I took this photo, I was not sure if I would actually use it or not. There is no real focus point besides the tree trunks. But I liked it, and I liked the mood that it shows. Of course, that mood partly came because of the look that I gave the photo in processing, but there is nothing wrong with that.

Once again, as with all of the Around Home in Spring 2025 photos, this one was taken with a 50mm prime lens. For a photo like this, the lens does not give quite the same depth of field that it does in an up-close flower photo, but it still works fine here.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Darktable
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Sony FE 50mm f/1.8
ISO: ISO-200
Shutter Speed: 1/250 sec.
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal length: 50mm
Date: May 22, 2025
Location: Williston, Tennessee