The Red Bird In The Snow Storm

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Again, Who am I

Again, I am asking the question, "Who am I"? Well OK, I am more than 67 years old, I agree that I should know who or whom I am! Indeed you are correct, and I am correct, I do know who I am.

Today, I had coffee with someone from my past. Nancy, grew up as my neighbor across the old gravel road. Nancy, had always shown respect and appreciation of me and likewise I held respect and friendship with her for all these years. Nancy stayed in her home town, while I joined the USAF with a goal of obtaining my education.

It did not take long for me to meet and marry my wife of 46 years. Oh yes, Mrs. Jan is the only person that I have given all my heart and love to. There have been many that have been dear friends, but not any that I would give my life to.

Together Jan and I have travel a large part of the whole world, and during those travels I did earn my education. However, in so doing I gave up my roots, as did Jan.

Today, as Nancy visited with us, our conversations were rushed because it seems that we had so much to share. The one thing I did learn is that Nancy has been my prayer angle for me all these years. It is overwhelming to find someone that knows me, and also understands me. For me, becoming very well read, and having a high IQ, with so large a spread of experiences that I have closed myself off to most people. Even family and many friends. Closed off, means that yes I am warm, friendly and understanding while giving shoulder and support, that I very seldom get to receive. Part of this is that I am an artistic creative person, where I was an award winning creative artistic photographer. While doing this career, giving of myself for sixteen hours a day, I became very unable to accept love and appreciation from anyone around me. Yet, I kept giving not only photography but written words as well as counsel.

Recently I learned that I am a "defeated prefect seeking" person. That means I am always striving to make things perfect, and am driven to gain appreciation and acceptance. This condition started when I was in grade school, where I could never please my Dad. To him, I was not of any good, would never amount to anything, and etc. Dad is dead, and still I am trying to gain his appreciation. Dad, I hope you saw before you passed.

So Nancy, today, you affirmed to me again that I did prove to some, my skills and abilities. I am now retired due to medical conditions, but I am thankful that God has given me my artistic talents which keeps me giving to those that are special to me. Like Jan, Nancy, Ashley, Dustin, Darlene and so many others.

Will I ever be at total peace and not think of myself as a looser, but an accomplished person with character that I am. Peace may, but more than likely not total peace. Blessings.

Seems that the cold made my hands shake a bit. Yet as I looked into the falling snow, my eyes feasted on the beautiful Red Bird as I have always called this creature. Well, maybe creature is not a good word, this captured image does tell you a bit about Mitch. You can see the heart of the artist here. Nature is wonderful, and taking in this beautiful creation of God's paint brush, my cold hand stops shaking as I rest my camera on the electrical meter. This was a first for me, using a light meter as a tripod. Please, enjoy my sharing. Mitch

A CAMPING TRIP AN ADVENTURE

It was a Church Fellowship - a group of Church families that are campers spent time camping together Oct. 1 - 4 09. There were many wonderful experiences that will be cherished... I don't think I will forget the moving experiences of our friend Tom Hassell...ask him about the reception. Tom and Sandra camped at Piney Grove Campground in North Mississippi on September 29, had a very nice camp site, but wanted to try another. Moving to a new location, settled down and all though he would be there. No! They moved two more times, gaining the movers club. Several of the First Christian Church members that are campers decided to take a weekend off and camp out together for fellowship and relaxation. Indeed the fellowship was wonderful, and interesting, the way everybody jumped in and helped with the chores made one think about the early churches mentioned in Acts 2. Everybody pitched in together doing the chores. We all enjoyed Bubba and Virginia Pratt's efforts in hosting the community meals. Bubba, that fish fry was one of the best. Not just because the fish were from your local catch, but that you all knew how to make the meal go off without any complaints.

After the meals, everybody would just sit around and visit, play table games, and simply enjoy each other’s company, fellowship of the believers.

Some notes from my Journal: Several days back Tom H. and Freddie W. mentioned to me that they were thinking about a camping trip and asked me if Jan and I would be interested. Yes, in fact we were so very excited to be included in the camping plans.

Several of the FCC Friends began to put together the camping plan. Virginia and Bubba Pratt were asked to organize the activities, and wow! They exceeded every expectation! Virginia and Bubba thank you for your efforts, and most of all the fellowship love you shared.

The following came and either camped in motor homes, campers, pop-ups and tents: Tom & Sandra Hassell, Sunny & Dot Cole, Freddie & Wanda White, Bubba & Virginia Pratt & Lena & Logan, William & Gloria Mears, Adam & Tabitha & Kalianna Russell, Ron & Liz Bradley, Mitch & Jan Decanter, Maria & Ames Hughes.

On Wednesday September 30th Jan and Mitch were able to head out to Piney Grove at about 1:30 PM. I was forced to wait and do some legal photography for an Attorney, which I did not mind, so MS. Jan did the last minute packing. We arrived at Piney Grove at about 2:45 P.M. and after finding a wonderful spot to pitch our tent, we started the set up. We unpacked the tent from its bag, and the adventure began. We had 10,500, 251 ants nested in the tent. So the term “overcome” came into my head. I grabbed a broom, which Jan had loaded in the SUV and I did not understand why, and began to sweep off ants one fold at a time. MS. Jan said they bite, so I told her; well don’t let them get on you! We were able to sweep off all those ants in about 30 minutes and finished setting up the camp.

MS Jan had insisted that we buy a folding bed which gets the bed off the ground, so we installed that in the tent, and also a small table with chairs, giving up a bedroom with a small office for reading and such. Overall the tent setup was fine until we had to pack it up in the rain Sunday morning.

Oct. 1 09, all of the campers made sure that campers, motor homes and tents were secured for high winds. The storm hit around 2:30 P.M. and no one had any problems.

This camping experience was a blessing to everyone. We had plenty of food, fellowship, fun and games. Also, on Sunday morning we had a small church service. Tom shared communion mediation, and Freddie White did a sermon. We all then started departing and going our different directions... Seems that most were sad that the experience was ending.


By: Mitch DeCanter

THE GREAT OAK TREE

Here in North Mississippi during July the temperatures with very hot humpty can drain every once of energy from the most solid man. It was one of those type of days, where I did not have much office work going on, so with excitement Jan and I grabbed tools and headed to the great oak tree area. Sadly, the area around the tree had grown up with undergrowth. We started chopping, sawing, and loading the truck until there was no more room. The first day within 2 hours, we were spent and crumbled into a tub of cool water to cool down. We were sore and tired, but the next day we finished the task. After getting all the tools back to their resting place, we stood back and observed “The Great Oak Tree” with new eyes that had trouble in comprehending the size of the great oak. Over whelmed we grabbed the 25 foot tape measurer. Ms Jan held the end of the tape at about 36 inches from the ground, while I went around the great tree. I was amazed when I realized the circumference to be 133 inched. This ended up being a wow moment, a moment that caused one to think of th time the great oak has given its shade’ stood against the wind, rain, hot and cold, yet it seems to say, it is OK, I am at peace, enjoy what I am giving you, accept your life and your freedom

THE Big OAK TREE

Time To View Nature

Over the last few days I took time off for R&R. My being had become overloaded with stuff, so I had to stop and smell the roses. One day, MS Jan (my wife and Best Friend) wanted to take a low profil to cerebrating our 44 th wedding anniversary! To us this was a WOW time. Does not feel like it has been 44 years, but then we enjoy and love each other still. We just took a ride (like we used to do before the high gas price). We drove for about 135 miles, where we stopped often for me to take some pictures of natural things. Our first stop was near the Tennessee River in North Mississippi. There was a big area that was just covered with crane birds. Beautiful white feathered creations. At first I drove past the swamp like area, but MS Jan gave me a start look, causing me to actually look. I turned around and found a place to park. I tried to sneak out of the car, but those birds were not going to just sit there and get caugh with there backs unprotected. As one jumped into the air, all at once they all jumped. I sit down on the ground, and just watched, getting photo shots from time to time. In this slide show you can see some lilly pad pictures, and one of the birds. http://www.photographybytwinvisions.com/Nature.html The slide show has a selection of select images from over the past 2 years....

It Is New!

It is time for me to confess, yes confess. New, what in the world is New? Since I last shared with you a bit about me, the new news is that I am still Mitch. Seems that no matter how hard I struggle to get on top, I always am in the middle. Do I think that is not good? No! Let me explain. Yes, in a couple of weeks I will be 65 years old. For some it may seem like a major event, but I don't feel that way. In fact, I am cherishing the new respect and appreciation of me that I seem to be getting these days. Then, I in all seriousness stop and pause for a moment, to think of many that don't make it to even 25, in living little more than hitting the 65 point. Let me share this, as a professional photographer I am often called on to record facts through the medium of photography of accidents and other happenings. Most often it is rewarding, but every now and again it is heart breaking. Yesterday, I was retained to photograph the after mess of a car fatality. Seems the young (19) year old boy went into a hydroplane where his car became positioned to be "T Boned" By another car. I am sure the boy never knew what hit him. For me I had the bride to be with me, where she was trying to share with me what had happened. Her whole life has forever been changed; she will never understand why this happened to her. An altered life, a gone life, was it meant to be? No one can ever know. So 65, vs. 19 more than twice the living. I am at peace and thankful that God has allowed me this opportunity to see 65 years.

So Who Is Mitch DeCanter

Mitch DeCanter - so often I have wanted to know who I am. Now at 65 years old, I think I am about to accept myself, thanks to some very important friends. I believe it is better to go back over some of my history, that will tell who I am, and perhaps you will begin to understand why I do not think of myself as normal.

I was born in 1944, during a great world war, in Gainsville Fl. My mom had followed my dad to Gainsville to be near him while he started his military adventure. Three weeks after my birth, Mom went back to Mississippi, in the rural country near Potts Camp Mississippi. When Dad came back from the Army, we lived in several areas of North Mississippi.

I was honored to become the first DeCanter to graduate from High School, due to my Mom's support and encouragement. It seems that I believed that I was dumb, and was conditioned to believe that I would never be anything of Value. However, deep down I knew that I was not dumb, but did not know how to prove it. I made a decisive decision my last year of High School. I knew that I could not make it through college and that I did not have the income to have a college life. I enlisted into the USAF with the dream of becoming someone. I wanted to make my Mom proud of me.

The medical professionals in the USAF discovered that I had a reading deficiency, I am dyslexic, so they taught me how to read. I went to college and carried a 4.0 average. However, I do have to read more critically than most, so when I study I do tend to learn more.

Along the way, I met the most wonderful spouse in Newcastle Wyo, Ms. Jan has traveled with me in "This thing called life" for more that 44 years. We have two daughters living in Ohio.

After I retired from the USAF, I worked in the State of Arkansas with the Public Service Commissioner, I moved to Ohio and did field engineering, then moved back to Mississippi, where I opened my own professional photography studio. At the age of 49, I accepted myself, admitted that I am artists, and started liking myself. My logo is "Touching lives through the Art of Photography" because I like to encourage people.

While I am slowing down with the photography work, I am doing work from my home business. I am not about hype and false hope, but rather I develop RELATIONSHIPS AND FRIENDSHIPS, we then encourage and help each other as we market and work out business. I do provide training and mentoring to anyone will to work hard and stick with it to becoming a successful home based business person. You may see more information about me at http://www.photographybytwinvisions.com/, http://www.enrichwithmitch.com/ and you are welcome to email me at mentormitch@gmail.com. If you are dying to see my low cost easy business, where they give you lots of tools and resources, go to http://globalnpn.com/?id=76992&tag=BG

I am ready to mentor you. Mitch DeCanter