October 5, 2008: Morning Fog in the Grotto

I arrived at Assumption Grotto this morning, with camera for the 2008 Benefit Dinner, only to find an interesting fog barely surviving the sun's strong rays which were quite pronounced. It didn't last long, but I managed to get some interesting pictures before it lifted. Enjoy!













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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Angel Statue Stolen.....and returned???

EDIT: WDIV-TV Headline update: Stolen Statue Found in Alley. Fr. Perrone said it right when he mentioned that the worth of the statue went well beyond the material costs. There was such an emptiness with the loss of that statue and I'm sure many others felt something sacred had been violated. The statues were blesed by Auxiliary John M. Quinn on August 15, 2005 (photo below).



I was saddened to learn late Saturday that our beautiful Angel Statue, installed not long after I came to Assumption Grotto a couple years ago, had been stolen. The statue was the work of a local artist, and served as a fountain, and as a bath for every bird in the neighborhood.

You can read about the theft, and see a video clip of Fr. Perrone being interviewed on WDIV News (local channel 4) on this page. It plays a brief commercial before going to a short clip. I can't embed it here.

You can also read about it in the Detroit Free Press.

I was elated to hear on WDIV News this morning, that someone called saying the statue was in a neighborhood alley and would be returned today. Watch the news tonight.

I'll feel better when we get it back - hopefully undamaged. The Grotto area looked so empty without that angel, which provided perfect balance along with that of Bernadette.

I don't know how many news channels featured it, but did see it on WXYZ, Channel 7 yesterday and on WDIV this morning.

I'm sure I was one of many who offered prayers yesterday for the thieves, and humbly prayed for the angel's safe return. I hope those who originally took it will respond to the graces of God and turn to Him in conversion.







More photos can be seen here and here.

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Photo Post 2: July 22, 2007 - A Butterfly in the Grotto Garden

I promised more photos from yesterday, which was a splended day here in southeast Michigan.

Enjoy these fine photographs, compliments of the Greatest Artist: God, who is the Creator of all things big and small; of the cute and cuddly, as well as the slimey and creepy! If you love God, you will love his creatures and respect them.

Now, I know this is a swallowtail butterfly of some kind, but I've been unable to identify it after looking online at several species of swallowtails. If you know for certain, drop me an email or a put something in the comment box for the benefit of others. It was the body that threw me since I could not find a swallowtail with that kind of line on the body.

Click on any photo to enlarge.

This fellow was marching along and I thought I would share his picture, as well. I have identified this caterpillar as one that will eventually emerge as an American Dagger Moth.

There is a pattern here. Whenever I try to get a picture of a bee at work, another bug decides to get in on the action. This time, it was another bee who landed on the flower as I snapped away.

If you enjoyed these photos, you may like the post I made yesterday, as well.

For those interested, I was using a 300mm lens fully zoomed about 10-15 feet away from the subject. I used various aperature settings (can't remember which was which), and ultimately settled on the Canon EOS 20D's sport-action setting in the end.

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Photo Post 1: July 22, 2007 - Garden in the Grotto

I got some beautiful pictures on this most beautiful of balmy days in southeast Michigan. I took my camera today to get many things done and the Lord granted me a wonderful morning outdoors.

It started around 8:30am in the grotto area where we have a statue of Bernadette and an angel. The angel is a fountain and the robins have taken a liking to the basin. Evidence, in fact, is all over both statues. Needless to say our robins have been on a steady diet of blueberries and blackberries.

Here are a few samples of what I got this morning, with more posts to come.

In this first photo, you see Bernadette kneeling, with the wings of the angel in the foreground.

This is a photo of the angel, with one of his visiting robin friends about to take a bath (see him perched up there on the top of the wing). Interspersed in photos that follow, you will see a few more of the birds in the fountain bowl. I was quite a distance away and the sun was not in the best spot to capture them in good lighting, but you get the general idea. At one point when I was sitting there, three robins took turns with a refreshing morning bath.

Now, this next one merits a word, as well. It started out to be a closeup photo of a bumblebee going about his work. To the left in the pic, is a spec and it is not a spec. It turns out that I captured an insect who is dwarfed by the size of the bee. Hence, I got a bonus! Click on the pic to enlarge it and look at that little bugger.

More photos will come, including some closeups of a butterfly on the coneflowers, which are a major attractant for them. I also took a few photos of the outdoor procession and benediction today, as they happen each and every Sunday from Spring to Fall, weather permitting.

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