Downeast

DRIVING TO WORK

2011-10-15T13:18:00.004-04:00

I know I've said before that I work in DC. And sometimes, if I have the opportunity, I like to take photos on my way home, usually at a stoplight!! These are some of the photo ops I've had. There are some gorgeous buildings in DC. When I head in at 5 in the morning, it's still dark and all the monuments are lit up. It's really beautiful!! I head into downtown on Independence Avenue, and this is part of what I see every single morning.

Sometimes I take photos on my way home too, depending on the traffic and whether or not I have time to catch a couple of shots while the signal is red.

Sitting in traffic under 395, waiting to get onto the ramp to head home. I love this shot.

FAREWELL

2011-10-07T23:09:00.001-04:00

I was very, very sad to hear that Steve Jobs lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. He led such a quiet and private life that I honestly don't think many people knew who Steve Jobs was until the IPad and the IPhone came along.

He was invited to give a commencement speech at Standford University where he talked about his life and gave advice to the graduating class based on his experiences.

He was given up for adoption right after he was born, dropped out of college, dropped acid, and founded Apple. He went on to accomplish other amazing things, including buying Pixar and making the first fully animated movie, Toy Story. He's touched everyone's life in one way or another. Amazing isn't it that one person could have such a profound impact on how we access, store, and use all kinds of information, from the fonts on our computers to the music we listen to. I don't think there is anyone who hasn't used or owned an apple product or been touched by the genius of Steve Jobs without even realizing it. He had an amazing mind and the incredible ability to blend different technologies into useful products that anyone could use. Like the old saying goes, you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to operate an IPad or an IPhone or an IPod. Farewell, Steve. You did yourself proud. We will all miss you so much.

“We believe that people with passion can change the world for the better”

"Those people who are crazy enough to change the world are the ones who actually do” ~ Steve Jobs

Summer Gone By

2011-10-01T16:23:00.001-04:00

I've been gone for a while. The summer found me working and leaving on weekends to visit my kids and grandkids. That doesn't mean I haven't been thinking of all of you and reading your wonderful blogs. That also doesn't mean I haven't been taking photos and thinking of blog posts to write. It just seems that I never got around to actually getting onto the computer and posting all of my thoughts.

We had some exciting but scary things happen here in northern Virginia with the earthquake that happened in August. I work on the fourth floor of a building at the Washington Navy Yard. When the earthquake first started, I thought I heard the wind fiercely blowing outside and then felt the building actually sway back and and forth. My mind said wow, that's a strong wind!! When I tried to decipher what I was feeling and hearing, I looked up and saw the sun and thought how odd. Then the entire building began shaking, lights were swaying back and forth, and plaster dust was seeping out of the cracks. Alarms came on and people started to panic. It wasn't until the building was evacuated that I actually learned what had happened. An earthquake -- in Virginia!! Wow. That was plenty enough excitement over that, thank you!

Once the earthquake ended, we got hit with the remnants of Hurricane Irene. We had wind and a lot of rain. Luckily, I never lost power up here; but lots of people that I know did lose power for days. My daughter in NC lost a huge pine tree, which thankfully missed the house and their fence. All it did was make a huge mess, but messes can be cleaned up. And now it seems like all we've had for the last few weeks is rain, rain, and more rain. On the bright side, I can feel and smell autumn in the air. And I'm happy!! I LOVE autumn. My friend Lynn at Raspberry Corner asked what happened to summer. I said I kicked her out for staying too long and told her she had to leave because my friend Autumn was on her way.

I took these photos of the clouds the night before the storm hit here. The clouds were so beautiful. They looked as if someone had painted them in the sky.

The leaves haven't started to change here yet. It's been plenty warm and humid. This weekend, though, the temps are in the 50s and I can feel her on the way. More to come, my friends. We have some catching up to do, and I want to share some photos with you. Thank you so much for reading and stopping by.

2011-07-30T21:26:00.001-04:00

Beautiful summer in all her glory!

I caught these butterflies enjoying the nectar from this gorgeous teasle. I know it's a weed, but I think it's beautiful.

Future Rock Star

2011-07-29T20:17:00.000-04:00

Future rock star in the making. This adorable baby is my grandniece. She's sweet, never cries, and loves to watch everything around her. Don't you just love the pink sunglasses and binky?

Late July

2011-07-23T22:14:00.002-04:00

Nature lies disheveled pale,
With her feverish lips apart,
-Day by day the pulses fail,
Nearer to her bounding heart;
Yet that slackened grasp doth hold
Store of pure and genuine gold;
Quick thou comest, strong and free,
Type of all the wealth to be,
-Goldenrod!

Elaine Goodale Eastman (1863 - 1953)
from All round the Year, Verses from Sky Farm

Sunlit Sky

2011-07-15T21:42:00.003-04:00

It was a gorgeous day here in northern Virginia. The temps were perfect, no humidity; and on the way home, I couldn't help but notice the beautiful clouds in the sky. I wanted to share them with you.

Happy Friday!!

Why I ♥ Virginia

2011-07-09T19:03:00.001-04:00

Woke about 8 a.m to a gorgeous morning. I'd been wanting to take some photos of the roadside flowers so I got up, got dressed, grabbed my camera and headed out the door. These wildflowers that grow along the roadside where I live are just one of the many reasons I love Virginia. I work in the city about 40 miles away, but I can drive back to see this every single day. No, I don't live in the country, but there are still small open spots of meadow where farms used to be. And they let the wildflowers grow without mowing them down. Let's go and see them together.

Aren't they beautiful? The gorgeous blue flowers are Chicory (Cichorium intybus). It's edible, and from what I've read, they use the roots to make a coffe-like drink. It reminds me of my childhood where I grew up. There loads of open fields where I grew up in upstate New York, and these gorgeous flowers were a sign of summer along with the milkweed plants that grew everywhere. Here are some more photos I took.

And here is beautiful Queen Anne. I love this wildflower. If you look closely, you can see the little dark spot in the center.

Can you see the small red heart in the center of this beautiful umbel?

I heard a hawk somewhere overhead as I walked along the roadside and happened to see my friend the Redtail flying over, screeching.

After I took these photos, I headed over to the farmer's market and bought some croissants for breakfast. Yummm!! I can't think of a better way to start the day than spending some time with nature and ending my morning with fresh-baked goodness. I'm going to go back out tomorrow with my scissors and cut some of this free bounty and bring it home. Hope your weekend was just as wonderful!

Possum Birthday

2011-06-17T14:25:00.022-04:00

Happy birthday to my baby boy, our little Possum. I don't know how we started calling him that but it's only one of the nicknames we use for him. He's always been Possum. That's what happens when you're the youngest in the family. He was born 36 years ago at 1:05 a.m., the youngest of three. His sisters spoiled him rotten when they were growing up but it's understandable. This is what he looked like when he was only 5 years old. Here is what he looks like today:

He's still Possum and always will be.

I drove down to NC to spend the weekend with him and his beautiful wife and wanted to do something special for his birthday. Hmmm. What do you give to someone who has everything he could possibly want? I know! A pie!!

Here's the birthday pie before it was cooked. It already looks good, doesn't it? But. . .this is no ordinary pie. This is a LOBSTER pie. Here it is just out of the oven.

We had a wonderful salad and some great wine and chowed down on this great meal. I have to say it was really delicious. My son was a little skeptical because he'd never heard of a lobster pie, but once he tasted it, he LOVED it!!

Happy birthday to my baby.

Summer Flowers

2011-06-05T12:16:00.001-04:00

I started another new job in March. It was a huge promotion for me, so I felt I had to take the opportunity to enhance my retirement income. I do like my new job. I'm learning new things about contracts every day. My new job entails reviewing requests for government contracts for release under the Freedom of Information Act. They're not the only documents that we get requests for, but they make up a large majority of them. I recently was able to close out three cases that dated back to 2008!! One request, if you can believe it, was 11 years old! Good grief.

On the other hand, having to get up much earlier to start my work day at 6 a.m. has me getting up at 4 so I can leave the house and get on the road by 4:45. It's not a bad drive in at all, but let me tell you, I'm so looking forward to retirement and not having to fight traffic every single day of my life. Washington DC is beautiful, and more so at that time of the morning without all the people and the heavy traffic. I drive by the Washington Monument, which is lit up with its red lights flashing at the top. And I drive by the Potomac River where I get a great view of the Jefferson Memorial also lit and shining its beautiful reflection in the water. Sometimes the rowing crews from the local universities are already out there on the river, practicing. It's almost peaceful!

I haven't had much time to venture out and take photos because most of my days are spent at work. By the time I get home in the evenings, depending on the traffic and other delays, it can be 5 p.m. I leave work at 3:30. As you can see it sometimes takes longer to drive home than it does to drive in. But that's okay with me because I know I'm headed to the comfort of home and that I'll get some quiet time to myself. By the time I take my shower and grab a little something to eat, it's time for this pumpkin to head to bed so I can start my day all over again at 4 a.m. I'm one of those people who can't exist on 5 hours of sleep. I need to get at least 7 and preferably 8 hours of sleep to function really well.

Because of my schedule, I haven't had time to post much on my blog; and I miss it. I wish I could have taken a picture of the eagle I saw on my drive home along the GW parkway. It hovered over one of the huge trees and extended its talons. I wonder if it had a nest there or if it was hunting for something. I notice all kinds of crazy things when I'm driving. I wish I had time to capture each one in a photo and share them with all of you. This world is so beautiful, and I never get bored or tired of seeing the wildlife.

I did mange to catch some photos of these beautiful peonies that I bought at the store. Peonies are some of my favorite flowers, especially the old fashioned ones. The added bonus is that they're very fragrant.

There are tons of wildflowers in bloom right now. I so want to stop and pick some and bring them home with me. Unfortunately, there aren't many places to pull over and do something like that. The clover is sweet and blooming and there are tall plants with tiny yellow flowers. I love flowers. One day I'm going to have a cutting garden full of zinnias and cosmos and all those easy-t0-grow flowers that just grow longer and hardier the more you cut them. In the meantime, though, I'm content to see the wildflowers on the side of the road and around the many ponds here.

There is a huge pond next to this wildflower patch, and there is a Kingfisher that lives in the woods next to it. I see him quite often and I've tried to get a photo of him, but he's too fast. By the time I've pulled off the road and gotten my camera in hand, he's gone. I don't even get out of my car, but he's easily spooked. He's beautiful.

This is my long weekend from work. We work a compressed work schedule and every other week, I get an extra day off. I chose Mondays because that's my least favorite day of the week. So today is my Saturday over again, my most favorite day of the week. To me, Saturdays are like holidays that come every week. Hope you're all having a great one!

Farmer's Market Fun

2011-06-04T15:56:00.001-04:00

Because I wake every morning to start my day 4 a.m., it's very hard to sleep past 6 on the weekend. I do try and give it my best effort to not get up until at least 8 because I feel like I deserve to lounge around for a couple of days. This morning, I was looking forward to getting up and getting ready to start my day early because they have a farmer's market in town from 8 to noon. It was a gorgeous, cool morning with the sun shining and a small breeze blowing. It felt glorious, the kind of morning everyone looks forward to.

I hopped in my car and drove the short distance to find this!

It wasn't very crowded. I found a tent that was offering a wine tasting from a local vineyard. Is it ever too early to drink some wine? They had several different wines, and I got to taste them all for the price of a dollar. It was fun. The wine was delicious, and I got a card for two free tastings from Notaviva Vineyards! I actually bought a bottle of their Viognier. It was light and fruity and crisp.

After the wine, I was drawn to all the fresh produce at the market. The strawberries were fresh picked. Some still had a little straw on them, and the sweet, strawberry-filled air was irresistible. I bought some strawberries and some honey from a local apiary.

Don't you want to just pop one in your mouth? Yes, they were that ripe and that good. I ate a pint of them this afternoon for lunch, and they were wonderful!

I loved all the colors of the fresh vegetables too. I don't know why, but these beautiful red and white onions just said "take our pictures"!! So I did.

I wanted to buy a bunch, but I didn't know what I would do with more than one onion! They were beautiful. They also had fresh beets and squash and greens. I LOVE the farmer's market. It always makes me yearn for retirement and my own plot of land to grow my own vegetables and flowers. Some day, my friends -- some day in the next few years. I can't wait.

Can you tell what these are?

And to make things even better, they had entertainment in the form of this young man who played the banjo extremely well and sang! What a delight!

I love my farmer's market. I like the fact that I know where some of my food is coming from. I wish I could grow my own, but until then, this is the next best thing.

I hope you all have a wonderful and sweet relaxing weekend, my friends!

Spring Babies

2011-05-15T14:29:00.000-04:00

Is there ANYTHING. CUTER??

This pair of geese make a nest and lay their eggs in the mulch next to the building where my son works in Cary. Apparently they come back every year. They allow people to get close because they feel safe, even when the momma is sitting on the nest. Their latest brood recently hatched, and my son sent me these adorable photos. There is absolutely nothing cuter or sweeter than babies.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-07T21:57:00.000-04:00

I wanted to take this time to remember my mom who passed away almost 11 years ago on May 16th. She accomplished unbelievable things while she was on this earth and overcame so many hardships. She raised five kids basically on her own and made sure we never went hungry. We were poor growing up and wore hand-me-down clothes and shoes that had old heels nailed carefully back on. Sometimes we were the recipient of food baskets at holidays. But my mom made sure we had everything we needed to become capable and independent people. Now that I look back, I marvel at how she was able to do all the things she did. She worked so hard to provide for her family but never complained. She was an amazing seamstress and craftswoman. I hope I can be half the woman she was. I love you, mom.

Happy Mother's Day to all my blogging friends and family.

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T12:57:00.000-04:00

Spring Break in DC

2011-04-25T12:53:00.001-04:00

My grandkids came to visit over spring break, and we headed into the city, something I normally wouldn't do on my own. I drive down there every day for work and never feel the urge to go down there on the weekend. But I went with my grandkids, and they were so excited. I took them over to the Navy Yard where I work, and we drove down the street and looked at all the monuments. They wanted to go to the Smithsonian and touch the moon. Yep, there's a piece of the moon there that you can actually touch! One of the space shuttles is going to be housed at the Air and Space Museum in Dulles, something to see once it's put into place there.

I took these photos of the boys and some of the sights.

The White House

The Washington Monument

The Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)

Blow up Earth near Navy Yard

Building on the Navy Yard. I work in the building next to the one with the chimneys!

There's a sweet little park next to the Navy Yard where the boys got to run around. This is Boo trying to hide from us!

We went to Phillips Seafood restaurant for lunch, and it was great, as you can see from the looks on these little faces! Yum!

I also snapped these great shots of the Jefferson Memorial, one of my favorite because I love Charlottesville and Monticello.

The Memorial Bridge that leads to Arlington National Cemetery.

Hope you all enjoyed taking the tour with us!

Orca in NC

2011-04-02T15:39:00.003-04:00

These photos were sent to my daughter by friends who were sport fishing for tuna off the shores of the Outer Banks in Oregon Inlet. These orca were taking the tuna off the lines from the fishing boat!

Here is a video of the orca hunting the tuna.

If you watch, you can see there is a baby in the group! How exciting it must have been to suddenly these these huge creatures around you. When you see them like this in their natural element and swimming free in the ocean, you wonder how it can be right to keep them in a tank for the pleasure of humans.

Perigee Moon

2011-03-20T07:29:00.000-04:00

Last night the moon was the closest to earth it is going to be for another 18 years. I had to take photos or at least try to capture it in photos. I didn't have much luck last night. But when I woke this morning, I was able to take some photos that I think turned out well.

The bright photo with the ring of light is one I took on auto setting. The rest of the photos were taken on manual setting. Because there is a slower shutter speed, you can see much more detail.

I took these photos on auto just before the moon set this morning. There was enough light then for me to shoot these strictly on auto. How beautiful it was!

Red Tail Hawk

2011-03-19T06:23:00.006-04:00

Every day, on my way home from work I pass this wonderful dead tree that sits at the edge of an open field. I think it's beautiful even though it doesn't have any leaves.

The Red Tail hawks pretty much love it too. because they sit in this tree on a regular basis to look for prey. Here is a photo of a hawk sitting in the tree that I took last year. I see this hawk pretty frequently; and you can see that he's looking right at me.

I took these photos last week on my way home from work. There she/he was, sitting in the usual spot, overlooking his domain.

I'm fascinated by hawks. I try to read everything I can about them. We have several different types that live here, and they're all beautiful.

Here are two photos of what I believe is a young Cooper's Hawk. Isn't he gorgeous!

After doing some reading, this is what I learned: All raptors are classified as Falcaniforme, which includes eagles and hawks. These are subdivided in the United States into four groups: buteo, accipiter, kites, and harriers. Red-tail Hawks are "broad-winged or soaring hawks," classified as Buteo jamaicensis. They have large wings and relatively short tails used for soaring while searching for prey. Most buteo species live in open area habitats like grasslands and prairies and mainly eat rodents and other small mammals.

Accipiter species include the Cooper's and Sharp-shinned hawks and are considered forest-dwelling hawks. They have short, rounded wings and long rudder-like tails. Their flight pattern consists of several rapid wing beats, short, gliding flight, followed by more rapid wing beats. Their body shapes and flight pattern make them agile hunters of birds. The number of accipiters had a serious decline in the 80s with the use of DDT and are now starting to stabilize.

All raptors are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Eagles, ospreys, hawks, falcons, kites, owls, vultures and all other native North American birds of prey are strictly protected, to include a prohibition against the taking or possession of their parts such as feathers or talons. The only exceptions generally allowed for individuals to these prohibitions require permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Educational and scientific institutions are exempted from most permit requirements.

Penalties for violations of the MBTA can go up to $15,000 and 6 months imprisonment for common violations. The sale or barter of migratory birds is a felony with penalties up to $500,000 and 2 years imprisonment. Some raptors, such as the bald eagle, are also protected under the Endangered Species Act, and both the bald and golden eagles are also protected under the Eagle Act.

Don't Feed the Ducks

2011-03-18T21:52:00.001-04:00

That's what the signs say all around the pond. Apparently, someone wasn't listening because as soon as these guys saw me, they began a mad swim to shore. I didn't have anything for them, just me and my camera.

They created quite a wake in their synchronized rush to get to me.

They were SO excited to see me! And I couldn't wait to see them and take their pictures. They waddled toward me as quickly as their little feet would let them. I love ducks. They're so darn cute!

Ducks: Hey, guys, this one looks like a pushover for someone with feathers, webbed feet, and a duck bill.

Can I have an extra treat just for being so different and cute?

Okay, I think this one is a bust. No goodies here.

Feathered friends: We're outta here! Deadbeat!

Me: Wait, come back! Don't you want to be famous? I'm planning to put your photos on my blog!

Come back! Please?

Oh well, I did manage to take these great photos of cat tails that have gone to seed for another year. It was incredibly warm yesterday here in NOVA at 79 degrees. Can you believe it!?

Burgeoning Spring

2011-03-16T19:19:00.001-04:00

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

Definition of Burgeon: intransitive verb

1 a: To set forth new growth (as buds or branches): SPROUT
b: BLOOM

2 : To grow and expand rapidly: FLOURISH

Make Hay While the Sun Shines

2011-03-12T19:14:00.003-05:00

. . . and if it rains, then find a serendipitous pond to swim in! We had so much rain on Wednesday that there were flood warnings everywhere and low-lying roads were covered with water. It took me TWO HOURS to drive home from work. It's normally a 45-50 minute drive. I still haven't quite figured out why there are times when it seems like everyone in the state of Virginia is on the road, trying to get home at the same time. Maybe it's because everyone in Virginia IS on the road and trying to get home at the same time. I decided not to let it stress me out, turned on some classical music and just took my time since I didn't have much choice.

There is a low spot on the property where I live that has a storm drain in the middle of it. But sometimes, if we get a lot of rain, it floods into a makeshift pond.

When I woke this morning, I heard geese honking and just assumed they were flying over as they do every day on their way to a pond or lake. But this morning, when I looked out of the window, they were having a great time, delighted to find this wonderful little pond that had magically appeared overnight!

A perfect example of taking advantage of every happy thing that comes your way. This dog was startled to find the geese swimming where he normally gets to run and play. Can you just see look on his face, saying where the H*LL did they come from?!

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!!

Pre-Dawn View

2011-03-12T18:59:00.000-05:00

I usually leave for work about 4:45 a.m. When I get to work at the Washington Navy Yard, it's still dark; but there are some beautiful sights even that early in the morning. No breathtaking sunrises yet because it's still too dark. But if you look at the Anacostia River, you can see the bridge from D.C. I love the colors reflected on the water in the very early morning.

There is also a battleship on display on the waterfront. It's the USS Barry.

This is what I learned about her online:

"USS Barry is one of only three remaining Forrest Shermans. She is the third ship to bear the name of the illustrious Revolutionary War naval hero, Commodore John Barry. She supported the 1958 Marine and Army airborne unit landing in Beirut, Lebanon. In 1962, she was a member of the task force that quarantined Cuba in response to evidence that Soviet missiles had been installed on the island.

Barry earned two battle stars for her service during the Vietnam conflict. She was credited with destroying over 1,000 enemy structures. In the early 1970s she was homeported in Athens, Greece as part of the Navy's forward deployment program. Barry was decommissioned in 1982. She began her new career as a permanent public display ship in 1984. She is also used for training and shipboard familiarization, and as a ceremonial platform."

People take tours aboard her all the time. She's an amazing ship.

Gorgeous Blooms

2011-02-26T16:57:00.000-05:00

The Camelias are blooming in North Carolina. This one came from a bush in my daughter's backyard.

These orchids were gifts from my daughter's friends to celebrate her birthday. They were so beautiful, I just had to share them with you.

And last but not least, one of my all-time favorites -- hydrangeas. These are dried on the bush from last year, but there are tons of buds just waiting to burst open. I can hardly wait!!

Going to Carolina

2011-02-25T00:20:00.000-05:00

In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina

Can't you see the sunshine

Can't you just feel the moonshine

Ain't it just like a friend of mine

To hit me from behind

Yes I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind

These words just keep turning in my head after my trip to North Carolina last weekend. Their spring is definitely ahead of ours. There were daffodils blooming and wildflowers starting to bloom in the fields. I even saw a redbud decked out in beautiful pink flowers. There's something about the spring there that always makes me feel euphoric. I can't keep my eyes on the road because there are too many things to see -- donkeys, barns, chickens, cotton fields. I also listened to an audiobook on the way down and became so engrossed that I missed my exit! Good grief!

Then of course I had to stop and take some photos of one of my most favorite things in Carolina -- the old farmhouses.

This house was a real gem. I imagine you could raise a good sized family here or maybe have a bed and breakfast or just live by yourself and fill it up with gorgeous antiques that you use every day.

You could definitely have some goats and chickens here. It's already fenced off and has a really nice barn behind the house.

For some reason, I'm always drawn to the little family cemetery plots that exist on the property behind the barns. I imagine that it's comforting to have your loved so close.

There are all wonderful little farmhouses that I see every time I drive down there. I long to live in one of them and imagine myself having sweet iced tea while sitting on my porch on a sultry afternoon. Or throwing feed out to my chickens as they free range in my yard.

Here's another sweet farm house that i could totally be happy in. Notice the wrap around porch fo entertaining and taking off muddy boots. Notice the tin roofs on all of them just to help you sleep when there's a little rain going on outside. See the delectable barn in the backyard. I know that one of these houses or a house like them will someday belong to me.

Here are my donkey friends. There's somehing very calming about donkeys. They never seem to be in a hurry. It seems like they just want you to come visit and hang out with them for a while. These two never seem to be in a hurry.

I loved this photo just because of the tree line. Just a simple tree line separating some fields.

The photos above are typical Carolina fields that are sprouting wildflowers after they've been mowed down of whatever crop they held. Some of them were cotton fields. You can still see the pieces of cotton left behind like snow on the sides of the field. I think Carolina in the spring is my favorite time of the year. The air is really sweet.

Happy Birthday

2011-02-23T18:57:00.001-05:00

My second oldest celebrated her 38th birthday last week. I CANNOT BELIEVE she is 38 years old. I mean, I remember when I was 38. I remember still feeling like I was 38. I know I'm not supposed to be shocked at my kids' birthdays, but really. . .I CANNOT BELIEVE she is 38 years old. That makes me -- ancient! She's just as beautiful at 38 as she was the day she was born and more accomplished than I was when I was that age. This is my beautiful girl today.

But this is what I see every time I look at her.

Why is it she doesn't age for me? It reminds me of the scene from Father of the Bride when Annie tells George that she met a man and fell in love and she's getting married. He looks across the table and sees a tiny girl in pigtails.

Happy birthday, baby!

Mosaic Monday

2011-02-07T13:14:00.000-05:00

Linking with Little Red House for Mosaic Monday:

When God Made CatsWhen God made the world, He chose to put animals in it, and decided to give each whatever it wanted. All the animals formed a long line before His throne, and the cat quietly went to the end of the line. To the elephant and the bear He gave strength, to the rabbit and the deer, swiftness; to the owl, the ability to see at night, to the birds and the butterflies, great beauty; to the fox, cunning; to the monkey, intelligence; to the dog, loyalty; to the lion, courage; to the otter, playfulness. And all these were things the animals begged of God. At last he came to the end of the line, and there sat the little cat, waiting patiently. "What will YOU have?" God asked the cat.The cat shrugged modestly. "Oh, whatever scraps you have left over. I don't mind.""But I'm God. I have everything left over.""Then I'll have a little of everything, please."And God gave a great shout of laughter at the cleverness of this small animal, and gave the cat everything she asked for, adding grace and elegance and, only for her, a gentle purr that would always attract humans and assure her a warm and comfortable home.But he took away her false modesty.Lenore Fleischer

Secretariat Revisited

2011-01-29T16:07:00.004-05:00

I was SO excited this afternoon. I got my copy of Secretariat in the mail. I loved this movie when I saw it at the theater, and now I can watch it any time I want. Of course, I had to pop it in the DVD player and watch it again. It made me cry, again. Of course, we already knew what the outcome was. He was probably the greatest racehorse of all time. No horse has matched his speed at the Belmont -- ever. The bonus of having the DVD is watching the interviews of the people who actually watched him win the Belmont. They said his conformation was perfection, and that his intelligence was only outmatched by his speed and his love of running. He loved attention and actually puffed up his body and posed for the cameras. What a horse!

At the very beginning of the movie and again as Secretariat finishes the last of the triple crown races at the Belmont, Diane Lane who plays Penny Tweedy, his owner, recites several lines from the Book of Job, Job 39: 19-24. I didn't hear these words when I saw the movie at the theater because the movie was so emotional. I don't know how I missed the quote because it is so absolutely beautiful. I wanted to share it with all of you:

Do you give the horse his strength

or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?

Do you make him leap like a locust,

striking terror with his proud snorting?

He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength,

and charges into the fray.

He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;

he does not shy away from the sword.

The quiver rattles against his side,

along with the flashing spear and lance.

In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground;

he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.

If you get a chance to see Secretariat, take the time. You will love it.

Original photo taken by Ken Mist at Kentucky Horse Park

Snow Days

2011-01-29T15:53:00.001-05:00

The snow started Tuesday evening. The ground was lightly covered when I woke up at 4 a.m. on Wednesday but then the freezing rain began. As the day went on, the temps went up and it rained, sometimes adding little bits of sleet. About 3 in the afternoon, it started to sleet, small pellets of ice building up on the ground.

An hour later, it had begun to snow, large soft flakes spilling from the clouds. It was beautiful!

By 6 p.m., there was a surprising amount of snow on the ground and covering the trees. It had built up on the crepe myrtle outside my window like frosting dripping on the top of a cake.

The next morning, the snow had stopped. What was left behind was a foot of shining winter wonderland white. I LOVE snow. Of course I had to go out and shovel out my driveway. I worked up a sweat and had to take a shower. Now I'm a little sore and stiff, but I don't mind shoveling. My theory is that if I had to do it more often, I'd be in much better shape. This is what it looked like the next morning.

Have I said yet how much I LOVE winter?

Anticipation!

2011-01-25T20:03:00.000-05:00

"Anticipation. Anticipation is making me late. Is keeping me waiting. . ." We're due for a snowstorm! I'm so excited. They're saying we're due to get 4-6 inches of the white stuff. This will be the first significant snow we've had this winter, and I'm so anticipatin' it. I've got my camera charged, the Weather Channel tuned in, my snow shovel fired up (haha), and chicken soup stocked on my shelves. I know this is premature, but I just had to post some snow photos that I took last year to start the process.

Can you tell I'm excited?!

Willing Subjects

2011-01-23T18:54:00.000-05:00

It was SO cold today -- okay, not as cold as it was in, say, Vermont where it was only -6. Brrrr, that's cold! But it was colder here than it has been in the past few weeks. I stayed indoors and took a few photos. I'm still learning to use my new camera. Poor Mimi and Binks. I'm afraid they're going to be the subject of my photos for a while. Here a couple of I took of Mi while she was sunbathing.

Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

Good grief, woman. How about some privacy?

Here is Binks being sweet and asking to be fed. She's very affectionate when she wants fresh food. I love her sweet little bird sounds. She sings too!

Playing Around

2011-01-22T13:35:00.004-05:00

I know it's been weeks since I've posted. I got really sick shortly after Christmas and had to take three days off from work just to rest. I'm finally better and starting to feel human again. My new job is going great. I love the people I work with, and my boss is wonderful. I'm so blessed to be able to start the new year off that way. Of course, it's always stressful going to something new from something you know everything about. I would never have thought of changing jobs, let alone moving to a whole, new, different state when I was younger! I moved to Virginia from North Carolina about 3.5 years ago and have tried not to look back. I used to feel ill if I had to drive somewhere I had never been before and was afraid to venture anywhere out of my comfortable little niche. I was kind of forced to do that after my marriage ended. And although I still prefer the comfort of familiarity, I'm not terrified of gong on to something new anymore.

I have to get up an hour earlier for work, 4 a.m. instead of 5, which has been kind of kicking my butt. Who would have thought that one extra hour would make you feel so tired. But I guess being sick on top of that contributed to the fatigue. I've learned to be an early-to-bed, early-to-rise kind of gal. But that actually goes against my natural time clock, which is to stay up late and sleep in later.

I've finally had a chance to play around with my new camera too. I took these photos of Mimi without flash because I was trying to prevent the inevitable red eye from those beautiful blue orbs of hers when I take photos of her at night. She's gorgeous, isn't she. I love this cat so much.

I don't see the camera. I don't.

Oh, okay, mommy. I'll play along.

Done yet? Hmm?

I also took these photos of the crepe myrtle outside my living room after we had freezing rain. I wish I had gotten closer and had gotten better shots of the ice encasing the branches and seed heads. I should get another chance soon. All the snow we had is now melted, but we're due for another snow storm on Tuesday! I'm kind of excited about it.

The King's Speech

2011-01-17T21:03:00.000-05:00

I went to see The King's Speech on Sunday with my sister. It's a movie about King George VI and the problems he faced because of his stuttering speech impediment. He's thrust into the public eye after his father dies and his brother abdicates the throne. The movie is beautifully done. Colin Firth is amazing as Prince Albert. I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone, but if you get a chance to see this excellent move, please see it. You won't be disappointed. There is one scene when they play Beethoven's 7th Symphony, and the music is so powerful that it brought me to tears.

Christmas in NC

2011-01-01T21:31:00.001-05:00

I drove down to North Carolina on Christmas eve to spend Christmas with my son and his wife, and it snowed while I was there! The snow started Christmas night and snowed big, gorgeous flakes. I made a great pot roast for our Christmas eve dinner and then put together a french toast-blueberry casserole for our Christmas breakfast. It was wonderful. And then eating the leftovers as roast beef hash was just as good! We left Cary and went to New Bern to spend the next three days with my daughter and her family and the holidays just continued.

I decided to make some gifts this year and spent time putting together these cork Christmas ornaments. The corks are from the wines that we bought when we all went to Charlottesville to visit the wineries the first weekend in November. I think they turned out really lovely.

I added little charms on the bottoms to personalize the ornaments. My sister and her husband love Las Vegas, so their ornaments had a tiny pair of dice, an Ace of Spades, and a Las Vegas charm. My son and his wife love music and he plays the French horn, so their charms were a French horn, a harp, and a G-clef. You can see I made some plain holiday ornaments two. The two in the photo above have little peace charms. I loved making them.

I also made two little angel cork ornaments and a grandparents scrapbook for my sister and her husband. They have two adorable little grandbabies now, and I wanted to give them something really special.

Here's the little angel ornament.

My kids got together and gave me a wonderful Christmas gift too. I'm now the proud owner of a Canon Rebel XS with a terrific 28-185 mm IS lens. I can't wait to take lots of photos with it. It's a great camera.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, my friends. I got home on Thursday and have been doing laundry and getting ready to start my new job on Monday. Lots of changes coming up for the new year.

Raptors in the Hood

2010-12-18T22:55:00.000-05:00

My sister took these great pictures of a young Cooper's Hawk in her backyard! You can tell he's immature by his yellow eyes and the streaking on his breast. Notice how his feathers are all fluffed up? It's been very cold here, only 19 degrees this morning when I woke up. He's gorgeous, isn't he?

I'm without a camera right now but had to post these for all of you. I hope to get a new camera after tax season, but unfortunately Uncle Sam comes first.

Finished my home made ornaments today. I'll have some photos after Christmas. I think they turned out great. Happy holidays, everyone!

Unwelcome Change

2010-12-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

The field where I saw the buck a few weeks ago is due to be leveled to make way for new townhomes. Do we really need new townhomes when folks can barely afford to pay the homes they have and there are so many foreclosures and short sales on the market here? It makes me sad to think of the wildlife that will lose their habitat, small as it is now. There's a young hawk that I see almost daily sitting on the brush waiting for prey. Where will the deer go?

When I drove by the beautiful field today, they had it "taped off" to show where the buildings will be. There will be no field left, no wildflowers blooming on the side of the road, no more homes for groundhogs, deer, and hawks. Instead it will all be replaced with concrete, homes with no yards, more traffic, and impatient people. I'm so sad.

The Gift of the Old One

2010-12-05T14:54:00.001-05:00

(This story exists in different forms. Snopes states that original author is Reverand David L. Griffith who penned the story in 1998 or 1999 when he was the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Utica, Oklahoma. It was part of a series of sermons he presented on the value of keeping old things. I think we should cherish the old things too. I am reprinting this story here because I love it. For me, it represents Christmas and what I think about as part of this special time of year).

(www.copyright-free-pictures.org.uk)

The young couple had made their usual hurried pre-Christmas visit to the little farm where dwelt their elderly parents with their small heard of goats. The farm had been named Lone Pine Farm becuase of the huge pine which topped the hill behind the farm and through the years had become a talisman to the old man and his wife and a landmark in the countryside.

The old folks no longer showed their goats for the years had taken their toll, but they sold a little milk and a few kids each year. And the goats were their reason for joy in the morning and contentment at day's end.

Crossly, as they prepared to leave, the young people confronted the old folks: "Why do you not at least dispose of the Old One? She is no longer of use to you. It's been years since you've had either kids or milk from her. You should cut corners and save where you can. Why do you keep her anyway? " The old man looked down as his worn boot scuffed at the barn floor and his arm stole defensively about the Old One's neck as he drew her to him and rubbed her gently behind the ears. He replied softly, "We keep her because of love. Only because of love." Baffled and irritated, the young folks wished the old man and his wife a Merry Christmas and headed back toward the city as darkness stole through the valley.

So it was that because of the leave taking, no one noticed the insulation smoldering on the frayed wires in the old barn. None saw the first spark fall, none but the Old one. In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flames were licking at the loft full of hay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife to call for help as he raced to the barn to save their beloved goats. But the flames were roaring now, and the blazing heat drove him back. He sank sobbing to the ground, helpless before the fire's fury.

By the time the fire department arrived, only smoking, glowing ruins were left -- and the old man and his wife. They thanked those who had come to their aid. And the old man turned to his wife, resting her white head upon his shoulder as he clumsily dried her tears with a frayed red bandana. Brokenly, he whispered, "We have lost much, but God has spared our home on this eve of Christmas. Let us, therefore, climb the hill to the old pine where we have sought comfort in times of despair. We will look down upon our home and give thanks to God that it has been spared."

And so he took her by the hand and helped her up the snowy hill as he brushed aside his own tears with the back of his hand. As they stepped over the little knoll at the crest of the hill, they looked up and gasped in amazement at the incredible beauty before them. Seemingly, every glorious, brilliant star in the heavens was caught up in the glittering, snow-frosted branches of their beloved pine. And it was aglow with heavenly candles, and poised on its topmost bough, a crystal crescent moon glistened like spun glass. Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas tree such as this. Suddenly, the old man gave a cry of wonder and incredible joy as he pulled his wife forward. There, beneath the tree, was their Christmas gift.

Bedded down about the Old One, close to the trunk of the tree, was the entire herd, safe. At the first hint of smoke, she had pushed the door ajar with her muzzle and had led the goats through it. Slowly and with great dignity, never looking back, she had led them up the hill, stepping daintily through the snow. The kids were frightened and dashed about. The skittish yearlings looked back at the crackling, hungry flames and hoped like rabbits. The milkers pressed uneasily against the Old One as she moved calmly up the hill and to safety beneath the pine. And now she lay among them and gazed at the faces of those she loved. Her body was brittle with years, but the golden eyes were filled with devotion as she offered her gift -- because of love. Only because of love.

(And so, my friends, I hope you all experience many blessings as we all get ready for the holidays)

The Exquisiteness of Being

2010-12-03T19:48:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, NPR did a story that delighted me and made me laugh out loud. I'm not sure that I would ever want to try Jumping Fences with Bees (A New Extreme Sport). But from what I've read a lot of bee keepers get very attached to their bees! One quote from this piece that I just loved is:

"Sometimes people who pay exquisite attention see exquisite things."

PS. Hope you all love this as much as I did, especially my bee-keeping friends!

Contentment

2010-12-03T19:20:00.003-05:00

Fall is only a recent memory. The official Christmas countdown has begun, along with Hannukah and Advent. I love these early days of winter. The trees have lost all of their leaves, and the sky is beginning take on a somber hue on my drive home from work. But I get to see the start of sunset and amazing views of the sky. On my way home today, The sky was covered in clouds with a few spaces in between. There were shades of violet and blue and alizarin dancing in the skys. Then I saw golden rays escaping from between the clouds. It was so beautiful, it made me catch my breath.

Traffic hummed along at a steady pace, and on my left, I could see just a hint of gold coming into view at the very bottom of a cloud. As the sun started to slip into view, the gold split into streams of light at the top and bottom. It was gorgeous. I actually called my sister to ask her if she could see the view from her house. I don't know how to describe the contentment and joy that wells inside me when I see things like this. I don't know why, but it makes feel like I just caught a glimpse of heaven.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T21:39:00.002-05:00

I wanted to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. Dear friends, I'm so grateful to have met all of you through blogging. I hope you all have a wonderful day full of all the good things you all so richly deserve with your family and friends. I'm spending the holiday with my family in North Carolina, and I'm looking forward to reading how you all spent this family day. Take care, everyone.

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

There's a Gorilla in my Kitchen

2010-11-22T20:32:00.001-05:00

Okay, well, not an actual four-legged, hairy gorilla. It's Gorilla Bread. The holidays always makes me want to bake, which is something for me in my little (read very tiny with no counter space) kitchen. I couldn't resist trying Paula Dean's very easy recipe. It didn't take long to make and just look!! It looks scrumptious, doesn't it? It's too late to try it tonight, but I'm planning to take it to work, so I'll let you know how I score! In the meantime, enjoy my virtual gift to your sweet tooth.

My sister lent me this beautiful old bundt pan, which was our mom's. If you look closely, you can see she wrote our last name on it with nail polish. I grew up in an era where everything you owned was marked with your name, lest it accidently end up in someone else's house. LOL! I do love the fact that it was my mom's and I was able to use it to make something yummy.

The finished product looks pretty good. I'll let the office gourmands tell me how it turned out. Thank you, Sue for letting me borrow the pan!

Mosaic Monday

2010-11-22T18:32:00.005-05:00

Linking over with Little Red House for Mosaic Monday. The photo with the bee was taken in Charlottesville the first weekend of this month. I was surprised to see him and the still blooming lavender. I couldn't help but think that he was taking advantage of the last sweetness of autumn. I love nature and everything it offers including the earth and its seasons and never ending beauty. Every day is a blessing.

Just Fall

2010-11-20T23:04:00.001-05:00

I moved to Virginia about three years ago. Hard to believe it's only been three years. Since living here, I've discovered that I LOVE northern Virginia. It's a beautiful place to live. There are four distinct seasons, and I look forward to the change in all of them . . . well, except for summer. But the summers here are not as hot and humid as they are in coastal North Carolina where you swelter just sitting in the shade, like it or not. Don't get me wrong, there are hot and humid days here too; but they just don't seem as hot or humid as the dog days of NC.

The spring and fall in northern Virginia are beautiful. The colors are intoxicating, and it's hard to keep your eyes on the road because there is so much to see and appreciate. I've been taking lots of fall pictures, mainly because I never get tired of looking at the reds, golds, and yellows. When I drove home from work yesterday, the sky was a gorgeous shade of violet as the sun started to set. It was a painter's dream. Then as I neared my house, I noticed brake lights in the road in front of me. Looking up, I saw a beautiful buck, complete with a large set of antlers. I pulled off to the side of the road. He backed away and looked right at me. He was gorgeous. Then he ran off into the fields and all I saw was his white tail and the antlers bobbing in the distance. When I turned to check on getting back in the road, there was a guy right next to me who had stopped his car to watch the deer too. We just smiled at each other and drove on our ways.

None of this really has anything to do with the title of this post, but I just had to share one of the reasons why I love northern Virginia. And these photos show you another.

Charlottesville Revisited

2010-11-19T21:38:00.001-05:00

I had to share the rest of my Charlottesville pictures with you. I just love it there. Whenever I'm there, I think of Thomas Jefferson and beautiful Monticello. There are loads of things to do there besides the wineries (but they're GREAT). If you ever get a chance to visit, you won't be disappointed. And if you get a chance to visit in the fall, it's even more beautiful than ever.

These photos were all taken at White Hall. This was our first stop on Saturday. Their award-winning wine was on display in their tasting room.

My son and my son-in-law's beautiful sister

Green Heron at Pollak Winery

The view from the tasting room at Pollak Winery. Would you love to wake up to this every single day? I'd love it.

The gang bellied up to the bar!

Last but not least, we ended up our weekend at beautiful Veritas in Afton, Virginia. "Veritas" means truth, and their wines are truly the best of their vineyard. They have won many awards. We always end up here because of the gorgeous scenery. They have a huge deck with picnic tables, and we pack in our lunch and enjoy it with one of their outstanding wines.

Veritas

Just some of the amazing views. I painted this barn as a gift to my daughter for her 10th anniversary.

My impression

I'd love to imagine this is the road to my house.

My family

Kite Flying

2010-11-19T21:18:00.001-05:00

I saw a Kite yesterday on my way home on the George Washington Parkway. No, silly, not that kind of kite. This kind:

(Photo credit:
Fotograf: Ferdinand Grassmann * Erstversion: de.wikipedia 13:52, 20. Jun 2005 . . Fgrassmann (281802)

Celebrating Wine

2010-11-15T04:09:00.002-05:00

I created this to celebrate Monday Mosaic with Mary at Little Red House.

Wine that maketh glad the heart of man.
The Book of Psalms, 104:15

Loving Charlottesville

2010-11-14T17:55:00.000-05:00

Every year my daughter and her husband go to Charlottesville to celebrate their anniversary. Our extended family all meets there and takes a weekend-long vacation to celebrate their anniversary. This year we visited eight wineries, some of which I'd never been to before. I enjoyed myself so much. Besides being with family and tasting some of the best wine in the region, the countryside is absolutely beautiful this time of year. I especially love fall and the crisp weather it brings. There's something so heavenly about this season and all of the colors that surround it. These are some of the photos I took while I was in beautiful Charlottesville.

Some of the people attending arrive on Thursday night, and I thought about going on Thursday. But then it started raining early in the morning and rained into the evening, so I decided to wait and leave on Friday morning so I could enjoy the ride and the beautiful scenery. We managed to visit eight wineries in two days. Can you believe it? When I got there on Friday afternoon, I met my son and his wife for lunch and then we met everyone else and headed to Blenheim Winery. Blenheim is owned by Dave Matthews, and his parents still live there. As you can see the scenery there is wonderful and they have a nice tasting room.

After Blenheim, we went to Jefferson Wineries where we had a private tasting for our huge group of people. The wines were wonderful.

We finished up our first day at Carter's Mountain where they sell apples, baked goods, cider, and. . .yep, you guessed it -- WINE!! I bought the best peach wine there. It tastes like they squeezed a fresh peach right into the bottle and the view from the mountain is gorgeous. The drive up is a white knuckler, and I can't look out the window. There are NO GUARDRAILS!!

There was still plenty of color in the trees. After Carter's Mountain we headed to dinner at Enoteca where we drank (yet again) more wine. It was a great day and we headed to bed with our bellies full and dreaming of heavenly views and more wine the next day.

Happy Birthday

2010-11-09T19:09:00.000-05:00

. . . to my hero, Carl Sagan. His ability to explain the cosmos and humankind's role is unrivaled. His vision of the universe is best explained by his own voice:

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."

Exactly Right

2010-11-09T18:11:00.001-05:00

the strays keep arriving: now we have 5
cats and they are smart, spontaneous, self-
absorbed, naturally poised and awesomely
beautiful.

one of the finest things about cats is
that when you're feeling down, very down,
if you just look at the cat at rest,
at the way they sit or lie and wait,
it's a grand lesson in preserving
and
if you watch 5 cats at once that's 5
times better.

no matter the extra demands they make
no matter the heavy sacks of food
no matter the dozens of cans of tuna
from the supermarket: it's all just fuel for their
amazing dignity and their
affirmation of a vital
live
we humans can
only envy and
admire from
afar.

"exactly right" by Charles Bukowski, from The Night Torn with Mad Footsteps: New Poems.

Fall in My Neck of the Woods

2010-10-30T16:47:00.000-04:00

There is a beautiful little pond close to my sister's house, and I love walking there and taking pictures of the ducks and geese. The colors in the rushes and reflections on the water now are so beautiful. I never get tired of looking at them.

I want a pond of my own, with ducks and reeds and endlessly changing views.

I don't know why fall makes me feel so snug and warm inside. Maybe it's just the way we're programmed to react to the shorter days and vibrant colors. I can smell the fires from the fireplaces and wood stoves. I want to snuggle under my comforter after turning the heat way down for the night. I want to make soups and stews and go for walks with the brisk wind blowing on my cheeks. Yesterday and today were perfect fall days, brisk and dry, wind blowing the leaves in scurrying little crowds on their way to winter.

Spoooooky!

2010-10-28T12:12:00.000-04:00

Beware the dreaded two-headed pirate!  Arrrgghhhh, mateys!

My Drive Home

2010-10-25T18:20:00.002-04:00

The colors are really starting to brighten here in northern Virginia. I have to remind myself to watch the road when I'm driving home these days. With the sun behind the leaves, some of them look like they've been dipped in gold. I imagine what colors I would have to mix to paint the trees as if they are lit from within. I'm going to try to get some good photos this weekend to show you all how beautiful it is right now. I know this will all be gone in a few weeks, but right now I'm loving fall and wanting to spend all of it under the blue sky and the tapestry of gold and red.

I don't know if these pictures will do justice to what I'm talking about. I took them with my cell phone on the drive home on the GW Parkway. To top it off, I've seen bald eagles three times in a week, flying along the Potomac. It's a magical place.

This last photo isn't on the drive home, but I love the autumn grasses. They look almost ethereal, don't they?

And then look what I found!!

You never know what you're going to find on the drive home.

Heart Tree

2010-10-16T19:36:00.001-04:00

My darling grandson Michael made this tree in school and gave it to me as a gift. He said it was an apple tree but it looks like a Heart Tree to me. From his hands to my heart.

More Maine

2010-10-16T19:34:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of my beautiful granddaughter and the *other* grammy, Grammy Nan. We stayed at Nan and Greg's house while visiting Maine. Their backyard is a wonderful mixture of what looks like a meadow and forest.

My daughter, granddaughter, and my son-in-law at a stop along Sunday River.

More beautiful foliage pictures from my trip. I never get tired of admiring fall!

Beautiful Maine

2010-10-12T14:41:00.001-04:00

I left for Maine on the 2d of October and was back home by the 5th. I had a cold when I left here and by the time I was headed back, I had bronchitis and a sinus infection. I needed to be home to get to a doctor and to rest in my own bed. I'm starting to feel better after resting for the last week and antibiotics. The flight into Portland was so beautiful with the islands and the blue water washing up on the beaches. Julie, it made me think of you and your island home.

I did get to take a ride and take some wonderful photos during the few days I was there (when I wasn't in bed trying to sleep things off). We took a drive up to Sunday River and took a road along the river where I spied a beautiful pool between the fast running water coming down the mountain. My great son-in-law was kind enough to pull over so I get some shots of the amazing view.

This is beautiful little pond that lies between the upper and lower streams. I could have stayed here all day.

Here is the river flowing on after pooling in the spot above. I could just imagine wading into the water with a fly rod, trying to catch trout, something I've always wanted to do.

This is a shot of the river flowing into the beautiful reflecting pool. It was heaven. You can see the fall color on the trees in the background. The leaves haven't started to change this much in Virginia yet. I don't think we've had enough chilly weather yet.

The new photo in my header is another photo of this magical and beautiful place. Can you tell that I LOVED Maine?

No Computer

2010-09-19T18:28:00.002-04:00

I woke up around 2 am on Frday, wondering why I was so hot! Half asleep I wondered why my ceiling fan wasn't turning. Then I realized that the power was out. I rolled over and fell back to sleep. When I got up at 4:30 am, my clock was flashing about an hour and a half later than it was. Thank goodness I use my cell phone alarm.

When I got home that afternoon and tried to turn my computer on, it was a no go. So now I'm without computer access. Thank goodness for my Blackberry. I'd feel completely cut off from all of you without it. Someone is coming to pick up my PC tuesday night and has promised it back on thursday. Keeping my fingers crossed until then. Be back soon!

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-12T18:17:00.000-04:00

It seems like forever since I've posted to my blog. Life has a way of getting in the way of things I'd *rather* be doing, like blogging. I spent the holiday weekend in North Carolina, and boy, was I busy. I was kissing, hugging, loving, making french toast, and basically just getting bossed around by these guys.

Oh, I know they look innocent enough, but don't let these sweet faces and angelic eyes fool you. They're SLAVE drivers, I tell you. We played Uno; dried tears, runny noses; and even had time for a boat ride down the river. It was hard work but someone had to do it. And, okay, I'll admit it -- I loved every minute of it.

This little guy has become quite the talker and general bosser of all those larger than himself.

Here he is, trying to make me get into that little bag!! I think he wanted to take me to school with him for show and tell. Now, come on, let's be reasonable. I'm not going to fit in that bag, but it looks like he would. That bag is nearly as big as he is. So instead, I told him I loved him. And he said, My mommy says that too! Ah, they grow up tooo fast.

I had a good drive home, got to listen to the audio book I downloaded onto my Ipod Shuffle and it made the time whiz by. I'm listening to The Help and really loving it so far.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too. I wanted to go out and take some falls photos but just haven't had time. I hope I'll be able to get some pictures this week to share with you all.

First Day of School

2010-08-28T16:57:00.003-04:00

I can't believe how big my grandsons are getting. They started school on Thursday. This was Michael's first day of KINDERGARTEN. And he was SO EXCITED. He could hardly wait to meet the UPS man to get his new backpack, and then to actually get to take it to school?! Here he is with his big brother Tyler, before heading out the door.

Doesn't Michael look like the sweetest angel in the world? He was so thrilled that he was getting to go TO SCHOOL this year like Tyler. Tyler, on the other hand, is clearly thinking yeah, yeah, let's get it over with.

Here is Michael standing in front of his school:

Notice how prepared he is, double packing the water? I think his backpack is almost as big as he is! When he went for his orientation with his mom, he pointed out the principal's office and said, There's the principal's office. I hope I don't have to go there a lot. His mom said she hoped so too. Tyler had heard that his new teacher this year was mean, so he wasn't quite as enthusiastic. LOL! My babies are growing too fast.

Mini Meet

2010-08-26T19:04:00.002-04:00

Yesterday evening, I was lucky enough to spend a wonderful evening with Lynn of Razzberry Corner! She just happened to be in my neck of the woods this week, attending a job-related course. Isn't that serendipitous? We decided to meet at Sweetwater Tavern, one of my favorite restaurants. You know, some folks (my kids) think it's downright weird to meet someone online and then meet them in person. But I've always had wonderful times meeting people in person after getting to know them through emails or blogging. Last evening was no different. Lynn is wonderful and beautiful, and we settled in and whiled away almost two and a half hours. Truthfully, I could have spent a few more hours talking to Lynn. I felt like I really knew her; and we talked about our lives, our jobs, our blogs, the blogs we love and read. . . in other words, we talked about everything. You were all there with us, believe it or not! All I can say is that if you ever get a chance to meet another blogger in person, don't be afraid to meet them. It's so nice to be able to put a face and all the dimensions of someone's personality together with what we read every day. Thank you again, Lynn, for a fun evening with someone I consider a friend.

PS. We're both much cuter in person!

Remembering Love

2010-08-22T12:07:00.000-04:00

NPR's Picture Show recently did a piece on a photographer's photo journal of his father's last year. You can see it all for yourself at Days With My Father by Phillip Toeldano. Some of the memories are sad and some are very funny. But what stands out beyond all of the surface emotions is the huge love shared by father and son.

Life as a House

2010-08-20T20:24:00.000-04:00

This movie stars Kevin Kline who has been an absent father in his 16-year-old son's life. He lives in a run down shack on the ocean. He goes to work one day, only to be fired after 24 years and finds out he is dying of cancer. He decides to tear down the shack and build a house with his rebellious kid. How did I ever miss this movie?! It was made in 2001. I absolutely loved it. There is one scene in the movie where he's lying in the hospital room and nurse comes in and touches him gently on the face. He tells her that's the first time he's been touched by anyone in years. It made me realize how lonely and empty life would be without those hugs from my kids and grandkids, my sister, my nephews, friends and all the people that are so dear to me. We're are such tactile beings from the time we're conceived. I can't imagine living a life where no one had physically touched you for years. See this movie if you get a chance. There are some screwy parts, but on the whole, you'll love it. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy.

I'ts Official!

2010-08-14T19:57:00.000-04:00

I made my plane reservations today, and I'm so excited. I'm going to MAINE!!! the first week in October. It should be the perfect time of the year to see the fall foliage and enjoy the cool weather. I took a trip to New England last October but ran out of time before we got to see Maine. I'm making up for it this year. Someone told me that they have lobster rolls at the McDonalds in Maine!! Can you believe it? I foresee a lot of lobster rolls in my future. That's the kind of fast food that I could get used to loving.

I'll be in the same state as Julie from Dog Trot Farm! My son and I used to joke that we should visit Maine because it would be "lobstah fun!" I want to take lots of photos and enjoy the cool air and peace. Someone told me that it's very peaceful there. I could definitely get used to peaceful. I fell in love with New England last year, especially Vermont; but Maine may run a close second. I'm hoping to see a lot of scenery, maybe go kayaking, eat some good food, spend time with some great people, and fall in love with Maine.

I'm looking forward to the break from work and to having some time to just relax with my daughter, granddaughter, and our friends from Maine. Anyone have any ideas for a gift for my hosts? I'd like to take them something really special from Virginia.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

2010-08-03T19:29:00.000-04:00

Some of you might have heard about Bob Bailey's Chicken Camp, which is a training session for animal trainers that teaches them to use operant conditioning and behavior observation by using a clicker. This joke is along those lines and I thought it was so funny, I had to share it. Disclaimer: No chickens were harmed in the retelling of this joke. LOL!

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?
(Dog Trainer Version)

Pavlov: We fed the chicken on the opposite side of the road each day at 4 p.m. until the chicken's autonomic system actually began causing the chicken to cross the road at 4 p.m. Without even questioning the "why."

B.F. Skinner: On prior occasions when the chicken voluntarily crossed the road, this behavior was followed immediately by a reinforcing consequence.

Cesar Milan: I bullied, chased, poked, and intimidated the chicken until it raced across the road, because I am a strong leader…

Barbara Woodhouse: You just say, "Walkies" with the right accent and place a crumpet on the other side of the road…

Karen Pryor: By associating R+ with road crossing and P+ with standing still, with a VR schedule, and offering a reward in keeping with the Premack principle, we increased the intensity and frequency of the road crossing behavior.

Bill Koehler: A few well-timed pops on the choke chain and the chicken was happy to cross the road.

Nicholas Dodman: I gave the chicken fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, carbamazepine, and azapirone and then it was happy to cross the road.

Patti Ruzzo: I crossed the road, pausing every step to spit a treat out of my mouth like a human pez dispenser and the chicken followed along catching the treats.

E-Collar Advocate: Whenever the chicken does not cross the road I give it an electric shock. But do not worry, the shock is no more than you would feel if you walked on a carpet wearing socks and it does not bother the chicken at all. They are happier having nice clear communication than they would be otherwise.

Yuppie: Chickens are just like little people in feather jackets, and if you love them and feel sorry for them all the time, they will be happy to cross the road for you.

Paris Hilton: Because I put it in a Gucci bag and carried it.

Shelter director: Any chickens that do not cross the road will be euthanized for their own good, and the others we will "adopt" out tomorrow for only $200 each. Please send us money so we can keep doing more of this important work!

HSUS member: I do not know anything about animals, I have never been around animals and am not really fond of animals, but we passed a law mandating that chickens be kept without cages because animals belong only in the wild and cannot be happy coexisting with man, so now they are walking wherever they want.

PETA member: Chickens have the right to live in world without roads. Any chicken that lives within a hundred miles of a road is suffering an inhumane existence and might eventually be hit by a car so we should kill it today to ensure that it does not die tomorrow.

__._,_.___

I'm BAAAAaaack

2010-08-01T16:50:00.000-04:00

I got back from Vegas on Friday morning after flying in on the red eye. I couldn't sleep on the plane, which is unusual for me because I normally start snoring as soon as the engines start. For some reason, my legs were restless and I couldn't get comfortable. I sat next to the window and when I finally fell asleep there was no one in the seats next to me. When I woke up, there was a guy sleeping there, slumped over his tray table. Whoa! I was so tired when I got home that I left my suitcase unpacked and fell into bed and slept until 2 in the afternoon. Can you say jet lag?

Vegas was, in a word, HOT!! We did a lot of walking and I felt like I was melting into the pavement. Good thing I brought lots of clothes. I had to change every time I came back to the room because I was soaked in sweat. Everybody kept saying the heat was no big deal because it wasn't humid. IT WAS A BIG DEAL. IT WAS HOT. LOL!!

Weather aside, I had a great time. Got a lot of work done, met up with folks I knew, and made some new friends. The casinos were all so different and amazing. The crowds were unbelievable! We stayed at the Flamingo, and they have real Flamingos there!

I went to see Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian and it was wonderful. I've seen it before but love the music and the acting. If you get a chance to go there, don't bother to pay for the expensive seats. The theater is small and you can see fine from anywhere in the theater. You'll love it, I promise.

One of the places we walked through was Ceasar's Palace. It has amazing sculptures and ceilings. I snapped a photo of this beautiful fountain of Neptune. The place is full of the very best stores, Versaci, Tiffany, places I only browsed through. They also had a cool show about Atlantis at one of the fountains with talking statues and fountains and fire!! It was really a good time.

One of the other casinos (can't remember which one) has a thunderstorm every hour. The ceiling is painted like the sky and it gets dark and cool. The thunder starts along with lightning, and then they have a rainstorm that falls from the ceiling into a pool. It was wonderful.

Done!

2010-07-25T19:44:00.000-04:00

I'm finally finsihed with this painting. I'm planning to give it to a friend as a birthday gift since it's a photo of him taken in Charlottesville. I hope he likes it. I'm not a portrait artist so the face is just a hint of details. I do like the way this turned out.

I have to travel again next week for work, but at least I'm going to a fun place. The seminar we're going to is in Las Vegas! I've never been there, but I hear they have penny slots. That's my pace for gambling - - yeah! I figure I play a long time on $100 by playing pennies. Who knows maybe I'll even win and come out ahead?

The weather here in northern Virginia has been icky, hot and humid. We had a very short thunderstorm today that cooled things down. I know it's going to be hot in the desert (not looking forward to the heat), and I'm hoping that by the time I get back on Friday that the temps will have cooled down some here. Thanks for reading my blog!! Everybody stay safe and well!

What I'm Working On

2010-07-10T18:26:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about this painting for a while. It's based on a photo that I have. I just thought it was a great composition. As you can see I'm just starting, so we'll see how it turns out.

Hitchhikers

2010-07-05T11:50:00.004-04:00

I had to drive down to NC to do some training at the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune in the middle of June. The drive down was pretty and thankfully uneventful. I spent the week there, staying with my daughter in New Bern. So I actually got to combine work with pleasure. The days were spent at the seminar, but I got to spend the evenings with my grandkids and my daughter and her husband in their beautiful home. The weather was steamy; and not being much of a hot weather person, I pretty much felt like I was melting. I headed back home on Friday afternoon after a doctor's appointment took longer than I had planned. I didn't get back on the road until almost 4 p.m. I was hoping to leave no later than 2:30. But as doctor's offices go, he was delayed and I needed bloodwork and, well, that's just how it turned out.

I was on a roll, baby, headed back to northern Virginia where I hoped the temperature would be cooler or at least less steamy. I was singing out loud with my ipod shuffle and had passed the rest stop about 15 miles back when suddenly I felt a little squirmy in my tummy. Oh no! I looked for a sign for the nearest rest stop -- 37 miles!! Are you kidding me?! There was nothing else to do but get off at the closest exit. I drove for about 5 miles looking for a drive through McDonald's, a gas station, anything. But I was in the boonies, and there was nothing around but woods, woods, farms, and more woods. There was nothing I could do but stop. It was an emergency. Thank goodness I always have kleenex due to my allergies. I left my car running since the temps were in the hundreds and I wanted to make a quick getaway.

I found what looked like easy access to the woods. I pulled way off the road. Now that I think back on it, I should have pulled off even farther, into the tall grass that lined the road that led into the woods. I traipsed through the tall grass, pushing it down with my feet as best I could. There were brambles and thorny bushes in there too. I made my way into the woods, not too far in because I wanted to keep sight of my car, but far enough where I knew I wasn't visible from the road. I took care of my personal, all the while praying, Dear Lord, please don't let a snake bite me in the a**. Eureka! A minute or two later, I was headed back through the tall grass towards my car, none the worse for wear. So I thought.

Of course, I felt a little itchy from the grass. When I got home I checked for ticks (they really creep me out) and thank goodness, I didn't find any. But the next morning, I had suspicious red bumps starting to rise on various parts of my body. At first I thought they were just the inevitable noseeum bug bites. But by the time I got home from work that evening, I realized I had picked up some hitchhikers on my foray into the woods. I had chigger bites (SOB!) *everywhere*! I put some hydrocortisone cream on them and tried not to scratch but you know how itchy they are. I probably scratched in my sleep without evening knowing it. AND to top it all off, I did find a tick. . . a little, tiny, seed tick right on my left knee. What kind of self-respecting tick would attach itself to a knee, I ask you? Actually, I was grateful because it was easy to pull off without leaving the mouth parts embedded in my leg.

As for the hitchhikers, they're pretty much gone now. I never believed in picking up hitchhikers anyway.

2010-07-04T17:43:00.000-04:00

My first attempt at an impressionist painting. It's not my composition. I plagiarized it from an art instruction book I have. But I think it turned out well, and I'm pretty happy with it.

Life has been better lately. I've realized, thanks to the help of some friends, that we don't have control over some things and aren't responsible for outcomes that we can't control. Hope you all have a wonderful 4th! I've missed being here, and I wanted to say thank you all for visiting and leaving your wonderful comments. They mean so much to me.

Remember

2010-06-01T21:38:00.003-04:00

I'm having a terrible time living with life the way it comes these past few days. I want to pound my fists and scream. I don't want to hear anyone say that everything happens for a reason. I don't think that's true anymore. But I do look to God to help me through the dark times like today and help me to look forward to the better things that are headed my way tomorrow. It's just that sometimes it hard to look up and look forward when everything in your path seems so dark and hopeless and you feel helpless.

On my way to work this morning, I watched the sun rise. I watched the light play across the sky in violet and pink rays. I remembered how beautiful the new day can be. Please let the darkness pass quickly and let light into my heart.

"Live for today, but hold your hands open to tomorrow. Anticipate the future and its changes with joy. There is a seed of God's love in every event, every unpleasant situation in which you may find yourself."
Barbara Johnson

First Communion

2010-05-23T14:03:00.001-04:00

Early summer in Northern Virginia

2010-05-23T13:59:00.001-04:00

Alliums in bloom

Gorgeous Peonies

Beautiful old barns

Photo Ops

2010-05-09T14:00:00.000-04:00

I always carry my camera with me because you never know when you might have the opportunity to take a picture of something really beautiful or interesting or just plain weird! I was shopping with my sister yesterday, and we had stopped at Wegman's. They were having Sushi Day!! Needless to say, the store was packed with sushi-lovin people, hundreds of different kinds of sushi, and colorful gifts set up for Mother's Day.

While my sister went off in search of the bakery department, I took out my camera and took some photos
of . . .

Orchids in every shape and color

The colorful food bar

And this . . . the biggest fish head I've ever seen! It's a tuna that was used for making sushi. Well, the head of the tuna. You can see how big it is compared to the packages of fish sitting next to it.

It was a Big Eye Tuna. And OMG, SOMEONE. BOUGHT. THE. EYE!!! Can you see the hollow and the tear in the cornea? I wonder what they did with it. Of course, with my weird sense of humor, all I could think of was a dish called "Here's Lookin' at Ya!" or "Keep an Eye Out for Me." Sorry, couldn't help it. :o)~

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-08T22:05:00.000-04:00

Happy mother's day to the woman who brought me up and never let me down. And happy mother's day to all of my wonderful blogger friends and family. I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Time Moves Too Fast

2010-05-08T08:08:00.001-04:00

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. I took a trip to Arizona to see my oldest daughter and granddaughter on a whirlwind weekend. Came back to work at home that took up all of my free time after my regular job during the day and two weekends. We have a new employee at work that I'm training and another one due in on Monday whose training will be on my long list of things to get done. I was so happy to see this weekend roll around with no work having to be done and time to do some things for myself.

I've been meaning to post more of these photos I took at the farm when my grandsons came to visit but the time just got away from me. The boys got to ride this beautiful pony when we went to visit. The horses were gentle and sweet and very good with the kids.

Isn't he gorgeous?

I love everything about farms. There were round bales of hay. . .

Multicolored pallets just standing by as if waiting for the party to start. . .

But these were the kinds of things that warmed my heart, to see my kids loving the animals. . .

I also fell in love with this busy little hen who was walking back and forth between the stalls. I thought she was adorable with her fluffy, busy little feathers. If I had a place for her at home, I would have loved to scoop her up and take her with me. She had a jaunty little personality.

I wish I had a farm to call my own. Retirement cannot come soon enough.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-05T17:30:00.003-04:00

How to Lose a Grammy in 10 Ways

2010-04-17T00:22:00.000-04:00

You take her to a farm and let her pet and feed all the animals and take a ton of pictures while her grandkids run around and pet and feed all the animals with her. My daughter came to visit and brought my three handsome grandsons. We spent the afternoon last Saturday at a farm and had a ball. We saw llamas and geese and cows and chickens and bunnies and turkeys and donkeys and tons of babies. I was in heaven, suffering from a bad case of spring fever and barnheart. This was the perfect cure.

Isn't she beautiful? She had gorgeous eyelashes. And she was just as sweet as she was beautiful. We fed her food pellets from our hands.

Here is her stall mate.

Oh and the babies, we saw so many babies. I wanted to pick them all up and take them home with me. They were soft and cuddly and so adorable.

The baby goats were some of my favorites. They scampered and gamboled (I love that word), jumping in the air with all four feet off the ground at the same time. The little black and white spotted one kept jumping on its mother's back trying to reach the food being held out by tiny hands. They were Nigerian Dwarf goats, so beautiful and so sweet.

We saw mothers at the farm too.

The baby llamas were the best. Their fur was so incredibly thick and soft, and they were so tame and friendly. They would come right up to you and let you love and rub all over them. I can see why they are used for fiber. Their fur is incredible.

This little guy walked up behind my daughter and stood there with his head looking right over her shoulder. She didn't know he was there. I tried to grab the shot because it was precious, but this is what I got instead. She got startled and the little guy got startled too. More to come in the next post.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T19:23:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T11:21:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter to all my blog friends and family! I hope you have a wonderful day of celebration. Here are some pictures that I took on my walk around the pond on Friday. The ducks and geese are all paired off, courting and looking for nesting sites. The trees are leafing out. The beautiful cherry trees are in bloom. I think spring is officially well into her own season. May the renewal of life and love evident in the changing season mirror your own joys and hopes for renewal and peace.

A few weeks ago these trees were completely bare, and now they're bursting forth with gorgeous blossoms and renewed vigor.

These two ducks are a bonded pair, the little female mallard and the white male. Notice his little drake feather curl?

Bonded geese. They're always together, feeding, swimming, preening. They're beautiful. We should have baby ducks and geese in the few short coming weeks. They're looking for nesting sites in the rushes that line the shore.

Spring Sonata

2010-03-26T22:56:00.004-04:00

A Prayer in Spring

by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Redbud blossoms

Beautiful forsythia in her crowning glory

Gorgeous spring blooms

I couldn't resist taking these pictures of blooming trees and bushes. Spring has at last arrived, and I am suffering from spring fever. I want to get outside and play and take photo after photo of growing plants and nesting birds. I'm hopeless.

Mosaic Monday: A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-03-21T18:14:00.003-04:00

This small vignette is a view of the most important things in my life, the things that keep me going and feeling the love in my life. See more Mosaic Mondays at Little Red House.

Between the (sheet)Rock and a Hard Place

2010-03-16T21:23:00.004-04:00

Please be patient, I do love to tell a story. When I lived in North Carolina, I published the monthly newsletter for our local humane society and often wrote articles for the paper. I loved doing it. I found it to be a wonderful outlet for my creativity. Although I don't publish that paper any longer, I still love words, combinations of words and how they have the ability to make you feel a certain way or how they can make you laugh despite yourself. This story is based on an experience in my life. Any resemblance to actual people in this story is purely coincidental.

The story begins benignly while people gathered to take the tour of the historic home on the water where authors had once lived and dined and entertained sea captains. The house had been taken apart in the past and then restored by one of its former owners, a woman who could see the value in keeping the past alive and preserved. The entire home had been refurbished and restored so that everything was as authentic as possible from the beautiful wide-plank flooring to the paint colors used in each tiny room. The entire house glowed with the kind of patina that is only possible with the passage of time and only grows richer with each passing year. While the guide gave her talk, I could almost see myself sitting at the dining room table lit by candlelight, the decanter of wine in front of us, speaking of travels by sea, and having a glass of port and fruit for dessert.

In addition to the rich history of the residence, the house held a treasure that wasn’t readily apparent. In an effort to add value and interest, one of the owners had installed a secret stairway behind a fireplace. The staircase was cleverly concealed behind a bookshelf and was not noticeable to anyone entering the room. The opening only became visible when the hidden latch was pressed and the bookcase swung open to reveal a small space, a narrow and winding spiral that led to the second floor. The doorway and the ceiling were so low that a personal of normal stature would have to duck his head to enter.

People on the tour were invited to climb the secret stairway to the attic; and those who were unable to enter the cunning little hideaway because of claustrophobia or other reasons were invited to reach the second floor by means of a regular stairway on the other side of the hall. In order to properly visualize this in your mind's eye, picture the stairs of your grandmother's house, now cut them down by two, make them wide enough for only one person, and wind them severely to the right under a 5 foot ceiling and then abruptly wind them left with absolutely no turning radius. Of course, like children, we weren't concerned about the mechanics, we were just eager and excited about climbing into the mysterious passage. One by one we made the short but tortuous journey by ducking and contorting our bodies to fit the twisting confines of the space -- at least every person but one.

One by one, we’d made our way to the top until we stood together, waiting for the last person. As the group gathered in the attic, the guide, who had taken the regular stairway, realized that someone was missing. Everyone waited patiently. I guess this is what writers mean when they talk about the “pregnant pause,” that hidden expectation of something significant about to occur. As we waited silently, you could have heard a pin drop. Suddenly, a disembodied voice from the depths of the hidden stairs calmly said, “Help.” Laughter punctuated the waiting crowed of people, and there was a palpable feeling of comic relief . . . until we heard,

"I’m stuck in the stairway.”

There were guffaws this time as the group, having experienced the twisting, winding squeeze box, appreciated the seemingly humorous declaration until we again heard the voice this time say, “I’m not kidding.” As the last communication sank into the ears and minds of the waiting people, silence again pervaded the room as people turned to look at one another in slight disbelief.

The guide, clearly distressed, wrung her hands, stated that she’d never had anyone get stuck before and rushed out of the room while exhaling a prayerful (or pleading) “Oh, my God.” In the meantime, some of the men who had folded their bodies into miniature versions of themselves to get up the stairs recalled the generous proportions of the tourist caught between the walls. As we waited, these same men speculated on the most advantageous way to release the victim from the clutches of the house. A few were convinced, based on sight, that the prisoner would never be set free. A few called for Vaseline to ease the way, as others simply snickered. No one knows how the final extraction was wrought. But a short time later, a much relieved guide returned to the second floor with the former captive who promptly and loudly asked if anyone had ever heard of someone getting stuck in the stairway before. [Pregnant pause] -- “Well, you have now.”

The moral of this story? When a tour guide says the stairway is extremely narrow and confining, believe her. The motto? When confronted by the unknown, nitwitted gainsayer (so to speak), be prepared -- for anything. Song to follow by Fanny Whine-Ette (did I say that).

Story told by Iris Emblthat

Mosaic Monday

2010-03-14T00:27:00.004-05:00

My theme for Mosaic Monday is trees in their every form through every season. To see some other wonderful mosaics, please go to Little Red House.

"I often lay on that bench looking up into the tree past the trunk and up into the branches. It was particularly fine at night with the stars above the tree."

Georgia O'Keeffe

Moonbeam on a Rainy Day

2010-03-13T15:37:00.002-05:00

On my way out to the store, I caught a glimpse of yellow from the corner of my eye. So on the way back in, I stopped to catch these shots of Moonbeam coreopsis (one of my favorites) already blooming here in the mild weather in northern Virginia. It was a little spot of moonshine on a rainy day.

Love Pairs

2010-03-11T20:43:00.005-05:00

"Sweet springtime is my time is your time is our time for springtime is love time and viva sweet love. " --

e.e. cummings



Listen, can you hear it? Spring's sweet cantata. The strains of grass pushing through the snow. The song of buds swelling on the vine. The tender timpani of a baby robin's heart. Spring.: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, Wake Up Call, 1992

Sun Bathing

2010-03-08T18:18:00.003-05:00

I caught this guy or gal sunbathing in a tree as I drove home from work this afternoon. It looks like a young Redtail, and he spent the entire time preening in the sun.

Who could blame him? It was warm this afternoon. After a chilly start this morning, it really felt like spring had crept in to lay her plans for blossoms and warmth and nesting birds. Notice all the fat buds on the tree?

Just to speed things along, I'm posting this photo that I took of this yellow swallowtail last summer. Now, it really feels like spring, doesn't it?

Spring Preview

2010-03-07T16:33:00.006-05:00

Whenever I see daffodils, I see spring. I stopped off at the grocery store on my way home from work on Friday and a sales clerk was putting out dozens of daffodil stems. They hadn't even bloomed yet, and I just had to buy some.

This is just one of the blooms after sitting in a vase for a few hours.

I found some wonderful purple tulips too. One of my favorite color combinations in the garden is purple and yellow (yellow achillea and purple coneflowers).

The daffodils have all opened now, and they smell heavenly. Our snow has all melted, and the trees and plants are starting to bud. These blossoms are just a preview of the beauty to come in the next few weeks. I couldn't resist getting a headstart. I bought enough stems to fill two vases, so I could put one in the bedroom too. It's hard to believe that just a couple of weeks ago, we still had tons of snow and ice. It looks like spring is really on her way.

A vase full of sunshine

Ten Things That Make me Happy

2010-02-25T19:23:00.002-05:00

I borrowed this meme from Achorn Farm

10 THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

Watching and listening to a flock of geese flying overhead.
My beautiful grandchildren and spending time with them.
Walking in freshly falling snow as it clings to my eyelashes.
The smell of baking.
Taking photos of nature.
Creating something special for someone special.
Popcorn and raisinettes at the movies.
Fall in all its beautiful glory
A day's work well done.
Saturday mornings and the leisure it brings.

Winter Pond

2010-02-20T19:31:00.000-05:00

I stopped at a small pond today to get some photos of the ducks and geese that, incredibly, were swimming in the icy water. As you can see, we still have quite a bit of snow on the ground and the pond was covered with ice in parts. The ducks and geese seemed to be enjoying the water.

The geese are always in pairs. They knew I was there but totally unconcerned. I'm sure they're used to people since there's a jogging path next to the pond. It's really a beautiful little area that has a small fountain.

There lots of ducks, mostly mallards, except for this gorgeous little white duck. She's there all the time. Last year, she and one of the male mallards were paired off and waddling around the houses under the brush.

And lastly, the beautiful shape of a sleeping tree, resting and gathering its strength to bloom in the coming spring. I love winter.

Another Hawk Sighting

2010-02-20T11:40:00.001-05:00

Don't you think he's looking right at me? And I was a good distance away, using my zoom lens. He still knew right where I was.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T15:07:00.001-05:00

I have a confession to make. For years, I've been madly in love with Carl Sagan. He's one of my heroes. He was a brilliant scientist who brought knowledge of astronomy and space to millions on his show Cosmos. They still show reruns of it here on PBS. He had a way of explaining things so you really understood it and not only understood it, but realized how important everything is, how interrelated the universe is, and how it affects all of us. NPR just did a wonderful piece called "An Alien View of Earth." The image above is a a photo that was taken of earth by the Voyager 1 spacecraft from 4 billion miles away on Valentine's Day, 1990, when the spacecraft turned its cameras to Earth. What you see is an illuminated speck, which really shows our relationship to the entire universe. The entire article is wonderful; but what really stands out for me is this quote from Carl Sagan.

In his book Pale Blue Dot, he described the photo taken by Voyager 1 by saying:

Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every 'superstar,' every 'supreme leader,' every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there — on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my friends and family from the home that we all share and love, our beautiful planet. May we all learn to appreciate, respect, and become guardians of this blue dot we call home.

Snow Surprise

2010-02-14T14:54:00.000-05:00

I got back from a week long conference in New Orleans on Friday (I know, I know) to find that my driveway was still covered with ice and snow at least 2 feet deep. My car, thankfully, was parked in the garage; but I was really hoping that snow was going to melt somehow while I was gone. . . not so much. I don't even own a snow shovel because when we get snow here, it rarely stick around for more than 48 hours, melting away into nothingness. Not this time. While I was gone, we got another 12 to 14 inches of snow on top of what I had left the week before. Surprise!

When I left New Orleans on Friday, they were getting snow in the northern part of Louisiana. I think it followed me. I was worried about making it back here on time, but (thank you, Lord) there were no issues with my air travel.

By the time I got back into town, all the snow shovels were sold out and I didn't have any way to get to a store anyway because I couldn't get out of my driveway. I called the apartment complex front office to see if they had a list of folks who did snow removal -- no joy. I ended up on Craigslist and finally found someone to come and bail (read shovel) me out. I've learned my lesson. From now on, I'm ready with the salt, the shovel, and the ice pick. I may even break down and get an electric snow blower. Now if I can only remember that procrastination (my middle name) is not a virtue.

The Blizzard

2010-02-06T22:09:00.000-05:00

All federal employees were excused four hour before the end of their normal workday yesterday to get ready for the impending snowstorm. They wanted to get everyone home and off the streets before driving got too hazardous and so the road crews could prepare and clear the roadways. We heard conflicting reports on the amount of snow that was due to fall in our area. It started off with estimates of at least a foot and just escalated from there to the probability of 30 inches in some areas of Virginia and Maryland.

I took this photo when I got off work yesterday, just after the snow started falling. It had been falling for about an hour and a half when I took this first photo.

It continued snowing and started to come down much faster. I took this photo after a couple of hours of snowfall.

It snowed all night and got much windier. When I looked outside at about one in the morning, I was amazed at how bright it was out there. It could have been dusk instead of the middle of the night. Snow is an amazing reflective surface.

This morning, when I woke at about 9 am, it was still snowing. As you can tell, it was snowing pretty hard, so you couldn't see very far. Here is a photo from this morning.

Finally this afternoon, it started to taper off. There was a ton of snow on my deck, and I took these photos.

My neighbor's car buried in the snow.

After seeing my neighbor's car, I'm so glad that I have an attached garage. I pay extra for it, but weather like this makes it so worthwhile.

Sometime around 5 pm, the sun came out! It was truly the calm after the storm with a beautiful sunset, topping off a winter wonderland. In all, I think they reported 23 inches here in Ashburn; but there were drifts much deeper. I hear we're in for another storm beginning on Tuesday. Hopefully, we'll be dug out by then.