Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Special Blogs


There are so many wonderful blogs. I especially enjoy the ones that feature photography. Many of you know about Mary Carroll's Little Red House and her Monday Mosaics. Mary has another blog named In a Soft Light which is full of lovely photographs. She mentioned Shadowhouse Creations which features a lot of textures which are available for download. I decided to try using one of the textures and here is my result. I'm sure there are better ways to use these textures. I will keep experimenting.


Monday, June 28, 2010

Duck Collage

One day recently Mr. B and I had a picnic across the street from our house. The creek is surrounded by community property where it flows into the lake so feels almost like our front yard. We sat at a picnic table in the shade and just enjoyed the day. The boats in the slips were bobbing in the current, fish were jumping and a cardinal was singing. Two ducks swam up the creek, got out and groomed themselves, had a flurry with three other ducks and then they all headed down the creek and into the lake.

Luckily I had my camera with me. I'm joining Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Summer Porches

Today I'm featuring Summer Porches in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Twice a week Mr. B goes to the clinic to see about his leg. So I ride with him and eat a porch chop biscuit (see Favorite Breakfast) and read a book while I wait. Several times I walked a few blocks and admired all the flowers and porches, and one day I was smart enough to take my camera. These photos are the result.

I had fun choosing which photos to show. Some of them I used filters on, just for fun! I hope you enjoy my tour. This is my Friday Finding Beauty offering for Claudia at Dipity Road.








I hope you love summer porches as much as I do. I'm spending lots of time on my porch, always with a book and a cool drink. Thank goodness for the ceiling fan. And yes, there may be a nap or two as I swing gently in the hammock!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Woodland Mosaic

The woods are only a step away from my back door as you can see by the photo in the sidebar, "Our Cottage in the Woods." So I walk into the woods often to take pictures. When I snapped these I stood very still and watched a bird land right above me. Of course I took his photo and he is in the collage on the right. A friend of mine identified him as a yellow billed cuckoo, a bird I had never seen.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology states that he is a very shy bird that is heard more than seen. You can even listen to his call at this web site. It was quite exciting for me to realize I had actually photographed a bird I had never seen before now. And this was sooooo close to my back door!




I am joining Little Red House for Mosaic Monday. Join us and view all the lovely mosaics!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Flower in the Sun

I am enjoying taking pictures of flowers. These are in the planter on the rail of my deck. The raccoon completely dug up this planter and I had to start over. Aren't they a lovely color?

I'm joining Claudia for Finding Beauty Friday.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Favorite Breakfast

My favorite breakfast is not gourmet fare but it tastes just as good. It's a pork chop biscuit from Hardee's, without the gravy. Doesn't this biscuit look good?


The pork chop is tender and has lots of pepper on it. Yummy!


The sad thing is I am moving to Connecticut where there are no Hardee's!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Always Something to See

Just out my back door on the deck railing, this begonia greeted me cheerfully this morning. It survived two attempts by the wildlife, either raccoons or squirrels, to dig it up and is thriving. The first picture is natural.


On this second picture I used a watercolor filter. It does look a little like a painting. Mr. B always likes the natural ones best, but I have fun adding filters.

There was a squirrel on the railing and I took some shots of him. I must have 500 cute squirrel pictures. I can't resist them!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Pure Color!

I had lots of fun this spring taking pictures of flowers. These coral azaleas were among my favorites. What a gorgeous color! I just couldn't get enough of them!

Join Little Red House for this week's Mosaic Monday and enjoy all the beautiful pictures.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Help with Mosquitoes?

To my great disappointment our yard at the new house in Connecticut is overrun with mosquitoes. Since we moved from Maine many years ago where mosquitoes were terrible, we have not lived in places where they were a problem (New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia). Even though we live in the woods in Virginia and by a lake, I can lie in the hammock all day and see only one mosquito.

So after living "mosquito free" it is annoying to have the problem again. We do plan to put up a bat house but I read that can sometimes take a year before they move in. I found a web site advertising "Mosquito Barrier" a garlic based liquid. Has anyone tried this?



My son-in-law has read that planting mints and marigolds near the house is a natural deterrent. Certainly worth a try. There is no standing water in the neighborhood. There is a river down the hill but it is moving water and not swampy.

I love to be on the porch, and work in the garden as well as take photo walks. Pesky mosquitoes will hamper these activities. Also Mr. B has a serious reaction to the bites. Our cats go in an out and sometimes not quickly so the door is held open. I would appreciate any suggestions!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Photo walk

The weather has been really hot and humid in Virginia. Today is more pleasant with drier air and temperatures in the seventies. So I pulled myself out of the hammock and went for a walk with my camera. Each time I start out I wonder if I can find anything new and different to photograph on this walk I have made hundreds of times.

Here is today's shot made in a neighbor's yard. I like the way the sun was highlighting the side of the wheelbarrow, and I like the diagonal line the handles make. A dry brush filter took out some of the detail and made it look more like a painting.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A Furry Friend

And you thought man's best friend was a dog? Here is Mr. B getting his daily dose of sports news with his companion, Cindy. Sometimes he pulls the other desk chair up close to this one so she can nap and he can pet her. And sometimes she likes to lie beside the keyboard.

Maybe he could teach her to enjoy sports so he would have someone to discuss baseball, football and soccer with! Cindy follows Mr. B around the house and tries to share every chair he sits in!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Irises and Garden Shoes

It has been another warm week in Central Virginia. The leaves and the grasses look like mid-summer. Farmers already have their first cutting of hay down.

These are closes ups of my irises. Isn't the veining lovely?



I love the way you can look inside the flower!




These are gardening shoes I bought in early spring. I wore them to Connecticut and learned they are also good in the snow. They are rubber like and waterproof. The inside is felt and they may be too hot to wear in the heat. I like how easy they are to slip on compared to having to lace up sneakers.




Be sure and visit "Tootsie Time" and Flaunt Your Flowers Friday. You'll love seeing what she has in the greenhouse!

I'm also joining Cluadia at "Dipity Road" for Finding Beauty Friday. Her photos are amazing!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Pansies and ----- rocks?

I can't resist picking up a bag of rocks from the beach when I am in Nova Scotia. Each one is soooooo nice! The rocks had been sitting untidly in a heap on my boardwalk. When I planted my pots of pansies there were some empty spots so I decided to fill them with the rocks.

I was happy with the results. Doesn't this look nice with the rocks on the edge?



Here is the same pot after the flowers have grown a little.

Alea at "Premeditated Leftovers "(one of my favorite blogs) told me about Flaunt Your Flowers. So for the first time I am joining Tootsie at Flaunt Your Flowers Friday. She has a lovely blog and I look forward to more "Flower Fridays." And thanks Alea for the hint!

I'm also joining Shana at "Blaze 'n Crochet" for a blog hop called Friday Follow.


Friday Follow

Friday, April 23, 2010

A Front Door and a Porch!

I was on a nature walk today and focusing on tiny flowers on the ground. Then I happened to look up and saw this. Can't you imagine this as the front door to some bird's or animal's house and there is even a porch! Lovely!


So remember - look up too. You might be rewarded by seeing something unusual.