Living in the Woods

You can see how much in the woods we live. This shot is of the back of our house.




Doesn't the house look inviting at twilight with the light beckoning? We added the boardwalk so we could go from the driveway into the kitchen and not have any stairs. It's a nice place to stand, lean on the railing and watch the wildlife.


The other side of the house faces the front yard. Check out the sidebar (Our Cottage in the Woods) for a picture from the front. Looking at these pictures, the right end is all glass and faces the lake. That is where the hammock (see my header) hangs on the porch and is the place to be on a lazy summer day with the ceiling fan stirring up a breeze. I must have read a thousand books while lying in that hammock. You can see the hammock through the glass. That is how Mr. B keeps track and knows when I need a snack or a glass of lemonade or another book.

Usually there are several cats sharing the porch. I've had a hummingbird buzz my head, a bird light on the end of the hammock and a squirrel stand on the railing two feet away and study me.

On July 4th, we stood on the porch and watched the fireworks display over the lake. We had to look through the trees but we could even see the reflections in the water.

Tweet

Butterfly Collage

Please join Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Here is my offering for this Monday. This butterfly posed so nicely for me that I was able to shoot many photos. You'll be seeing more of him/her in other posts. I love the way his shadow shows through the leaf! Just click on the photo for a closer look.

This yellow begonia is my favorite flower of the summer. It is blooming in a planter on the railing of my deck. It survived being dug up twice by the resident raccoon.

Since I have not been very happy with my other mosaics made with Picasa, I put this one together by layering these photos onto a background in Photoshop Elements.

Tweet

Dogwood in the Spotlight

This is my entry for Macro Flowers Saturday. I took the photo this spring as I was walking around Gordonsville, Virginia.

I love the way this blossom seems to be in the spotlight. You can see the texture of the petals and the shadow of the flower center. Click on the picture to see a real close up.

Tweet

My Favorite Stump

Does anyone else have a favorite stump? This is very near the end of my back walk at the edge of the woods. I first noticed it last summer when it was this brilliant shade of orange.


Here it is during the winter. The orange is not quite as bright.


Here is the stump this summer. Notice how the color has changed and there is now some green on it. And a Virginia Creeper has taken hold.
I'm joining Claudia at Dipity Road for Finding Beauty Friday. Beauty can be found in some unusual places, even an old stump.

Tweet

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.

Tweet

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.

Tweet

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!

Tweet

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!

Tweet

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.

Tweet

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!

Tweet

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!

Tweet

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.

Tweet

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!

Tweet

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.

Tweet

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!

Tweet

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!

Tweet

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.

Tweet

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.

Tweet

Spring in Gordonsville, VA

Mr. B had a dentist appointment and I went along for moral support. My support did not extend to going inside! Instead I spent the time taking pictures. The early heat has really rushed the blooms, including the trees.

The two pictures on the right are of the Presbyterian Church. All the photos were taken on Main Street.

I'm joining Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Tweet

Valentine Rose

This lovely miniature rose bush was our gift to each other on Valentines Day. Mr. B and I found it at Lowes on the half price rack and "splurged." And who says romance is gone after forty-four years of marriage? Ha! It brought some much needed color to our sunny window sill in the midst of a very snowy winter in Virginia.

It bloomed and thrived, but all too soon the blooms were finished.

It continued to live on that windowsill until warm weather.

Now, minus its red paper wrapper, it is basking in the heat and sunshine on the back deck. It has put on new growth and seems very happy. I'm hoping it will bloom again.

Has anyone had luck with getting a rose like this to live and continue to bloom? Any chance it will be blooming next Valentines day?

Tweet

We aren't the only ones who live here!

I often hear the screeching cry (kee-ahh) of a hawk in my yard. One spring a pair had nested in our back yard very close to the house but I never saw more than a head poking above the nest. So one morning recently while I was enjoying my hammock and a good book, I heard the familiar cry (actually I am hearing it as I type this). I looked into the trees to find the source - and I found it! I excitedly ran to get my camera and here is the result.

After studying the pictures and the bird book, I think this is a Red Shouldered Hawk. Notice the striped tail and wings and the reddish color on the breast. He is one of the larger hawks.

He (or she?) very obligingly sat for about fifteen minutes. We had just had three days and nights of heavy rain and I wonder if he was drying himself in the sun. He kept holding his wings out and spreading his tail. These pictures were made from my front porch at a distance of 200 yards using my optical zoom.

I often hear and see him fly across my front yard and I hear him in the woods. Sometimes I hear him in the trees but just can't spot him. Seeing him that morning was really special! It reminded me that Mr. B and I aren't the only ones who live on this spot!

See what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has to say about the Red Shouldered Hawk. Be sure to listen to the cry.

Tweet

Ever feel like your house is too small?

The world's smallest house is for sale in Toronto, Canada. Measuring just a little over 7 feet wide and 47 feet long, this very cute house is literally squeezed in between its neighbors.

Boasting 312 square feet, there is a living room, a kitchen, a full sized bath, a bedroom and a back yard. It is selling for 110,000 pounds.

Need a weekend place in town? I have been to Toronto and found it to be a very nice place.

Think how large your house would seem when you get home!

Tweet

Spring Sunset

I made this picture from my backyard yesterday. The trees look like winter in the picture but actually the maples are blooming and there are hints of color on the other trees.



And as I snapped the picture I could hear the peepers in the low spot. Check out the link to see and hear the peepers for yourself!

Tweet

Change of Seasons

On a cold gray day that felt like winter I took my camera and went out to see if there were signs of spring. Other than the daffodils, you have to look closely to see tiny flowers and buds. I needed obvious proof that spring is here so I planted pansies. But just in case, I left the snow shovel out!

Tweet

Sorrow and Joy

Claudia at Dipity Road has it exactly right in her Friday - Finding Beauty post. Along with joy comes sorrow. Our house inspection went well and we are waiting to hear from the seller about the repairs that need to be done. So I am thinking about what I will be leaving behind here at the lake and our woods. I have enjoyed watching the ducks and geese.

I will miss looking out and seeing the lake.

I will miss the stream that flows into the lake and taking pictures of the waterfall.

I'm trying to focus on the positive aspects of the move, but I will be roaming the neighborhood and saying goodbye to my favorite trees, stumps, and views.

Tweet

Spring IS Coming!

I took a walk with my camera on a gray rainy day thinking there were no signs of spring. To my amazement I found this flowering quince ready to burst into bloom. It certainly made my day!

I am joining The Little Red House for Mosaic Monday. Check out all the lovely mosaics!

Tweet

House Hunting Success!

Success! A whirlwind trip of house hunting and this is the result. Mr. B and I are buying the house with our daughter and son-in-law whom we refer to as son #4. This is the house I was off to see in the last post about our house search. Actually, our daughter and husband had viewed the house a year ago then it went off the market. While I was in Connecticut the house appeared and we jumped at the chance. After all, it has 4,200 sq ft and 2 and a quarter acres.

This is the back of the house. It was built in the sixties and I feel there is a definite Frank Lloyd Wright influence. There is lots of glass, large rooms, a marble wall with fireplace and a brick wall with fireplace. The living room is huge and has a cathedral ceiling. And there is hardwood flooring under the carpet. There will definitely be space for a craft room, a closed off TV room (for my sanity) and a guest room!

The road that loops by the house is quiet and will be good for walking and riding a bike. Down the hill behind the house is a river.

The house inspection is this week. Keep your fingers crossed! More pictures later.

Tweet

Purple Berries

I'm joining Claudia at Dipity Road for "Friday - Finding Beauty."

This photo was made last fall on a trip to Connecticut. Beautiful foliage was all around me, but these beautiful purple berries caught my eye.

Tweet