Butterfly Magik

Summer is gone finally.  I busy myself with all the many chores around the homestead. It took about a week to pick up all the downed limbs and twigs from the storm(s).  We interred John's ashes into the cemetery plot he had purchased back in 1999.  He picked his own stone etc...he later decided he wanted to go with cremation and he tried to sell his plot.  He was not able to and finally just gave up.  So we did both.  He is resting in his plot in a lovely Urn, and I have a small one on the mantle.  I dealt with losing him long ago but still there is pain inside me to deal with.  I cry a little each day and add that to the years of tears cried. 

Slowly I hope nature will help me...right now I'm closed off...but I know soon the shield will be moved and I will be open again to feeling, enjoying, and experiencing.  In fact my son and I took a walk the other day and we found this beautiful sight best seen in motion.  I know John would have loved it...he was close to nature when he was in his prime.  I will be back when I can find my words again.  I'm still exploring the idea of Vlogging, it's a way to explore being creative and sharing. 

Hope you all have a good week. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Happy Birthday!

 JULY 4th and the GIRLZ have a birthday...they turned 3 today..SO yesterday we had a sort of party for them...and here is what we did! Hope you all had a good 4th ---

                                                                               ANNIE 

                                                                               FLOSS

                                                                            Birthday lake dip

                                                     And what's the 4th without WATERMELON?

Three Beautiful Ladies!! My best friends. 

PEACE

A Quiet Hike @ Goodale SP

IT'S FRIDAY-
I dont know why I get excited over Fridays except its a left over warm n fuzzy of all those years of working--anyways I am doing some at home work again for a wee while and dont know how long it will last, have my fingers crossed--I finished up my work on Wednesday and so that means time to wander around. 

I would like to find a new spot "an unseen jewel" but for now my home ground will have to curb my hunger for adventure and travel! Goodale State Park is only a couple of miles from here so after I walked the girls I took off to walk myself around the lake with my camera...and to see what was stirring..I know this's not adventurous but it's always great  to be out hiking---

OF course the ducks and other waterfowl always  know Im coming and I hear them flush right away and that douses my chances of getting any good photos of them -there's always that glimmer of hope & unless I figure out how to levitate, its not happening --especially on these freshly fallen bed of crispy leaves!

... since I dont always enter via the main entrance (thats too easy and the best views of the lake are on the backside) I park on the highway & wander in crossing the boundary line, over the river, and through the woods --kinda...you sort of have to wade this bit of run off ....watch your step or you'll get a cold bath!



How did I manage to sneak up on these geese? Not sure I know its not exactly anything new or exciting, but I always enjoy seeing wildlife--no matter what...they almost seemed to be whispering or gossiping ...

The Cypress trees at Goodale are amazing in every season.  In the fall they turn the most outrageous shade of RUST....this shot is from my last visit there back on the 28th of October so about a month ago...

All the needles are gone now and the trunks and large bases of the trees is quite striking...the wind finally stopped on Wednesday (I think the whole southern hemisphere was having wind on Wednesday) the water was calm and that means great reflections--

            

...behind this first line of trees- if you look back beyond these-- where the sun is still hitting you can see the swift lake channel and the water there was so BLUE--amazing I have canoed this lake before with my son, we paddled the channel it goes way back to where the little stream becomes barely a trickle in dry season....

So I walked to the other side of the lake where the Nature Trail is and saw Pied Billed Grebe, and Cormorants diving under the chilled water...I took some fuzzy photos of them but nothing worth sharing...flushed a Great Blue Heron and scared the beJeesus out a few mallards ......and got some retreating shots of them but still nothing worth sharing---I found this single leaf floating and it didn't fly away so--

It was getting cold and I had to cross the "bridge" on my way back so I took off and once I got around the other side again... I heard the Jungle cry of a Pileated Woodpecker and there he was poking around one of the dead Cypress that has numerous woodpecker holes up and down the trunk...its pretty far out in the water at least 100 ft maybe more so I didnt get a stellar shot of this guy but he remained STILL long enough for me to snap a few shots with my trusty Kodak,....not terrific --but the best Ive gotten so far of this getting more rare species--I was hoping for the Ivory Billed but...wtheck Ill take this Northern Ficker instead!

So today is another free day for me, and tomorrow and the next and I'm  wondering what I can get into? NO TELLING--hope all of you have a wonderful weekend, Ill be making my reading rounds of your blogs--

February Walk with the Girlz

We had an ice strom here over the weekend..its gone now but still cold. Mom has gone to spend 2 weeks with my SIS up in the foothill country...the same one I dog sit for...she is happy to get some time away and Im happy for the solitude--something I enjoy very much, although I miss her a LOT! The girlz miss her too!!

So I went out with my camera and took the girlz for their walk..they both got so much mud on them I had to wash their feet in a tub of warm water when we got home..lol IT just wouldnt come off otherwise..and these girlz come inside the house at night and we have some carpet so they endured the footbath!! (wish someone would give me a footbath*g*) So we brought back some photos--first I caught this Northern Cardinal-

and American Goldfinch

 Then we headed out to photograph the ice--

 Later the sky brightened....

 

 We headed up Timber Creek Rd..one of my favorite walks its about 3 miles round trip a bit much for the girlz but I got caught up in taking lots of photos so they got a chance to rest!

Flickr Ate My Photos 

   

 We had a great walk and they napped after dinner...then I went out again to catch the sunset, because its hard to find open space among the forest...I head to the right of way for a long shot of the sunset and the rising fog on this very cold night!!

  I have more of my twilight sunset shots but will save them for next time. WOW its February already-time is flying~ and daylights a burning~ Hope everyone has a great week!

Postcards from Dixxe!

HOWDY THERE! I was home for one day and then off to dog sit upstate SC for my other sis...so Im writing from there. My sis's dog is quite old and he is not feeling too good so it's a pretty intense regiment of pills and such...but he is resting comfy right now so I am taking some time to update my blog! OH I had such a wonderful trip out west and even tho I was there for a bit longer than 2 weeks it wasnt enough! We took a fantastic road trip once I arrived in Colorado where big sis lives-we took the rental car and put 1800 miles on it! IN A huge circle--and although we didnt follow the entire Grand Circle most of the attractions we did see are in that vicinity. We traveled through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world in my opinion. I simply cant get enough of Canyon Country in Utah--so much magic there in those rocks of many colors. I took so many photos...omg and Im so happy to have those images to keep my memories fresh of what I saw and what I did. Of course Colorado is not half bad either! Check out this magnificent fall color the Aspen trees shared with me before I had to leave! This photo was taken in the area of Greg Mace Peak, not far from Aspen Colorado.

 ANd this was taken inside a slot canyon near Page AriZona-- if you are even in the area I highly suggest taking a tour with Chief Tsosie and his Navajo Guides!..Fantastic spot. The curves and the striations in the rock are fantastic!

   

 you have to see this for yourself!! and you have to see this guy--I dont know what his official name is but he is super fantastic to look at!

   

 And this was a highlight...not just seeing this fantastic arch, but the boat ride thru the Glen Canyon and over Lake Powell to get to this arch--The Rainbow Bridge Natl. Monument--so worth the price--a must see and do!

   

1/2 boat ride to the Rainbow Bridge, so much fun.  They weave in and around the rocks to you us there and sometimes we zoom over open water..

 I know you guys are gonna be sick n tired of me and my trip photos...but I hope You love the landscape as Much as I do!.. And here are a few of the birds I saw--I didnt get a shot of the Pygmy nuthatch a new life bird for me!..but here is the western blue bird, the mountain blue bird, and the western meadowlark

    

I hope to share more of these adventures. 

Life is Art~

I see art in my surroundings, mother nature is an artist. She has painted the perfect world for us, and we are the stewards of that world. I love to get my hands in the dirt, like an artist who enjoys finger painting...when I was 5 I loved to finger paint. So dipping my hands into the warm Earth gives me the power to create. This morning I spent some time doing the following:

 1. Made a repair of the vent boots on the roof!...While up there on the roof I got a birds eye view of my garden, I enjoyed the gallery of plants.

 2. Later, I took my dogs for a nice long walk in the cool morning air, and I enjoyed the free concert of songs performed by such artists as the White Eyed Vireo, the Pine Warbler, along with Mr. Blue 'n the Jays.

 3. Late morning found me in my garden pulling weeds, then I stroked the ground with the rake creating patterns and texture in the loam.

 4. My work done, I relaxed on the screen porch with a glass of iced tea and reflected on my morning spent in artful endeavors. My Little Garden Patch:

 

Art to eat

Listen to and follow the guidance given to your heart. Expect guidance to come in many forms; in prayer, in dreams, in times of quiet solitude, and in the words and deeds of wise Elders and friends.

From the Archives of Blue Panther