Nature Walk

Today's post is a long one filled with pictures, so go grab a cup of your favorite hot drink, put on your slippers, and get comfy.....or not. :) Today was an absolutely gorgeous day! The sun shone and the snow glistened and it was hardly cold or at least not the bitter cold from this past week. So I decided to take a walk.

(Shadows can be very interesting, but give me a break! I had Carhartt overalls and coat on.....not exactly flattering to the figure!)

For those of you who might not know, talking a walk at our house is an all out nature experience. We live in a "little" woods with a big woods behind it. The little woods has "fire lanes" or breaks throughout, which work out great for going to Grandpa and Grandma "Back-of-our-house"'s house! Also gives all these boys lots of things to do and explore! :)

There is also a sort of food plot at the back of the little woods. I just love the tall grass/weeds that grow here!

We also have a nature preserve that comes up next to our property and we have our own little access path which is open to the public year round.

So anyway, now that you have an idea where I was walking, here is what I went in search of.....

What you can't find anything? Well that makes two of us! Actually, that isn't entirely true. I did find at least two if not three or so cardinals, but none of them felt like having a photo shoot today. About a week and  a half ago, I had went for a walk and had my 50mm on my camera, well it didn't do me much good for the woodpecker who was directly above me. :( So this time I went armed with my only zoom, an 18-105mm and this is as close as I could get to Mr. Cardinal. Rather discouraging, but I'm not going to give up yet! I did find lots of tracks though around the local bird hangout. ;)

Which is conveniently located in the brier patch and thorny looking trees. I tried hanging out there myself for a while, but them birds are smart little things and they weren't about to come and join me.

I did however get to get a little closer to this pretty bird. (Bird watching really has never been my thing, so I have no idea what kind this is. Maybe someone could clue me in.)  He was a friendly sort of fellow though and hung around long enough for me to get a decent shot.

On my hike I saw numerous trails in the snow made by rabbits, lots and lots and lots of rabbits!!! :) Deer, birds, and ones I'd probably rather not know who/what made them! Once when the boys and I were taking a walk we met a skunk! Thankfully he kept walking the other direction!!!

I saw more pricklies in the brier patch than I'd care to encounter!

Some interesting "monkey vines".

And dead weeds. I have a weakness for them. That was actually what a majority of my pictures from today were, but I'm saving you from sever boredom.....or I hope I am anyway! Ha! Anyway, it always amazes me how there seems to always be a flower within the flower....does that make sense?

It's very appropriate that our dog,Tucker, would go along with me since he's a bird dog and stands/points just like a true hunting dog, but see he doesn't really help out. He's more interested in running off and seeing what he can see then finding me some pretty birds to shoot....with my camera that is. :) Eventually he gets bored and heads back to the house to sit by the fire. What a life!

The sun was starting to go down and it was time to head back to the house myself.

Along the way a few more things caught my eye.

This particular sight was humorous to me. It looks as if someone cut down a tree, then placed the top of another tree on top of the remaining stump. :) Amazing feat huh? LOL!

Once I got back I noticed an icicle that I hadn't before.....

and took close to 100 shots just trying to capture a drip. They seem to hover on the end for a long time and then before you know it, it's off and gone! But I finally got me one! :)

So that was my afternoon spent in the woods, enjoying this wonderful day in the great white north and it sounds like we could have 18 or so inches coming this week!?! Wowza! That's a lot for this area, but it kinda sounds fun as long as we don't loose our electricity. Now how's that for being pampered?

Yesterday, was incredibly busy and I just didn't get a picture taken, so the following are both from today and were my favorites of the bunch. Hope you had a wonderful day too and thanks for coming along with me on my walk! :) Have a blessed week!

 My apologies if once again this post lacks humor or character, I'm making a horrible habit of blogging at an hour that I should have long been in bed. My mind is starting to go numb and things just aren't flowing anymore. Sorry! Hope it all makes sense at least and I know it has issues with some text being centered and whatnot, but it's giving me fits and I'm done messing with it. :)



{Flashback Friday} Family Wedding

I really hope not to make a habit of this all year long, but I seem to be getting good at it. :( We've just come through four solid days of dull, boring, drab skies and that has done nothing to help my creative juices flow. Thankfully today the sun broke through and how wonderful it was! Amazing how our setting can be so influential.....if we let it! And that's the hard part!!!

So anyway, in my funk, I've been doing some brainstorming about how to make my 365 a little more exciting or at least give me a little more direction. I feel a little silly doing this now as a fellow photographer friend just announced this week a weekly idea also, but it's pure coincidence. Guess that means both of us were looking for creativity huh? ;) I realize Flashback Friday isn't a new picture for the day, but it'll give me an opportunity to edit/re-edit or just share a picture from the past with you all. We'll see how it goes anyway. :)

In light of that, though this picture is really supposed to be for this past Wednesday's picture it is a few months old. Around that time I ran across the idea for "lens bling" to help attract the attention of little kiddos. I thought they were adorable and that I surely could make my own. So I made a pattern, bought the supplies, and wala! Meet Mr. Parrot! I've gotten to use a couple times and it does work at least for a limited time...ha!

Thursday's picture gives you a sneak peek at something else I've been working on, bettering my design. Details on that coming soon! ;) ....don't you just love surprises?!

And here we are to Friday's picture. My brother Orrin got married almost two months ago now and I hadn't even started touching the pictures I took at the reception until this week, but I knew this one was a favorite of our dad and my new sister-in-laws dad. It's totally a "right place, right time" shot and I just love it! Wish I had gotten one of the lovely mothers too! :(

And since I shared one, I'll share another from the reception. ;) This is my "oldest" (9 years younger than me) brother, Brandon and little Adin. Adin looks so much like Brandon did when he was that age. Two very handsome men!

And just in case you are rebelling against the idea of no "new" picture for my Friday entry, here is what we woke up to this morning.....and exactly why you shouldn't sleep with Silly Putty in your bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ......................just ask little Joe! LOL!

Bible Study

Small group of ladies + Beth Moore = absolutely refreshing bible study!!!

I am just so excited that last night we started the study of Esther! I have so missed the nights out with NO KIDDOS and connecting with other women, while sharing our spiritual journeys. It just doesn't hardly get any better than that! ;)

Rachel - 12 & 20 days

Apologies to those who have already seen these, but I have readers here who haven't. This was my last newborn session for 2010 and produced some of my favs to date! I can hardly wait till my next one!!!

Miss Rachel's mother and I grew up together, just a 1/2 mi down the road from each other. We were the best of friends and have remained so through a move and back again. Little Rachel is #4 in her family, the third girl and was quite picky to work with. She first came at 12 days and just wouldn't cooperate in the two plus hours we worked with her. She came back at 20 days and we had much better results, which is all but one of these pictures.

Jack Frost and More

Things like this bring back memories from my childhood. I remember waking up on freezing cold mornings to find beautiful full pane sketches left by "Jack Frost". :)

Our windows aren't supposed to do this, but guess this one didn't get the memo.

Why am I six days behind on my 365? Because we've been playing Life.....and living it.....

Sunday evening we saw a beautiful sun dog! Simply gorgeous!

Nature, I just love it! And I'm so thankful to be surrounded by it!!!!

I believe as of tonight this final picture catches me up. :) I grew up sledding on this hill and yes, it's still just as big as when I was small! The boys just loved it!!!

Your Not In Texas Anymore

My dad brought me a treasure the last time they were up here and it seems to think it's still in TX! I was delighted when I first discovered that it was working on blooming and it's not even spring!!! Guess it likes it's cozy spot close to the fireplace. :)

Slipping

It's only week 2 of this Project 365 and I'm starting to slip... I think however that we are over the hump with these chicken pox and ready to move on! Yippee!!! So here are day 14 & 15 fashionably late. :) Neither were taken on the day, but both are very much recent.

This tree has long been an inspiration to me and I pass it almost weekly. About two winters ago I got an amazing shot here with the sky full of angry looking clouds. It was "perfect", but with my old piece of junk camera, so it can't be blown up. :( Since then I've been on a mission to accomplish another one with my newer camera, but the sky just hasn't cooperated with me. So here you have it, the latest version of "The Dog Party Tree" (think "Go Dog Go" book).

This next one I was thinking of entering in the I Heart Faces "Winter Wonderland" contest, but missed the deadline. Little Joe had went out to play all by himself and had to check up on us while we were doing school in the basement.

Your Beautiful

I see your face in every sunrise,
the colors of the morning are inside your eyes,
the world awakens in the light of the day,
I look up to the sky and say...Your Beautiful.....
Your Beautiful by Phil Wickham

Beauty All Around

Some are just icicles and others are elegancicles...

Misery Loves Company

The chicken pox have officially taken over and the youngest finds comfort in the arms of the oldest.

P.S. Image has been changed to creamy chocolate to save you from the visual assult of our 70's couch (think burnt orange, mustard yellow, and dark green flowers), ragged mismatched pillow, and the humiliation of Ethan's pox covered face. I think it worked quite nicely and we're all happy that way! :0) Well, except for those who are still itching!

Snowed In

We are love, love, loving all this snow, but I have to say, I'm glad I don't have to shovel it out of my bed before I can crawl in it tonight!!!

Fresh New Look

I'm sorry you have to look at my ugly mug twice in just a matter of a few days, but I have three down with the chicken pox presently and so I haven't exactly spent time in the creative department. So I resorted to showing off my new specks. Some of you recall that my old ones broke quite some time back and I had posted a picture of two new styles asking for opinions (sorry I didn't go with either choice). Well like most things I'm pretty good at putting them off, specially when it involves a couple hundred dollars and it's something I'm going to be stuck with for a while. Unfortunately my tape was giving out on me and not exactly trendy so I broke down and picked out "the" pair. It's something different than I've ever had and I'm still getting used to them, but I think I like the new look. I just might have to ditch the contacts every now and then!

Ideas

Today's picture is one that I've had in my head for some time, or rather a miniture version of what's been in my head. I played with actions and textures and it was quite fun! Not sure that I'll ever do another wedding, but if so, I've got an expanded version to try! :)