6-5-16 ~ A Barn, Flowers, and a Sad Week at the Robinson Homeplace

This week I had to have my beloved pal of 16 years, Little Jack the Schnauzer, put down because of kidney failure, incontinence, and advanced dementia. I never knew dogs could get dementia, but Jack was having a terrible time getting lost and just not responding. He laid in his little bed crate almost all day. It has broken my heart as I have never killed or had to have a doctor put down any animal in my life (a ground stinging bee hive attacking me and flies so not count). I had no idea how hard it was going to effect me, but there has been some real depression. As always, I draw to try to get over the doldrums so here is my first beginning sketch. Jack is NOT a girl as you all know, but I love bows so put them on him. The lighting was terrible this morning so please excuse the dark gritty places in both pictures.

As the week went on, I decided to try to come up with something happy that included him so created... The Kerrs Creek 2016 Beauty Contest with him as the Judge from up in Doggie Heaven. In case you cannot read the names of the contestants here they are...

Edgar Egret

Kelly Kitty

Brenda Bluebird

Matilda Mouse

Claudette Cow

Roscoe Rabbit

As you notice, they all have their little red hearts on them.

Just hunt and you will see them.

So, how do you put a smile on a sad old face....well, you go out and take pictures of a very old barn of a friend and all the wildflowers he planted 3 years ago and has nurtured them day after day. Thank you, Tom, for giving me a reason to brighten my days this week. For anyone wanting to see more pretty barns, go to Tom the Backroads Traveler's Barn Collective. This post is also linked with I Heart Macro and Macro Monday 2. 

5-7-16 ~ A Morning at Explorer Park and a Mother’s Day Memory

This morning Bud ran a grim 6 mile mountain race in Roanoke, VA, and it was one of the worst 6 miles of his life. Our Buick has been mysteriously stalling suddenly when stopped at stop lights, but today it decided to quit on this narrow congested dirt road while frustrated runners were honking their cars. We had already put in a new battery, but obviously that was not the problem. Maybe it has to be something with the computer...who knows. We finally got it started, but we were already running a bit late to pick up his stuff before the race started. The whole mess did a job on Buddy mentally and physically, and to add fuel to the fire it was a soaked trail from all the rain. His poor stomach was a mess the entire run which took him a horrible 2 hours to complete while I waited in the car with my sketchbook and the motor running. We were going to go to the big Strawberry Festival in Roanoke afterwards but bagged that for fear we could stall out in downtown traffic.  I did manage to get out and walk about with the Bud's trusty hiker Canon.

GREAT REFLECTIONS

(Never have I gotten shots like these on cars. To me, they are magical.)

SHADOWS

BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS

In Memory of My Mother on Mother’s Day 2016

(from my art journal)

This post is linked with:

Weekend Reflections

Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Pippa's Foto der Woche

I Heart Macro

Macro Monday 2

Cranberry Bogs ~ West Virginia

On Saturday, August 16th, Buddy and I drove over to WV to walk through Cranberry Bogs. This time there were flowers to see and lots of pictures to take. After a long summer inside, it was heavenly to get back out in the woods. The day was gorgeous and the temperature perfect. We had the best time. There’s a bunch of photos in this post, so just whippy-doodle right on through them. I culled lots, but these were my favorites.

These are all taken along the boardwalk through the glade.

WHY? ALWAYS THE GRAFFITI :-(

AGAIN.....WHY??? ALWAYS THE GRAFFITI :-(

These are the flowers we saw. They were all so pretty.

Here we have some bees and a hummingbird moth.

Some Mushrooms





Two Views from the Top of the Nature Trail with the Blue Skies

This post is linked with:

~Our World Tuesday

~Outdoor Wednesday

~NF BloMa

~Floral Friday Foto

~Today’s Flowers

~Skywatch Friday

~I Heart Macro

~Scenic Weekends

~Camera Critters

~Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Our Hummers Have Returned

It was an exciting day yesterday when I got these photos. I haven’t been at home much in the last six weeks because one of my children has not been well and I have been helping out around their house...one of those things grandmothers do so well. Every year I fret and stew that the hummingbirds will bypass us and not return, but my faith is still there. I was sitting out on our front porch looking this way and that when the missing hummers decided to come in for din-din. Somehow, I managed to get the lens on the correct setting and captured these pictures. Hope you enjoy them. It tickles me to death to get captures like these, and it makes me happy to get up a post these days. Just, please bear with me on the commenting on all of your wonderful pictures. Soon, I hope things will get back to normal, I will be at home more, and I will have time to spend on the computer. Happy Birding.

I just had to try a bit of texture.

This post is linked with:
Wild Bird Wednesday
Bird D’Pot
I Heart Macro
Reconnect with Nature