The End of a Wonderful Year

Today is the last day of 2007.

I have to admit, 2007

has been quite an eyeopener.

I had two minor surgeries and a cancer scare.....

and it really got me thinking about life.....

my life.....and my loved ones.

I think God sometimes gives us little nudges....and

I believe He nudged me this year.

You see, before this year I was a complete couch potato.

I never went outside and enjoyed the air, the trees, the flowers,

the wildlife.....sometimes I think I never enjoyed living.

I was a huge worrier....about work, about home, about kids,

about hubby, about parents and siblings.

This year He taught me to slow down and ENJOY life

and that He is in control.

And He showed me how beautiful and precious life is.

So my final post for 2007 are pictures that are quite
ordinary...but that I find so beautiful.

To All My Dear Blogging Friends....Happy New Year

I hope only the best for you in 2008!

Color Found!

 Berries in the Forest 

Fungus in the Forest.

Garden of Delight

If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.

- Frances Hodgson Burnett

X Marks the Spot

Darkly, deeply, beautifully blue - the sky

~ George Byron Gordon

 Izaak Walton Park - Christiansburg, VA 

Male Cardinal

 I took this shot of the cardinal at Bissett Park on Christmas Day 2007

Calling To Me

 As you can see ...this leaf isn't part of this tree,

it is just "stuck" on the branch.
It called to me ....."please take my picture"
So I did!
Do you ever have shots that just call out to be taken??

Christmas Day 2007 - Happy Birthday!

Today is Christmas Day....however all of the socializing and

gift giving is over for us....we celebrated early.

The kids have been dropped off to

spend the Holiday with their Dad.

I miss them already :(

I was able to get out yesterday and take pictures....

and Dear Hubby and I are off to a special place to take some more today.

It is a bit chilly here this morning (32 degrees)

but it is supposed to warm up a bit.

These two shots are Nativity scenes from

"Granny's" house.

I call MY MOM Granny because that is what

my kids call her.

That is also what I called my Mom's Mom when I was little.

I wanted to post these two scenes today because this is really

what TODAY is all about.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas At Granny's

Remembering Christmas at "Granny's" House.

Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas to ALL!

 

Christmas Ornaments

I thought I would share some of the special ornaments

we put on our tree.

This is Lovely Daughter's ornament.....Tweety :)

This is Darling Son's ornament - Scooby-Doo :)
Scooby was my favorite cartoon as a kid...
and my kids loved him too.
This one is Baby Jesus....my ornament.

And these are Dear Hubby's ornaments.

The Three Stooges.

If you look closely they are posing as

See No Evil, Hear No Evil and

Speak No Evil.

(click on pics to enlarge)

 

Can You See It?

Can you See it?

The branch on this tree had been cut and

this is what was left.

The dark spot in the middle reminds me of a profile view of

a woman with a thin neck and

with her hair in a bun. (Olive Oyl perhaps?)
Can you see it?
OR
looking at it in another way -
Daffy Duck!

I didn't see it at the time I took the shot...

I just liked how it looked....almost rippled...

and I loved the rings.

More Icy Pictures

Carolina Chickadee on an Icy Branch

Male Downy Woodpecker 

Wrapped In Ice

Wrapped in Ice

 If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.

- Anne Bradstreet

Posts

Remember my fascination with benches and leaves?

I also have a

fascination with fence posts.

Finding pleasure in the simple things :) 

A Version of this image is 
Available - HERE 

You are always free to do something that makes you smile.

~ Unknown

Sunset Reflections in a Window

A reflection of the sunset in the window of my garage.

This was taken right after I took the reflection shot

And this was taken later that evening.
Wishing you a Wonderful Day!

Simplify

In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. 
 ~ Henry David Thoreau

Finding beauty in the Browns and Grays. Two of my favorite colors.

Blacksburg Farmland

Rainy day at the farm.

White Breasted Nuthatch In the Pine cones

If you truly love nature, 
you will find beauty everywhere.

~  Vincent van Gogh


 More of my Nuthatch Images - HERE 

The Lone Leaf

Truly happy memories always live on, shining. Over time, one by one, they come back to life. 

~ Yoshimoto 

One of my all-time favorite shots from my early days of shooting.  Image made at Pandapas Pond in Blacksburg, Virginia  on October 27, 2007.

My daughter, Brianna and I had a morning out taking pictures...it was foggy and rainy...

and I thought that we wouldn't have much luck.

It turned out to be a fantastic morning.

I remember walking down the path and seeing this lone leaf

impaled thru a twig on the branch.

That day and time with her will be a memory that

lasts forever with me.

Blue Ridge Parkway Sky

Looking out over the Blue Ridge Mountains

Those 2 black 'specs' are birds :)

A Little Bit of Color

One of the Male Cardinals that hangs out at my house :) 

Showing off his crest!
Wishing you a Wonderful day! 


More Cardinals - HERE  

One of Those Days

Have you ever had "one of those days"?

One that just feels yucky?
You can't put your finger on WHY
but it is just a BLAH day.

That's the day I'm having today.

So I thought I would post some of my beloved benches.

They always cheer me up.

I know to some they may look lonely....but to me

they are beautiful!

I don't know why I have this LOVE for benches...I just do :)

See, I feel better already.

Embark!

The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark.
― Barbara Hall 

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway  
at the overlooks, sometimes there are paths/hiking

trails....this is one of those.

A link to learn a little more

about the Blue Ridge Parkway: - HERE 

Yearning To Be Carried Away

I like to think a flower opens itself to outgrow its plantedness. 
That it yearns to be carried away. 
~ Unknown