Sunday Photos

Happy Sunday!

I hope that things are well where you are. I'm doing great, especially since I'm able to get here again. I love blogging! :) As I mentioned in my last post, things have become a bit more hectic, but hopefully I'm getting a handle on things once again, so I'll be able to come here and share more of my photos and thoughts. I appreciate everyone who continues to visit me here even when I can't get here as often as I'd like. Thank you so much for sticking with me :)

As usual, I've been snapping a few photos here and there with my phone. These days mostly everyone does this too though, right? Lol. Anyway, I try to capture a bit of what I see daily...some things turn out great and sometimes the idea or intention doesn't come through in the end product. Lol. Still, I love photography, so I hope you'll keep visiting me to see what I see!

Here are a couple of photos that I took recently when we were out for a walk on a beautiful day here in Wiltshire. We were up on the edge of a slope, looking out across the fields and into the distance. It was an absolutely BREATHTAKING view! I couldn't capture it well enough to do it justice, but at least I hope that you can see some of what I saw :)

I'll be back with more photos in a few days.

Have a great week!

A Friday Photo and the Last Bits of Summer

Today's Friday photo is one that I took just yesterday. We were heading back from the store and I wasn't driving so I took this picture from the passenger side. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, sort of like the summer days that we didn't get in June ;-) So I really relished having this lovely sunny weather while we have it. It's blurry because we were moving, but I liked the feeling of movement so I thought that I'd share it :-)

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend wherever you are!

A Friday Photo and Summer Memories

Today's Friday photo was taken in July 2012 and all that I can think of is how time flies. I know it's cliche, but sometimes when I look back at these various photos I really can't believe that it's been that long because many of them feel like just yesterday. I remember very vividly taking this walk and coming to this path that led to the bridge.

In a way I guess that within yourself, inside your own memory, anything is accessible as if it were yesterday and that's the beauty of memory :)

This photo also makes me think of summer especially as we're heading towards fall now. Summer's green will soon give way to fall's yellows, oranges, and reds and I look forward to it because fall is my favorite season.

So long summer...see you again soon!

A Friday Photo and Natural Beauty

Today's Friday photo was taken a few days ago here in Wiltshire. This was the view as we drove home. It was a gloriously beautiful day! I love the wide open fields and the curvy roads.

It was a wonderful day :-)

Have a great weekend wherever you are!

A Friday Photo and Pre-Blue Moon Quiet

Today's Friday photo is a continuation from the last couple of Fridays. I guess that it's turned into a series :) Anyway, this is the last of the group taken on July 31, 2015. 

As I mentioned in my previous posts here and here, we went to watch the full blue moon rise on that evening and saw a fantastic sunset and the beautiful blue moon. It was a glorious evening and one that I won't forget for a long time. The awe-inspiring beauty has definitely stayed with me. 

The photo above is the midpoint of the whole experience. I had just cast my eyes upon the wondrous power of the setting sun in the west and then I turned my attention the other way to the east and saw this haunting lull between the stars of the show...the sun and the moon. 

When I see this photo, I can "hear" what I heard that evening...the quiet, as a slight wind blew across that Wiltshire hill as we waited.

As with the sunset and the full blue moon, I'm grateful to have witnessed nature's grandeur in this quiet moment. And I'm glad that I can share it :)

Have a great weekend wherever you are!

A Friday Photo and Blue Moon Beauty

Today's Friday photo is part of a matching set from my experience of seeing a glorious sunset and the beautiful blue moon on the same evening. This photo was taken on July 31, 2015. You can look back at last week's photo here if you'd like to see the sunset that I saw.

As I mentioned in that post, the sunset photo turned out fantastic, but the full blue moon photos didn't turn out as well. They were a bit fuzzy for the most part. Lol. This one is probably the best of the lot. It was definitely a case of the real view and the real experience being better than anything that I could capture :-) Still, I like this photo because it reminds me of the serenity that came over me as I saw that beautiful moon inch its way up into the eastern horizon. I love blue as you know if you've visited me here before, so I loved the blue tinge of the sky. The whole evening was a gorgeous display of colors with the fiery oranges, purples, and golds of the sunset in contrast with the cool blues surrounding that pearlescent moon. I love how the moon's light is seeping through the grass along the edge of the field.

What a beautiful sight!

Have a great weekend wherever you are!

A Friday Photo and Glorious Shows in the Sky

Today's Friday photo was actually taken last Friday on the very last day of July 2015. My other half and I went out further into the Wiltshire countryside because I wanted to see the blue moon unobstructed. I love seeing the full moon as often as I can when it first peeks above the horizon. It's always a beautifully moving moment for me to see it like that. It looks so much larger at that point and it looks so much more tangible. Also, seeing the beginning of its rise just strikes something within me that makes me feel so connected to nature and to our universe.

So we were out waiting for the blue moon to rise in the east...minding our own business, when the sun decided to show out! Lol. Isn't this a beautiful sunset? The colors were just breathtaking and my camera didn't do it justice, but I hope you like taking a look.

Seeing this sunset reminded me of how lucky we are to live on this beautiful planet. With all of the turmoil that we hear about daily, it was so glorious to be reminded that no matter what...some things, like the sun and the moon, are just timeless, constant, and amazing! They remind me to continue onward always.

I was so grateful that we were there to witness the day ending with the golden light of the magnificent sun in the west, as the cool and luminous beauty of the gorgeous full moon came up in the east. What a beautiful experience!

My moon photos didn't turn out as great, but I'll share a couple of those next Friday, so I hope you'll visit me again.

Have a great weekend wherever you are! :-)

A Friday Photo and A Pile That Waits For Me

Today's Friday photo is a very current one that I took about an hour ago ;-) As I've mentioned in previous Friday photo posts, I'm going to make an effort to share more of a mix of photos...some from the past and some that are more recent.

This is my pile of "stuff" that's been sitting here for weeks. I'm currently planning on going through it this weekend. That won't be all that I'm doing of course...gotta enjoy the weekend too, but this will be one thing on my to-do list. I need to stop putting it off. It won't take long and I'll be glad to be able to see the dang table again ;-)

This pile is kind of like an inbox for me so I need to go through it and put things in their proper place. When something comes in the mail or I make a note about my book or something, it often ends up in this pile. Looking at the pile now I'm amazed that it hasn't fallen over since it looks a little bit top-heavy. I think that a good start will be to rescue my book and notebook from the bottom because I really don't want to have to pick up everything all scattered across the floor...nope! Lol.

I'm actually quite an organized person but it seems that since I've been working on my book, a few other things stay waiting for me in piles. Actually clutter makes me kinda crazy even though this pile looks like I'm a pack rat. Lol. Anyway, no excuses...gotta clean up!

I hope that you have a great weekend and have fun with whatever you're doing! :-)

A Friday Photo and An Iron Rooster

Today's Friday photo is from November 2012 and as you can see it's a rooster. I was playing with the evening shadow on the wall when I snapped the photo :-) This is my iron rooster that I've had for a few years now. I saw it at an outlet store and it was very inexpensive so I had to have it.

I think that I liked it so much because it reminded me of the vintage irons that we had around the house when I was growing up. They were made of solid iron and had been my grandmother and great grandmother's. By the time that I came along they weren't used for ironing clothes anymore, but they were held onto because they were a part of the family history. They had been used way way back in the day of course to iron and were heated instead of being plugged in like irons nowadays.

Whenever I would see the old irons they would remind me of my relatives who came before me. The vintage irons were grounding to me and connected me to my history. So I guess that when I picked up my iron rooster in the store and felt the weight of it, it instantly brought the vintage irons to mind. It's something found in the now that through memory connects me to the past :-)

Have a great weekend wherever you are!

A Friday Photo and Lakeside Views

Today's Friday photo is from August 2011 and as you can see it's a view of a lake. It's here in Wiltshire. Even though it's going on four years since the visit there, this picture is taking my mind back. It was a fun and tranquil day. It was a great opportunity to get away from all of the noise and just unplug.

I think that we need to revisit this spot again soon :-)

Happy Friday and have a great weekend wherever you are!

A Friday Photo and Paris Memories

Today's Friday photo is one that makes me remember a particular time very vividly. In April 2007, my other half and I visited Paris and it was lovely. I remember it being very warm and I adored the warmer temperatures. I had gone through my first fall and winter in England by that time so I was overjoyed to be hot for the first time in well over a year :-) It was good for my bones.

These are a few of the souvenirs that I brought back home and they're in storage now sadly. One day in the near future we'll have enough room so that I can unfurl my posters and put out our keepsakes more :-) That simple pleasure will be an absolute joy for me. I know in the scheme of things it's just "stuff", but having your things around you, especially when you've lived in a temporary state of being for too long, can indeed be a comfort. For simplicity's sake I'll just say...rediscovering this photo made me smile.

This photo is sort of like the photos that I've shared of past flowers over the last couple of weeks. The pictures of the flowers help me keep the memory of those gorgeous flowers alive and this picture helps me remember the fun times that we've had and helps me to look forward to other adventures. Don't get me wrong. I'm not living in the past by any stretch of the imagination. I'm definitely in the now, but it sure doesn't hurt to remember too :-)

Have a great weekend wherever you are and I hope that you make some great memories!

A Friday Photo and More Flowers That Last

Today's Friday photo is very similar to last Friday's post. This is true, but I promise it's not a cop out post because I can't think of anything to share. Not at all. I'm actually having a good time looking through some photos that I haven't seen in a while in order to have more to share. I'm realizing that I've taken pictures of a lot of things from the mundane to the interesting over the years. I hope that you'll keep coming back to see what I find :-) Forgive me if I bore you sometimes. Lol. Still, I hope you'll come back each week.

Anyway, as I've been looking through my old photos I've come across quite a few pictures of flowers that I've received or just had around the house over the years. As I mentioned earlier, last week's Friday post here featured some lovely flowers and I talked about how photographing flowers can make them last a long time after they're gone. I love that idea. You can't touch the flowers or smell them anymore, but you can see them and the memories come flooding back if you're lucky :-)

These particular flowers are from four summers ago according to the date stamp. What a lovely sunny summer bouquet and their beauty is still here to enjoy!

Have a great weekend! 

To everyone back home in the USA or to those who are abroad like me...

Happy July 4th!!!

A Friday Photo and Flowers That Last

Today's Friday photo is a simple one. These are some beautiful flowers that I received several months ago. One of the beauties of photographs is that you can enjoy things or a moment in time long after those particular things are gone from existence. Flowers can live on forever as long as you keep the photos :-) I love that!

Have a wonderful weekend!

A Friday Photo and Huge Trees

Today's Friday photo is one that's a visual representation of what's been on my mind lately. This photo is from sometime in the late 2003/ early 2004 era when I was still back home in Georgia. I can't be more precise than that because that's all that I noted back then. I took this on an old camera that I had back then that took kind of blurry pictures. Lol. So this one is kinda blurry. It's okay though...this one isn't so much about the prettiness of the photo and more about memories and feeling :-)

As I mentioned, this represents what's been going through my mind lately...back home :-) I haven't been home in FIVE years and it would be beyond wonderful to just set foot where I was born again. I like being here in England, but touching base with where you come from from time to time is essential I believe. My staying away for five years isn't because I don't want to go back, it's just that it's expensive and things haven't lined up in my favor lately. I won't bore you with the details ;-) Anyway, I'll get there one day very soon. I know this to be true :-)

I guess you're wondering what this actually is. Well it's the top of the huge magnolia tree that was in my mom's yard. That tree is at least 80 feet tall. It's been huge for as long as I can remember. I always loved that huge tree. I used to climb on it a lot when I was a kid. It made a great hideout.

On the day when I took this photo I guess that I was just taking snapshots of everything just because and I'm glad that I did :-)

Have a great weekend!

Balance

If you've visited my blog before, you know that I love the beauty of nature and sharing photos that I've taken when I'm out enjoying it. Usually I share photos like the one above on Fridays and I'll usually tell a bit about where I took the picture. Well today's post is kind of like that, but I'm gonna veer off a bit if you don't mind :-)

First of all, this photo above is from June 2013 and I took it when we were out taking a nature walk. Walking around in nature is one of my favorite things to do and snapping quick photos while I'm out is the second thing :-)

As I mentioned, I'm going to veer off a bit today. I'm posting this photo above because it reminds me of a beautiful, peaceful day and nature always balances me and clears my head. I thought that I'd post a bit of nature today especially since my mind is on balance today.

I've mentioned here recently that I've been under the weather and I'm not healing as quickly as I'd like. However, I know that these things take time. I'm doing better today than I have in a while so I'm grateful for that. As I've been concentrating on healing and getting myself back to a good place physically, I've also been thinking a lot about my balance between my mind, body, and spirit. As I've been thinking about all of this, I've realized that in slowing down to get physically well I'm also faced with the reminder that I need more balance in my life. I have a tendency to go, go, go all the time and I've realized that taking a breath is a good thing. I know these things intellectually, but while I've been forced to slow down in order to heal, I'm being reminded within my heart and whole self.

Since I've been sharing my nature photos on Fridays a lot recently, I've had another realization. All of these photos were taken two or more years ago. I'm astonished when I see the dates sometimes :-) So I think that it's high time that I added some recent photos to my collection. I'm no great photographer by any stretch. I'm just a person who loves taking pictures of the beauty of nature and I like to share what I see.

I know it's a cliche, but I need to stop and smell the roses more and take some pictures while I'm at it ;-) Lol. I hope you'll return to see what I find.

Have a great day!

A Friday Photo and A Stormy Sky

Today's Friday photo is one from late July 2013. It was taken in our backyard. The reason why I took it is because the sky looks stormy and I love that kind of sky, as long as no terrible storm comes from it. I know...it's kooky. I like the look but I hate a crazy storm. There must be a meaning in there somewhere. Lol.

This is a shortish Friday post because I'm not feeling too energetic today. I guess that I'm still not 100% better, but I'm getting there :-)

I'm going to try to get some rest this weekend and if I feel a bit better I may take a short walk to get some fresh air. I'll probably scribble some more of my book down...I write bits and pieces on paper when they come to me sometimes and then later I type them into the computer. I'm also going to continue to read that intriguing book that I mentioned before. I promise to tell all about it once I've finished. I got a bit sidetracked when I was sick, so I'm gonna do some catching up.

What are your plans for the weekend? Whatever you do, I hope that it's lots of fun! :-)

A Friday Photo and Some Ducks

Today's Friday photo as you can see is one featuring some feathered friends. I took this photo in June 2012. That was a prolific time for my picture taking I think, because a lot of the photos that I've shared lately are from that time. Lol. I took a lot of photos on this day in particular because it was a beautiful day and it was such a lovely place to walk.

I spent long stretches just watching the ducks go back and forth. It was mesmerizing. Nature is like that isn't it? :-)

I used to have a pet duck named "Duck Duck" when I was a little girl, but my duck didn't look like these. She was a fluffy white duck. I was very young...Lol...so I wasn't great with the unique naming at that point. That was one interesting duck. I remember that she loved cornbread and whenever anyone came into the driveway she would bark like a dog or in her case quack! Lol. My daddy built a little house for her and one of my favorite memories of my dad was him leading her to her house in the evening with cornbread crumbs. Those were good times :-)

So when I saw these ducks I thought of my duck and they really took me back.

Well that's all for my trip down memory lane and all things duck-related ;-)

I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend! Take care and have fun!

A Friday Photo and Not Feeling Well

Hi :)

I just wanted to do a quick check in. I won't be having my regular Friday photo post for today because I'm a bit under the weather. Therefore, this is an entry that's depicting very current events. I haven't felt well all week. I'm gonna take it easy and hopefully I'll be back to full strength next week. I'll be here in this bed if anyone needs me ;-)

I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend :)

A Friday Photo and Green Tutus

Today's Friday photo is from July 2013. This is from one of my many walks around the woods of Wiltshire over the years. I love taking pictures of trees because of the color and just the beauty. A lot of the time I'm just snapping photos of everything because I'm so excited. I love the solitude when I take a walk like this. It often makes me think of walking around on our family land back home...it's just you and the trees :-) I feel connected to nature during the moments here in Wiltshire and the moments that I had back home and in the scheme of things it all connects because it's all one world.

This photo is kind of odd because I only got a portion of the tree in the picture due to it being so tall, but I like that it looks as if the tree is wearing a tutu. Totally random thought....it would be fun to have a green tutu...Lol. Green is my second favorite color after all. Lol. Okay, I'm back ;-)

Anyway, that's my photo for today. I hope that you have a great weekend wherever you are!

Wednesday Thoughts

Hello :-)

I know that I usually share photos mostly on Friday, but I decided to mix things up and share one on Wednesday also ;-)

I took this picture in June 2012. I took this when I was walking along a canal. I'm finding a lot of photos from that time lately, so that era has been well-documented. It makes me see that I need to do some catching up for 2015. I'm way behind. Even though I'll probably go to some of the same places, the photos will be different because it's a different day that will never come again. The light won't be the same and I can't stand in the exact same place so the view will be new. I love that :-)

Every day that we wake up alive and well is another day to be grateful.

This picture kinda makes me think about what may be around the bend in life since the path shown curves around out of sight. We never know what life will bring so living in the moment is key. I have to remind myself of this each day and I'm getting better at it day by day :-)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!