Notice the Dandelion

~Have a blessed day~

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Just some pictures...

 Gorgeous Carolina Sky filled with formless, swirling clouds, makes a pleasant sight.

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Taken through the windshield during a deluge of rain while sitting at a red light. This one was featured at Camera Shy for the Abstract Photography – Take 52 Week 28 critique. You can click here to see the video critique.

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Glorious clear sky after four days of dark and gloomy weather.

We are experiencing unseasonably cool weather here in the foothills of NC. 

I am not complaining! For August, it is fabulous to be able to have the windows open. 

That means a lower electric bill, as well :)

How's the weather where you are?


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Burlap Bird

Not too many birds have been in my feeders lately so I scouted around in my hundreds of spring photos and came up with this one. It was taken as the sun was rising and lit up that tiny bit of yellow on his head. I'm assuming it is some kind of finch.

Textured with Weave from Picmonkey.

What do you think?

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Home is where the nest is...

This mommy Killdeer built her nest in a parking lot. The gravel portion goes down into a ravine but she is at the upper edge, just beyond the curb, where I parked my car. The employees at the store where the lot is located said they have been watching her daily and waiting to see the eggs hatch.

Here's #1! This newly hatched little Killdeer popped out from under mom, looking around at the big world. If you look closely, you can see another egg, maybe two, still waiting to hatch. 

Isn't it adorable? 

And the back view...how cute is that nubby little tail?!

On skinny little legs, this baby hopped all around his mommy and over the rocks, then went right back underneath. He must have gotten tired out and decided it was nap time. 

Getting settled...

Snug as a bug in a rug ;)

God's creation never ceases to amaze me!

God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” ~ Genesis 1:22

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ~ Matthew 6:26

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A Couple...

of photos from a recent trip to Biltmore House & Gardens (minus the house).

I loved the lily pond! 

I was relaxing on a bench under this vine covered portico, enjoying the cool breeze and snapping photos when I saw this couple strolling along. I imagined young lovers in days gone by walking out among the beautiful garden with a stodgy chaperone trailing behind. 

You know, to keep things like this from happening... 

I couldn't resist. I do think it's a great photo, though. They were so casual and comfortable, and seemed to be lost in their own little world of love.

I took about 300 photos of the house & gardens so there are a lot to sort through for future show & tell. They don't let you take photographs inside the house anymore, which is a real bummer!  

Have you ever been to Biltmore House & Gardens?

Have a safe Memorial Day weekend!

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Old timey or Vintage?

This disc plow has been used by a neighboring farmer for many, many years. It's seen a lot of dirt and rain, and maybe some other stuff we won't mention ;)

Not your typical Suburban but my father-in-law has been 'driving' it for ages. Pretty cool looking wheelbarrow!

Old timey or Vintage, either way these are some great pieces in their own right. Don't you think so?

I'm participating in Random 5 Friday where you share 5 random facts about you, your day, your pets, your kids, whatever!

My 5 Random Facts this week:

1. I like flowers but don't have a green thumb.

2. Room darkening drapes are the best.

3. I have 26 baby chicks that are now two weeks old and they need to move out of my kitchen!

4. My husband and I built our boys a tractor bunk bed when we moved to the country. 

5. I like the ocean but not sand.

Hop on over and join in the fun!

Also sharing with:

Going 'Green'

This fun looking green bus caught my eye on a recent hike to South Mountain State Park in Casar, NC. 

Town to Trails is a service based in Winston-Salem NC that provides transportation to hiking, biking, boating and skiing areas in the Southeast. 

I didn't know anything like this existed. It's pretty neat that they provide this service for those who can't drive themselves or for groups that want to travel 

all-in-one.

Just click on the photo and it will take you to their website if you're interested in finding out more about 'going green' with Town to Trails. 

I'm linked to Weekly Top Shot.

Lazy Birds

American Goldfinches have been more prevalent this week. I was hoping to find a feeder for them and the smaller birds so the food would last longer. The bigger birds (Cardinals, Blue Jays, Cowbirds) are wiping out the food in a couple of days!

I went out and purchased a tube feeder specifically for finches and a bag of special finch seeds but they are not interested in trying to work for their food. 

They like this feeder that is easy access.

Bunch of lazy birds!

My son has been telling me there was this huge bird in the yard. This big guy, a Brown Thrasher, was coming around but I never saw him. My son managed to snag this shot yesterday. It's not great with the bird feeder pole in the way but it was the best of the two before he flew away. He likes to eat the spilled seeds and leftovers from the feeder above.

What kind of feeders do you use? Any recommendations for the smaller birds? 

I'm linked to
Weekly Top Shot #75

Daffodils, Poetry and Scripture

After the icing of Feb 26th, it was hard to find flowers that survived but these lovely Daffodils are blooming in our field. 

Daffodils

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils. 

~William Wordsworth

For, lo, the winter is past, 
the rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth; t
he time of the singing of birds is come, 
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, 
and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. 
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Song of Solomon 2:11-13

 Truth shall spring out of the earth; 
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; 
and our land shall yield her increase.

Righteousness shall go before him; a
nd shall set us in the way of his steps.

Psalm 85:11-13

Have a blessed day in the LORD!

I'm linked with 

Weekly Top Shot #73 

and 

Weekend Flowers #89

Playing with {Textures} and a Barn

They should never have built a barn there, at all -
Drip, drip, drip! - under that elm tree,
Though when it was young. Now it is old
But good, not like the barn and me.

{Excerpt from The Barn by Edward Thomas}

Texture used:

Organic Paper 1 by Nancy Claeys

(and a lot of editing in Picmonkey that I didn't write down)

I'm linked to: 

Tuesday Muse

Barn Charm




Rurality Blog Hop #5

First Sighting and Ice

After yesterday's post this one probably isn't near as exciting but we had our first sighting of an American Goldfinch today! Isn't she a beauty?!

The ice and wind did not deter her from finding the feeder. My son captured the only clear and focused shot. All the rest focused on the rain hitting the window.  

I did get some pretty cool shots of the ice earlier this morning. Some neighbors down the road a bit have a small vineyard and the ice was so frosty looking on the rows. Maybe I should have tried for a panorama shot?

I boosted these next ones so the cows could be seen better but I was intentionally focusing on the holly bush and ice.

And then the fence...

I really like this next one of a couple of my daffodils getting ready to bloom...

How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

I'm linked with

Rurality Blog Hop #4, Down Home Blog Hop #26, Friday Fences

    

AND 

Weekly Top Shot #72