Tag: nature

Spring and a Fresh Approach

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IMG_3152At long last, spring is here! I know, technically speaking it happened about ten days ago but with the crazy weather we’ve been having, who noticed? Aside from marking off another day on the calendar, it might as well still have been winter. Each day I get out of bed and look outside to a world of white, well, it makes me want to break out in tears. Don’t worry though, a few deep breaths later and I’m fine and ready to face the day.

But finally, I think Mother Nature is starting to catch up with us and play nice. Today, at least, the sun is shining and although the furnace is running as I type this little blog post, it’s actually not too bad outside. I wouldn’t suggest going for a walk without the winter coat just yet but I do believe that those days are coming soon. Saturday I even took a moment to fill the bird feeder with fresh seed for the multitude of birds that seem to have suddenly made an appearance. And of course, let’s not forget the daffodils. They have sprouted and I do believe that we will see flowers soon.

Hurray! In the meantime, I leave you with this photo which I took last month at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Without a doubt, I am dangerous being set free amongst all those gorgeous flowers with a camera. After all … you know me and flowers… This is one of so many photos that I took that day. Perhaps I will share a new one with every spring post I write.

Speaking of writing, this blog has been abandoned long enough and it’s about time that I renew my efforts to post. I’ve been writing a lot lately. I just don’t seem to take the time to talk about it. (Well, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.) But I would like to begin making an effort to post regularly no matter what we happen to discuss along the way.

For starters, I want to start a “Friday Feature” blog post where I will highlight some of my fellow authors. If you have a new release, I’m happy to help spread the word. Just want to connect with new readers? Give me a shout. Right now, my calendar is completely open but contact me if you are interested in being featured or interviewed and we’ll work something out. Thanks for helping. 🙂

Fall Family Picnic

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Oct 079Every fall we make it a tradition to have a family picnic at Moraine State Park. This includes not just my husband, my kids, and me, but also my parents and my brother as well. We plan ahead of time who will bring what, nothing fancy, usually just hot dogs on the grill along with some pasta salad, and plenty of goodies to enjoy. That was the menu plan this year, at any rate. After we eat and catch up, we all head to the extensive bike trail for a long walk together. Inevitably, we end up at the play area for the kids to swing, climb, and go down the slides. And okay, sometimes the adults take part in this fun as well.

I’m grateful that we didn’t miss our annual picnic at Moraine this year and that we had such a beautiful day to enjoy it together. Of course, where I go, the camera goes too so I have plenty of photos to share of some of the sights that took my interest along the way. Oct 082 Above is a lovely view of the bike trail as we started on our walk. And to the right is a view of Lake Arthur. There were a lot of sailboats on the water. You can just about make out one in the distance in this particular photo. I love the way the water sparkles in the sun.

Oct 084My husband shakes his head and says, “You and flowers…”

Yes, flowers and me… I have a strange obsession with taking photos of them and if you could peek into the files on my computer, you would see that I have hundreds of them already and I still can’t help myself to take more every chance that I get. I love to capture them in photos, which is better than cutting them and killing them just for a few days of being pretty on my table. And yes, I feel this way even about the weeds and I always have.

Oct 086My kids adore their grandparents. We don’t see them as often as they’d like because we live many miles apart but when we do see them, it makes those moments even sweeter. I couldn’t resist stealing a photo of the kids as they walk along the trail with Grandpa. What do you suppose they are talking about? Are they discussing the caterpillars that we see now and then? Are they pointing out the color in the leaves? Or maybe, knowing these are my kids and my kids happen to be superhero obsessed, perhaps they are discussing the details of how Iron Man or Captain America would save the day? This is, after all, serious business.

Oct 110And then there were more flowers and once again, I could not resist. Even in the fall when everything begins to die, they are still beautiful, maybe even more so than in summer’s full bloom.

The days are getting shorter. The trees are even more vibrant than they were a week ago and many leaves have already fallen. I like to believe that I’m capturing every moment before it disappears and gives way to winter cold and snow.

And last but not least, I leave you with my very favorite photo that I’ve taken so far…

Oct 115The sun is setting over another fun-filled family day. My kids call these “wish flowers” because I told them that if they close their eyes and blow away the seeds, they could make a wish and it would come true. My oldest wished for more wish flowers because he loves watching the seeds scatter. Now, I think that is one wish that just might come true.

If you could sit in the grass and watch the sun set over the lake, pick this flower and make just one wish …

What would you wish for?

 

Tuesday Photos – Fall at Morraine State Park

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Anyone who knows me knows that I’m dangerous with a camera in my hands. Plant me in the midst of a pretty day during my favorite season and you’ve got a recipe for a photo extravaganza! I’ve always had a fascination with taking pictures of people and places and in the past, I’ve shared some of those here on my blog. Today, I’m planning to share a couple of my favorites from Morraine State Park.

Every year we make it a family tradition to enjoy a picnic there with my parents at the beginning of October. These photos are a few of my favorites from last year’s adventure. (Perhaps I’ll soon have some new faves to share from this year?)

As a matter of fact, I am starting with one of my favorite photos of all. I love this one so much that it’s been my desktop wallpaper since I downloaded it. I smile every time I look at it…

Don’t you love those brilliant colors? When you look at a photo like this, how can you not fall in love with autumn in Pennsylvania?

Same place, slightly different, but just as beautiful…

Take my hand and walk with me?

Do you see the moon?

Thanks for taking a walk with me on this beautiful fall day. I hope you enjoyed looking at my photos as much as I’ve enjoyed sharing them. 🙂

Tuesday Photos – Sharing Summer Fun

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Over the weekend, we finally went camping. It was a long overdue getaway due to about a million other things going on this summer, but if you know anything about me at all, you know that I love camping so I was eager for it. I haven’t posted Tuesday Photos in a while so it seemed logical that I should stop by and share our most recent excursion with you. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed living the moments…

First of all, no trip down memory lane would be complete with a photo of the campsite… The tent is brand new. Don’t you love it? I do too although we soon discovered that they just don’t make them like they used to. I bought my previous tent in 1998 and it lasted me thirteen years. It had nice, sturdy metal pools to actually hold the thing up. The new tent, while light and roomy, has very flimsy pools that we don’t suspect will last very long. Just to prove our point, one of the rain fly pools already snapped while we were taking it down. Ah well, what can you do, right? Hopefully Coleman will be kind enough to replace it free of charge. After all, it’s only the first time we’ve used the tent and we were being very careful.

(My little doggie friend looks so lost and lonely in this photo!)

 

I love trees. Here we see the sun trying to peek through the tops. Saturday it struggled to show itself through the clouds so these rare glimpses were worth photographing.

 

These puffy things always signal late summer / early fall to me, kind of like seeing fat, fuzzy caterpillars. I don’t know what they’re called but I think they’re pretty.

 

A view of the quiet lake during late day. I love the way the water reflects the trees. And wow, look at all those clouds. I am happy to report, however, that it didn’t rain a drop on us all weekend.

 

Last but not least, I include this photo from a hike through the woods. Those big, beautiful trees beckon me…
Thanks for stopping by and sharing the adventures. Be sure to check back tomorrow to share a different kind of adventure. I will be posting a sneak peek into the new novel Ghosts Don’t Wear Silk Stockings. It is your chance to read all of chapter one before the official book release in September!