Quacking Captures

Let's see about...

2009-07-23T22:30:00.006-04:00

some updating over the next few days again, starting with the End of May. It's getting a bit dusty in here and starting to echo!

Current updates as of 7/25/09:

Take Me Out to the Mudcats!

Checking in...

A Warm Welcome Home

How Sweet the Rose

Exploring the Exquisite Biltmore Estate

Traveling on the Glorious Blue Ridge Parkway

Jumping into June

End of May

Take Me Out to the Mudcats!

2009-06-12T23:53:00.000-04:00

Yes the Mudcats! We went on our annual Sunday School class outing to see them win!

Checking in...

2009-06-11T23:51:00.000-04:00

~ June 11~

on the flower garden! Last time we took a peek (2nd pic down) they looked like this. And they've really grown from here! It's a good think i decided to move some of the plants out as several are trying to take over and don't even get me started on the morning glories! A lovely vine but it's going to easily win the battle if left alone. :)

A Warm Welcome Home

2009-06-10T23:45:00.000-04:00

~June 10~
Aslan wasted no time is helping us unpack our bags from our trip!

How Sweet the Rose

2009-06-09T23:30:00.000-04:00

On this date, 8 years ago...

Exploring the Exquisite Biltmore Estate

2009-06-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

~June 8~

It was another beautiful day as we started out early to go exploring at the Biltmore again. This time we got to see several newly restored rooms which were just magnificent! And all the blooms were just brilliant throughout the gardens and trails. We ended out day by enjoying a wonderful dinner at the Bistro on the Estate with some friends that we meet up with from IL.

The grounds and gardens were so peaceful and gorgeous!

A poppy, one of my favorite flowers!
The Biltmore is full of wonderfully detailed stonework.
I love it! A whole pile of "shrimp"!
A view of the Conservatory.
A view of the house from the gardens.
They always have the most splendid assortment of orchids growing in the Conservatory.
These lily pads were full of cute lil' froggies!
Aren't they beautiful?
So many gorgeous flowers to see as you head into the Conservatory.
Ahhhh.... just so pretty and peaceful!
One last look...

Traveling on the Glorious Blue Ridge Parkway

2009-06-07T23:40:00.001-04:00

~June 7~

I don't know if there is enough space for all I could say about the splendidly breathtaking beauty of traveling along the Blue Ridge Parkway, so I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

There's the wondrous mountain top vista views,

and the quiet, peaceful mountain streams.
At times, you even drive into the clouds,
and through long, rocky mountaintop tunnels.
One can easily understand why they're called the Great Smoky Mountains.
There are tiny bits of beauty hidden everywhere you look.
You could stand all day, just soaking in the awesome majesty of it!
Or you could hike to the top of the highest eastern peak and call it a day as
you watch the road back down from the mountain top, disappear into the clouds.
Before long the clouds will cover all and

the sun will set on a truly spectacular day!

If you'd like more info:

National Park Service - Blue Ridge Parkway

Mountains of NC

Blue Ridge Foothills

Jumping into June

2009-06-06T23:29:00.000-04:00

~June 6~

Headed off for our anniversary. In that, I wish!!!

~ June 5~

One of Andrew's many gadgets in the garage.

~June 4~

Yeah, I know. Kinda random, huh?
~June 3~

The morning glory vines are taking over!
~June 2~

Ending Mom's birthday with a lovely sunset. :)
~June 1~

Enjoying dinner outside by the light of the tikki torch.

The End of May

2009-05-31T22:50:00.003-04:00

~May 31~

{Love} how this turned out! Those are morning glory tendrils

wrapping themselves around my hosta plant.

~May 30~

Big truck that belongs to a friend.

~May 29~

Surpise, surprise! Another flower closeup! :)

Week of May 22~28

2009-05-28T18:56:00.001-04:00

~May 28~

This tree fuzz is blowing everywhere! It's so thick at times it seems like snow!

~May 27~

I happened upon one of the last wild raspberry blooms.
~May 26~

Rainy days are good for the flowers and they make pretty pictures too!
~May 25~

Memorial Day Strawberry and Banana Cream Pie! Yums!!
~May 24~

Taking a peek into the woods!
~May 23~

Didn't stay out very long with this threating sky overhead!
~May 22~

Raspberries are starting!

A bit behind....

2009-05-23T12:44:00.003-04:00

Yikes! Yeah, looks like things have been piling up! So I'm going to do my best over the next few days to get it all sorted out and posted! And I just might "lump" April together into posts by the week to save on time... so stick around... more photos coming SOON!

ETA: Well we're a little more then half way through April now! Woo Hoo!!! Rest is coming!!!:)

Week of May 15~21

2009-05-21T18:08:00.000-04:00

~May 21~

Aslan's at it again! Him and shoes!!!

~May 20~

See how our flower garden grows! Quite a bit since the April 10 pic!
~May 19~

The marigolds are doing well!
~May 18~

Mmmmmm.... Nothing like the awesome and fragrant smell of fresh growing basil.
~May 17~

Finding more wild strawberries popping up around the yard.
~May 16~

We have a huge bush in the woods that gets these large heads of tiny white blossoms on them. But stay back because they don't smell pretty!
~May 15~

We started the weekend off with participating in Relay for Life. It's a wonderful experience to get together with so many people for a common goal and in this case, overcoming and finding a cure for cancer. One of the most touching parts of Relay is the nighttime Luminaria Ceremony. People set these up in honor and in memory of those they know who have battled against cancer. They overwhelmingly lined the whole track.
Andrew, posing with some of our Relay for Life team. Thanks to all who supported our goal!

Week of May 8~14

2009-05-14T13:11:00.000-04:00

~May 14~

Guess where I am? Had to grab lunch on the run. Not my favorite place but it had to do!

~May 13~

I picked up a shrimp plant at the Elizabethan Gardens last month. Look! It's growing shrimp!

~May 12~

Arghhhh!! Have I told you I hate roof leaks! ~May 11~

Does someone look guilty? He should! He's laying on fresh laundry, waiting to be folded!

~May 10~

One of the first wild strawberries in our yard.

~May 9~

ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!! We seem to have developed a roof leak!! Thank goodness for friends! ARGHHHHHH!!!!

~May 8~

This sweet little birdie crashed landed into my hanging basket last night. Now he's been hanging out in our tree. I can't believe he let me get so close to take his pic!

Week of May 1~7

2009-05-07T12:54:00.002-04:00

~May 7~

Grabbed a quick dinner out at a favorite spot, Jason's Deli.

~May 6~

Ran into some of silly goose's friends! This time I was prepared!
~May 5~

These tiny sweet flowers seem to blanket our yard in places. Andrew calls them weeds, I call them tiny purples.
~May 4~

Mmmmmm.... Pasta salad for dinner!
~May 3~

Twilight outside a restaurant.
~May 2~

The raspberry blooms are back!
~May 1~

Wouldn't you know, I didn't have my camera with me when I meet this silly goose at lunchtime? Good thing for camera phones! I feed him some bread and this is how I left him. Parked in his space, waiting for the rain to stop!

120/365 ~ Lattice

2009-04-30T19:43:00.000-04:00

Thought this metal chair seat made for an interesting subject. We sat in these while enjoying dinner outside of a little sandwhich shop. Lovely evening!

119/365 ~ Heavenly Honeysuckle

2009-04-29T19:17:00.002-04:00

Oh if only I could bottle the scent of this fresh honeysuckle! Wow is it ever heavenly to smell as we enjoy it from our deck! And to think, it will soon fade and be gone. We'd better enjoy it while it lasts!

Week of April 22~28

2009-04-28T17:44:00.000-04:00

~April 28~

An unwelcomed find in the bushes.

~April 27~

Sunset shines through a leaf.

~April 26~

A dandy puff under the deck.~April 25~

Digging out old bushes to make way for new and improved ones!

~April 24~

Yikes! Look at those spikes! Pretty but don't touch!

~April 23~

Marigold bloom after being watered.

~April 22~

Checkin' out the wooded stream.

Week of April 15~21 & Outer Banks Trip

2009-04-21T20:45:00.002-04:00

~April 21~

It's yummy baked chicken for dinner.

~April 20~

We stopped for gas and happened upon this beautiful luna moth.

*************************************************************************************

~April 19~

Outside the entrance to the stunning Elizabethan Gardens. It's such a peaceful and relaxing place to visit that we always hate to leave. The fountain and statues within the Sunken Garden.
A staute of Pan in the Woodland Garden.

*************************************************************************************

~April 18~

Currituck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla is a favorite place for us to visit. Not far from here is where the wild horses roam.

Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. Always breathtaking to watch.

*************************************************************************************

~April 17~

Sunset on the massive dunes at Jockey's Ridge State Park at the Outer Banks.

We found so many starfish on the beach on this trip! Not to mention tons of awesome seashells!

AHHhhhhhhhhhh.... Canyou get anymore relaxed than this? Time for another trip to the splendid Outer Banks!

************************************************************************************* ~April 16~

Hot Stuff, taking a nap on her blue blankie.

~April 15~

Playing with my newly cleaned camera! So happy to have it back in my hands again!!!

Week Of April 8~14

2009-04-14T18:58:00.001-04:00

~April 14~

A rainy day.

~April 13~
The wild raspberries have started to bud.

~April 12~

Here's a super yummy taco bean dip that I made for today's Easter guests. I displayed it on a pile leafy greens in a sweet lil' Easter basket.

~April 11~

Hmmm... not a bad closeup but I think it was just luck with the old camera! HA!

~April 10~
I spent the day planting flowers in this bed that my dear Daddy cleaned out fro me a few weeks back. Had to go in search of my old 3mp camera, to use for the next few days until the other one it cleaned. It's going to be hard to get used to the old one!!!

~April 9 ~
While catching the last bit of sunshine for the day, the unthinkable happened!!! My camera got pooed on by a bird! SOOOO very gross and now the camera is out of order until it can get properly cleaned by a professional! :( At least the picture still came out descent!

~April 8~
I picked up some assorted Gerbera Daises a few days ago and finally got them potted.

Week of April 1~7

2009-04-07T13:24:00.001-04:00

~April 7~

Sunsetting through trees in the backyard.

~April 6~

Puffy clouds finished out a rainy day.

~April 5~

We celebrated Easter a week early with Andrew's family.

~April 4~
Nasty pollen sitcks to everything, even handprints on the car!

~April 3~
My Grandma gave me this lovely flower. Thought it would be pretty to display at Easter.

~April 2~
It's getting greener along the steam out back.

~April 1~
The start of the dogwood flowers lead us into April.

90/365 ~ Bitten by the Buds

2009-03-31T13:19:00.000-04:00

Few things are more beautiful than the colorful buds of springtime!

89/365 ~ In between the Clouds...

2009-03-30T13:01:00.001-04:00

there were just a few rays of sunshine. I had to be quick to capture these sweet little flowers.

88/365 ~ Visiting the Arboretum

2009-03-29T19:01:00.003-04:00

Guess what? No rain! Lots of sun and wind but no rain so out and about we went. After three years of living in Raleigh, we're still finding lots of new places to visit here in the Triangle area. Today's spot of interest was the Raulston Arboretum at NC State University. As you can imagine it was filled with oodles of spring blooms and blossoms! (And a little too much pollen for my nose's liking!) Anyhow, here are a few favorites of the day.

87/365 ~ Sunshine in the Rain

2009-03-28T16:33:00.003-04:00

Today we had a school event and well, you know it had to start raining near the end! I know we always need the rain so I really don't want to complain about it ever, but maybe it could work out a schedule with the sun, ya know? Like every other day or something at least. Thankfully I found these sweet bursts of sunshine on the way to my car while taking shelter under the umbrella.

And can you really complain when you find these little teasures that look so beautiful, even covered in raindrops? No, not really! It's all part of enjoying the little things in life. :)

86/365 ~ Petals all Around

2009-03-27T17:52:00.001-04:00

And yet another cloudy, deary and rainy day! The kind that make you want to grab your favorite book and just be lazy for most of the day, you know what I mean? :) But no time for that at all! I caught this photo of the flowering tree in our front yard before heading off to school. Had to almost lay down in the driveway for it but I really like the way it came out. And I'm sad to see it lose it's pretty petals but it will make way for greener things.

85/365 ~ For the Birds

2009-03-26T18:45:00.001-04:00

When you're in preschool, (or a preschool teacher for that matter) rainy days are totally for the birds! Stuck inside all day, again at school but I did manage a quick shot of this birdbath when the rain lighted up for a little while.

84/365 ~ Watering the Weeds

2009-03-25T19:01:00.001-04:00

The rain came back and seems to be staying for several days. Things are looking much greener though and the weeds are just loving it, ya know! Thankfully not all weeds are ugly. I don't mind the tiny blooming ones that pop up around the yard like this one.

83/365 ~ Passing Time

2009-03-24T22:05:00.001-04:00

We recently got a new clock for in the dining room and I love the aged vintage look of it! Thought since the weather wasn't looking so great outside, I'd take a few pics of the clock and play around with different angles. This was my favorite shot.

82/365 ~ Saying Good-bye

2009-03-23T21:25:00.002-04:00

This was the day that my parents left to go back to PA. Hated to see them go but hopefully we'll be able to get together again soon. I caught this shadow of us standing on a bridge and thought it would make for a neat photo in my scrapbook.

81/365 ~ Redbuds

2009-03-22T20:45:00.004-04:00

Ahhhh... Another beautiful day with family! We enjoyed the day by going to church, followed by lunch at the Macaroni Grill and then spending some time in the wonderful weather. The redbuds are all out and showing off their pretty blooms!

80/365 ~ Duke Gardens

2009-03-21T20:45:00.000-04:00

After a yummy Saturday breakfast out, my parents and I headed over to Durham to visit the Duke Gardens. It's a stunningly gorgeous assortment of all things green and growing on 55 acres and is referred to as the "Crown Jewel of Duke University." And we were not disappointed! Here are just a few of my many, many favorites from our visit.

79/365 ~ Blossoms Galore!

2009-03-20T18:58:00.001-04:00

Can you possibly stand to see any more blossoms and blooms from me? Good! Cause I just can't stay away from them! Here again we have the blossoming tree from our front yard. Today was simply beautiful. And after some major wind and rain last night, the weekend is shaping up to be absolutely gorgeous and dry! :)

78/365 ~ Quacking Up

2009-03-19T21:25:00.001-04:00

Or sprucing up would be the more fitting term! We've been at it a lot lately! I changed out the the guest bathroom decor to this sweet duck set recently. (You know me and ducks go way back!) :) Last weekend Andrew's family was here, visiting from Atlanta and now my parents are here from PA for a few days. It was a last minute surprise that my parents were able to come and that Dad's doctor said it was ok for him to make the trip. They haven't been able to get away for well over a year now. Fun times for us all this weekend!

77/365 ~ Sunny Pink Blooms

2009-03-18T19:01:00.000-04:00

Today's mission - find some clear sky! Took a little while but I did it! I managed to find a lovely patch of clear blue with a genorous spinkle of gorgeous pink blooms in it instead of raindrops. We'll see how long it lasts! Oh how I wish these beautiful blooms lastly well into spring! Some of the tree blooms in our area are already dropping off with the leaves taking their place. And spring isn't even official until Friday!

76/365 ~ Shamrock Treats

2009-03-17T19:30:00.003-04:00

We enjoyed some yummy treats for St. Patrick's Day. Can't go wrong with chocolate fondue, fresh fruit and some tasty honey wheat pretzels, served up on a sweet shamrock shaped plate.

75/365 ~ Dried Flowers

2009-03-16T18:56:00.000-04:00

More rainy weather outside, so I went hunting through the house for a picture. I happened upon this pretty arrangement of dried flowers that hangs above our pantry door. I picked this up at Target on sale for just a few dollars. Can't beat deals like that! Especially when they're so cheerful looking! :)

74/365 ~ Puddles a Plenty!

2009-03-15T18:41:00.000-04:00

As predicted, the stream is full and there are many large puddles all along the back of our yard. The tall green post in the top left of the picture is a bird feeder. The stream is on beyond the feeder by about 25 feet. We won't be taking any walks along the stream for a few days!

73/365 ~ Time's Shadow

2009-03-14T18:10:00.001-04:00

We've recently realized that Aslan seems to be quite taken with the Cuckcoo clock. The sound had been off for awhile but I turned it back on low a few weeks back. Now when he is out and about, he'll come running to watch that lil' birdie chirping out the hour. And from the looks he's had on his face, we think he's devising a plan to "get" that birdie one of these days! He has been seen standing on things of various height around the living room. Keep dreaming, Aslan! It's well out of your reach, little kitty boy! :)

72/365 ~ Raindrop Plops

2009-03-13T17:56:00.002-04:00

It looks like the rain is here to stay for the weekend. As you can see by the plops and ripples in the water, it's not coming down too heavy at the moment but it's been pretty steady all day. I ventured out to the stream to see how full is was getting. By Monday it will probably be over it's little banks and I won't be able to get out to it with out wadding through some major puddles. And as a side note, did you know that today is the second of three Friday the thirteenths for this year? There was one in February and there will be one again in November. :)

71/365 ~ Flowering Tree

2009-03-12T17:37:00.001-04:00

Our pretty flowering tree seems to be getting ready to hit its peak blooming period with in the next few days. I just love opening the front door and seeing it at the top of our yard. I sure do wish they lasted longer! Here are a few closeups of the blooms and then one of the whole tree. I had to lay down in the grass to get it at that angle. :) You can see the sky getting darker with the threat of rain headed in for the weekend. At least it will help make everything greener.

70/365 ~ Violet

2009-03-11T18:58:00.000-04:00

I came across the first few violets of the season in our backyard. They are growing under our deck and soon the wild strawberries will be joining them.
It's always exciting, discovering these tiny treats around the yard. And there are bound to be a lot more soon with all the rain they're forecasting for the next few days. :)

69/365 ~ Anderson Point

2009-03-10T19:28:00.000-04:00

Here's one of our favorite parks to stroll through. It's a quick drive from our house, has lots of lovely landscaping and parts of it run along the Neuse River.

68/365 ~ Frostbitten Blooms

2009-03-09T09:14:00.000-04:00

I've been a little worried that the snow and frost would kill too many of the tree blossoms that were already coming out. After inspecting our pear tree there are several that look like this but for the most part the blooms seem to be in pretty good shape still. We're thinking the tree should be in full bloom within the next week or so. Can't wait! :)

67/365 ~ Pink Spring Candy

2009-03-08T22:45:00.002-04:00

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... SPRING!

66/365 ~ Me in Sepia

2009-03-07T22:44:00.001-05:00

"Hi there ya'll!"

I've been wanting to update my profile picture at a few places so I finally snapped a few shots.

65/365 ~ Andrew's Badger

2009-03-06T22:36:00.002-05:00

Andrew became interested in shaving the "proper way" last year and has been investing in some new tools. Here's one of his newest additions. Oh course every time he talks about these bager brushes, this little ditty runs through my head. Don't remember how I stumbled upon that several years ago but there are some pretty silly and goofy fun toons on the site. :)

64/365 ~ Missing in Action

2009-03-05T22:31:00.001-05:00

Oh where, oh where did my letters go? Oh where, oh where could they be?

63/365 ~ Tasty

2009-03-04T22:26:00.000-05:00

What can really be said about this, other than YUMMY!! :)

Not much tops fresh sweet pineapple for a sweet & healthy treat!

62/365 ~ Going Fast!

2009-03-03T22:14:00.000-05:00

Our snow is quickly melting and probably won't last much more than another day! The temps are climbing and it's to be in the 80's by the weekend! Weird weather - snow on Monday and 80 by Saturday! We did have a delay though b/c of the snow but there's really nothing left on the roads at all.

61/365 ~ Snowday!!!

2009-03-02T22:03:00.001-05:00

We had the delight of waking up to our second snowday of the year! They were saying it just might happen, but I tried not to get my hopes up for a 3 day weekend. But it really did happen and we throughly enjoyed the day off! I just {heart} when it sticks to the tree branchs! So very beautiful and brings a certain scene of stillness and peace when you see it like that.

60/365 ~ New Clock

2009-03-01T21:11:00.001-05:00

So I got Andrew a new clock to put up in the garage....

It's not very good at keeping time but I guess we can't return it now!

It purrs instead of ticking...

59/365 ~ Drops

2009-02-28T19:02:00.002-05:00

And so ends February. Rainy and wet. But it's needed to grow all the spring flowers and blooms, so I won't complain! :) This is one of those "snuggle up with a good book while listening to the rain fall" kind of days. Hope you had a good month! We enjoyed it and are looking forward to March.

58/365 ~ Down the stream...

2009-02-27T18:52:00.001-05:00

It's calling for rain most of the weekend and it started today. I did venture out to the stream behind the house to see how full it was. It was flowing pretty well. Wait until you see how overgrown this will be in a few months! One of these days we need to fight our way along the stream and follow it through the woods. I'm not sure where it leads to, so it would be an adventure finding out. A neighbor mentioned something about a pond back through the woods. Guess we better get going before all the briars and prickles are growing!

57/365 ~ Purple Pretties

2009-02-26T18:45:00.002-05:00

Went for a quick walk today and came across dozens and dozens of these sweet little flowers. I got down low to take a few pictures of them. I love discovering tiny surprises like these! :)

56/365 ~ More Tiny Blooms

2009-02-25T18:18:00.000-05:00

Found this little bloom growing right by the front porch steps. The wood behind it is the flower box edging that goes around the bushes in front of the porch. Guess it's soon going to be time to dig in the dirt and get it ready for some new plants! Exciting times ahead!

55/365 ~ Tree Moss

2009-02-24T19:09:00.001-05:00

Came arcoss this moss gowing on a tree in the woods. It's been another very chilly day around these parts so I didn't spend much time outside. Just a quick trip to the backyard and back to snuggle up with some hot chocolate and my trusty tissues for this yucky cold!

54/365 ~ Blowing in the Wind

2009-02-23T20:35:00.000-05:00

It was quite chilly out today! I've been fighting a cold and didn't want to venture too far outside so these weedy things will have to do for today. :) They stopped moving just long enough for me to snap a few pictures and this sepia one is my favorite.

53/365 ~ Buds over Water

2009-02-22T17:59:00.002-05:00

We took a walk today and found these pretty red tree buds coming out along the stream. It was rainy off and on so they added a bit of color to the dreariness outside.

52/365 ~ Blooming Good News

2009-02-21T19:10:00.003-05:00

First up, news about my dear Daddy! He had very good results on his scans and there is no more cancer!!!! They did find that he has another hernia and they will fix it when doing the surgery for reversing his ileostomy. They'll be scheduling that in the near future. Thanks for all the kind comments, well wishes and prayers especially over this past week! God is GOOD!

Here are some beautiful blooms that I wanted to share from today. I don't know my trees or blooms very well so I can't say what kind of tree this is but I thought they were so awesome looking! Kind of wild and fuzzy and full of color when you get up close! There seem to be a lot of them around. And I have to say too that I've not sure if I've ever really noticed these sweet blooms on a tree before! But when you start looking at everything through a camera lens you sure to start to notice stuff even more! If anyone knows what they are, speak up! :)

Hope you all enjoy these pics and have a very sweet, relaxing weekend! Thanks so much for stopping by!

51/365 ~ Tiny Blooms

2009-02-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

Caught these sweet little flowers growing up along the porch. They were tucked away and hidden by a bush so that I almost missed them. I'm glad I didn't! :)

50/365 ~ Waiting

2009-02-19T22:40:00.000-05:00

Today was spent in much anticipation. My Dad his PET scan done today. They're looking for any more cancer. Next week it will be a year since he underwent surgery to remove the cancer and tumors that they had found. After some recovery time he was started back on chemo again until this past December. So we're all ready for good news!

49/365 ~ Purple Blankie

2009-02-18T23:33:00.002-05:00

Wherever purple blankie is, that's where you'll find Hot Stuff! We could put it on the ceiling and I think she'd be on it in no time flat. When ever we hide it, she always manages to find it! She sits on it for hours at a time, kneading at it with her paws. Kitty wins! Hot Stuff is the proud owner of one soft fuzzy purple blankie.

48/365 ~ Blooming Buds

2009-02-17T23:14:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh.... sweet signs of SPRING! While I'm not entirely ready to let go of winter, it sure is refreshing to see the start of some lovely blooming buds, bursting on the scene!

47/365 ~ Fungus

2009-02-16T22:53:00.001-05:00

Found some fungus growing on a dead, fallen tree in the woods. I thought the whitish color of it was rather striking among all the bleak browns, surrounding it. Thanks for stopping by! :)

46/365 ~ Old Milburnie Dam

2009-02-15T22:35:00.001-05:00

Andrew and I enjoyed a nice stroll through the woods and along the water's edge at Old Milburnie Dam. It was a beautiful day and there were a lot of people out and about enjoying it as well. Some were fishing and some were actually getting in the water! At 50 degrees out, I can't imagine what the water temp might have been! Brrrrrr!!!! You can actually walk out on the dam wall, all the way up to where the water flows over it.

And here's a little wooden bird feeder we came across. I took this pic for today's Wood You... challenge. It was taken on the sepia setting. Now if only I could actually catch a bird through my lens.... They always seem to get away!

Random Reminders for Photo Friends

2009-02-15T17:36:00.002-05:00

Just some Photo FYI's....

*There is a Flickr group for SCS'ers wanting to share their photos - Splitcoaststampers Photographers. Feel free to join up, add your photos, comments on others....

*Here is a thread to list your photo blog on SCS so we can all find them more easily.

*Don't forget about the weekly SCS Photo Forum challenges! You can join in at any time and go back and play in any of the past challenges - they are on-going and always open. Here is the Master List to the challenges.

45/365 ~ Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T23:45:00.000-05:00

Roses are red...

And chocolate covered strawberries divine!

Happy Valentine's Day!

44/365 ~ Clock Tower

2009-02-13T21:00:00.000-05:00

This neat clock tower is in the center of a traffic circle for a shopping center. I've been wanting to get a picture of it for awhile now and today I needed to run by one of the stores. I ended up taking this pic from the car though, the traffic was way to busy to get out and walk over to the tower. Notice the wind was on my side today - both flags are proudly waving they're colors. :)

43/365 ~ New Rubber

2009-02-12T22:25:00.000-05:00

Not my favorite kind of stamping rubber though! Oh while I know it would ink well it just wouldn't be practical on paper now, would it? LOL! :) Another visit to Andrew at the Honda dealership led to this picture of some new motorcycle tires they got in.

42/365 ~ How are you Peeling?

2009-02-11T22:00:00.001-05:00

Poor tree is looking a little rough, huh? Thankfully it's a crape myrtle and their bark generally looks as if it's a bad sunburn peeling off. They shed all thoughout the year in fact. I love seeing the beautiful blooms and was delighted to find that we have three in our own yard last year after we bought our house. Here are several pics from our trees in bloom last year.

41/365 ~ Red Wings

2009-02-10T23:50:00.000-05:00

I stopped by to visit Andrew at work today. The sign out front caught my eye and you know me - I had my camera with me! Ride Red!!!

40/365 ~ Up a Tree

2009-02-09T23:11:00.001-05:00

The weather has been beautiful all week long! We've enjoyed being outside and letting the outside in by having the windows open. It got quite chatter-y early in the evening and when I looked to see why, there were all these birds landing in this tree in the backyard. Guess they were taking in the beautiful weather as well! :)

39/365 ~ A Dandy?

2009-02-08T22:57:00.001-05:00

You know, this is North Carolina. And it's February. So isn't it just a bit to soon to find a dandelion growing in the flowerbeds? You would think but it appears nothing stops them! And where there's one.... Guess it's time to get busy outside!

38/365 ~ Circle Rings

2009-02-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

Here's a revisit with our new ac/heat unit. I was wandering through the yard and the vent patterns caught my eye so I went for a closer look. And I just wanted to say "thanks" to all you who are waiting patiently for me to get caught up with posting my 365 photos! Almost there! :)

37/365 ~ The mess is in their kitchen...

2009-02-06T23:09:00.001-05:00

when you eat out! Isn't that just a happy & wonderful thought? :) I think so! This was Andrew's dinner at our favorite little Mexican restaurant. We usually enjoy our Friday night "dates" here. Can't beat the service, the price or the fact that it's only a mile from our house. And we have yet to get a bad meal there! :)

36/365 ~ To the Moon

2009-02-05T23:00:00.001-05:00

Caught this lovely picture on the way out early in the evening. Thought the moon looked neat framed by the branches on the side of it. The tree is in our front yard and it is just starting to get buds on it. Can't hardly wait until they blossom!

35/365 ~ Out of Place

2009-02-04T22:53:00.000-05:00

Hmmmmm.... Can you find what's out of place in our dining room? I'll give you a lil' hint - they're on the chair! Need another? Ok - they're red & black! I'm always amazed to see each new spot Andrew finds to put his ever-growing collection of motorcycle gear when he's finished with it after a ride! The closet would just make it too easy to find again! LOL! :)

34/365 ~ $4000 Photo

2009-02-03T22:47:00.001-05:00

Sad, isn't it? Not really a pretty shot either, to be worth that much! Our ac/heat unit kicked the bucket back in November and this was the replacement. I actually just took some time to finally check it out! Looks so new and shiny still! And we have certainly put it to good use since we got it, seeing how we had to wait 4 weeks for it from mid-Nov to mid-Dec with no central heat!!!!

33/365 ~ The Doctor

2009-02-02T22:43:00.000-05:00

The One and Only! Nuff said! :)

32/365 ~ One man's junk...

2009-02-01T21:24:00.000-05:00

is another man's treasure or so they say. We took a stroll around our local flea market that's held each weekend at the state fairgrounds. Saw lots of interesting things - just nothing interesting enough to take home. I couldn't pass up snapping a pic of these old soda bottles though. Dr. Pepper is my best soda friend!

31/365 ~ Little Bird

2009-01-31T19:20:00.001-05:00

This little bird spent most of Saturday visiting on our backporch. Because of angles and such, the only way I could get his picture was through an upstairs window. It's not the best but it shows he was here. :)

30/365 ~ End of the Week

2009-01-30T20:45:00.001-05:00

What can I say? A fitting ending for a Friday. :)

29/365 ~ Oregano

2009-01-29T20:30:00.003-05:00

My oregano seems to be making a comeback! Thought I had lost it - another herb that got left outside in the cold.... oops!

28/365 ~ Rainy Day

2009-01-28T21:24:00.000-05:00

Well actually, it was more then just rainy. Torrential is more like it! And I had to drive home in it. Yuck!

27/365 ~ Grandma's Glass

2009-01-27T12:48:00.000-05:00

Over the Christmas holidays, my Grandma let each of the granddaughters pick out a few of her old dishes to keep and remember her by. Here are 3 old pieces that I chose, each is something I have remembered being in Grandma's house ever since I was a little squirt! Green is my favorite color so I couldn't resist the rich green of the pedestal bowl! And check out the fabulous multi-color iridescence of the footed bowl and shoe. They are both old Fenton Carnival glass pieces. I love them and I was very excited to get them all home and display them. But what I was most excited about was the rooster! I remember Gram having several different colored rooster dishes around the house all my life. They opened up and I can distinctly recall her hiding little chocolate Easter Eggs in them as well as all around the house for us to find each Easter. Ahhhh... the memories!

26/365 ~ Beef, it's what's for dinner!

2009-01-26T22:49:00.003-05:00

Nothing like some hearty meat and potatoes to warm you up from the inside out on a chilly cold day. According to Andrew that is! And tonight he was right! After dinner, we had a rather lazy evening, watching a little TV and playing with the kitties. Do you think the dishes will put themselves in the washer?

25/365 ~ Hot Stuff & Monkey

2009-01-25T21:34:00.001-05:00

If we've taught the kitties anything, they certainly know proper hygenie and how to take care of their toys. After Hot Stuff finished her 5th daily bath, she decided that tiny Sock Monkey needed one as well.

"Mmmmm... tastes like 100% cotton!"

24/365 ~ How about them apples?

2009-01-24T20:16:00.005-05:00

Had my camera along while we were grocery shopping and I couldn't resist all the

pretty, shiny apples! Neither could Snow White, ya know! Ha! :)

23/365 ~ Warm Glow

2009-01-23T20:45:00.001-05:00

Ahhhh.... nothing like the warm glow of a sweet smelling candle to help enjoy one's evening. Hope you all have a wonderfully relaxing weekend!

22/365 ~ Frosty Leaves

2009-01-22T17:50:00.001-05:00

I got up extra early again to go wandering around with my camera! Gotta enjoy all the snow while it's still around, ya know! They said most of it would be gone by the end of the day. :( Here's one of my favorites from today. I found these frosty wild raspberry leaves along the edge of the woods in our backyard. I am excited to see these plants all in bloom again once spring is here. Of course, I hoping for some more snow before that happens though!

21/365 ~ Ice Crystals

2009-01-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

Came across this little puddle with these really cool ice crystals forming all over the top of it. Couldn't pass up the photo op!

20/365 ~ Winter Wonderland has come to NC!!

2009-01-20T23:45:00.000-05:00

Yippy! The snow dance worked and I so HAPPY!!!!! We had a snow day! LOL! We spent the day just enjoying the beauty of everything around us, all pretty in white! We got more then what they were calling for, so that was even better. This was our first snow since moving to NC from Florida three years ago. It's been a long time coming! We measured 6-8 inches around the yard. These are just a few photos from our backyard. I hope it all stays around for a few more days.

19/365 ~ Getting Ready

2009-01-20T21:17:00.002-05:00

You don't need to adjust your screen. The lines you see are really there. And they're from a salt mix that NC DOT has been putting down all day. There's a threat of snow tonight! Of course it's 48 degrees outside but that can change! I'm heading out to do a snow dance! Cause I REALLY want some snow. Andrew and I moved here from Florida a little over three years ago and we've been waiting for some. So it's about time, don't you think? I'll let you know what happens!

18/365 ~ Boxes are bestest!

2009-01-20T20:02:00.002-05:00

According to Aslan that is! Every since he was a kitten, he has always hunted out the smallest most confined spaces that he can find and then he crawls in and settles down. Paper bags are a blast, plastic are fun until they crinkle too loudly and scare him but small boxes are his absolute favorite. Sunday evening I caught him trying out this shoebox. I picked up some new shoes on Friday and put the empty box in the hallway to collect later for the trash. It didn't take Aslan long to find it and claim it for his own! This isn't a great shot, rather grainy as the lighting in the hallway is not the best and Aslan being solid black, gets washed out when I use the flash most times. But it's still a sweet picture of him doing what he loves, cuddling in a box!

17/365 ~ Reorganizing...

2009-01-17T19:35:00.001-05:00

Anyone want to help sort? Anyone? The sad thing is that this is only one of my boxes of ribbons! But I'm going to tackle them all and soon! Before they explode across my stamp studio that is. I thought they made for a rather colorful shot, even if it is a jumbled mess!

16/365 ~ The Watchers

2009-01-16T19:14:00.002-05:00

They're there. Everyday. Watching us on the playground at school. Are they plotting to fly off with the smallest child? Who knows! As long as they keep a nice distance, we'll all get

long just fine! They are beautiful and amazing to watch fly around overhead.

Hopefully someday soon I'll be able to get a close-up of one or both. :)

15/365 ~ Warm

2009-01-15T22:24:00.002-05:00

With the frigid temps that are hitting across the east, we're feeling them in NC as well. Tomorrow is supposed to be the coldest day in about 8-9 years here. I'm getting out our warmest sweaters! It's not to get above freezing during the day- I know for some of you, right now 32 would be a heat wave! But tomorrow night, they're saying it'll be in the single digits. I'm so OVERJOYED that our heating is fixed, or I guess I should say brand new? :)

14/365 ~ My Addiction

2009-01-14T23:27:00.003-05:00

I love books. I adore books. Especially children's books. I collect them in fact. But most of all, I absolutely adore The Chronicles of Narnia. Here is part of a shelf from my bookcase completely dedicated to Narnia books. I just added two more to it this week. I have several sets from around the world. It's a bit of an addiction you just might say. I guess the "pride and joy" of my collection is the boxed set you see in green and gold in the pic. It is from the Folio Society in England and is no longer in print.

"Wrongs will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again."

~The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

13/365 ~ The Dead of Winter

2009-01-13T23:05:00.001-05:00

The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow,

And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?

He'll sit in a barn and keep himself warm

and hide his head under his wing, poor thing.

~ from Mother Goose

It certainly has been cold enough for some snow and it's supposed to be even colder by the end of this week. If only there were a chance of snow.... :)

12/365 ~ Red Light

2009-01-12T22:59:00.001-05:00

I went out with my new tripod while Andrew was messing around with his motorcycle. It was starting to get dark, so I thought it would look neat to take some pics of the lights. I had been hoping for a shot of the moon as it was cloudy all weekend but no luck still.