Saturday's Critters #298

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

Happy Labor Day weekend!!
If you love all God's creatures like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!


A sad memory, our Goldie Girl left us on Aug 31, 2014. Even though it has been 5 years, I still miss her. 

5th Anniversary, a tribute to Goldie Girl. 

"A pet is never truly forgotten, until it is no longer remembered." Lacie Petitto

"Dogs leave paw prints on our hearts."

"What a beautiful world it would be...if people had hearts like dogs."

"Animals are like angels, they lift us up when we feel down."

"What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we love deeply, become a part of us." Helen Keller

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."

Random rants and in the news, for the critter lovers:

Save a life,  ADOPT, Don't Shop!  

Adopting a dog from a shelter, not only means you are give him/her a happy life but you can free a spot for another rescue dog. I read recently in the news, Delaware is being recognized as the first no-kill state for animal shelters. There are many benefits to adopting a pet from a shelter, they are up to date on their shots, they have been spayed or neutered. Your state may have adoption events, low cost vet clinics and behavioral programs. 

I plan to adopt when hubby and I feel we are at the point of traveling less. Pets can actually be healthy for seniors, they are loyal companions, they increase social and physical activities. They are good for your body and soul.



I will catch up with comments ASAP.
I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments !





Here is a list of my linky parties;

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.

Happy Thankful Thursday

Hello and Happy Thankful Thursday!

Sharing another walk at the Hashawha/Bear Branch Nature Center. It is a local Carroll County Maryland park, one of my favorite places for a hike. Usually there is something always there to see, nature related.  


"An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." Henry David Thoreau

"We have come too far,
we have sacrificed too much, 
to disdain the future now." John F Kennedy


In the park there is an early 1900's cabin, belonging to the Martin Family. Nearby is a 300 year old White Old tree. 

"Where flowers bloom, so does hope."  Lady Bird Johnson

"We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it's forever." Carl Sagan

Common Buckeye Butterfly

"Life is short, spread your wings and fly."

Red-spotted Purple Butterfly

Thankful for pretty blue skies and cool days for a walk. 

Me and my shadow.

I like this cloud right above a silo. 

"The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth." Chief Seattle

I am thankful for natures beauty!

I am thankful for all your visits and comments. 


Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday




Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!

Our World, My World

Hello and Happy Monday,

Views of my world and my neighborhood, one of our recent walks on the nearby fire road. We start off in the same direction as the last two walks but cut off onto a new to me fire road heading toward a different section of the lake. 

Aug 21st , we started out our 3.2 round trip mile hike on the Shamberger Peninsula trail. Taking the cut off of the main trail to another fire road that came to a dead end.  We could see the lake through the trees but we were not very close to the lake. There was a steep hill down to lake, I was not up to bushwhacking my way down to the water. 

Various views of our local fire roads and walk on Aug 21st. 

I am sure these are Cedar Waxwings, I see yellow on the bottom of their tails. 

We pass by where I recently saw my Prairie Warblers, Cedar Waxwings and the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The Cedar Waxwing were still there, hanging out high in tree.  All I could see was their bottoms. the top two photos are the Cedar Waxwings and the bottom photo is an unknown Flycatcher? 

We saw 3-5 of these birds hanging out together high in the trees. I see a little on it's chest and two wing bars? 

This tree has some nice sized nuts, I am not sure what kind of tree it is?  Maybe pecan nut? 

There is a section of bamboo plants in a clearing area, also where the nut tree and my unknown flycatcher were  seen. 

The fire road is already starting to be covered with fallen leaves. We watched two deer running away from us, no photo. The Bow Hunting season usually starts around Sept 15. We will have to find another place for our walks. 

Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there. 

Thanks to Cath the host of Country Scapes

Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!

Thanks for visiting and commenting, have a happy day and a great new week!

Saturday's Critters #297

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!


If you love all God's creatures like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!

Photos from the second week of August. The American Robin on the fire road trail.

Dog-sitting, we walked the nearby fire road to the lake. A shadow shot of  hubby, furbaby and me.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at the feeder. 

One of the few Monarch butterflies I have seen in my yard.  

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi

Random rants and in the news, for the critter lovers:

Some Whale info: The Blue Whale is the largest whale living today.  The Blue Whale mother gives birth to the biggest babies, 20-26 FT long.  The Blue Whales can sing for days and have 11 different song types. They are rare to see due to uncontrolled commercial whaling. Some populations could be endangered to the point of extinction. The Humpback Whale is one of the five baleen whales that are endangered. 

I have always had a love for Whales and Dolphins, it is a thrill to see them in the wild. We have taken various whale watching trips in Bar Harbor Maine and at Port Angeles Washington. Seeing a whale in the wild is an amazing sight. I have mixed feelings about protecting the whales from both whale watching boats and especially keeping whales and dolphins in captivity. 

I am all for protecting the animals, my thrill of seeing them comes in second. 

My archive mosaic of the Humpback Whale during a Port Angeles Washington Whale Watching trip. 

I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments !





Here is a list of my linky parties;

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.

Happy Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday

I am thankful to live so close to the reservoir, a lot of our walks with nature are right outside our door. On this day we walked on one of the many fire roads in our neighborhood. It was a 2.8 mile round trip walk. 

Some mornings I am up so early I can see the moon still high in the sky. The moon phase, waning gibbous is 93% visable. 

" Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." John Muir


A look down the fire road, we could take this dirt path all the way to the lake. That hike to the lake would be almost a 5 mile round trip.

Me and my shadow..

Some pretty clouds in the sky. 

Be like a tree.
Stay grounded, connect with your roots.
Turn over a new leaf.
Bend before you break.
Enjoy your unique natural beauty.
Keep Growing.   By Joanne Raptis

We hiked the pine tree loop off the main fire road.  It was a quiet peaceful walk.  

"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man." unknown

The forest makes your heart gentle.
You become one with it.
No place for greed or anger there. 

Some of the birds seen on our morning hike, the Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Towhee and a Great-crested Flycatcher.

We saw a flock of Cedar Waxwings, this one was nice to pose for me. This bird was perched in a tree almost right above two Yellow-billed Cuckoos. 

The most common and heard bird was the Yellow-billed Cuckoo.  In one area off the trail we saw 3 YB Cuckoos in one tree. I assume it was a Cuckoo family. 🌝🌝

I am not sure what this Yellow-billed Cuckoo is eating, maybe a grasshopper? I could see a lot of grasshoppers on the trail as we walked, the birds should be happy with the food source here. 

This Yellow-billed Cuckoo looks like a juvenile to me. 

I am thankful some birds came out in the open and posed for just for me, lol.
A thankful heart is a happy heart, my eyes are open to the beauty that surrounds me. 
I am thankful for all your visits and comments. 


Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday



Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!

Our World, My World

Happy Monday, 

This summer and the month of August are just flying by, hubby and I are getting out for our walks and exercise. On this day we walked the local fire road to another part of our lake. The round trip hike from our house is about 3.2 miles. It was a cloudy somewhat humid day, so my photos are just so-so. I tried to lighten some of the photos. 

The fire road to the lake.

Clicking on the photos, will give you a better view.. 

Another section of the fire road to the lake, views of the lake looking right and looking left, the trail, colorful leaves and some flowers next to the water and rocks. 

"The earth is large enough for all to share, but mankind's heart is not large enough to care." A.D. Williams

Off of the fire road there is a little trail to the lake.

" In nature, nothing exist alone." Rachel Carson

Various warblers seen off the fire road, below are Prairie Warbler and possibly juvenile Prairie Warblers. 

"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul and sings the tunes without words and never stops at all." Emily Dickinson

I am guessing the id of these birds, juvenile Prairie Warblers. Possible breeders in the forest around the lake. Two cuties, the yellow really pops!

"In order to see birds it is necessary...to become part of the silence." Robert Lynd

Prairie Warblers, above and below.  I am not sure if these warblers are moving through are they breeders in my area?  Clicking on the photos, the views are a little better.  🌝🌝🌝

Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there. 

Thanks to Cath the host of Country Scapes

Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!

Thanks for visiting and commenting, have a happy day and a great new week!

Saturday's Critters #296

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!


If you love all God's creatures like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!

Our 2 day road trip to Maryland's Eastern shore also included a quickie trip to Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware.

I enjoy seeing the American Avocets, Egrets and the Glossy Ibis at this wildlife reduge. 

American Avocets seen with a Yellowlegs?

Various Egrets and a Great Blue heron was seen in the area below with some Clapper Rail chicks. 

A closeup look at the muddy area above provided great views of a few Clapper Rail juveniles.

The Clapper Rails blend in well with the mud, can you find 2 juvies in the photo below?

A Clapper Rail juvenile runs across the muddy water toward a Great Blue Heron. 

The Mute Swans are not native swans in Maryland. The Tundra Swan is a native swan in Maryland, usually the Tundra Swan can be seen in the winter months. 

The Black-necked Stilt is a breeder at this wildlife refuge. I did not see any chicks. 

Shore birds, I believe these are the Long-billed Dowitchers maybe mixed with Short-billed Dowitchers. 

Random rants and in the news, for the critter lovers:

Are changes coming to the Endangered Species Act? Are Corporations profits more important than protection of an animal species. Apparently it is OK now to pollute habitats and cut down trees on once protected national lands. The Spotted Owl and other birds are at risk. We need to preserve and protect for the future. What happens when all the animals are extinct, what will people do when all the animals are gone. 

In Maryland, the Chespeake Bay is a treasure. Keep it clean.
In Maryland, we need to keep clean water for the oysters, we need a check on the warming water. Fish will die from living in polluted waters. Overfishing and crabbing can have a big effect on the blue crabs and a favorite Rockfish. 

Being an animal lover, I can not understand how some people think animals are put on this planet for the sole purpose of human use. 

" We all have a responsibility to protect endangered species, both for their sake and for the sake of own future generations." Loretta Lynch


 I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments !







Here is a list of my linky parties;

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.