More West Virginia

Happy Monday, enjoy your day and new week!


I wanted to share some more from our road trip May 2018 taken in West Virginia, New River Gorge and the Babcock State Park and the Glade Creek Grist Mill. These are all beautiful places to visit, I highly recommend a visit.  

The Grandview at the New River Gorge.

The forest and mountains are a lovely sight. This is a spot for a birding festival in the spring. Lots of Warblers migrating through this area. 

This is a beautiful of the New River Gorge. 

I zoomed in on this train from the Grandview overlook. Looks like a lot of coal loaded on those train cars. 

Glade Creek Grist Mill is fairly new built in 1976. It is a re-creation of the mill known as Cooper's Mill. The mill provides for purchase homemade cornmeal to visitors depending on availability. 

A pretty view of the creek!

Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.

Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!

I hope to see you there. Thanks to the host today. Enjoy your day and new week.

As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday!


During our one night two day visit to the New River Gorge Bridge and National Park we visited the Sandstone Falls and the visitor center. They were working on the road back to the Sandstone Falls so it took a while to drive there. It was worth putting up with the road work to see this pretty spot of the park. Sandstone Falls is 1500 feet wide and is made up of a network of boardwalks and little islands.

Early morning fog was hanging around the mountains near the New River.

The Sandstone Falls at the New River Gorge Park. It was a pretty day for a hike at the park and waterfalls.

Sitting in the car waiting our turn for the road to open back up, I noticed a few Baltimore Orioles in the trees in from the car.

Some of the birds seen on the Sandstone Falls island walk. Great-crested Flycatcher, Chickadee, Cardinal and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

I watched two Yellow-billed Cuckoos in a tree top. I was only able to capture one in my photos. 

The beautiful Indigo Bunting. 

The boardwalk trail leads to several islands at the Sandstone Falls. 

Swallowtail butterflies were hanging about.

The Great-crested Flycatcher posed for a photo. 

Sandstone Falls is part of the New River Gorge National Park, we stopped at the visitor center for a quick visit. There was this pretty Trumpet Honeysuckle outside the visitor center. I like the display of stones with the message:

"Our Parks, our watersheds, they belong to us all. Each one of us must help to protect the watershed we live in."

I am thankful to all the people who keep their parks, towns and neighborhood clean. 

I am thankful to visit our National Parks, our country is beautiful. 

I am thankful for the road crews, they have a hard job. 

I am thankful for all your visits and comments. 




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


Happy Monday, enjoy your day and new week!

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

9th Blog Anniversary

Happy Thankful Thursday!

It is not only Thankful Thursday, but my 9th blog anniversary.  I started blogging July 13th 2009.
It has been great meeting bloggers both in person and virtually from around the world. A couple of bloggers  I have been able to meet in person,  Linda in Pennsylvania , her blog is  The Beauty Around Us and Mary in Kentucky and her blog is  Red Shouldered Hawks of Tingsgrove.  I may slow down occasionally but I could never stop blogging. I love  reading other blogs and  seeing photos from around the world. .

I am sharing some of my favorite images, hikes and birds from the past year.

July 2017, I am sharing a Veery off the local fire road near our home. 

Aug 9th 2017, we went on a hike to Maryland Heights overlooking Harper's Ferry. A hard hike but worth the view.

Sept 28th, a trip to Western Pennsylvania and  Erie Pa. We met blogger Linda at the  Kinzua Bridge State Park.

Oct 14th was my 200th  Saturday Critter party and post. A cute Field Sparrow seen at the Big Meadows Shenandoah Nat'l Park. I do not see the Field Sparrows often so this one was a treat.

From Nov 13 2017 a look at the moon from my sister's place in Ocean Isle Beach, NC

On Dec 4th 2017, I posted this cute Carolina Chickadee mid air. 

On Jan 4th I posted one of my favorite winter visitors the Pine Warbler.

Feb 18th, during my Great Backyard Bird Count I had a pair of Bluebirds checking out one of my birdhouses. 

March 2018, we visited Assateague Island National Seashore. Always wonderful to see the wild ponies. 

April 2018, Hubby and I enjoyed an overnight trip to Shenandoah NP. We stayed at the Skyland Resort. It was nice to be the later in the day to see the sunset.

May 2018,  We went on a road trip to Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. I met blogger Mary in Kentucky.

June 2018, I saw a Summer Tanager off the local fire road. 

I am thankful to meet some bloggers in person and all the bloggers from around the world I have met virtually thru the internet. 

I am thankful to go on our getaways and road trips.

I am thankful for all your visits and comments. 

Thank you Michelle for hostingHappy Monday, enjoy your day and new week! Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday

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

New River Gorge

Happy Monday, wishing everyone a great day and new week!

May 9th-10,  our Road Trip continued to the New River Gorge in West Virginia. We stayed one night and two days checking out the river, gorge and bridge trails. 

On October 20, 2018 is the 40th anniversary of the New River Bridge Day! They will close the New River Gorge bridge for Bridge Day. You can walk across the bridge, bungee jump, skydive or rappel or just enjoy the festival. There will be food and music. 

A view from the overlook at the New River. The New River has many rafting companies if you are interested in  going on a raft trip on the river. 

We took the road tour down to the river below the bridge. 

Various flowers and a Cardinal seen during our visit to the New River Gorge. 

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies.

Stairs down to the New River Gorge overlook.  We stopped at one of the landings on the stair and a Hooded Warbler landed on the railing right next to me. I am not sure who was surprised more me or the bird. It happened too fast I could not get a photo. 

 

Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.

Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!

I hope to see you there. Thanks to the host today. Enjoy your day.

As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

Natural Bridge State Resort Park

Happy Monday, have a great new week!

Wishing everyone a happy 4th of July!  Be safe! 


During our road trip 2018 we visited the Natural Bridge Resort State Park. It is located near the Red River Gorge in Kentucky. We took the hike to the Natural Bridge starting off from the visitor center/resort. 

Pine Siskins at the feeders outside the resort. They were also all over the nearby trees. 

We started off on the shortest hardest hike to see the Natural Bridge.

Some pretty wildflowers seen off the trail. Not sure of their id?

Standing under the Natural Bridge, a natural sandstone arch. 

Heading up the skinny steps to the top of the Natural Bridge.

Part of the trail was very narrow.  

We are on the top of the Natural Bridge.

Looking over at the point and end of the trail. 

At the end of the trail looking back at the Natural Bridge. 

A view of the sky from the last lookout. 

A view from the top and end of the trail. 

Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.

Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!

I hope to see you there. Thanks to the host today. Enjoy your day.

As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

Saturday's Critters #237

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

Happy Canada Day to my blogging friends in Canada!  

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!

These are some of the birds and butterflies I saw while staying at the Cumberland Falls Resort State Park in Kentucky.

Taken on May 7th 2018, a  Spotted Sandpiper was seen along the river right before the top of the Cumberland Falls.

A Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly seen on some wild azaleas near the Eagle Falls.

American Goldfinch outside the resort lodge.

This fat groundhog was seen outside the restaurant window at the lodge. I think it was watching me eat my breakfast, wishing he could join us.

I enjoyed watching this Song Sparrow playing in the water on the river's edge above the falls.

I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.





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

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!