Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a happy new week!

"Autumn leaves are nature's way of showing us how beautiful it is to let go."

"Autumn is the season that teaches us change can be beautiful."

"We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone."

Comments off, enjoy your day!

Happy Monday

Wishing everyone a great day and a happy new week!

"Never ruin a good day by thinking about a bad yesterday. Let it go." 

"Holding on is believing there is only a past, letting go is knowing there is a future."

"We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone."

Comments off, enjoy your day!

Saturday's Critters # 556

 Welcome to Saturday's Critters! Hello and Happy Saturday!

 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!

1. June 11-12th, hubby and I enjoyed an overnight trip to Shenandoah National Park, we like the Skyline Drive, hiking on the Limberlost trail and stopping at all the overlooks and of course the trails at Big Meadows. Below are photos from Shenandoah, birds that were seen and wildflowers and scenic views. 

2. Below are the Eastern Towhee, a Veery and I am guessing the Eastern Wood-Pewee.

I've been using the Merlin Bird Id app on my phone while I am out hiking, below are two screen shots of the birds I could hear while hiking on the Limberlost Trail. 

The Eastern Towhees were heard and seen all along the trail. 

3. The Mountain Laurels were blooming beautifully along the Limberlost Trail.

4. The Mountain Laurel blooms were either white or a pretty pink color. 

5. Our walk on the trail at Big Meadows , we saw some butterflies and lots of wildflowers. 

My first of the year Monarch Butterfly sighting. 

The speed limit on the Skyline Drive is 35MPH  for a reason, the deer and any wildlife can be crossing the road just around one of my many curves. 

One of the many deer we saw during the two days we visited the park. 

6. Birds seen at the Big Meadows were the Song Sparrows and the Field Sparrows and near the parking lot were the Cedar Waxwings. 

7. Stopping at various overlooks at the scenic views of the Appalachian Mountains, the White-tailed Deer , wild Columbine and an Indigo Bunting. 

8. The Limberlost Trail has always been a favorite of mine, below it looks like I captured a young Brown Thrasher, we saw  family of Wild Turkeys close to the parking lot. 

Shenandoah National Park is one of my favorite parks to visit, it is nice to stay overnight and be able to visit later in the day and early in the morning.  I hope you enjoyed the photos. 

I am linking up to Heidrun's Mosaic Monday  I hope you can stop by and visit Heidrun and check out the Mosaic Monday post.

Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post.

Here is my linky:

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Happy Monday!

 Wishing everyone a great day and a happy new week!

" An early morning walk is a blessing for the entire day."

Limberlost trail, Shenandoah National Park

"Be like a tree, stay grounded, keep growing and know when to let go."

"We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone."

Comments off, enjoy your day!

Saturday's Critters # 504

  Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

Hello and happy Saturday!

 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!

Still behind sharing outings and photos, back on June 28-29th hubby and I visited the Shenandoah National Park, we were able to stay in one of the Big Meadows Cabins. It is nice to be right in the park early in the morning, It is a great time to see the early birds and lots of deer. 

Prayers for the people and first responders in Maui!

1. Below deer seen from our hike on the Limberlost Trail, Eastern Bluebird were seen at the Big Meadows.  Middle row: Song Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Phoebe, cute fawn. Bottom Row: Eastern Towhee, male and female American Redstart and an Ovenbird with 2 juveniles. 

2.   This deer walked towards us while we were hiking on the Limberlost Trail. 

3. A female Eastern Bluebird  was seen from the Big Meadows trails. 

4.  At a distance we thought the red spots on this plant were berries but a closer looks the red spots were ladybugs. 

5. Adult Ovenbird is feeding one of it's young, I noticed 4-5 of these birds hopping around on the ground looking for food. 

6. The next morning before breakfast at the Big Meadows Lodge we took a short ride on the Skyline Drive. Looking for critters and birds.

Top row is a Cedar Waxwing, a family of deer, two bunnies. Middle row: more deer, Dark-eyed Junco, Hooded Warbler, White-breasted Nuthatch, Scarlet Tanager in tree, Chestnut-sided Warbler, adult Black and White Warbler feeding young and a Scarlet Tanger on the ground.

7.  There was an early morning fog in the park, we were seeing a lot of deer this morning.  

8.  After breakfast and checking out of the lodge we slowly started home with a morning walk on the Limberlost Trail. It is a great trail for seeing the birds. I luck out seeing the Hooded Warbler. 

9.   The Black and White Warbler with it's young. 

10.  The Scarlet Tanager male was on the trail feeding another bird when we got close.

11.  Now we are back on the Skyline Drive heading out the park, we made a stop at an overlook when this Chestnut-sided Warbler starting singing in a nearby tree. 

12. Below are some of the wildflowers we saw in the park along the Skyline Drive and at the Big Meadows. 

13.  The Canadian Wildfires were causing hazy looking skies all the way down to Virginia and the Shenandoah National Park. The moon in the bottom left looked clearer than the sun that was setting. 

I hope you enjoyed our visit to the park, the deer and birds, the skies and wildflowers. 

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post.

Here is my linky:

I am linking up to Heidrun's Mosaic Monday  I hope you can stop by and visit Heidrun and check out the Mosaic Monday post. 

Saturday's Critters # 401

 Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

Hello and happy Saturday!

 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!

July 5-6 , for a short getaway and to see some different scenery we went to Shenandoah National Park. We spent the night in Harrisonburg Va , drove the Skyline Drive both days. We hiked on the Limberlost Trail and the Big Meadows. 

Click on photos for larger viewing. 

1. Various images from our Skyline Drive, the hike on Limberlost and Big Meadows, various wildflowers and scenic views. 

2. A skywatch and view from one of the many scenic overlooks on the Skyline Drive. 

4. White-tailed Deer crossing the Skyline Drive. 

5. Another look at the Deer, I enjoy seeing all wildlife. 

6. A Dark-eyed Junco was seen on the Big Meadows camp store parking lot. 

7. Some of the birds we saw on our Shenandoah visit and hikes, A Wood Thrush, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, White-tailed Deer, American Robin, Indigo Bunting and am American Redstart.

8. A larger image of the Wood Thrush

8. This was my first time seeing a snail in a shell. 

9. American Redstart, possible Viceroy butterfly, wildflowers, Indigo Bunting. 

10.

An adult Chipping Sparrow with what looks like a juvenile Chipping Sparrow.

11.  A closer look at the Indigo Bunting.

Shenandoah NP is one of our favorite places to visit, we try to visit as often as we can.  I hope you enjoyed going along on our little getaway and my photos. 

I am also linking up to Anni's blog party found here I'd Rather B Birding   Anni always has some beautiful birds to be seen on her blog, check it out!

Here is my linky:

YOU are all # 1.

Thanks to all my visitors and for your comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post. 

Happy Thankful Thursday

 Happy Thursday everyone!

It's New Year's Eve, I think we are all looking forward to a happy and healthy New Year.  Hopefully we can say bye-bye to Covid and return to somewhat of our normal lives.  I am thankful that hubby and I remained virus-free. I am sorry and sad about all those who passed away due to the virus, I am sorry if you lost a family member or a friend. 

I am sharing some favorite photos of the past year, fun times with hubby and simple joys of skywatching and bird-watching. These are a few of my "favorite things".  I am thankful for the simple things that make me happy and bring me joy just looking at them.

1.  January 2020... Florida Brown Pelicans flying by, saying goodbye for now.  We were heading home from Florida on the first of January 2020.  We had no idea what was coming (the coronavirus) in March 2020.  At this time Maryland requested everyone wear a mask,. Keep safe, stay the social distance and keep washing your hands. 

2.  February 2020..full moon

 

 "May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know it's beauty all the days of your life."

 

3.  March 2020, a Great Blue Heron at our neighborhood heron rookery.  March 15th  was the last time hubby and I met our son and his wife and ate inside a restaurant. 

4.  April 2020...our Grand-dogs the shepherd mix is Nibbles and the Corgi is Winnie.  . Good news is we are looking forward to welcoming our grandson in Feb 2021.  

5. May 2020.. the pink lady slipper is a sight I enjoy seeing each year off of our local fire road.  I am thankful for these rare orchids. May 4th was our 30th Anniversary.

6. June 2020.. we managed a Shenandoah NP getaway staying safe mostly in our car and taking a hike on a park trail.  I am thankful for the beautiful sunsets. 

7.  July 2020, another getaway to the Blackwater NWR in Cambridge Maryland. I am thankful for the beautiful and peaceful nature scenes.

8. August 2020...I am always happy to see the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in my yard.  I have my feeders up early spring and we plant flowers that we know the hummingbirds love.

9. September 2020...  I was happy to see one of my favorite birds, the Red-breasted Nuthatch return to our area for the winter.  These birds return during an irruption year also called a finch year.

10. October 2020... we did a quick getaway to Chincoteague Island, walks on the beach and we saw lots of ponies and birds.

11. November 2020.. It's Bald Eagle time at the Susquehanna River just below the Conowingo Dam. 

 

 11a... Our Grand-dog Chewy crossed over the rainbow bridge November 4th.  He was a sweetie and is missed..

 

 

12. December 2020.. Pretty sky and geese on the field at our favorite local restaurant.. We are thankful for their great carry-out dinners. December was our birthday month, Dec 2nd was mine, the 7th was my son's 28th birthday and the 10th was hubby's.  "Mine for evermore. Will you still need me, will you still feed me. When I'm sixty-four..by the Beatles.

Hubby and I are thankful we were able to go on a few getaways during this past year. The first of Jan 2020 we were driving home from a trip to Florida, Shenandoah NP, Chincoteague Island, Blackwater NWR are all favorite places to visit.  We were able to social distance and wear our mask keeping safe. Most of these trips were spent in our car..

I am thankful for all my blog followers, for all your past comments and  visits during this past year..

I wish everyone all the best in 2021, a very happy and healthy New year! May the New Year bring you Peace, Love and Happiness! 

I am thankful for the healthcare workers and all the essential workers who have put their lives at risk during this past year.  I remain thankful that we continue to stay healthy.  I hope everyone stays healthy and safe. 

Go outside and breathe deeply.  Enjoy every moment. 

Take care and stay safe! 


Live simple and be happy!  😊 Keep smiling!

Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday.  

Thank you Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday
 

Thank you for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!!  😊