Thankful Thursday

Hello & Happy Thankful Thursday!

I am sharing some flowers and birds from my yard. Summer is going so quickly, we are even seeing some fall colors on a little bit of leaves around the neighborhood. 

A Ruby-throated Humminbgbird outside my dining room window. Ignore white curtain on the left. 

"A life without dreams is like a garden without flowers."


Love the hummers, I've been watching a family of 6 at the my flowers and feeders.

Buddleia, a surprise butterfly bush not far from our little pond.

Salvia and purple Bee Balm on the deck, attracts the hummers and butterflies. The bees like these flowers too.

"Every flower is  a soul, blossoming in nature."

On the other side is a pretty Lantana growing.

Blue sky day with an Eastern Kingbird.

I am thankful to see a family of Hummingbird in my yard, their nest must be close by.   

I am thankful my hubby has a green thumb.


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!

Thankful Thursday

Hello & Happy Thankful Thursday!

For awhile we were in drought conditions and then the rain came. Flooded roads, washed away bridges and some water came in our basement. These are images of our lake, the dam and scenes from the fire road walks. I also included some of the full moon on July 27th. 

Full moon on July 27th, the eclipse could not be seen from our area.

To the lower left of the moon is the planet Mars.

July 26th , looking down at the dam gates open. 

A view of the lake and dam.  

July 26th, the Gunpowder River seen from the Dam. The reservoir 79.7 sq miles and the rural watershed is about 24,000. 

July 19th Prettyboy Reservoir, a blue sky day before the rains came. Our first eagles nest is located across the lake, it is great now we found a second eagles nest closer to our home and neighborhood.

A Swallowtail butterfly on the fire road.

July 19th, a group of Canada Geese hanging out on the lake. 

July 19th, the Prettyboy watershed, next to the reservoir. 

I am thankful for the rain, just not too much rain. 

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!

Happy Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday, wishing everyone a happy day!

These are more images from our overnight trip to Maryland's Western Shore. July 9-10th we drove to the Point Lookout State Park in Scotland Maryland to watch the sunset.  Point Lookout is located where the Potomac River meets the Chesapeake Bay. The Lighthouse is being renovated, it is surrounded by a chain link fence, not a pretty picture. The sunset was gorgeous, lots of Brown Pelicans flying by. 

A dark and distant look at some Herons and Pelicans perched and near the shore.

Pelican in flight

A Mockingbird and Brown Thrasher

Sunset on the Point Lookout Lighthouse.

More Pelicans

I am thankful to be able to view a gorgeous sunset.

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!

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday!


These are some images from our visit to Maryland's Western Shore, we visited the Piney Point Lighthouse located on the Potomac River near the Chesapeake Bay. Beside the lighthouse there is the Keepers House and a Museum. 

Osprey with two young. 

It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight. Only blue sky!

 Piney Point Lighthouse and the Keepers House.

Trail to the water.

The pier and view of the Potomac River. There are 50 major rivers that pour into the bay. Everything flows downstream that means we need to keep our rivers, streams and creeks clean. 

A group of Terns and Gulls



In this one area we saw 4 Osprey nests and close to 6 Osprey.  There was a sign on this pier that had info on the Chesapeake Osprey. It said the Chesapeake Bay estuary supports the largest breeding Osprey population in the country. I am not sure if this is still true, I hope so. 

Sharing a Google map of our Maryland Western Shore trip. 





I am thankful for blue skies and pretty views. 

I am thankful Maryland wants to keep the Chesapeake Bay clean. 

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!

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!

Shenandoah National Park

Happy Thursday, wishing everyone a great day!

On Jun 15th, hubby and I went on a day trip to Shenandoah National Park. These are some photos from along the way and at the park and on the Skyline Drive. We hiked the Limberlost Trail, walked on the Big Meadows and stopped at a few overlooks along the Skyline Drive. 


On the drive to the park I was riding on Rt 340 just outside Berryville Virginia I looked over and saw a Roseate Spoonbill. A rare sighting for Virginia, I had to turn the car around and go back for some photos. Looks like a juvenile Roseate Spoonbill was hanging out on a flooded field with a couple of Mallards. 

 The White tailed deer can be seen along the Skyline Drive, usually early in the morning and later in the evening. Do your two deer, one is a little hidden. I wonder how many bike riders have seen bears along their rides, they could be surprised unexpectedly having a bear pop out on the drive. 

A few Shenandoah Park birds, the top left I am not sure of it's id, the top middle bird is the female Eastern Towhee and top right is the male Eastern Towhee. Bottom left is a Cedar Waxwing, middle bottom row is a Song Sparrow and bottom right is a Blue-headed Vireo. 

Columbine seen along the Skyline Drive.

Skipper on the mountain laurels. 

A couple of sky shots taken at the Big Meadows, Shenandoah.

Some flower on the Big Meadows. 

Black Bear seen along the Skyline Drive in the Northern Section of the park. 

We were first to see this Black Bear along the Skyline Drive. I was glad not to have a line of cars in front or back of me. 

I am thankful for the wildflowers, what a lovely sight. 

I love seeing wildlife, I was thankful to see the Black Bear. 

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!