Happy Thankful Thursday

 Hello, everyone!

I am sharing photos for another throwback Thankful Thursday. Photos are again from my archives. They are images from past trips, happy memories for hubby and I.  We like looking back at trips, wishing we could travel to some beautiful place right now.   I had to renew my passport, it was expiring soon. I renewed the passport at the USPS office closest to me, this was done back in the middle of June. I finally received my new passport this week. Traveling out of the country is not about to happen any time soon, most countries do not want people from the USA visiting because of the Covid virus.

I wish this virus was gone. For now I am thankful to be  safe, healthy and happy.  

I am always thankful to see the beauty around me.  The Oregon Coastline is beautiful.  In 2012, hubby and I visited Cannon Beach in Oregon.  I loved seeing the famous Haystack Rock.

Previously our endangered species were being protected, now the current administration has weakened the Endangered Species Act.  

This is a view of the Hoh River, Olympic Nat'l Park Washington State. Our national parks are special places, great for exploring nature. I am thankful for the National Park Service for taking care and protecting these special places.

Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, Albuquerque New Mexico. The Cottonwood Trees were just beautiful.  This was a 2013 trip to New Mexico/Texas

We took the Lady of the Lake ferry to spend a few days in the North Cascades Lodge in Stehekin. This view is of the North Cascades and Lake Chelan, Washington in 2010.

  Below a view of the bridge from Deception Pass State Park, May 2017

 While we are being distracted by other things, there are national parks  at risk with mining, gas and oil drilling. So far the courts have stopped some of abuse of our protected federal lands. Our leader is far from being a great environmental president, more like the opposite. 

The Grand Tetons Nat'l Park.  

Key West Florida sunset in 2013.
 

Sunset at Presque Isle State Park, Erie Pennsylvania, 2017

 Hobe Sound Beach Florida 2019

 Landscape Arch, Arches Nat'l Park in Utah  2008

 Hurricane Ridge, Olympic Nat'l Park in 2015

I am thankful for all our national parks, they were created to protect and preserve these lands.  The national parks are not for the current administration to lease out or sell the land for mining, the oil and gas companies tearing up the land. I often wonder about our country's future. What will be left of our country, for our children and grandchildren?



Since we are staying close to home, I have been enjoying looking back at our travels and archived photos. I am thankful I have my external hard drives sitting next to my computer for quick access.  I hope you enjoy!

I hope everyone take care and stays safe. 

Live simple and be happy!  😊 Take care, keep smiling!


Thank you to Martha  @ Throwback Thursday linky  
and her Seaside Simplicity
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!!

Happy Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday,


I decided to share some of my favorite sky scenes and photos. These are all from my archives. I am thankful for great memories from past years and various trips. No specific order or date, luckily I can remember where the photo was taken.  I rotate photos in a folder to be used for my desktop background.  My favorites are images from sea to sea, America the Beautiful. I am thankful for the beauty in our country and around the world.  Some sky and scenes are from our travels outside the USA. They include scenes from Costa Rica, Curacao and Iceland. 

This is a sunrise at Flagler Beach, Florida 2015

This sunrise was in our Lakeland Florida neighborhood 2016

The is the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica 2010

I am pretty sure this is from Ruby Beach, Olympic Nat'l Park Washington State 2017

Sunset Curacao, taken at the resort beach 2012

Moon captured at the Guadalupe Mountains, Texas 2013

Sunrise at the Bosque del Apache, New Mexico 2013.   These are the only birds seen on this post, a group of Sandhill Cranes in flight and some ducks in the water.

Sunrise at Crescent Lake, Washington 2015

Sunset Beach, North Carolina  2017

Mt Hood Oregon, July 2012

Iceland, Sept 2019

 I am thankful for Katherine Lee Bates, a teacher and poet who wrote the song America the Beautiful in 1893. Bates was inspired after a visit to Pikes Peak in Colorado. In 1904 Katherine Lee Bates revived the song adding the words "And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea."  The song and poem reflects a belief in community and social justice. Bates had a deep empathy and a lifelong interest in helping others who were struggling to make ends meet. This song took on new meaning on Nov 11 1918 Armistice Day, when the WWI ended and the soldiers returned home. On this last day of the war, the soldiers left the trenches singing America the beautiful.

Colorado, Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park Sept 2014 

We should all be thankful for our freedom and liberty. Thankful for our home of the free and brave.  I am focusing on things I love and cherish, like my country and it's spacious skies.  BTW, I am thankful for the USPS and when I get my mail/medicine on time.

 Be Kind! Kindness changes the world, one heart at a time!! 😊

 Take care and stay safe! 


Live simple and be happy!  😊 Take care, keep smiling!


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


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

Black-billed Magpie

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

For this week's wild bird I am sharing the Black-billed Magpie from our visit to Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park.
The Black-billed Magpies were a common bird seen during our Colorado vacation.. Many would be hanging around the parking lots and picnic grounds..

The Black-billed Magpie is in the Crow family. They are found in the western half of the USA, from Alaska to New Mexico. In the photo above you can see their tail makes up for half of their length.

The Magpie is black with white shoulders and white belly. They have dark blue-green wings and tail.  I think they are handsome birds and look beautiful in flight.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the Magpie, they are cool looking birds..
Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to both of our hosts... Michelle for Nature Notes and our host Stewart of Wild Bird Wednesday.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Vermilion Flycatcher

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes


For this week's wild bird I am sharing the Vermilion Flycatcher. One of my favorite sightings in Belize..  This was not my first sighting of this bird, they are my first photos of the pretty Vermilion Flycatcher. I actually saw it during our one day visit to Belize while we were on a April 2006 Western Caribbean cruise and a cave-tubing excursion.
This bird was seen during my birding tour near the Sittee River in Hopkins Belize.  Part of our tour included some birding along the road on the way to the river.. Whenever we spotted a bird we would stop to view the bird up close and take photo if we wanted.

The Vermilion Flycatcher is a stunning color unlike other drab flycatchers..The males are bright red and have dark brown plumage. They prefer open areas but usually near water. They eat insects such as flies, grasshoppers and beetles.

 

A different angle of the Vermilion Flycatcher showing dark brown plumage on it's back and wings. It Is a gorgeous bird and one of my many favorites.

 Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to our host Michelle our host Stewart.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Bare-throated Tiger Heron

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

I am sharing another Belize bird..the Bare-throated Tiger Heron.. It was not a lifer, I saw this bird for the first time in Costa Rica. This bird during a birding trip on the Sittee River near Hopkins, Belize..It was a little difficult taking bird photos from a moving boat..even though once in awhile we stopped..

The Bare-throated Tiger Heron has a naked yellow throat, the adult has a black crown, dark greyish-olive legs and a grey face.

 Their underparts are a dull cinnamon brown.  A large species, they are 31 inches in length and weighs 42 oz..

The Bare-throated Tiger Heron can be found from Mexico to Northwestern Colombia.

 They can be found around fresh water and mangrove habitats..on river and lake banks.

As we watched for birds along the river we spotted a few of the Bare-throated Tiger Herons in various spots along the river..I hope you enjoyed seeing the Bare-throated Tiger Heron..

 Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to our host Michelle our host Stewart.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Masked Tityra

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes


For this week's wild bird I am sharing another lifer from Belize the Masked Tityra. We saw this bird from the open air dinning room of the Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge. I saw many  of my Belize lifers just from the lodge's dinning room..

 Sorry for the quality of these shots, it was a gray day and I had to zoom in quite a distance to the tree.. But, you can definitely make out the id of this Masked Tityra. A medium sized passerine bird, placed in the Cotinga family and found on the forest-edge and woodlands of Mexico and Central America.

The Masked Tityra has black and white plumage, black face and a red eye ring. It also has a pinkish-red bill.

I hope you enjoyed my Belize lifer.. the Masked Tityra.

 Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to our host Michelle our host Stewart.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Olive-throated Parakeet

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

For this week I am sharing my Olive-throated Parakeet seen near the Sittee River in Hopkins, Belize.

The Olive-throated Parakeet a lifer for me, is also known as a Conure or Parrot. They have a pale bill and a green head, back and tail. They have a olive throat and a bold white eyering..

They can be found in Mexico, Caribbean and in Central America. I found this bird during a birding trip from our Almond Beach Resort in Hopkins.. I hope you enjoyed my post and the Olive-throated Parakeet. Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to our host Michelle our host Stewart.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

White-collared Seedeater

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes


This week I am sharing one of my Belize lifers the White-collared Seedeater. A Passerine in the typical seedeater genus.. It seemed to be a common bird seen around our Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge and all around Belize..

The White-collared Seedeater has a broad white collar, white rump and a black hood. It is native to Mexico and Central America.

 Another male White-collared Seedeater, this one looks like it was a little wet from the rain.

 They are found in savannahs, grasslands, shrub lands and vegetation along rivers.

 The female White-collared Seedeater. Their diet consists of seeds and insects.

  Another shot of the cute female White-collared Seedeater. The females wings and tail are brown, whitish wingbars. I saw these birds often around the grounds, mostly in the grass and sometimes perched in a small bush.. I hope you enjoyed my new wild bird.  


Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to our host Michelle our host Stewart.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Belize Mayan Ruins

  I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday 

More on our Belize vacation

Thanks to Bryan at our  Sleeping Giant Belize on our second day in Belize hubby and I took a tour to the Mayan Ruins.. The tour was with  Caves Branch  to the Mayan Ruins called Xunantunich and Cahal Pech. 

Above are some shots of the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins. At 130 feet high these ruins are the second tallest in Belize and located above the Mopan River . The name Xunantunich means stone woman. This site served as a civic ceremonial center. At the time 200,000 people lived in Belize.

Another view of the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins

A closeup of  the top of  the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins.

A Spider Monkey was seen hanging in one of the trees at the ruins.

The Cahal Pech Mayan Ruins sits above the banks of the Macal River and is located near the town of San Ignacio.  The meaning of the name  Cahal Pech is the Place of the Ticks. It was a hilltop home of an elite Mayan family.  Also included with the ruins photos are the Iguana,  Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher lifer and a Golden-fronted Woodpecker lifer.

To reach the Mayan ruins our tour took us on this ferry ride across the river.

The ferry ride gave me ample time to snap off a few pic's of this Green Kingfisher..

Some critters from around the ruins..the Spider Monkey, a Brown Jay lifer, Green Kingfisher, Swallows, ferry ride. Our tour guide also made a stop at a local restaurant in town for lunch..I had a yummy burrito.

In the far left are some local crafts tents set up for shopping located near the ferry to cross the river. It was a nice tour and we had a great guide and driver.. I would highly recommend Caves Branch Adventure Co for a tour in Belize. 


Thanks for stopping by and for the comments.

Join in on the fun and for more wonderful photos please visit  Mosaic Monday and more
 from  Our World Tuesday

 Thanks to our host: Mary our host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer.  I wish everyone a happy week ahead!