Our World, My World

 Hello everyone,

 We are pretty much doing the same thing here, staying safe and close to home.  We are taking our walks of different local fire roads.  I have a mish-mash of photos, taken during our walks or from around the yard.  

I do have a happy news update: hubby and I are going to be grandparents, congrats to my son Brian and DIL Allie. Baby Wise is due in February. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird seem at the Salvia plant. 

Flowers, bird and butterflies  seen around our yard: the Purple Coneflowers, Upright Fuchsia,  Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, grape tomato plant. 

The Purple Coneflowers and the bees are a happy sight. 

I've been seeing the Brown Thrasher around the yard, sometimes it is near the blueberry bushes.

On the fire road, another bird watcher, Chipping Sparrow, Ruby-throated Humminbird silhouette, Male Northern Cardinal, the fire road, Cedar Waxwing, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird and possible Thistle. 

It is nice our walk was mostly in the shade on the fire road.

We are finding a few mushrooms or fungi along the fire roads. 

I like checking out our flowers and plants in the yard.  Our potted plants have to be watered often, it seems like the rain goes around us. This Upright Fuchsia is doing well, lots of blooms.

The butterfly bushes are attracting a lot of different butterflies.  Below are the Black Swallowtail butterflies.

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly seem to be doing well this year.  

 Hubby and I are remaining safe and virus free. Maryland Covid cases are on the decline. On the day I typed this post,  the numbers for positive Covid cases in my state have been below 4% for the last 6 days.  I hope everyone stays safe, happy and healthy.  




What's happening in your corner of the world? Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there.


 
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 # 348

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!

On one of our local fire road walks our bird sightings included a flock of Cedar Waxwings eating the berries in bushes next to the fire road.

I think the Cedar Waxwings are beautiful birds. 

Back in the yard is the Clearwing Hummingbird Moth.

The Scarlet Tanager sat in this tall pine tree, he was singing the whole time we were there.

A few of the birds we saw from our local fire road walk, a flock of Cedar Waxwings, Scarlet Tanager and the Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Also, in the yard on the butterfly bush is the Monarch Butterfly. 

The male Scarlet Tanager is a beautiful red color with black wings. 

Below, a juvenile Cedar Waxwing showing off it's dusky streaking on it's underparts. A group of Waxwings is called an Ear-full, I have come to recognize the sound of the Waxwings.

Thanks to all my visitors and for all the wonderful comments. If you like, stop back to see replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post.

Here is my linky:

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

Happy Thankful Thursday!

 Hello everyone,

It is hard to believe August is almost half over.  The days continue to fly by.  There is not much happening here, we are still keeping our distance and wearing our face mask.  Our walks have been local, on the fire roads and to the lake.  Can I say, I am grinning and bearing this new version of blogger?  How do you like the new blogger?  Please ignore any errors, lol.   

 

My Skywatching is from my deck, yard and driveway.

" I am grateful, I am happy."

 Bird watching is from my windows or on our deck.  I am seeing 5-6 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds zooming around my yard. I have 3 feeders that I seem to refill every other day. Seeing these hummingbirds in my yard just make me happy. 

Thankful for flowers, they make me happy. Hubby had the nice suggestion to buy flowers for the vase we keep on the dining table. So every couple of weeks, we change out the flowers for a new arrangement. These are from the local Weis food store, I am not sure what they are. Maybe Freesia?

 

Nature scenes from our fire road walk, the round spider webs, mushrooms, Acadian Flycatcher and a Red-spotted Purple butterfly.

I often see these round spider webs during our walks, they remind me of a CD or DVD.

 

 

 

 

 

Backyard sky, sunset looking pretty in pink. 

I am thankful for the simple pleasure of a beautiful sunset. 

 

 " Make time to enjoy the simple things in life."  Warm tea and a good book are a few of my simple things. 

 

Recently, I heard about a tasty honey called Orange Blossom Honey. Apparently bees in Florida and California visit the orange blossoms which in turn flavor the honey comb with a sweet citrus flavored honey.  I like adding a little honey to my tea,  right now I am using a local Maryland clover honey.  I ordered the Orange Blossom Honey from Amazon, I am looking forward to trying this honey.  Do you buy local honey? It is best pure and raw, it has health benefits, antioxidants, nutrients to help promote digestive health and help with your pollen seasonal allergies.

 

I am thankful for all the ebooks I find online from my local library.

These are my latest books:

The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear, it is # 15 in the Maisie Dobbs series. I really enjoyed this series, I hope she does another Maisie Dobbs, I am a fan. 

Unseen by Karin Slaughter, # 7 in the Will Trent series

All Shall be Well by Deborah Crombie, # 2 in the Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James series.

 
I am thankful hubby and I are remaining virus free.  This Covid virus is not just going to go away. I hope everyone take care and stays 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


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

Our World, My World

Happy Monday!

For a change of scenery, some days we will take a walk on the NCR trail.  I have posted many times about our walks on this trail. There are more bike riders than hikers and maybe just a few bird watchers. The other 3 bird watchers are in the mosaic below, the middle bottom photo.

I was happy to see various flowers blooming along the trail.

"Just living is not enough...One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." Hans Christian Andersen

I heard more birds than I saw,  a few different Woodpeckers, the Carolina Wren, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Cardinals and the Acadian Flycatcher.

The Common Yellowthroat Warbler was probably the most common bird I saw during our walk.

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is often seen sitting in a muddy spot.

There are some hostas blooming along the NCR trail.

Me and my shadow on one of the NCR bridges.

These Tiger Lilies are blooming in a weird spot not far from the Bee Tree Run.

The Bee Tree Run, a pretty view from the trail. 

It was a nice day to be out walking, but we will stick to the week day walks. The weekend was way too crowded with the bike riders. 

I have a question today, if and when they come out with a Covid vaccine will you be one of the first to get the shot?  I am not in a hurry to get a vaccine when it first comes out. I have never had the yearly flu shot, I've have been told to get the shingles shot. I have heard the first shingles shot did not work great and the second Shingle vaccine was more effective. The 2nd version ran out.  It is all still a wait and see, hopefully there is a vaccine soon and be available to all who need it the most.

We are managing to stay virus free. Taking our walks with nature I think helps us to stay healthy. Thanks for coming along on my walk.   I hope everyone stays safe, happy and healthy.  

What's happening in your corner of the world? Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there.


 
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 # 347

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

Happy Saturday! Have a great 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!

I have a few yard birds to share today, I've been seeing the Brown Thrasher going to the blueberries, the American Goldfinches like the sunflower seed feeders and an Eastern Wood-Pewee catching bugs in the yard. 

The Brown Thrasher on top the swing..Some blueberries survived the tree fall on top our our bushes.  I've been watching the birds going into the blueberry bushes. 

The American Goldfinches seem to come and go, I do not see them every day. This one is perched on a nearby butterfly bush.

Goldfinch and the Wood Pewee.

I've been hearing the Eastern Wood Pewee calling around my yard, this day I saw him/her sitting on the swing set. 

It may be a juvenile Pewee. 

Thanks for all the links and to all my visitors. I appreciate everyone leaving a comment. Stop back for any replies to your comments.

Here is my linky:



 

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

Have a great weekend!