Cherish is my favorite word, and I cherish the ability of turning the routine into a beautiful moment.
Nature creates in me, a spiritual and meditative time to bring peace, harmony and balance, into an otherwise ordinary day~
Mary Howell Cromer







Saturday, October 19, 2013

Coming In For the Home Stretch~



Coming in for the home stretch and it has been a very long journey and it will end at Tingsgrove this coming Tuesday evening, the Good Lord providing safe travel mercies:)

The past 3 posts were done in draft form before we left and were kindly posted by a dear family member.

I look forward to getting back with your blogs, and have been able to visit a few, but the Internet access and time has been spent up so I apologize again.

My next post will begin my shares of our journey through 9 states and thousands of miles driven.

Drying, seeding and dying wildflowers along Beargrass Creek in Jefferson County above and beneath are juvie Cooper's Hawks. 
The top image was taken at my father-in-laws home and the next one was taken in my back yard~

I warmed this top mosaic one click, as the images were taken in doors through glass and double glass at that~



Remember to double click on the image, to view a larger slide show of the images shared ~

*** I am going to at least try and link up to Mosaic Monday and Wild Bird Wednesday...will be on the road for a while and so, it all depends on Internet access. 
The weather across the country looks bleak, as well as the SHUTDOWN of our government...what stress this brings our way!



I am linking up with Mary for:

"Mosaic Monday"


at:
 





and


I am linking up with Stewart at:

Wild Bird Wednesday

(http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/)





Wild and Cultivated flowers shown below at entrance to Fox Hollow Farms.
All Summer, I tend to seek out the lovely Sphinx Moths. 
Some are called Hummingbird Moths and others Hawk Moths~





Catching the beat of the wings~





A late Italian Honey Bee across the lane from me and the last day of a spent Rose~


Though I took this only a few days ago, most assuredly by the time this is posted,
the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, will have all flown South for the Winter~


 
 
Red-winged Blackbirds live around ponds and Cattails most of the season. 
They breed, lay eggs and raise their young among the reeds. 
In the Autumn months they partake of the seeds produced on the plumes of the Cattails~
 

 
 



A handsome American Kestrel was hunting fence side in Arabian Horse farm country near my home recently~
 

 I have seen 2 of these funny insects in the past few days...
I have no clue what they are, but share one in case you know the ID and then I shall know as well ;)
 
 



If you ask my grand-son Thomas about these little ones, he will answer you with "Chickadeedeedee, Chickadeedeedee", as that is the sound they make and that was how he learned some bird names when he was younger~



In all of my years...I have heard of the very venomous Black Widow Spider and yet, I had never seen one before.
My next door neighbor rang me up a week ago to say she had caught one at her front door.
I took my camera with me, just in case. 
 Once I had taken images, and then compared to the ones shown on
"Google" and "Bing".
That is what it was.
eww~



 
 


These flowers were also growing along Beargrass Creek. 
I have never seen these before either~
 
 

 
 



This is only one kind of Stink Bug. 
There are a few kinds that live in our area and this is the first season ever, that they are making their way inside homes all over the county, to the point they even made front page news. 
We have no idea how they are getting in our home, but they are finding it a deadly venture to trespass, upon our walls, furniture and curtains...
Again eww~
 
 
 
 

18 comments:

  1. stink bugs are dreadful in the virginia area - based on several bloggers that battle with them, there. guess they're expanding territory. love the red-wings, but i'm guessing they'll be heading here soon to eat all my birdseed for the winter. :) great coopers' shots. safe travels home!

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  2. Fabulous photos/collages! I always look forward to visiting your blog and checking out your wonderful camera work!!

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  3. Nice to see so many red-winged black birds together, they inhabit the marshy areas near the lake here and rarely venture into our backyard for birdseed. Good ID photo for the black widow - yikes!

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  4. These are all wonderful photos! I can't wait to hear more about your trip and see what you've taken along the way! Take care and God bless my friend!

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  5. Beautiful captures! My faves are the 'Catching the Beating of the Wings' and the vivid red flower (what type of flower is that?). Nice site. I'll visit often.

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  6. fabulous images - I always look forward to peeping into your world Mary. I look forward to seeing images from your recent travels - I am still catching up after our recent trip.
    Safe travels, and welcome home!

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  7. Lovely images of wildlife and flowers. Visiting from Mosaic Monday!

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  8. You are almost home Mary and perhaps the mixed feelings we always have on such occasions? That is a lovely hawk shot you started with and I always enjoy seeing Red-winged Blackbirds and wish that I could hear again their wonderful calls. Love the beating wings too - great work with all your mosaics as usual.

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  9. Gorgeous pictures (well except for the black widow, eeeek)....I hope you are home safely by the time you read this comment and I look forward to reading your travel posts; that was quite a trip (believe me I KNOW)! The hummingbird or hawk moths in this post really caused me to do a double take...those are outrageous! Wow.

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  10. Wow a lot of fantastic photos, even the
    Black Widow spider, not my favorite eight legged creature UGH!

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  11. HI Wonderful selection of photographs and great shots. Hope you have a safe journey back home and look forward to seeing the photos from 9 different states.

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  12. Great photos of the birds and flowers - beautiful colors - but YUCK to the spider!

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  13. You have captured some amazing images.. love all your bugs.
    The kestrel is a real beauty.

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  14. A beautiful post full of lifes colour and variety. The Hummingbird moth images are superb, not so sure about embracing the Black Widow, I would have given it a wide berth.

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  15. Wonderful series as usual. I love the moths.

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  16. Oh no, I missed this one, I am sorry. Beautiful images Mary.

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  17. So many wonderful images of nature! I love that little kestrel. Looks like it was posing for you.

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  18. Hi Mary,

    Phenomenal photos, Mary as always!! I DETEST insects, yes, even the beautiful Italian bees, I'm afraid, but compared to those gruesome spiders and stinky bugs, they're a blessing! The Beargrass Creek flowers are exquisite! What a miracle it all is and thank you for capturing the wonder and whimsy of it all!!

    xo
    Poppy

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