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







Thursday, May 4, 2017

My First Walk Across the Lewis & Clark Bridge~


Louisville, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby.  
Saturday will be the 143 rd running and once more, I shall not be in attendance.  I want so much to go, but to be able to have a nice seat and attend with my three daughters.  This has been a life long dream and one that I so hope will happen very soon, for I am not getting any younger.  
As a teenager I went one time to what they call the infield and that is for the younger generation, a little too wild for my liking.  A few years ago I attended the Kentucky Oaks which happens the Friday before  the Derby and it was great fun, but it was not the big one ;)  
The image above and another similar one below are the skyline of my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky~

Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after                                                                you have read the narratives~

I am joining in the fun with Eileen at:
Saturday's Critter

Anni at:
http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com/ 
I'd Rather Be Birdin'
 Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin'

    
Maggie's  MOSAIC MONDAY
                                              https://normandylife.blogspot.com/


Stewart for:



Two of the older bridges that connect Louisville, KY to Indiana~


This past December 18 th our new bridge opened. 
The Lewis & Clark Bridge connects Prospect Kentucky to Southern Indiana and it is gorgeous!  We watched it being built a few days a week for the past couple of years.  My daughter and I drove across it for the first time last month and this past weekend I decided that I was going to walk across it for the first time.  It is right at 5 miles and from what I was told, I was just under that distance as storm clouds began to form quickly and I turned around to get back to my car just as drizzle opened up into a full blown down pour.  This was the farthest that I have walked since my knee surgery a year ago this month ending~








Of course the Kentucky Derby showcases our Thoroughbreds, but Kentucky is horse country of all kinds and several live very near me.  I take the back lanes as I drive to and from Louisville and here are some of the friends that I see often along the journey~








These are hard working, sweet tempered Draft Horses of different breeds as well as a mix of a few others and all are gelded stallions~








Speaking of the Kentucky Derby and Thoroughbred race horses...my twin grandsons also ran races the other day.  They are on the track team at their school and had a meet which included four different races and they had a fun time.  Their mother, my oldest daughter Hillary and I enjoyed every minute and look at their smiles...love them~





On one of my rides into town a Wild Turkey hen flew across the lane and then ran back across in front of me to get access up into the field to the right...We are seeing a lot of this these days as they are in breeding season~




I just liked this image of a cow crossing a creek~


When I was a child, my parents would drive us through Sleepy Hollow and as a young woman we would often times visit some of the horse farms out in this direction.  Now I use the road to get to many places that I run errands to and from.  There is a privately owned large parcel of land with a waterfall and after the recent soaking rains it was flowing heavily.  The land also has lots of beautiful naturalized wildflowers and on this day the Lupines and a few scattered Bluebells were in full bloom.  It was magnificent, though I did admittedly trespass to get these images.  Shhh...~









Back home at Tingsgrove we have birds nesting everywhere.  Below is an American Robin, and another nest being built by yet an unknown species as they are sneaky. The Carolina Wrens are on their second clutch of the season already and while they were working on a nest inside our garage and placing this one in a box on a shelf...the first was their usual, actual nest box also inside the garage.  It was kind of sweet as the fully fledged first clutch were wanting to be inside and still have meals brought in as their parents were busy getting ready for clutch two.  They had to take turns to usher them further back into the garden and then would get back to the nest building.  They are now in brooding mode~






Above, bottom right, is one of the young ones that just fledged the week before~


Philadelphia Fleabane and Wild Mustard growing on the back of our property~


After taking my walk on the bridge last weekend and driving home, I spotted a lone juvenile Double Crested Cormorant, obviously missing it's group on it's migration course...I had to stop and get a few snaps and kind of felt for it a bit too, hoping it has caught up with it's own kind~



To everyone, I wish you well and for those who can, enjoy watching, or attending, or even reading about the famed Kentucky Derby.  I will be watching most of the activities on our local television.
Have a great week and I enjoyed catching up with many of you the past couple of weeks.  Take care and be blessed~

Here is a Silver Moon just for you!
Moon symbolism in Native American tribes (Navajo, Eskimo, Pueblo come to mind), ... found in their teachings wherein the moon is a facet of silver~


15 comments:

  1. Very beautiful and wish I was with you walking the bridge! ❤❤❤

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  2. wow

    you out did yourself this week. Some really nice shots. Kudos

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  3. What wonderful photographs Mary. There is enough visual beauty to last me a few days. Especially like the horses, the birds, the flowers, the young boys, the forests, the bridges...in other words, everything.

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  4. A great bridge, beautiful countryside, wildflowers, majestic horses and sweet little birds! This post has it all!!

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  5. All kinds of delightful critters ~ wonderful photography and favorite are the horses, the little boys and that bridge ~ thanks,

    Happy Weekend to you ~ ^_^

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  6. Years ago, we always followed the Derby on TV...but now since we have no cable, I have to check on the news who won. Maybe I have no desire to actually attend the race itself...I'd LOVE to see all the rich Kentucky horse farms and their beauty along with the wonderful horses.

    And the special race of the twin grandsons...love seeing their expressions.

    Beautiful flowers, bridge photos, and other critters graced you post today....I especially enjoyed the wren preparing its home!!

    Before I leave, I'd like to send along my thanks for sharing this with us birders at I'd Rather B Birdin' this weekend!! Have a glorious week ahead.

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  7. Happy Mosaic Monday to you

    much love...

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  8. I've only visited your beautiful state once, but what I remember -- the beautiful green rolling hills and the horses! Your images are always amazing. That is quite a bridge! Twin grandsons -- busy busy busy! Happy Monday!

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  9. Dear Mary,
    I have spent at least 5 minutes probably twice that long really, immersing myself in your stunning photography and stories.
    Thank you so much for sharing news about life in Kentucky and for introducing us to your wonderful twins, how happy they look competing in the races.
    Maggie

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  10. Beautiful images Mary. We forgot to watch the Derby....mom always cried when they sang Old Kentucky Home ...(.after all those years she'd been away by the time we were able to watch it on TV) so I usually watch it in her memory, although I know nothing about horse racing. Her Uncles were florists who provided some of the decorations for the event when she was a child. Maybe I have already told you that. Hope you and your girls get to attend someday.

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  11. Beautiful photos, as always, Mary. Bridges are fascinating structures - I often think of all the engineering that goes into them. How sweet your grandsons are, and how quickly they are growing up.

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  12. your horse images are really special and beautiful. i don't know anything about horses except that i love looking at them - so i enjoyed your narrative!!!

    standouts for me here were the purple flowers and the images of the bridge, but really everything is so memorable!!!

    it's nice to see the grands out and running, getting some exercise. we don't see enough of that around here!!!

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  13. Hello mary
    I see many beautiful pictures in your post. The line-up game of the bridge and bridle has put you in a beautiful way :-) The horses are beautiful to see. I love horses. The old barn in picture 17 is really fun :-) The sports children are also great to see.
    Your pictures of the dirt with its flowers and birds and animals are really beautiful!
    Thank you for sharing this.

    Dear greetings, Helma

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  14. So many lovely things happening in your world at this time, Mary, from the famous Kentucky Derby to the race at your grands' school, a new bridge, spring in all its glory and all your locals lingering in it!

    How absolutely gorgeous it all is: the light, the flowers, the animals, the countryside. I have been staring at the sliver of that silver moon, subdued and soft, amid the cotton-y clouds and terry cloth sky.

    Happy Mother's Day, my sweet friend!

    Hugs,
    Poppy

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  15. Hello Mary, lovely post and photos. I love the horses and the pretty birds. Great shots of your grandsons. I love the last sky photo, beautiful. I was away for two weeks and I am so sorry to be late commenting and visiting your post. Thank you so much for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and new week ahead!

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