Ten Year Blog Anniversary With One Hundred Post Shares~

Ten years, a decade, thousands of photo shares, the sharing of lives and friendships made.  An extraordinary journey that I cherish...ah yes if you have read my opening to my blog...cherish is my favorite word! I cherish your friendship, I cherish your encouragement, the many thousands of comments have inspired, lifted and motivated me to keep doing what I do.  

Using my eye to see what others may miss, or capture it in a way what others did not see.  We who photograph, we have a gift and it's a shame not to share.  Ever since I learned about blogging, the idea of sharing some of what I see with others and then seeing what other people are sharing from around the country, around the globe, what an amazing thing to be able to do. It's a gift to others and an even greater gift from each of you back to me.  

Thanking you from the bottom of my heart, for each and every one of you is my friend and I do cherish and treasure you.  You are what gave this blog life and kept me going to keep it going.  In the past year my own health issues and now the recent diagnosis of my twin sister with terminal cancer, my shares have been limited and I apologize for not being able to keep up, but when life gets larger than what we are used to, we have to prioritize things differently.  

In this post I am sharing some of the favorites from this past year as well as several from past blog posts that became favorites.  It took many hours to put together over the course of a week, or more and I hope that you will take the time and enjoy my efforts as much as I have in putting this celebration together.  

Thank you so very much~ 

Mary/Ting 

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

http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/

Anni at:

http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com/ 

I'd Rather Be Birdin'

 Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin' 

   

Angie at:  

Mosaic Monday

https://tentoesinthewater.blogspot.com/

& 

Stewart for:

Wild Bird Wednesday

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

The two opening images were taken a few years ago and are two of my most favorite of the Red-Shouldered Hawks, that helped give the name to my blog~

Two failed seasons, last year the Raccoons and yet I saved one fallen eyas with a bad bite wound and he was able to be cared for and released several weeks later.  This season the Great Horned Owl attacked nest...not what I had hoped for~

Great Horned Owl took young from nest on Easter Sunday late afternoon~

My twin sister and me...Haze has had a difficult life and now she has been diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the lungs and she is having no treatments.  Please pray for our family, lift her up, how ever you manage those things.  We would appreciate it~

Last month her daughter, one of her grand-daughters and I took her to a cottage in the woods near the water and she enjoyed it as did we.  This past week her son has flown her to Florida for some nice sunrises, sunsets and good seafood as well as the two of them making sweet memories~

The part of the blog title Tingsgrove, our home.  This is our 38th year here~

Me and our three daughters...love, love, love them so much~

This coming December my husby and I will be celebrating our 50th anniversary.  That does not seem possible~

Our 3 other girls~

This next section will be pictures of things found here on Tingsgrove, our 2 1/2 acres that we call home~

The wee Carolina Wrens were the first small birds to steal my heart for these flying creatures~

Ground hogs and one image of a Chipmunk looking up at one, begging for a carrot too~

Spring Peepers~

Last October I went to visit my daughter Ashleigh in NYC during one of her "Be Strong" events that was held at Carnegie Hall.  One of my afternoons I set off on a mission...to find and photograph the famous Red-tailed Hawk called Pale Male.  Nine books written about him, a documentary called the "Legend of Pale Male" and directed by Frederic Lilien.  I found him and took some amazing shots including this one that went viral on Facebook.  I was so happy!  I had prints made of the favorite two and this is Fredric after receiving the one that went viral~

Five seasons with the Bald Eagles near where we live.  19 young raised in 9 years and this year was not so good.  Two eaglets hatched, one lost within days and the second one at 7 weeks.  The nest was just not built in a sound tree.  The birds thought that a large branch hung up in the crotch of the tree was part of it and used it as their base.  An early Spring storm knocked it down and from then n the birds worked non-stop to reinforce it.  We had snow, ice, severe storms and then at 7 weeks, the nest simply half of it fell away and took the young one down.  It survived the fall, but the property is private and secured by Homeland Security and I could not get permission to go on the land until the next morning...

Top left image in this mosaic shows the branch that was not actually part of the tree's natural structure and it fell away as you can see in remaining images~

The bowl/well of the nest is now tipped forward and you can see the young eaglet in the middle~

The eaglet grew fast and strong and was 5 weeks old here~

Last images of this beautiful bird now 7 weeks old.  There simply are no words~

Half of the nest fell and half of it remains where the eagles built it.  I carried the young eaglet out from the woods and handed it over to my friend with Wingspan of Kentucky.  He then sent it on to the Bald Eagle Foundation in Colorado~

The hen was up in a tree one morning on the property where they successfully raised their young for 9 consecutive years~

Various favorites taken this year and beyond~

A baby swan (Cygnet) runs towards the wall by the lake and literally hit the wall...yes ;) it was fine~

I would not be able to have this post share without including my friend's Frisian horse Zeke.  I love them and this horse is truly one of the most beautiful creatures ever.  I have taken over 500 pictures of him...so far ;)~

This next section has many images from beyond Tingsgrove where we live~

My first ever Whooping Crane~

Some of the Acrylic pour paintings that I completed during the past year~

Waverly Hills...believe it, or not, this post has currently had 3,881 views since I first published it on December 7, 2011.  In labels on left  of blog you can look it up to see the history of this place and my grandmother~

Fifty years old this same year as our 50th wedding anniversary is the Louisville Zoo and Botanical Gardens.  I will share  a few of my favorites taken from there in this section~

Snow Leopards are one of the top creatures on my favorites list!  They have not had adequate areas until this past month when the Snow Leopard Pass opened and the place is truly awesome and the big cats seem very content there now~

Thanking you for your many years of friendship.  Thank you again for stopping by.  

I would appreciate your comments~