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s fortunately i had my camera with its super zoom capability and for several hours i snapped and snapped woodstork nesting is the female s job but it was not unusual to spot what appeared to be a proud papa checking in snowyegret it was exciting to see a soon to be mom stretch her legs leaving her eggs exposed getting shots like this made me most appreciative of the camera s zoom ability most thrilling was spotting a nest with just hatched babies those i couldn t get enough of babies that were a little bigger appeared to be a bit aggressive whatever the mama had in her mouth the little one tried to wrestle it away anhinga among the herons egrets and wood storks was one bird i d not seen before its black and white plumage was stunning i waited and waited hoping it would spread its wings so i could get the full impact of the design but it didn t happen its twig gymnastics however were pretty entertaining great blue heron i have so enjoyed south carolina s birds and sometimes i have to look no further than my backyard to spy one searching for a snack or checking us humans out share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on x opens in new window x like loading may 27 2024 for the birds i can t tell you the number of hours i ve spent trying to get the perfect bird photo always i have a camera with me whether it s an iphone or the real thing you never know what might be seen on a morning walk in houston where spotting a robin is a sure sign spring is close in maine i sit quietly on the porch with camera focused on the bird feeder that attracts goldfinches chickadees nuthatches cardinals and a variety of sparrows and finches most of the time only one species feeds at a time so it s a lucky day when two different ones feast together on a boat outing my eyes are always peeled for an interesting shot of sea birds here i was attracted to both the textures of the rocks and the gulls speaking of gulls they can get pretty aggressive when they spot you having an on board picnic if so much as a morsel is dropped they swoop right down to get it and you don t want to have your hand in the way some miles off the coast of maine is an island where puffins breed only once did we venture out hoping our timing would be right luckily it was and i was excited to get a photo or two it wasn t easy as we couldn t get closer thanks to the danger presented by the rocks and my telephoto goes only so far looking through my photos i am amazed by how many bird photos are in the library and what stories they tell there may well be fodder for another post so stay tuned share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on x opens in new window x like loading april 29 2024 a garden stroll in every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks john muir though i have lived in houston many years i haven t always taken the time to explore all that it has to offer now that i am here only a few months of the year i make an effort to discover which opens the door to many surprises one such surprise is the houston botanic garden located just minutes from downtown on 132 acres which my houston native hubby tells me was once the site of a golf course as described the garden features a collection of themed gardens including global culinary stormwater wetlands and the coastal prairie on a gray saturday it was a treat to wander and discover each of the areas i was enthralled by how complementary were the various gardens a real plus were the well planned walkways that allowed easy access to all much of the activity involved the dismantling of what must have been a fabulous dragon themed light show though much had been disassembled the remaining sculptures added a playfulness to the morning stroll i always wonder about the creative force behind such installations and i can t help but wonder what happens to them once they are removed anybody know thinking about this one being set in such a natural environment made it seem quite unique another day it would be lovely to see the garden in bloom and filled with butterflies and bird sounds this time it was an introduction and shared with a friend made the discovery all the more special share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on x opens in new window x like loading march 2 2024 heart songs the first year we were married valentine s did not turn out so well as a thoughtful gesture the hubby suggested we go out for dinner i was all for that but we learned the hard way that valentine evening is not one for going to dinner without a reservation we drove around for almost two hours trying to find some place any place for that matter where the two of us could dine finally we gave up and i don t remember what we had for dinner maybe it was something from one fast food place or another in any case i decided then and there that in the future the evening would be spent at home as it turned out that has been a good idea sometimes it s just the two of us enjoying a special dinner with a good bottle of wine other times we have two or four friends over which makes a no stress evening for all it s a fun occasion to set the table year after year i use many of the same things like these heart dishes i think they were gotten on sale at williams sonoma way back when though much is familiar i add something new to the table each year this time it is heart wrapping paper from michael s that doubles as a table runner for valentine s you can t have too much red or pink i got carried away and knitted a red cozy for the wine bottle and found a heart carafe at ikea for water oh what fun it is to put this table together napkin folds are such fun to do and add that something extra to any table it took me a while to fold one that resembled a heart and i do hope others recognize it as such while setting the table i was thinking about what to serve and decided on steaming bowls of cassoulet with a leafy green salad dressed with lemon juice and sea salt i m even going to try my hand with a chocolate soufflé topped with raspberries however you spend valentines may you feel loved by all who are special in your life share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on x opens in new window x like loading february 14 2024 bells bells bells i love my bells years ago i started collecting them because i was drawn to their fragile beauty and tinkling sounds plus they were a collection that didn t take up space whether displayed or carried in luggage wherever i am there are bells on whatever flat surface is available when we were designing our houston home the architect noticed my bells were here and there and he surprised me by creating tucked in shelves where all could be seen together since tablescaping is a part of everyday life you can be sure bells have found their way to many a table while most of my tables are simple occasionally i like to get out the china once belonging to my mom that s when an assortment of beautiful bells lend just the right touch to the table bells know no season they mix well with whatever is on the table no matter the time of year while my collection focuses on glass and crystal a few other bells have found their way into it for years i gave my daughters figures from beatrix potter s stories of peter rabbit and friends so there was no way i could resist tiny silver ones depicting all of the characters every bell is a memory of place be it an antique shop in an obscure place in maine or a finding from one trip or another no doubt they have not the same meaning to my daughters or granddaughters but i hope a few will become their treasures thinking about my bells makes me wonder what collection do you have that is a precious reminder of time and place share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on x opens in new window x like loading february 6 2024 favorite reads this time of year it seems there are many favorite lists floating around especially those having to do with books as i preview those i am astonished at how few i have read considering how much i read always i am reading one book and listening to another speaking of listening it s taken me a while to get used to audio books but they have really upped how many books i consume in a year there are so many times during the day when i can listen which i thoroughly enjoy while cooking getting dressed driving or doing the million and one other things that fill my day i have to confess to not loving every book but unless it s one i just can t get into i finish every one i feel that authors who have shared their words deserve at least that so in no particular order are a few books that are my favorites this year the covenant of water by abraham verghese set in the south of india it follows three generations of a family that loses one member by drowning in every generation i listened to the audio version read by the author which made this epic novel even more outstanding the heaven earth grocery store by james mcbride this is the skillfully told story of small town secrets and people who keep them hello beautiful by ann napolitano what can i say about this one it made me laugh and cry and touched my heart the padavano family is complex and william is a flawed character thanks to having felt unloved by his family this one i had a hard time putting down tom lake by ann patchett the author is a gifted story teller and this book is all about family love and growing up read by meryl street the audio version is even better than the printed page all the sinners bleed by s a crosby a good thriller is hard to beat and this one is just that titus the first black sheriff in a small virginia town is faced with multiple challenges in a story filled with twists and turns the first ladies by marie benedict and victoria christopher murray i expected this book to be about the wives of presidents but it was about the partnership and eventual friendship between eleanor roosevelt and civil rights leader mary mcleod bethune romney by mckay coppins i read this book not only to learn more about mitt romney but hoping to gain some insight into the political mess we are experiencing i was not disappointed how to know a person by david brooks this is a quick read that applies to us all in that it addresses the need for deeper connections something that seems to be missing in society today the wager by david grann no surprise here as it is on many lists of favorites it is a nonfiction page turner that reads like a novel the red hotel by alan philips talk about a book that addresses something about which i knew nothing this is it the metropol hotel in moscow has a storied history and here is presented the intrigue and role of women there during ww ii there are other titles that could be added to my list of favorites but enough is enough here s to happy reading in 2024 share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on x opens in new window x like loading december 31 2023 a dream come true who knows when it began but for a very long time i ve been attracted to log cabins in fact i ve dreamed of building one and have it all laid out in my head sadly the hubby never thought it was such a good idea in an unexpected way the dream has come true a daughter added a log cabin to her real estate properties once she had it done to her satisfaction the hubby and i were privileged to spend a few nights talk about being thrilled it was no surprise to find every little thing done just right this girl has a talent for finding the perfect items to make her properties fit their time and place here everywhere i looked was something to catch the eye seeing the unpolished silver pieces displayed on the wall made me rethink keeping silver bright and shiny preparing morning coffee was a treat while it was brewing i enjoyed thumbing through cookbooks and taking in all the extra touches this was more than a log cabin it is indeed a log castle with two spacious floors which strikes me as unusual for the time i know what it is now but i would love to know more of its history i like thinking that after a few nights here that i am part of its continuing history if ever you are in franklin tennessee looking for a cozy place to stay you could also become part of its history share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on x opens in new window x like loading november 26 2023 glimpses of charleston charleston is one of the jewels in the southeast but that has not always been the case following the civil war charleston s economy declined as it was no longer benefitting from the slave trade later some natural disasters resulted in considerable destruction and folks left in search of better conditions and opportunity after languishing for a number of years things began to change in the latter part of the 20th century thanks in part to a forward thinking mayor the result is a restored historic district and a thriving economy driven in no small way by tourism recently i spent a day exploring charleston s historic district paying attention to what i thought characterized the city it s impossible not to become aware of wrought iron it is everywhere making the ordinary a visual pleasure it is rare to see a house without flickering gaslights reminiscent of days gone by containers of flowers and walls of peeling stucco and exposed brick always caught my eye not uncommon in the southeast are steeples and charleston is no exception in the heart of the district is washington square named after george washington in acknowledgement of his having received general cornwallis s surrender at yorktown in 1771 i would not have been as surprised had some confederate general been commemorated there close by the confederacy does get its due with a soaring shaft paying tribute to the sacrifices of those south carolinians who fought during the war between the states part of charleston s scenery is sidewalk displays of woven baske...