The Cardinal

Boy! it's been a while since I been on here.  Hope you missed me.  Yesterday I shot photos of cardinals in a dogwood tree.  I've been trying to do this for a while now and it just wasn't happening.  The birds would not sit still long enough.  But Yesterday this bird perched in the perfect spot and just sit there begging for me to take his picture or so it seemed; anyway so it seemed.  I got 3 shots I really liked and I must have taken 100 of him not really but I was having fun.  And then he came back this morning but would not sit still for a second--he knew what he was doing. 

Here comes the geese.  They are flying over and are going to land in the pond right in front of me. Usually they come around 7ish but today I guess they had to go to market first before coming here to swim.    I love hereing them when I am not trying to sleep.

Today, I will be going to Hot Springs.  We will be checking out the barg and then maybe we will get to go out for a little while.  Our friends from Mexico will be here on April 7 for a mission trip; and, we hope to have a chance to take them fishing during that week.  

On Friday our youngest son will be coming home for a few days.  There is a wedding planned in LR and we will all be attending that.. 

I love this time of day early morning --the wind is not blowing. Its a perfect time to get out and walk around and admire nature.  This weather is crazy but its great to be able to get out in the Wilderness and go anywhere and expect to see flowers, birds or trees to shoot photos of --I love it and I hope you do to. 

Windy Day

The Wilderness has been very windy today. I had plans to go to the Old Mill in Lakewood to see if I could improve on my photo from last week but it was just to windy. In most of the photos you can see a dead branch but by taking it in "Portrait" style you can't see it.

I spent most of the day shooting in my backyard trying to get some good photos of birds and flowers but that didn't work so well either.  As you can see it was windy there as well.

I promised you a photo of the old house I shot in Star City.  I've not been able to work on it or anyother photos since I started this whole thing with getting up early and getting out before the wind gets a holt of the Wilderness and I can't do anything with it.

Arn't these nice.  The colors really show up--like I said in the old house photo I need to do something with the grass but other than that I think I can make a great photo out of it--Beautiful Skys.  I have a photo of this same house about 20 years ago.  It has a great story behind it and someday I'll tell you about it. 

Well its starting to get dark here and I guess I'd better get off; the birds are calling for me and I need to get some feed out for tomorrow.  I plan to shoot bird photos and that means I will have to get up early.  It seems the geese come over about 6:30 no matter what type of weather we have--- wind or not.   And then by the time I get out to the feeders the birds are ready to attack before I ever get sit up--but what they don't realize is I have a lot of patience.

Hope to see you out in the Wilderness.

Spring is in the Air

This has been a very busy week for me.  This past weekend I had to go to Fayetteville which meant I had to miss the trip to the zoo made my my photo club.  So with in the next few weeks I need to go and take photos of the zoo animals.  Today would have been a perfect day what with it being cloudy and all but it has a damp feel to it and I don't want to have to shoot being bundled up. 

In the Wilderness popcorn trees, Wild Plums and Redbuds are coming alive.  The Dogwoods are just starting to bloom out.  The woods are just full of them and I'm so thankful I am were I can enjoy them.  This morning I noticed wrens building a nest in our old drain pipes just under the porch, I can't wait to see the babies.  Blue Birds are starting to build in the boxes out front and hopefully there are nest being build in the big 8 hole birdbox out front.  There's going to be all kinds of new life here before long.  Even the squirrels are busy at it.  Spring is a wonderful time of the year--one of my favorites. 

I must plan a trip up to the Ozarks.  With all the rain that we've had and will be getting over the next 3 days the waterfalls should be great.  If you've never been hiking it's something you must try.  There are several good hiking books out.  A good one I like to use is "Arkansas Dayhikes for Kids & Families" by Pam Ernst.  It gives a lot of information pertaining to the trail-like how long it takes and what to expect plus they are short trips which makes it better if you don't live in the area. There are lots of books with all kinds of information--Get you a notebook and start your own--everytime you go: list the time, date, weather, whats in bloom or not, what you see.  Over the years this will become very helpful information to you.  Anytime you are out driving around you should note in a notebook/calendar book information pertaining to the things you see--not only list them on the date you saw them but also turn to the date you think you should return to take photos of it.

Well, it's time for me to go hiking around the Wilderness in my area.  There is all types of flowers for me to take a photo of -- the Mayapples are in full swing.  Hope you have a great day out in your Wilderness.

Rain! Rain! Rain! means Waterfalls

Rain!  Rain! Rain!  Will it ever Stop

I know what rain is good for besides the everyday use of it!  Waterfalls==at least to Tim Ernest.  He has published several books on waterfalls and in the springs goes and looks for new ones plus check on the hundreds of the ones he already has great photos of.  In April I will be attending one of his classes and I can't hardly wait to see what we take photos of.  He has for the last few years brought books to sell at our AOPC club.  If you like waterfall be sure and get one of his guide books showing you where some of the waterfalls are in the Ozarks.  Your money wont be wasted.


Tuesday while in Monticello I saw an old house with lots of flowers and a redbud tree which was just beautiful.  Its all I could think about last night and could not get any sleep.  I kept thinking about it over and over and finally at 6:30 I just got up and headed that way.  It was a good thing I did go early.  I got there before the wind picked up and got several good shots. It was a cloudy day but after about 8:30 the wind went to blowing so hard and with so many trees around the house and plus the flowers I'm sure my shots would have been blurrrr..d  If you know what I mean.

Tomorrow I will head for Fayetteville to see my 3 month old niece.  It will be the first time I've laid eyes on her and am really looking forward to seeing her.  

I told you that the "Wilderness" is all over Arkansas.  Hope you are able to get out and enjoy the WILDERNESS!

Ashley County

Today after church I will be heading south to the big town of Hamburg, AR.  Visiting family; but, while there I will be out exploring as well.  You never know what you will find in these small towns.  When I return I'll try to have some photos of what I saw.  The wind has finally stopped blowing so hard.  I just don't even try to take photos when the wind has been like it has been--not even my tripod will withstand that type of wind.  Its going to be a beautiful day so try to get out and enjoy some of natures own beauty in the Wilderness. 

Grand Canyon Trip

See where I've been-- The Grand Canyon.  I went to a convention that my husband had to attend and on the way back we stopped by the Grand Canyon.  Boy! what a site.  Its beautiful! !

  We stopped in Ok to spend time with family.
   His first grandchild "can't you tell"









On the way up to Las Vegas we got into two snow storms--One seemed pretty bad (it was at night and lots of traffice) It took us two hours to go less than 40 miles. The other one was mild but still it frighten me to no end.

While John attended meetings, I stayed in the room and read books and then we would go out at night and take pictures and eat at some of the nice resteraunt and look at the shows and sites they had to offer -- Lots of Walking

Las Vegas Night Life