I have a passion for the outdoors and I am most happy enjoying what nature has to offer. Hobbies include photography, birding, Pickleball, astronomy, biking, and hiking. I have been happily married, for 50 years, to an amazing person.
My friend Gay invited me to participate in a black and white photo challenge. Here are the rules she published:
1. On five consecutive days create a post using a recent or past photograph in black and white.
2. Invite a blogging friend each day to join the challenge.
Gay writes a beautiful blog. Click here, Good Times Rollin, to visit her blog and to see how she, hubby and their four-legged friends enjoy life.
I wondered what black and white photo I could post to begin this challenge and it came to me yesterday while enjoying one of life’s simple pleasures – Afternoon Tea!
So today, as I enjoyed my afternoon tea, I took this photo.
Tea Time
I have long been an Iced Tea drinker and it is still my preferred drink. However, over the last several years, I have come to enjoy a nice cup of hot tea in the afternoon.
The little Tea Pot belonged to my Mother. She loved to wonder around antique stores and perhaps this is where she found this beautiful, little pot – not sure. It makes me think of her, so that is why it is special. I don’t remember where the little, country scene, tea cup came from, but I love using it to drink my tea.
I remember reading one of Dina’s blogs, The World According to Dina, at Toffeefee on how to brew and enjoy a perfect cup of hot tea. Check out her post on Tea and Tradition!
Since reading Dina’s blog, I have been drinking my tea with a little cream and honey. Just last week, I discovered some great Colorado honey!
I don’t use the loose tea leaves as Dina does; instead I use the herbal tea bags. I like to have a different one each day.
If you haven’t enjoyed a hot cup of tea, especially on a cold day, give it a try! I hope you enjoyed my black and white photo.
I took these photos last year on May 4, 2014. The beautiful Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly was enjoying nectar from a tree in our yard. This May 4th is very different!
Today, it has been rainy and cool; I feel as if Spring hasn’t arrived yet in northern Colorado. We have had lots of rain, which is good, but it brings cool, gloomy days. Our flowering trees haven’t bloomed, the sumacs are just starting to leaf out and I haven’t seen any butterflies.
We arrived back home in early April and discovered that we had lost a few of our trees and shrubs – a Radiant Crabapple and a Cherry tree. These two trees were planted many, many years ago, have bloomed every year to our delight and to the delight of many species of bird, butterfly and honey bee. I am truly saddened by, losing them.
They died over the winter, we are guessing, due to lack of moisture, but not sure. We have noticed, driving around town, that many of the local pine trees have died. Luckily, none of our pines seem to have been affected by the weather conditions of this past winter.
On a happier note we have many birds visiting our yard and especially enjoying some of the birdbaths we keep filled for them. One of the birdbaths we can see from our dining table and early each morning, while drinking coffee, we are entertained by many of them taking a bath.
It is funny to observe the different techniques each species of bird seems to have for bathing (not sure if this extends to individual birds). The American Robin will jump right in, splash and splash until we think all the water has been emptied out; the Western Scrub Jay will jump in, splash a couple of times, hop out and up on a branch in a big Blue Spruce where it sits for a few seconds and then repeats its’ steps; the Black-headed Chickadee, with sit on the rim of the birdbath, look around for quite awhile and then deciding it is safe will jump in where it splashes around giving itself a really good bath.
I few of the migrating birds I can’t wait to see each spring are back – the Townsend Solitary, Western Kingbird, Bullock’s Oriole, Lazuli Bunting, White-crowned Sparrow just to list a few. I haven’t seen any Hummingbirds yet. Hopefully, I will capture a few photos of them.
Speaking of migrating, we are enjoying being back home and have settled into our “being home” routines. This past Sunday, I completed a four week Pickleball class, which I truly enjoyed and I look forward to playing the game during the next several months. I have been buying a few house plants and can’t wait to start planting in my flower gardens (when it warms up enough).
Howard has been having fun with electronic projects (building things using Arduino micro-controllers) and enjoying his Ham Radio. We walk the “girls” two miles everyday and go to the gym three/four times a week, so hopefully we will keep fit!
Just a few rambling notes on this 4th day of May. Hurry up Spring, we’re waiting!
I hope, wherever you might be, you are enjoying your Spring!
The Daily Post – Photo Challenge – Week of May 2, 2015 – “Intricate“.
Hubby and I like to hike and on occasion we come across a Golden Orb Spider. They create a huge and intricate web.
This photo was taken at Lake Louisa State Park, near Clermont, Florida.These two photos were taken at Ray Roberts State Park near Dallas, Texas
The following photos are Milkweed Seeds. I took these photos while visiting a local park where I live. I think they have an interesting and intricate form.
MilkweedBursting Milkweed PodIt looks like the silk from a spider’s web.
The featured image is a photo I took at another local park located off Highway 34 as you would travel west from Loveland to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. It is early morning rain drops on a spider’s web. The header photo are two Lady Bugs doing what they do to create more Lady Bugs! Photo taken in my yard.
The Black-necked Stilt – a striking black and white shorebird with long red legs
These photos were taken last year in April as we headed toward Colorado. We stayed at Bottomless Lakes State Park in New Mexico and drove to Bitter Lakes National Wildlife from the campground. I previously posted a few photos from this area last year, but none of the Stilt. This year we cut our trip back to Colorado about three weeks short, so we didn’t get to stop in New Mexico.
Black-necked Stilts like shallow still bodies of water with muddy bottoms and grassy shorelines.
Black-necked Stilt on Bitter Lake
I watched this beauty as she headed for the shoreline looking for food until she flew away.
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If you would like to know more about Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, please chick here:
Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, where the Chihuahuan Desert meets the southern plains.
The Daily Post – Photo Challenge – Week of April 24, 2015 – “Motion.”
In Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado).Annie, running in the pasture (Mississippi).“This feels so good” Hot Rod rolling in the grass (Mississippi).Coming in for a landing (Florida).Fiesty Female Wild Turkey (Florida).Snowing (Colorado).“Come soar with me!” FloridaOsprey (Florida).Canada Goose, over the falls (Montana).
Wolf Song Blog 