Sepia Scenes and Yard Art

I'm combining this week's Sepia Scenes with Mary's new Yard Art on Thursday meme. Last week my dear Hubs had a checkup with his doctor and as he was driving I spotted this 'outhouse' along the way. This was in someones side yard right along the highway. I have seen this done before but not as eloquently as this one. It sits in the center of a large flower bed with lights and plants and small shrubs arranged around the exterior. Hanging plants left from the last growing season adorned one side. I thought the moon and star cutouts the defining touch.
I converted the color image that's below to sepia and added some texture to make the image look like an old postcard.

Last week my yard art was a huge concrete cactus that my good friend Thom thought "why do I think that is so odd in your neck of the woods." I just KNOW he will think this much more appropriate.
However, should anyone think the outhouse is only indicative of American Appalachia the country of Australia for example was largely unsewered until the early 1970s with many suburbs having outhouses or 'dunnys' behind each house. That was a mere 40 years ago.

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Weekend Reflections: The Sky In A Puddle

This past Monday the sky was trying so hard to peek out from behind the clouds. Hubs and I had been gone all day and when we arrived home I noticed all the melted puddles of snow in the driveway. The first shot above is looking in a puddle on the sidewalk with the nearby woods reflected and a hint of light blue sky. The second shot is the sun and sky reflected in a puddle on the driveway.

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You can see a full shot of the sky on my photoblog here.

Skywatch: In Between Storms

(enlarge to see greater detail)

This was the view outside my sunroom window on Monday. The day before it was pouring the snow down and I was out in twenty degree weather trying to take snowflake shots. What a wonderful difference a day makes. Of course it changed right back the following day to snow flurries and overcast skies and we haven't seen blue skies since. For me this is a wonderful reminder of what a really beautiful winter day can look like.

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A Squirrel and His Antics

I had to laugh at this little squirrel whose picture I took through my sunroom window. If you look closely just underneath him and to the right is a hanger that holds my bird feeder. I think he sat there contemplating how he could get to the seed. That thin strand of wire didn't seem to be the route he wanted to take.

I was on the phone with my Mom when out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a flying gray mass. I told my Mom to hold on a minute and grabbed my camera. Mr. Squirrel had climbed down the tree and was across from the feeder when he took the risk and jumped a good three feet toward the feeder. As you can see he was hanging on for dear life.

After swinging around a few times he was finally able to position himself around the feeder and grab a few bites before dropping to the ground below. He had managed to shake some seed out so he had a few nibbles on the ground before scurrying off to find whatever nuts are left in my yard that he hasn't already confiscated.
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Shadow Shots

I love that the shadow of the little maple branches are showing through the sunlit leaf.
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Watery Wednesday: River In Fog

***(The Alphabet Photo Challenge Is Below This)***

Raindrops kiss bare branches

Fog enshrouds the muddy river below

If but for an instance the scene soothes my soul

Then life beckons and I must move on.

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Snow On Bare BranchesShadow Shot Sunday

The trees spread out their bare branches
and cradled the snow in their arms.

This is my first entry into Shadow Shot Sunday. For more participants please visit Hey Harriet.

Camera Critters The Cardinals and The Hawks

For my critter post this week I chose to share some of my feathered friends I found lurking in the past week. You'll need to enlarge all of them for best viewing. When you've finished browsing here join Misty by clicking on the badge to see other Camera Critter posts. You never know what you'll see.

I wonder how cold it felt sitting on that metal in 25 degree weather yesterday!
The cardinals filling up before the storm.

I believe this is a Cooper's Hawk. As I was leaving one day I saw him in the branches and parked farther up the road and tried walking back. He was still a little too far for my zoom lens but enlarge and take a look.

The sun came out yesterday and I saw this guy's shadow in the snow as he flew over the bird feeder. I think he too is a Cooper's Hawk. Again, a little far but if you enlarge this you'll get a much better view. It was a joy to see him against a blue sky after the snow storm.

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Sky Watch: Snow and Ice

The snow came leaving between four and six inches.

Then ice to cover and make the snow glisten.

Branches heavy with snow and ice, yet beautiful!

Treacherous roads of ice and snow.

Downed trees meant ten hours without power.

A huge thanks to those who braved the elements!

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Sky Watch: Blue Skies - Finally!

January 21, 2009

Finally after days of cold and snow and grey skies I see blue!
The day just kept getting better!

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Sky Watch: A Tiny Touch Of Blue

Along with most of the country in the United States we have been bracing for days for an Arctic blast of very cold temperatures. The skies have been gray for many days with snowfall off and on and just a rare glance of blue sky. As I type it is 16 degrees outside with a windchill of seven and light flurries but is expected to get more bitterly cold tonight. That's only my little corner of the world. Others will no doubt be colder.

Here's hoping no matter where you are you find a little warmth to fill your day.

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Camera Critters: Feathered Friends

This was taken a few days before Christmas when the skies were clear and the sun was bright. It was taken through my sunroom window as most of my bird shots are. These eight little Mourning Doves were sunning themselves in the bare branches of my huge old oak tree.

A First Time Visitor To The Feeder

He's a little heavy to sit on the edge!

For more Camera Critter fun click the badge at the top of my post to visit Misty and all the other participants playing along today. You never know what you'll see!

Camera Critters: Doves and A Hawk

Ms. Cardinal seemed to enjoy hiding out in the vines and pods of the wisteria branches. You may remember I posted the wisteria pods on Monday with a beautiful blue sky behind them (here). What a difference a day makes. I took this Tuesday after a couple of inches of new snow.

Doesn't he look plump!

Sing along with me now....

....two Mourning Doves

and a Hawk in an oak tree.

They were different oak trees and the doves were hiding when the hawk was out.

I posted a hawk shot last week that was also too far away and this is another hawk shot taken from too long a distance and through sliding glass doors. But, this hawk was in my yard, MY YARD I tell you. Isn't nature wonderful!!

To visit more critters click on the badge at the top of my post to visit Misty and the other participants. You never know what you'll see.

Sky Watch: Through The Branches

The past couple of weeks we have had snow off and on. It snows, it melts, it snows again. I took this last Sunday. The snow and overcast skies of the previous days gave way to a beautiful crisp and clear day. Yes, the sky was this blue. This photo is straight out of the camera.

This was taken the night before after my daughter called from Virginia and wanted to know if I could see the moon because it was so large. It was right before sunset but the cloud cover was too heavy to see the moon. However, the clouds above the rooftop were very wintery looking.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone