Photo Challenge: Shades of a Trip to England

I don’t usually participate in the weekly photo challenge but I had some interesting shadowy photos to share:

Clock Tower – Bath Abbey, Bath England

English Countryside – Middle of Nowhere

Wells Cathedral, Wells England

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Bird in the Hand

On Christmas Day TheBrit came running into the house shouting for me.  I was upstairs getting dressed to go out to my sister’s house for Christmas dinner.  “Ruth! Ruth!! Come quick!”

“What in the world?  I’m trying to get ready.  Give me a minute,”  I responded standing at the top of the stairs looking down at TheBrit who has his hands cupped around something.

“I need your help!”  He opened his hands and exclaimed, “I just rescued this from Scamper and Stumpy.  They were out there fighting over it.”

Now, Stumpy you see, is a three legged cat.  Try as  he might he’s not quite fast enough to catch a bird.  But Scamper can, and does, on occasion.  When he does Stumpy tries to take his catch off him.

The poor little bird was a little shocked.  And one of his wings was…not broken, but not 100% either.

So I took the tiny bird from TheBrit’s hands, who immediately got the camera and started snapping pictures.

A Bird in Shock

Sweet little birdie

I’ve done a cursory search and haven’t been able to identify the species.

When TheBrit was done with his picture taking I took the little fellow a good ways away to a tree with some brush around it and let him go. We waited a bit and went back to check on him. He was still in the spot I’d left him.  I don’t know if that was a good thing or not.

Then on New Year’s Day, as I was walking past the bird feeder to go and cut some flowers, there he was – that beautiful red cardinal.  I knew it was too much to hope for; that he would hang about long enough for me to go back in after the camera.  When I emerged ready to snap his visage he was gone.  Eluded me again!  One day…

By the time I’d returned there were these – everywhere –  which I’m fairly certain after a quick Google search are Brown House Sparrows:

 

 

Here Comes the Sun

I’ve been playing with my camera a bit and happened to capture the sunrise one day this week.  In the fall we have spectacular sunrises and sunsets.  Photos cannot do them justice.  Have some Beatles to go with it!

Here Comes the Sun – Photo Credit: Ruth

Glorious Morning Photo Credit: Ruth

The Silver Lining Photo Credit: Ruth

Another Day Older

I woke up yesterday morning and made the sleepy descent from my bed to the living room where I found this lovely vase with those strangely died mums(?) on the kitchen counter and a card propped up next to it.  TheBrit can be so sappy.  I love that man.  I would’ve taken a picture of them there, on the counter, but…well…I live in my house.

I added a number to the times I’m holding onto thirty-nine.  I’m not saying how many numbers I’ve added.  It doesn’t really bother me, though.  When we were out to a fabulous dinner with friends and family last night one of them asked if this made thirty-seven. Ha!  Somewhere slightly north of there.

My brother-in-law, who knows very well many this makes, told my six-year-old nephew to ask me.  As if that were a dig.  I proudly announced how many this makes.  Bring ’em on, I say!  Bring ’em on!  If I stop having them it’s gonna mean I had a really bad day.  Really.Bad. So keep ’em comin’!

I’ve really had a month-long celebration.  ‘Cause that’s just how I roll! Seriously, TheBrit had a fantastic idea for a birthday present.  I couldn’t be happier with what I got.  So we went together to pick it out.

 

Give me food because I’m cute!

Meet Miss Sara.  We went to the local animal shelter to find her. She was listed as a Boxer/Beagle mix and was only a few days away from her limit at the shelter.  Isn’t she the cutest thing?  And she’s the perfect companion to Dottie.

I haven’t had my coffee yet – don’t eff with me!

Dottie had been with other dogs, best as I can tell, her whole life.  Her foster family had other dogs and she missed having a companion.  She was kind of sad.  So I had to get a dog for my…dog.  Having another dog around has helped Dottie to come out of her shell some, too.  It’s obvious her first owner either abused her or allowed her to be abused.  She’s still a tiny bit skittish if we walk directly toward her head-on, but other than that she’s golden.  Dottie has mellowed out so much and I don’t think she’s done.  She loves TheBrit to pieces now, which we were unsure about her coming around to.  She got a bit jealous of the new girl and decided to join in on the lovefest! 🙂

Happy Birthday to me!  Four legged friends make me happy.

I can’t leave you without a song, though.  Here’s my birthday theme song for this year:

 

 

 

Shell Games

The Tortoise Photo Credit: TheBrit

Well, hello there, Mr. Tortoise!  Dottie’s not the only one who likes to roam the garden.

Oh, to be so at home in one’s own skin…or shell as the case might be.

Speaking of shells, it seems religion is one big shell game.  *According to those who subscribe to various religions there is something tangible there to be had but you’ll have to guess which shell it’s under.

Wrong!

Guess again.

Wrong again!

Guess again.

Wrong again!

All out of chances…you lose!

 

*ETA: According to those who subscribe to various religions [I’m of the opinion it’s quite vaporous].

 

We Love the Great Outdoors!

As promised to Kate and Sonel, I’m posting some pictures of Dottie!  We have a fairly large yard or what TheBrit calls a garden.  Dottie loves to roam around and play in it.  This girl has brightened up the spot!

We’re working on some training so she can have a bit more freedom to roam without a tether or a fence but we have a ways to go on that yet. She loves other dogs so when she sees one coming she can’t contain her excitement and she’s off!

Hey! Where are you going?!? Photo Credit: Ruth

Freedom! Sort of… Photo Credit: TheBrit

Photo Credit: TheBrit

Photo Credit: TheBrit

A Few Lucky Shots

A pair of Doves

The cutest Blue Jay

The resident Woodpecker

We have a pair of those fellows, too.

I’m not nearly the photog that some of you are but these are a few little offerings from our garden.  We have loads of birds.  We have Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, Blackbirds, Doves, Cardinals, Brown Thrashers, and many others.  Watching them is a fun pastime.

Two Weeks is Not Enough

On the heels of my 5K debut The Tour Guide flew in to visit for a couple of weeks.  He got here on September 24 and we had a fantastic time.  Because I’d just joined the ranks of the employed I couldn’t take much time off, but we did manage to sneak out of town for a few days.

I absolutely love Savannah so I took The Tour Guide on a tour of it.

 

We spent the night there and had a delicious dinner on River Street.

The next morning went down I95 to check out Cumberland Island.  We took the ferry from St. Mary’s over to the Island.  While there are some residents on the Island, they’ve banded together to preserve it in it’s natural state.  No hotels, no tiki bars, no airbrush t-shirt shops. There are no stores, no restaurants nor anything commercial.  We took a picnic lunch over along with a small ice chest packed with drinks because there’s nowhere to buy anything once you’re there.  Completely unspoiled.  The only thing there is to spend money on once you’re on the island is bicycle rental at the beach camp.  We met quite a few people who were camping for the weekend.  It’s breathtakingly beautiful.

A bit grey, but beautiful scenery at Cumberland Island

The ruins of Dungeness – Winter home of Andrew Carnegie

Cumberland Island is home to the very first African American Baptist Church and the original burial place of General Henry Lee, III.  Wild turkeys, turtles, and horses roam free.  The only vehicles in the State Park are the ones that the Rangers drive.

My brother-in-law built this cooker himself.

We also spent a lot of time with my family.  For my little sister’s birthday we had a cookout,

We make a pretty good team!

played games,

shot bows and arrows,

and fished.

Two weeks goes by way too fast. ;~)