It's a Great Day in May!

Today I'm blessed with another beautiful day and the mosquitoes are not bad at all. Maybe all that spraying the city's been doing helped or maybe the breeze we've been having blows them away, but I'm thankful about having a little reprieve - for now! I visited my friend at Bank's Lake again, and, as usual, we sat outside on the bench, just talking and watching nature. I did see another alligator (with the binoculars) but it wasn't close enough for a good shot with my little camera. She told me that earlier this morning a big 8 footer was laying on the boardwalk and I could have got a really good picture. Maybe I'll try going there earlier in the mornings and see. Here are some pictures that I thought turned out really well, considering I don't have a fancy camera: This picture to the left, is me looking down from the landing of the boardwalk, onto a protruding patch of land with cypress roots growing up from under it and the reflection of the opposite trees in the water. I thought it looked kind of interesting. Afterwards, Gizzy and I stopped at Roquemore Memorial Park. We saw a few new memorials that were added recently. Gizzy had to run straight to his favorite "Rocky's Bridge" memorial. Then, we strolled around while I took some scenic pictures. This memorial is one of my favorites. It commemorates the departing of a beloved daughter. It's a lovely statute of a girl reading, surrounded by beautiful roses. The roses' first bloom is almost over, but they bloom continually all year through autumn. They have a lovely, fruity fragrance. Here's a close-up of one of the remaining big blossoms: Lastly, Gizzy tried out the swings to see if they're still Gizzy-proof and that's the resulting short movie clip of him swinging: (just click on the right-arrow to view - it's very short!) Here are some stills for those of you with a slow internet connection and no patience - you know who you are ;-) Maaaaam, I'm ready to go now..... And this, ladies and gents, is what happens when a woman has no grandkids. Have a nice May!

Dragonflies are my friends

Not only do I love bees, but I have always enjoyed watching the dragonflies. I recently became even more enchanted with them when I learned that they also eat mosquitoes, which makes them my allies. I was at Bank's Lake again today and managed to snap a photo of one that actually flew closer as if to pose for me: While Gizzy and I were walking around, I noticed how pretty the clouds looked (I love big, puffy, cumulus clouds) and decided to take a few pictures of the sky as well: One of these days, I'll get a better zoom lens, but for now, you'll just have to double click on the pictures to make them bigger, but take a look at all the rows of water lilies floating amongst those cypress trees in the water. I just love them! We didn't stay long because it was windy and Gizzy was antsy, but I enjoyed the little outing and I'm thankful for having this lake so close by. Tomorrow, my friend is working at the Outpost again, so I may go and visit with her for a while. Who knows? Maybe I'll spot another alligator. These two fishermen headed in also as we walked to the car to leave:

Just can't get enough of all that Green stuff!

(Remember to double click on the pictures to make them big) Today, I'm going to talk about my surroundings. This post is primarily for my family and friends' benefit who live far away. Yes, I have a tiny apartment and yes, it's not particularly in the most prestigious and modern of neighborhoods, but you know what? I've been there, done that and I'm here to tell you that a fancy big house and an ocean view does not necessarily for happiness make. I live here amongst all this greenery (and yes, the mosquitoes too) but I just love looking out my windows and doors and see green all around me. It gives me the impression as if I were on a perpetual camping trip. Isn't that funny? Looking at all this green is medicinal to my eyes and it soothes my soul. Fuer meine Familie in Deutschland: Ich hoffe dass Euch diese Bilder gefallen. Die habe ich von meiner Wohnung heraus geknipst um Euch zu zeigen, wie schoen gruen hier alles ist. (Bitte auf die Bilder zweimal druecken damit sie gross werden) I feel lucky to have all these trees around me because some of the apartments have little or no shade. I'm also happy for the birds that chirp and sing continuously - it sounds like a tropical rain forest here. It is a perfect place for my cat, Middi, who practically lives on the window sills because bird watching is her specialty. Middi is also an accomplished lizard observer:

Earth Day 2009

In honor of Earth Day today, I took a few photos and a nice little video clip from my walk around Lake Irma with Gizzy this morning. I hope you can hear the birds singing. I love listening to all those different sounds. When I close my eyes, I can imagine being in a tropical rain forest somewhere. I just don't understand why there are so many mosquitoes with all those birds around. Don't birds eat mosquitoes? I know dragonflies do. Maybe I need to start raising them. (Click arrow ABOVE to view video) I set my alarm and we headed out early, since I learned that all the mosquitoes in Georgia are now after ME! Apparently it must be open season for DORIS! No matter what I do, they attack me. I sprayed repellent everywhere (or so I thought) but must've missed a spot between my fingers. Well, guess where I got stung? Also, they sting right through my clothes. I give up! For me, resistance is futile. I need a beekeeper's outfit! Or do like I do every summer - go out very early in the morning and then stay inside for the rest of the day! (poor Gizzy) Here's a picture of Gizzy and I that a friend took when she came walking up with her two dogs. On the way back home, we saw this log cabin that someone's building around the corner from where I live (they've been working on it for a while) Lastly, please click below to see how Valdosta, Georgia, celebrated Earth Day: Valdosta Daily Times

Mein Haeuschen (mit Kurzfilm)

(BITTE MERKEN: Dass wenn man an den Bildern zweimal darauf drueckt, dann werden sie gross und sind besser zu sehen.) Da, an der Ecke wo die schoenen, rosa Azela Straeucher bluehen und die bluehenden Baeume stehen, bin ich zu Hause. Da hat gerade die Sonne so schoen hingescheint und ich wollte Euch die Bilder davon zeigen. Es ist halb 7 Uhr Abends und die Sonne geht ganz langsam unter. Am Mittwoch bekomme ich neuen Boden. Die werden den alten Teppich herausreissen und ich kriege dafuer, wie gewuenscht, Linoleum Tile boden. Dann brauche ich nur schoen abwischen und bin damit fertig. Ich freue mich darauf und werde Euch dann Bilder von innerhalb der Wohnung schicken. Noch ein kurzer Film von wenn ich heute Abend draussen um die Wohnung mit Gizzy herumgelaufen bin. Tschuess! Mein erster Kurzfilm von zuhause:

Bank's Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Pear Blossoms

Greetings from Bank's Lake! (This photo was taken two years ago, when my friend took me for a boat ride and we kept getting stuck on the roots of the Cypress trees) (REMEMBER to double click on the photos to make them large for better viewing.) Today, I would like to share a few photos that I took on the way to Bank's Lake back on February 1st, 2009, because the weather was interesting with the clouds and the sun playing peek-a-boo. I live only about 1 mile away from the National Wildlife Refuge, so we (my dog, Gizzy, and I) visit there often. If you would like to know more about Bank's Lake, just click here: U.S.Fish & Wildlife Service On the way to the lake, I passed my two most favorite pear trees. They are late/winter pears and give an abundance of pears that I like to cook up into a delicious compote. I look forward to these pears, but look, they were blooming already and it was barely February. We were still expecting some frost and freezing temperatures. My concern was that the blossoms won't survive and I would not get pears again this year. They didn't produce last year. I was told these trees skip a season sometimes. But the blossoms sure looked beautiful. I wanted to share some pictures for those of you that still had snow to provide a little glimpse of Spring. Here's Gizzy inside the car, barking and yelping at me as if to say: "hurry up already with the picture taking and take me to the lake..." When we got there, I placed him on an old tree stump and proceeded to take a few very photogenic shots of him posing like Rin-Tin-Tin (for those of you too young to remember, Rin-Tin-Tin was a German Shepard movie hero dog, similar to Lassie that I saw on TV in Germany when I was a kid) Soon, the clouds began to get darker and thicken, so that the sun was almost covered completely, except for a few rays that reflected on the water. Eventually, it got so dark that I feared of getting rained on and we headed on home. Only it never rained that day.

Ein Spatziergang mit Gizzy

(BITTE MERKEN: dass wenn man auf den Bildern zweimal klickd, dann werden sie gross und sind besser zu sehen.) Ich mache jetzt diesen "Post" damit meine Familie in Deutschland genau sehen kann wie die Landschaft hier aussieht wo ich wohne. Falls (oder wenn) ich etwas falsch buchstabiere, dann bitte ich um Entschuldigung, aber nachdem ich schon lange nicht mehr Deutsch spreche, habe ich leider schon viel vergessen. Deshalb versuche ich so wenig wie moeglich zu schreiben und Euch lieber die Photographien zeigen. Also, jetzt geht's los: Heute war ein besonders schoener Tag und wir sind durch den Wald und dann runter zum Teich gegangen. Da laufen wir auf dem sandigen Weg und der Gizzy zieht nach dem Wald. Weiter und weiter geht's... Dann machen wir rechts um die Ecke und in das kleine Waeldchen hinein. und jetzt sehr vorsichtig, Gizzy...aufpassen...da liegen die vielen, spitzigen Tannenzipfel am Waldboden. Da hinten links steht ein schoenes Haeuschen Langsam wird der kleine Kerl auch muede... und ich setzte ihn auf mein Waegerle und schiebe ihn weiter. Die Voegelchen zwitschern, die Libellen fliegen hin und her und die Sonne scheint schoen zwischen den Baeumen. Gizzy geniesst die Sonne und ist sehr bequem auf seinem Sitz (der eigenlich meiner sein soll). Jetzt kann er wieder ein Wenig weiter laufen, der kleine Hund im grossen Wald. Ah, jetzt sind wir bald wieder an der Strasse wo ich wohne. Da rechts ist das Brombeerfeld und hinten ist die Siedlung wo ich wohne. Jetzt machen wir links wo es der Strasse entlang zum Teich geht, welcher "Lake Irma" heisst. Am schoenen, grossen Haus vorbei wo die reiche Frau wohnt und weiter zum Teich Schoene Azalea Straeucher bluehen jetzt ueberall in weiss, rosa, orange und rot. Und jetzt koennen wir das Wasser in der Sonne glitzern sehen Das schoene, grosse Haus welches dem Teich gegenueber steht. Ich liebe es wenn die Sonne am Wasser wie Diamanten glitzert Ein anderes Haus beim Teich. Die Baeume mit den schoenen, weissen Blueten heissen "Dogwood" (Hundeholz) und die Blueten haben einen sehr schoenen Duft, aber die tragen keine Fruechte. Da links ist eine kleine Insel im Teich mit Schilf (Katzenschwanz.) Die Voegel machen dort gern ihre Nester. Noch ein anderes Haus beim Teich Jetzt geht's links wieder der Strasse hinauf zum Heimweg Schoene, kleine weisse Mini Azaleas Noch ein schoener, bluehender Dogwood Baum Azalea Strauch Schoene Bluemchen welche ein Nachbar in unserer Siedlung gepflanzt hat Und da wohne ich. Meine Wohnung ist an der Ecke mit je einen weissen Baum vorne und hinten. Und da geht es Vorne in meine Wohnung hinein. Und zum Letzten, ein paar schoene Bilder von den bluehenden Baeumen neben meiner Wohnung. Die heissen "Ornamental Pear" und haben nur kleine unessbare Fruechte. Aber die bluehen schoen im Fruehling (mit viele Bienen drin.) Auch im Herbst faerben sich die Blaetter sehr schoen und bunt. Das war unser heutiger Spatziergang. Ich hoffe es hat Euch gefallen. Es hat uns sehr gut gefallen und wir machen's bald wieder.