Outside with my dogs

Hello my friends - I'm still alive and kicking, only not as high as I used to - more like dragging, but we are hanging in there. We is me, my dogs Weezie and Teddy. This morning we went to Roquemore Memorial Park and afterward visited Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Weezie at Roquemore Memorial Park

Teddy at Roquemore Memorial Park

Teddy enjoying the Park

Weezie (left) and Teddy on a bench at the Park. Teddy's getting bored with photo sessions!

We left at 7:30 and returned by 9:30 and it still wasn't quite 80 degrees. If tomorrow is the same as this morning was, then we're out there again - come August, we're done with summer. Couped up and cranky knowing we still have another three months of heat before it starts to cool down. I saw Halloween candy in the store today, can you believe that? Anyway, here are a few photos from this morning. Please enjoy and forgive me for not being here much anymore. I'm always on Facebook and I simply can't handle both, my blog and the Facebook. Please, come and see me there! I'd love to hear from you! Take care and I'll try to check in more often than just once a year.

Weezie walking on the boardwalk at Banks Lake Nat'l. Wildlife Refuge

Weezie at Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Teddy Bear at Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Teddy (left) and Weezie at Roquemore Memorial Park

Teddy (left) and Weezie at Banks Lake

Weezie at Banks Lake (she lost one of her eyes to a severe ulcer last year in February, the same day my father died)

Teddy enjoying the view at Banks Lake

Honeybee on Waterlily at Banks Lake

Swamp Cypress and Waterlilies in Banks Lake

Swamp Cypress (or Bald Cypress) growing in Banks Lake  

 Thank you for reading this and I will try to visit you soon. I'm in the process of crocheting for Christmas and fall fundraisers plus will be spending a lot more time outside as soon as it cools down (which won't be for a while yet) and once I get on the computer, it takes me hours before I get back off... so often I don't even turn it on so that I can get things done ;-) I'm sure some of can relate.

Again, it's nice to visit again and I wish you all a wonderful day and a great week ahead!

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: