SKYWATCH FRIDAY

My thanks to the team of SkyWatch Friday for hosting this wonderful meme.  You can click on the name below if you would like to visit other participants.

SkyWatch Friday

GOOD FENCES

It is time for sharing with Good Fences.  Thank you for hosting Theresa. 

You can see more fences if you click on the button below.

RANDOM PHOTO and a POEM

Dialogue of a Man and a Tree

The Man: Why do you grow so tall, way up there in the sky?
Tree: I love the heights that are clean and free, where the lonely eagles fly, where the crane and the hawk can nest with me, and my friends, the geese, go by.

The Man: What do you use for food, Tree, to make you grow and grow?
The Tree: I live on a diet of Nature's best from my roots deep down below; I never go hungry, I rest and rest and wait for the rain and snow.

The Man: How do you grow so strong, Tree, sturdy and straight and true?
The Tree: I live in the light of the sunshine and yearn for the sky's deep blue; the clean, sweet air is always mine, and the cold winds help me too.

The Man: How do you live so long, Tree, so much longer than man?
The Tree: I've geared my days with the Creator's ways since ever the world began.  There is no death when life keeps faith with nature's wonderful plan.

~Vincent Godfrey Burns, Poet Laureate of Maryland, 1965 ~

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The above is a photo of one of the paintings in Meadowlark Gardens' Visitor Center.

I am sharing with the following memes as they become available, with my thanks to Jesh, Linda Kay and N.C. Sue for bringing them to us.  You can click on their names if you would like to visit other participants.

Jesh at Seasons 
N.C. Sue at 
Wordless (on Tuesday) at Image-in-ing
Linda Kay at Wednesday Wit and Wisdom

MOSAIC MONDAY

I had a few botanicals left from our holiday, and played around with them on my iPAD, using the cartoon app.  The same mosaic with differences.

The original I put together using the actual photos.

and the following with a little tweaking.

I am sharing with Mosaic Monday, with my thanks to Judith for creating this fun meme.  If you click on the name below you can visit other participants.

 Mosaic Monday

HAPPY EASTER

This is for everyone who is celebrating Easter.

(These are not mine.  I found the graphics at Pixabay, and put them together on Paint Shop Pro) 

If you click here you will see an online card.

~~~~~

This is the first time I have seen an Eastern Bluebird this year.  

I believe this is the female.  Her mate had much deeper blue coloring.  I couldn't get a photo of him as he was too far away for a photo....

but she posed for me very nicely as I made my way along the path.

I am sharing with the following memes as they become available, with my thanks to all our hosts for bringing them to us.  If you would like to see other participants, you can click on their names.

Eileen at Saturday's Critters

Misty at Camera Critters

Anni at Bird D'Pot

Michelle at Nature Notes

Stewart at Wild Bird Wednesday

SKYWATCH FRIDAY

There were large billowy clouds over our house this week, and a beautifully blue sky.

My thanks to all the team of SkyWatch Friday, for hosting this wonderful meme for all these years.  Please click on the name below to visit other participants.

SkyWatch Friday

GOOD FENCES

I took this photo as I was sitting at a traffic light in Vienna, Virginia.  My eye caught the bright red fire hydrant, and then the fence and I thought, "This is for you Theresa!"  Thanks for hosting this fun meme.

If you want to see other participants, you can click on the name below to see other participants.

Good Fences

Flying Pig

I will always live in hope.

Pigs WILL fly one day!

THE CHAMELEON

I found this cute little chameleon in a tank at the visitor center at Meadowlark Gardens.  He seemed to be happy that it was Spring and he was enjoying his exercise!  I found him totally mesmerizing as he moved ever so slowly along the small branch, his eyes swiveling in every direction, independently of each other.  They can rotate almost 360 degrees.  A lot of action!  Amazing little thing.  He is only a few inches long and seemed to be shedding its skin.  I know nothing of chameleons but I really enjoyed watching this one for a while.  

The Chameleon
by Sir Alan Patrick Herbert

The chameleon changes his color,
He can look like a tree or a wall.
He is timid and shy and he hates to be seen,
So he simply sits down on the grass and grows green,
And pretends he is nothing at all.

I wish I could change my complexion
To purple or orange or red.
I wish I could look like the arm of a chair,
So nobody ever would know I was there
When they wanted to put me to bed.

I wish I could be a chameleon
And look like a lily or rose.
I'd lie on the apples and peaches and pears,
But not on Aunt Margaret's yellowy chairs.
I should have to be careful of those.

The chameleon's life is confusing;
He is used to adventure and pain,
But if he ever sat on Aunt Maggie's cretonne
And found what a curious color he'd gone,
I don't think he'd do it again.

~~~~~~~

I am linking with the following memes, with my thanks to Jesh (Seasons), Linda Kay (Wednesday, Wit and Wisdom) and N.C. Sue (Wordless (onTuesday) at Image-in-ing) for hosting such wonderful memes.

To see other participants you can click on the names of each meme below.

Seasons

Wednesday Wit and Wisdom

Wordless (on Tuesday) at Image-in-ing

MOSAIC MONDAY - MEADOWLARK GARDENS

There is a fish tank inside the visitor center at Meadowlark Gardens.  It is the first place I stop before going into the garden.  When they grow large enough I'm assuming they will be transferred into one of the three lakes down the hill.   Their larger relatives are just as interesting to watch. 

There are two lovely stained glass windows near the fireplace, and a very comfortable sitting area.  One of them I used in my collages.  The darker area on the left of the glass is actually the chimney outside.  You can just make out the brickwork at the bottom.

I had fun making these mosaics and added some fish and a star to this design above, but left it plain below.

I am sharing with Mosaic Monday, with my thanks to Judith for creating this fun meme.  If you click on the name below you can visit other participants.

 Mosaic Monday

BIRDS AT HUNTLEY MEADOWS, ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

These are the birds we saw at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria on March 12th, 2016.  I shared my post from our visit a year ago here in case you missed it.   My photos are not too bright as it was a very grey day.

I always enjoy the Mallard Ducks. 

.

Hooded Merganser, the first I have seen in a very long time.  A bit far away but I cropped the photo.  He had two companions, that we could see, swimming nearby.

There were several Canada Geese, not as many as last year but they were around.

A Wood Duck.  Not sure where his mate was.

Standing one-legged on the fallen log is a Great Blue Heron.  It is hard to see but you can just make out his long yellow beak as he has turned his head to the right.  Swimming on the left is a another Hooded Merganser.

A Red-wing Blackbird.  I always look forward to seeing them when I come here.

There were Coots also.

And that's about it for my bird post today.



I am sharing with the following memes as they become available, with my thanks to our hosts for bringing them to us.  If you click on their names you will be able to visit other participants.

Anni at Bird D'Pot

Michelle at Nature Notes

Stewart at Wild Bird Wednesday