NOT AGAIN! ????

 I was merrily answering comments last night and got several done when all of a sudden, I got an error message. A little different this time. It did allow me to push the publish button, but the error message popped up saying my message could not be published. I am hoping by tomorrow that too will have been temporary and will try again. Has anyone else had a problem tonight? It happened at around 11.00 p.m.

The surprise I had the night before was this handsome fellow on our patio door above my head. I took my nightly look out the back window before going upstairs, and it was staring at me right in the face. I don't know who was more startled, yes probably the katydid. I couldn't see it properly and used the light on my phone, and then took a photo also with my phone. I made several attempts and all but this one were blurry. The ID online said it was a Katydid, also known as a Bush Cricket? It did say that this might have been after its first or last molt, can't remember which now. You can read about them at this link if interested. If any of you know for sure, let me know would you please? I had fun playing with one of the apps and came up with this.

A while ago I mentioned that several of the old homes that had been around for years, a mile so down the road, were finally torn down. This is the first house that has been built. I was amazed at how fast. We kept passing by and they looked like they were hollowing out the ground for a basement as there was this big hole. That seemed to take forever. A few days later this appeared. I will try and remember to take a photo once it’s finished. The place before was less than a quarter its size. I miss the old house.

This building is a church we pass by. When we moved here over 30 plus years ago it used to be a farm property where people kept their horses. I loved passing by and counting them. 

It wasn't such a wide road back then and we could slow down and sometimes stop to take photos. The church went up I want to say about 10 years ago. I still miss seeing the horses. Here's a closer look of the church.

I had a good time taking photos of clouds. The skies were full of them that day. It was hot but hardly any humidity, which is always a plus.

“Bows and flows of angel hair, and ice-cream castles in the air.” 

Joni Mitchell, Both Sides Now

I captured a plane on its way into Washington-Dulles Airport. I wish I had remembered to look at my airplane app to see where it departed from.

“I am the daughter of Earth and Water, and the nursling of the Sky.”

Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Cloud

The truck was huge and parked on the side of the road. There are town homes across the street, and this strip runs several hundred yards where people from those homes can park overnight. Parking spaces are at a bare minimum where they live, and the powers that be let them park there, for the time being anyway. This was still early so no one had made it home yet from work. Usually they are parked bumper to bumper.

It was a great day to sky watch. 

Thanks for looking and enjoy your day. 

ROAD TRIP ACROSS ARIZONA IN 2013 - MURALS - FROM MY ARCHIVES

I have shared these before but as it has been a long time, some of you may not have seen them and those who have, I hope you don't mind me showing them again. The information below this post was added yesterday. 

Going through our old photos the other day, I came across the smiling lady again. I had always wanted to identify who the mural painter was. Try as I might at the time and many, many searches online later, I never found out who it was. On a whim I decided to try again and technology being what it is, I found the painter's name.

Today's photos are from our road trip across country in 2013. We were driving through Arizona and in the distance, I saw what I thought was a smiling face looking up at all those clouds floating by.  It really was a phenomenal day for sky-watching. I thought my eyes were playing tricks but as we got closer, I could see very clearly. 

When a person smiles at me or I see a person smiling at others, I find myself smiling too, and this lovely mural painted on a building out in the desert, had the same effect. I could also see there were what I thought were wolves on the side. No, not wolves. The following is the only explanation I could find, this time.

"The painting depicts a local Navajo resident named Stephanie, whose portrait was blown up larger-than-life and wheat-pasted onto an abandoned roadside building - or home - locally known as "JR's House". Because the artist, Chip Thomas, often incorporates local wildlife, livestock, and community members into his expansive desert murals, it is easy for travelers to blend different installations together in memory."

This fabulous art is called "Stephanie on JR's House."

As we drove through that area we came across other buildings with different scenes on each wall.  

Added note: I also put this photo into the Google ‘camera’ in its search engine. More wonderful murals can be seen here.  As described, “The mural is entitled “Bluebird Diner” or “Blue Bird Diner Revelation,” and was created by artist Gaia in 2012 as part of the Painted Desert Project. It is located in the Painted Desert on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. The artwork depicts a stylized bird on the left and a hand with a beam of light on the right.”

These artists brought us great joy as we traveled on this very long road, and we were mesmerized. 

The old buildings had been turned into incredible works of art, but my favorite will always be the smiling face looking up at that beautiful sky.

Chip Thomas is the artist of the smiling lady. He is a family physician, born in 1957 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He arrived at the Navajo Nation in 1987 to fulfil a medical scholarship obligation and stayed for over three decades, transforming his clinical practice and documentary photography into an impactful public art movement. You can read more about him here and here.

This particular art piece is located on an abandoned building within the Navajo Nation in Arizona. The piece is part of The Painted Desert Project, a public art initiative that connects street artists with communities on the Western Agency of the Navajo Nation. (I don't know how long any of these websites will remain current. Years down the road they sometimes 'go away', but at the time of writing, you can see other artists on the project at this link.) The project was brought about for the aim of healing and community connection. The first link in this paragraph has the whole story and it is worth a read. Several links have been provided throughout my post.)

Finding out all this information while climbing down into one of my curiosity rabbit holes I fell into after all these years, was a delightful, mind-opening experience.

Thanks for visiting my post about Stephanie, 

Chip, the beautiful desert and State of Arizona. 

I hope your day is a great one.

AROUND AND ABOUT ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 22ND, 2026

Nothing too exciting today, just out running a few errands. I've numbered the photos in the collage, and below have explained what they are. 

1. This is the spot where there used to be an old derelict house we passed by for years. I can still see in my mind's eye the beauty of the place in its decline. I mentioned how disappointed I was when driving by, to see that it had been completely leveled. It wasn't long before there was a lot of activity. The big machines had moved in, rubble removed, foundations laid, and then the elevator shafts built, then the walls. Each time we passed by I took a photo and then went home and compared it to the others I've taken, to see its progress. It wasn't too long after that we saw the company sign, a new storage facility for people's personal belongings. The place is huge! There is another building down the road by the same company, maybe not quite as big but big enough. Kitty-corner from that to my right, there is a much smaller storage facility run by another company. Personal storage is definitely big business around here.

2. I have my head up in the clouds again. I am a cloud watcher. When we left the house we were socked in. The skies looked very foreboding. The night before we had a thunderstorm with lots of rain. It actually started raining when we left the house, but when we got down the road a few miles, this was the sky and a few miles later all the rain clouds disappeared. 

3. & 4. are basically the same. Lunch and a car picnic in the parking lot outside The Pure Pasty Co. There website is here. A place I have mentioned on here several times. The owner is British and we have been coming here off and on ever since we discovered it. I can't remember when that was now, but it's been years. We often took our friends to the place. It opened in October 2010. We stock up on a few things as they also sell British food. We didn't buy much today, a few packets of British Bangers (sausages) from out of their freezer, and the pasties we had for our car picnic lunch. I think it was the last time we were there, a couple of ladies in the next car were doing the same. The absolute best pasties! Here's a history of them. You can enlarge the history card if needed. Also, below this post it is written out for translation for our overseas friends.

5. & 6. On the way home we spotted the tree trimmer. There are trees here that are beautifully shaped. I don't know what kind they are. That gentleman at the top in the cherry picker, what a good head for heights he must have.

We went home and pottered for the rest of the day. 

Thanks for looking and I hope 

your week is going well.

Have a great day!

History of the Cornish Pasty

The pasty is the national symbol of Cornwall, England. In some Cornish families a pasty recipe is the only means of tracing their family history. No one can pinpoint when the pasty originated. However, it can be traced back to Henry VIII (1491-1547). There is a letter in existence from a baker to Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour, saying “Hope this pasty reaches in better condition than the last one…” We also find reference to the pasty in two of Shakespeare’s plays. It is referenced in: The Merry Wives of Windsor: Act 1, Scene 1. Page: Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome. Come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner: come gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness.  And in “All’s Well That Ends Well: Act IV, Scene III. Parolles: I will confess to what I know without constraint: if ye pinch me like a pasty, I can say no more.

The pasty became the Cornish miners’ meal of choice for many reasons. The traditional pasty was a complete meal consisting of meat, potato, onion and seasoning all wrapped in a crust then baked. Also, a miner could leave home with a hot pasty in his pocket and reach in once in a while to warm his hands.

In Cornwall arsenic was often found in the tin mines. This is the reason for the thick pastry crimp on the pasty. The miners would hold the pasty by this crust, throwing it away after they had eaten the body of the pasty to avoid poisoning. The crust wasn’t wasted though; the miners were firm believers in “knockers” (ghosts) and left the crust for them. Pasty shops in Michigan can be found where the people of Cornwall settled. They are, however, most prevalent in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

A FEW AROUND AND ABOUT PHOTOS.

I thought I would share a few of these. As you know I am an avid taker of photos, which include those from the passenger side of our car. I love to record just about everything. Last week we had amazing skies. Below was from the week before when it was rainier. I was taking our usual photo on the progress of the building when the police officer came into view. 

We have been very interested in seeing this large building go up, having driven by the old house for many years. The land was finally sold, the old house leveled (was a bit sad about that - someone's dream way back when) and this structure slowly took shape. They always start with the elevator shafts first don't they? We knew it was going to be a big place noticing how far apart they were.  

Monday June 22nd, 2026 - drove to Arlington to our favorite Bahn Mi go-to. We visit about once a month and have a car picnic. We try to curb our eating out to once a week and usually it's fast food. No seating inside here and that’s okay with us. We can watch the world go by. It’s fun to watch people come and go. There is a fire station across the parking lot to the left, and we have watched firefighters trek in every now and again. Nothing fancy but this is Gregg's all-time favorite sandwich, and I have to admit it is excellent. Mentioned before on here many times.

On the way out of the parking lot we spotted this. I believe it's the same vehicle I shared a few weeks ago. It is a Slingshot Grand Touring Le Fairway Green with Bronze Accents - thank you Google!

Our lunch last week took us to our Cornish Pasty shop, also mentioned many times before. We usually pick up British bangers and bacon. Made over here but a UK-style recipe that gives us a touch of nostalgia when we have them on the weekend with a full breakfast. Another place we visit, this time maybe once every three months, try to anyhow. You can just about make out the Union Jack on the left-hand side towards the end of the alleyway. 

Another car picnic. Over here Cornish Pasties are like a Michigan Meat Pie. Cornish tin and copper miners emigrated to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan when there was a massive copper and iron boom in that area in the 1840's and 1850's. That's how the Michigan meat pie came about, from the Cornish Pasty. I am repeating myself but the man who owns The Pure Pasty Co. is British and located in Vienna, Virginia. He also owns the Hawk and Griffin which opened several years later. This is where we went for Gregg's birthday earlier in the year. We like both places very much but come here more. The restaurant/pub is our special occasion place. I'm sure with the World Cup going on, the place is packed out.

On our way home we passed by the old mill building I mentioned a little while ago. I was delighted that the paddle wheel was working. We could see the water splashing on the wheel. There was also safety fences built since the last photo. I can only hope that we will see the building itself brought back to life, and I am eager to come back this way to see if there is any progress in a couple of weeks or so.

Here is also another view of the horses but in the nearby field this time. We really should bring a proper camera to get a closer photo. All these were taken with my cell phone.

Coming back into the neighborhood Gregg spotted a crow on the top of a mailbox post. He stopped, backed up without me even asking. 

I took several photos before he flew off. These were the best two.

It was a coincidence but that very morning I had found these on Pinterest. I rather like benches as you might guess, from all the ones I sit on when we go to the gardens. My imagination put these on our deck and in the back yard.

Tuesday June 23rd 2026 - I had my hair done today. I go to the Hair Cuttery at our local shopping center. The lady who has been cutting my hair for years did another great job and I always feel much better with it shorter and tidier. It was raining heavily, but the sun is out surprisingly and it looks like we will have a very pretty sunset.  

Wednesday, June 24th, 2026 - father and son got  together this morning. I stayed home and enjoyed my quiet time. I caught up on things. I did laundry, a chore that I actually enjoy. The day went fast!

That's all for now. 

Thank you for reading my ramblings, and 

I hope your day is a great one.

ON MONDAY...

we were out bright and early that morning and were off to Costco to pick up my prescription (prism) glasses, which will fix my double vision. I went to the ophthalmologist a few weeks ago, which I mentioned on here at the time. I was told I had an astigmatism. 

We had momentarily forgotten that it was Memorial Day and Costco was closed. No matter, we decided to go shopping. Driving out of the neighborhood we saw a few houses decorated with flags and banners. This was one of them. On the way to the supermarket, we stopped at a traffic light and this dog very kindly posed for me.

He was definitely showing me his best side.

and was momentarily curious about us.

A few days ago we had glorious skies and I was interested in this cloud formation...to me it looks like someone is lying back on a deck chair.

But the skies have been more like this lately.

For years we used to pass this old house, and it had been empty for as far back as I can remember. It had seen better days. One day when we drove by, there was fencing all around. We realized its days were numbered. Not long after that it was bulldozed.

They have been building this ever since. It's for people to rent personal storage spaces. There are another two similarly designed buildings nearby, one right next to it and another not too far behind. We are still in our decluttering stage at home, and this place always reminds me, we need to get cracking on that again. 

Gregg got his linguiça (pronounced "leen-GWEE-sah) from Harris Teeters on our shopping expedition. We don't have it all the time, but I found a recipe for smoked sausage, cabbage and potato cooked in a slow cooker. I asked him if he would like to try it, as a potato and cabbage combo are a favorite dish of his. His mom used to cook it for his birthday meal when he was young, but with a boiled ham. He's not a big fan of smoked sausage and the only time we ever go to this particular supermarket is when he gets a yen for linguiça. I will use it in this recipe. We can't find it anywhere else around here.

It's a Portuguese sausage that is a real nostalgia item for him. He remembers when he visited relatives in New England. His mother's family used to fix it - very popular up there - and when relatives from that area visited, they would always bring a batch for the family. Gregg's step-grandfather was of Portuguese heritage. I only met him once, not too long after we were married. He passed away and I didn't get the chance to meet him again. I took to him right away, a dear man. Wonderfully gracious and kind in nature. He was a true gentleman, everyone loved him including me.

Added this the next day (26th). Up early again and were at Costco’s at opening time. We were still third in line to see the lady at the eye-glass department. After 20 minutes she handed me my eye glasses that I had ordered. I didn’t want bifocals/trifocals as the last time I was never able to get used to them, and as at this stage I am worried about falling, I splurged and bought three pair. I now have reading, distance and sunglasses, all prescription and prisms. 

I was very nervous but she gave me the long distance ones first. I put them on and my double vision disappeared immediately. I just about clapped my hands. It sounds dreadful but I have been living with this double vision for a year. At first I was waiting for it to get better. It took a while for me to go to my doctor, but eventually admitted to myself it definitely wasn’t going away. I did have my eyes checked by another ophthalmologist in the beginning,  as I already had a regular appointment. I can’t remember what he said about my double vision, after just getting the usual things done. Everything else was tested. He suggested going to my regular doctor if it didn’t get any better. 

Many appointments at the doctor afterwards, it was off to an ophthalmologist who was more local. She was amazing, looked so very young, was incredibly thorough, softly spoken and the kind of professional who puts you at your ease immediately (you can see the post about that visit here). She diagnosed the astigmatism after looking at all the results. 

I will take photos of the new glasses soon. They have boring frames and maybe I should have spent more time with frame designs, but I didn’t hang around and wanted out of there.

Anyway, a little bit of a ramble today.

Thanks for visiting and I hope

your day is a great one.

BEACH SCENE AND A POEM

There's times you'll be 

A sinking boat

Left adrift at sea,

And times you'll be 

The ocean tide

Breaking wild and free.

There's times you'll be

A jellyfish

And other times a seal,

And times you'll be

The great white shark

And times you'll be the meal.

There's times you'll feel

Like giving up

And sinking to the floor,

And times you'll float

Upon your back

And wash up on the shore.

But know these times

Will come and go,

And just like tides

Will ebb and flow,

And though you won't

Know which you'll be,

You're still a part

Of that mighty sea.

by Dallas Clayton

As often happens when I read poetry online, I will come across something that stays with me. This is one such poem by Dallas Clayton who is an American author and motivational speaker. This poem is a well-known piece often shared online for its inspirational message about life's challenges and the enduring nature of what a person can do if their choice is to persevere and keep putting that one step forward. 

The photo is from my archives. We were on a road trip driving around Florida in January 2014.

I HAVE FOUND…

such joy!

I have found such joy in simple things;

A plain, clean room, a nut-brown loaf of bread,

A cup of milk, a kettle as it sings,

The shelter of a roof above my head,

And in a leaf-laced square along the floor,

Where yellow sunlight glimmers through the door.

I have found such joy in things that fill

My quiet days: a curtain’s blowing grace,

A potted plant upon my window sill,

A rose, fresh-cut and placed within a vase;

A table cleared, a lamp beside a chair,

And books I long have loved beside me there.

Oh, I have found such joys I wish I might

Tell every woman who goes seeking far

For some elusive, feverish delight,

That very close to home the great joys are:

The elemental things - old as the race,

Yet never, through the ages, commonplace.

~Grace Noll Crowell~

(10/31/1877 - 3/31/1969)

“I Have Found Such Joy”

(These are a few joys that I have found close to home, along with a lot of those mentioned in Grace’s lovely poem.)