Real smiles, real world

     I decided what we all need in these times --- with the virus, the weather and a WHY WOULD ANY SANE PERSON START A WAR  on our brains --- is some genuinely wonderful great smiles.  I just happen to have a daughter who has such a smile.  I pulled 2 dozen or so from my photos of her over the last dozen years, and asked her permission, which she gave sight unseen......  However, per my usual way of doing things, I don't often name any one in a photo. The persons in the photo already know who they are, and the rest of us don't really need to know.  Tonight it is all about the SMILE.

    I've never taken this approach before, so all I can say is Enjoy the trip, everyone.  

 

 

        I don't know about the rest of you, but this has definitely made me smile, too..... GO TEAM. Thanks to all who are sharing this trip with me.  And thank you, R, for sharing your sweet, smiling self!   Ann

Our snows here this year in KY reminded me of the same, in England.

    I am going to try a new font, because why not.  We can always get wild and take a new path. This font is called Carrier.  What I have liked and used for forever is Ariel.  I want to see if the letter "l" looks either more or is it less than what I usually see. (When is an l not a 1??) Look closely. There is a difference!

    I got distracted a half hour ago. Then the photos that showed up were of snow in England, during the winter of 2013! After all, it does snow other places. I was visiting my stepmother who was living then on the main street in picturesque Chipping Campden, in the Cotswolds.  The Brits had a hefty snowfall during my visit, and even though these photos are not all totally fixed up I think they give the flavor of the place at that time.  My stepmother, whom we called Potter, was staying 2 weeks several towns distant recovering from having her hip repaired. When I drove to see her, with snow on the roads and cars on the left hand side of the road, I managed to do a little damage to her car.  Well, maybe a little more than a little.... But it all worked out. I hope these photos are fun to see. 

    

in town, before the snow came

This view from the third floor is included because the other photos of this garden show everything covered with snow.

This oak tree and sheep were on my way to see Potter -- before the storm.

driving by the next day...

The tree and sheep were off the main road, and it didn't seem the milk delivery had gone smoothly this day.

The sheep market, hundreds of years old, is in the middle of town.

other winter trees en route

what awaits even then

 

outside the house, not too many tourists on the sidewalk for a change.....

in Potter's back garden

  across the street

warm inside, and I always loved this wisdom on her wall

more of the back garden

                     I ended up fixing this image a bit.                        It may well be my favorite photo of this post.

    If I try to put these photos in perfect order tonight, I would be in deep distress. MY apologies. I am familiar with imperfection -- believe me, it can have its benefits.  I wish every one well, and how fabulous it would be if a war based on greed and ego wouldn't start this week or ever need to happen. When all is said and done, it snows and rains on each and every one of us.

 

 

BACK AGAIN!!!!!

    Hello all -- so glad to be back!!!  There was some big Google Glitch, so I haven't been able to post anything for a few weeks.  I missed "visiting" with all of you, even though I am now posting biweekly -- after more than 12 years of posting mostly weekly.  The world continues to need our attention and our care. I hope everyone is able to seek truth and share kindness.

    Today is February 3, and there is a chance that the impending ice storm will cause electricity breakdowns around here in northeastern Kentucky.  Therefore I am going to put up some January photos and get this published sooner rather than later!

 

outside my window -- Christmas tree doing double duty now as bird sheltering

 

going to get the mail, late

The cardinal is the Kentucky state bird.

brief moment caught just before dark

THREE PHOTOS BY Rebecca W.:

signs of a beaver covering over his or her tracks with that handy wide tail

testing the log but wisely not going the whole way across -- oh, to be ten again!!

Sideway Road curving uphill...

the sun trying to get through

    There are more, but the images by me are all within walking distance from my house, at all times of the day. And this weekend may be full of winter as work, in many locations, and not just winter as fun and beautiful. 
    I will plan to do the next post on FEBRUARY 13, if Google can keep its act together. Be safe, vaccinate for the sake of the health of our world, thanks for not giving up on me and my blog! 

surprise, surprise --- mostly snow photos

 

                                                       SNOW AT LAST!  (photo by Rebecca Wright)

 
     Here in the other end of Kentucky from the terrible tornadoes, we have had two days of snow, and then last night and today lots of rain -- snow chasers.  I believe next will be some lower than usual temps.  So I figured I needed at least to enjoy the snow while it lasted and the photography that it provokes. (Those many people stuck overnight on I 95 earlier in the week have my total sympathy. How terrible and scary. I haven't needed to go anywhere for days, but my car is facing down the driveway, in case.)

    That first photo is wonderful. I love it, but I didn't make it.... Another bravo to my daughter.  They explored the icicles down by the waterfalls and, near the house, wore the snow out with the sled and two playful dogs.   

       SO here, barely in chronological order, are some other snow photos:

Well, this is an older photo, along Route 504, and it wants to be included even though it's an earlier storm...

The way to plow your south facing driveway is to get the mail carrier to drive up to the house to deliver a package and later have your son-in-law bring over some of his tasty stew and a dolly to move a file cabinet. By then the road snow will begin melting -- 

 

 

 

 

This is after she drove up and then out, apologizing for not being sure if she had driven on my driveway or not!  She managed better than some do even on a good day.

the end of the first day, still snowing at dusk, so very quiet everywhere (no wind), the pond not even frozen yet.

deer tracks, I think -  on the way to water

this afternoon, after the rain finally stopped

                 NOW, next, la pièce de résistance, a "movie" of the pond before the rain began:

         Please remember that it's possible to double click on any one of the photos, and they will then all line themselves in order at the bottom of the screen.  That way, they can be seen one by one.  Just sayin'.  I had some struggles today, which I hope don't show.  And I will be trying again in two weeks to make things work more smoothly.  It's hard to believe I've been doing these posts for over ten year and still have to learn stuff.  I love the movie this time -- I hope it works smoothly. 

    Let's pursue truth and not believe what doesn't make sense.  And while we're at it, as members of the same human race, let's sharpen our capacity for kindness.    (Voilà, that's my first political statement of 2022! )