LET IT SNOW!

The Front Yard
The Tree Branches

The Way Out

A Giant Bulb Hanging Outside

This has been my world since Friday night. Yes, it is lovely and just the ticket these few days before Christmas. Should those of you without snow experience a little bit of envy let me tell you that I have also been without electricity since Friday night as well. This post is coming to you because Hubs has a generator going part of the time to warm us up, allow us to cook, and for the most part keep us from being totally miserable. Nights it gets a little cold. The news is reporting electricity should be restored to all by Christmas afternoon. Uh, that's four days away!!!!

A blessful Sunday to you all - keep warm. :)

An Elmo Christmas

I know that I won't be able to post next Tuesday before Christmas so I want to take this opportunity to wish all my Ruby Tuesday friends a very Merry Christmas! This year is little Lily's second Christmas and she loves Elmo. Santa and Grandma will be putting lots of Elmo toys under the tree.

Merry Christmas my Ruby friends!!

For more Ruby Tuesday join Mary here.

Thank Heaven For Little Girls - Take Two

Mellow Yellow Monday

I don't often get to post many pictures of my grandbabies so this week I have two more shots for Mellow Yellow Monday.

Lily is being quite mellow with her yellow sippy cup and Elmo blanket as she watching an Elmo movie on TV. Don't you just love those little curled feet!

Lucy being not so mellow with her 'sunny' disposition!

For more Mellow Yellow click here.

Noah's Ark - Say What?

"This steel skeleton occupies a sun-drenched hillside along Interstate 68 in the mountains of western Maryland. Reaching three stories high, its concrete foundation stretching the length of one-and-a-half football fields, the structure is an oddity -- as incongruous as, well, a boat on a mountaintop."
Hubs and I pass this monumental structure on our way to our son's home in Virginia. Research tells me that ground was broken in April of 1976 -- before the interstate was built. Now 30 years later it is still just a shell. It was the idea of Pastor Richard Greene who had dreams over a three month period in 1974. The Ark was to be constructed to the specifications of Noah's original Ark--450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
To read more about the Ark's beginnings and to see an architectural drawing of what it would look like upon completion click here.

My original photo.

For more Sepia Scenes join Mary here.

Ruby Tuesday

It was certainly beginning to look a lot like Christmas on Saturday when we woke to find a dusting of snow on the porch decorations that had just been put up Friday afternoon. I don't know about you but when it snows I'm like a kid again. I love the fluffy stuff.

If you missed it I posted a rose on top of the snow yesterday on my photoblog, here. This is another version of the same rose a few hours later.

For more Ruby Tuesday join Mary here.

Thank Heaven For Little Girls

Mellow Yellow Monday

Presenting My Lovely Little Granddaughters

Lucy and her yellow blankie.
Lily says, "It's for you Grandma."
Sweet Little Smiles
Lily looking lovingly at Mommy and Lucy laughing at Papa.

For more Mellow Yellow click here.

Shadows On The Wall

For more Shadow Shots click here.

Glasses On Granite

For more Weekend Reflections join James here.

Let's Go To The Opera: Window Views

On a day trip into Ohio last month Hubs and I found this elegant old building. Located in the Historic District of McConnelsville, Ohio is the Twin City Opera House. Opened in May of 1892, this Victorian-style theater has been open ever since and offering first-run movies and a variety of live entertainment to the local and surrounding communities.

I didn't see any birds so maybe that fake owl on the roof is doing his job.

You'll notice the date on the arch is 1890 even though it didn't open until two years later. The formal opening was held Saturday, May 28, 1892. The opening was to be a grand affair. The program for the evening was the Arion Opera Company’s performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado.” The grand opening was even more grand in that this building was the first in the community to have electricity.
For more Window Views click here.

Watery Wednesday: Little Swimmers

Two little swimmers under the rock ledge of my pond.

(enlarge pic for more detail)

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May You Be Blessed

No my dear friends you didn't go to sleep last night and wake up in a timewarp having lost a week of your life. I'm sending you blessings for the upcoming holiday a week early. We are going to visit our kids and grandkids. I have much more planned than blogging in the upcoming days ahead. So, for those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving I want to extend sincere blessings for a wonderful holiday. Take care and I'll see you in a couple weeks to catch up with what's going on in your world. In the meantime I leave you with recent photos of two of God's greatest blessings in my life.

Little Lily

Baby Lucy

The Wayback Machine

My last couple of entries for Watery Wednesday were photos of Blackwater Falls here in West Virginia. I posted those on my photoblog here and here. I don't think I've mentioned the amber color running through the water that is fairly evident in this image. It is a result of high amounts of tannin in the water. The tannic acid is from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles.
Some of my readers will remember I told of going down and back up 214 steps. This first photo shows the railings of the last set of steps going down to the falls. What I'd like you to focus your attention on is that huge rock at the bottom of the falls and then take a look at my next photo.

This is from the wayback machine when my brother and I visited Blackwater Falls in our youth. I so remember this outfit. That shirt was a canvas cloth of red, white, and blue. I usually wore it with a blue wraparound skirt. I'm sure some of you ladies remember those. Kinda reminds me of wearing a hospital gown. You had to be careful how you sat on it or the back folded and you and your underwear were exposed for all to see. What's with that hairdo you might be asking. Truthfully it was a grown out 'pixie' haircut and not a Beatles do! I loved it and can only wish that my hair was just as thick today.

Do you see where we are standing? Yep, right down at the bottom of the falls. This picture was taken about the last year before the steps were installed. Until then you found your way down a damp boulder strewn path. I talked to my Mom last week and we discussed it probably wasn't the safest place to be. When we visited we always went clear to the bottom. There are signs these days to tell you to stay on the path, that deaths have occured.

As Hubs and I stood above the river a couple of weeks ago I marveled how powerful the falls hit bottom after their five story drop. At one time I could get up close and personal with this waterfall. Today 214 daunting steps down and back up somehow seems like the right way to enjoy the view.

For more Watery Wednesday click here.

Mellow Yellow Shadow Shots

A few Wisteria leaves still clinging to the vine.
A Wisteria leaf caught in the vines backlit by the sun.

For more Shadow Shots visit here.

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Ohio Quilt Barn In Sepia

A couple of weeks ago Hubs and I were returning home from a trip to nearby Ohio when I spotted this quilt barn (so-called for the quilt patch that decorates the side of the barn) across four lanes of traffic. When I shouted quilt barn he knew he needed to find a safe place to pull over and bless his heart he did. Since we were in the state of Ohio it was quite appropriate that the quilt block is called 'Ohio Star.'

I've included the original image as well so you can see the weathered patina and rusting tin roof.

(Don't forget you can enlarge to see greater detail.)

For more Sepia Scenes join Mary here.

A SpongeBob Greeting

This past Saturday Hubs celebrated his birthday. In a sealed envelope from miles away came this little mellow yellow fellow with wishes for a happy birthday from his two sweet granddaughters, Lily and Lucy.

As you can see their Mommy traced their little hands inside the card and Lily 'wrote' her message for Grandpa.

Grandpa got many cards for his birthday but he sat and looked at this one the longest.

Lily and Lucy - Grandpa loves you too!

For more Mellow Yellow Monday click here.