Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday!


During our one night two day visit to the New River Gorge Bridge and National Park we visited the Sandstone Falls and the visitor center. They were working on the road back to the Sandstone Falls so it took a while to drive there. It was worth putting up with the road work to see this pretty spot of the park. Sandstone Falls is 1500 feet wide and is made up of a network of boardwalks and little islands.

Early morning fog was hanging around the mountains near the New River.

The Sandstone Falls at the New River Gorge Park. It was a pretty day for a hike at the park and waterfalls.

Sitting in the car waiting our turn for the road to open back up, I noticed a few Baltimore Orioles in the trees in from the car.

Some of the birds seen on the Sandstone Falls island walk. Great-crested Flycatcher, Chickadee, Cardinal and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

I watched two Yellow-billed Cuckoos in a tree top. I was only able to capture one in my photos. 

The beautiful Indigo Bunting. 

The boardwalk trail leads to several islands at the Sandstone Falls. 

Swallowtail butterflies were hanging about.

The Great-crested Flycatcher posed for a photo. 

Sandstone Falls is part of the New River Gorge National Park, we stopped at the visitor center for a quick visit. There was this pretty Trumpet Honeysuckle outside the visitor center. I like the display of stones with the message:

"Our Parks, our watersheds, they belong to us all. Each one of us must help to protect the watershed we live in."

I am thankful to all the people who keep their parks, towns and neighborhood clean. 

I am thankful to visit our National Parks, our country is beautiful. 

I am thankful for the road crews, they have a hard job. 

I am thankful for all your visits and comments. 




Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday


Happy Monday, enjoy your day and new week!

Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!

Saturday's Critters # 231

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

If you love all God's creatures like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!

These are some of my yard birds during the end of April and part of May. The chipmunks enjoy the bird seed along with the birds and squirrels.

One of my favorite migrating Spring birds, is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

The farm down the street from me has 3 baby horses, they are so cute. There are 2 seen on this photo.

The Chipping Sparrows have returned to the yard.

The chipmunks enjoy seed dropped by the birds.

The female Cardinal is a regular visitor.

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is a new yard bird, I've never seen them on my feeders before.

Even the Goldfinch in the background is wondering why the warbler is at the feeder, lol.

I hope you enjoyed my bird and critter photos. I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments this past year !

Here is a list of my linky parties;

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Critters #219

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

If you love all God's creatures like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!

I am not sure if any of my followers participated with the Great Backyard Bird Count with Cornell Lab of Ornithology, here is the link GBBC  the count took place on Feb 16-19th. Here are some of the birds I saw during my backyard count. It is a fun online citizen-science project.

The Northern Cardinals, I counted 3 males and 2 females at one time.

The Eastern Bluebird does not stop by often but sometimes I catch them sitting in our back yard trees. On this day I saw a pair, maybe checking out my birdhouses.

The Blue Jays were my highest count species of bird. I saw 12  Blue Jays at one time.

A butt shot of the Pine Warbler

On Feb 18th we had about 2inches of snow. The GBBC also asks us to record the weather along with the length of time we watched our backyard birds.  There are three White-throated Sparrows below can you find them?

3 Eastern Bluebirds showed up during my count and checked out the birdhouse.

Here is a list of my linky parties;

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Critters #217

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

If you love God's creatures  like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!

I am going to be blogging and commenting less starting after this Critter post.  I  will be posting just once a week with my Saturday's Critter party.  I just feel the need to slow down and take a break, blogging, commenting and computer time. 

I have some of my yard birds to share, with the weather lately I have not been able to go far from home.

The female Junco looks a little more brownish than the darker male Junco.

The Blue Jays try stuffing in as much as they can into their beaks at one time.

We have had some little snow storms and some icy storms, the first week of February. Below are some Cardinals and White-Throated Sparrows and some Juncos sitting on the deck and plants. 

I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments this past year ! 

Here is a list of my linky parties;

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Critters #213

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!


If you love critters like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!

My bird photos are from January 4th, this male Cardinal was enjoying the sunflower seeds I spread out on a table.

January 4th

The Pine Warbler was checking out the Sunflower seed feeder. You can see some snow coming down on this day.

A pair of House Finches, they also love the sunflower seeds.

I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments this past year !

Here is a list of my linky parties;

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

Wolf Moon

Happy Thursday,

I hope everyone is staying warm and safe in this cold weather we have been having, I am ready for Spring.  Sorry, if I am repeating myself, but I am not a Winter lover. The almost full moon on Jan 3rd. This moon is called the Wolf Moon and there will a second full moon on January 31st called the Blue Moon. Both January full moon are supermoons. 

Jan 3rd, I captured this pretty female Cardinal.

The Starlings are not one of my favorite feeder birds, they are pigs and make a mess on the deck. They are pretty with their green and purple sheens.  I was happy to see these birds move on. Here is a Starling fact, they were introduced to Central Park NYC in 1890 and quickly spread.

January 4th the morning of the big storm, we had a dusting of snow. Much of the storm stayed east of us and closer to the coast. 

What is your latest favorite book?  I saw that Jeanie of The Marmelade Gypsy recommended The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain. I was able to download this ebook and read in one day, it was not very long but I enjoyed the story. I am always looking for good books to read and would be happy for more recommendations. 

I am thankful for a good book to read on a cold winter day.

I am thankful we had heat and a warm house on the super cold days. I can not imagine going without heat, we have much to be grateful for. 

I am thankful for all your visits and comments this past year. 


Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday


Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!

Burrr!! It's cold!

Happy Monday,

We've have had some super cold weather the last few weeks. Temperatures from 2° to 20°'s . These temps do not count in the wind factor, which makes it feel even colder. We had a little snow that just will not melt. I go outside long enough to fill the feeders and add some water to the heated bird bath. In that amount of time, my face and fingers are hurting from the cold. I am just not a winter or cold weather person, I am counting the days till spring. Yes, I am a wimp!  Spring can not come fast enough for me. 

I have been putting out peanuts in the shells for the Blue Jays, they love the peanuts. 

I've been throwing some seed on the ground after feeling sorry for the ground feeding birds.

The Carolina Wren will eat anything, but the suet is a favorite.

The Mourning Dove is a ground feeder, I have put some Sunflower seeds on the deck for them to eat.

When the temperatures drop it is important for the birds to find food that helps to keep their bodies warm. I help them by providing the seed and suet and a heated bird bath for their water source. It is easy to do and just a little thing since I enjoy watching the birds. 

As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.

Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes

Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Around the yard

Happy Thankful Thursday,

I hope everyone is doing well and your New Year  is off to a great start. It has been super cold lately.  Too cold to go out birding or walking. I am doing my walks on the treadmill and watching the birds out my windows. We did get in one walk on Dec 24th Christmas Eve just a local walk to our lake. These are some views of the lake, sky and my back yard birds.  Photos taken from Dec 18th to Dec 26th. 

December 18th Skywatch from our deck.

December 24th our Christmas Eve walk on the fire road trail to the lake.

December 24th.  A view of the lake.  Christmas Eve was a cloudy and cold day.

December 24th some Canada Geese flying over the lake.

December 25th, our White Christmas

December 26th, a Blue Jay mosaic. I have a heated bird bath, the birds seem happy to stop for some water.

December 26th, a very cold day and I watched the birds from my window. Top row: Blue Jay and Downy Woodpecker, bottom row Northern Cardinal and another Downy Woodpecker.

I am thankful for the little things, like bird watching, skywatching and taking walks in the neighborhood.
I am thankful to have a warm house on these cold winter days. 
I am thankful for all your visits and comments this past year. 


Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday


Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!

Winter Wonderland

Happy Monday!
Can you believe we are only a week away from Christmas day? I hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas season.
We had our first snow on Saturday December 9th. I  was able to enjoy the snow and my backyard birds from my dining room window. It was a winter wonderland.

A cute Tufted Titmouse

Snow covered pine trees in our yard.

A Dark-eyed Junco really is a snow bird.

My deck and a view of the back yard. A snowy winter wonderland.

As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.


Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes
Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday