New Year, Old Friends

Within just a few days I will have been writing on this blog for 4 whole years.  In that time I've been elated, frustrated, driven, lazy, and everything in between.  I have changed course, begun new careers, quit and started anew, more than once, but one thing has remained constant and that is the friendships I have forged through this little piece of cyberspace.

Friendships that I couldn't have even imagined 4 years ago, ones which have nourished and bolstered me along the way.  And it is you the readers who have graciously chosen to take the ride along with me through the ebb and flow that life offers...and for that I thank you!

One of the first people I met along my journey was Chania of Razmataz.  It was her laid back take on the world that first drew me in, quickly followed by her great sense of style.  So when Christmastime rolled around and it was time to gift myself with some new jewelry, it was a no brainer to go looking at her shop for some of the wonderful Snö line she carries.

As if the jewelry itself isn't beautiful enough, the way Chania packages it makes it that much more special.  Black boxes embellished with a crisp silver logo and pretty pink ribbons say "there's something special inside, hurry and open me" and there is even a black satin bag tucked in each box to help protect your jewelry!

If you've read my blog for any length of time, then you know I'm a sucker for anything turquoise, so this bracelet was a must have.

I can see this paired with white jeans, sandals, and a linen tunic this summer, but I won't wait until then to wear it, that's for sure.

(photo courtesy of Sno of Sweden)

With the cloudy weather we've been having it was hard for me to get a good shot of the beautiful earrings I also got from Chania so I've borrowed this image of them from the Snö website.  I love these earrings which come in several different pearl color choices, I have worn them numerous times already because they go with practically everything!

But my favorite piece is this gorgeous silver chain link and leather bracelet, I wear it nearly every time I leave the house.  It looks beautiful with black, grey, brown, camel, you name it!  It has that timeless equestrian styling which always seems to appeal to me.  I get compliments on it each time I wear it, from 20 year olds to friends my age.

The thing I love most about everything I purchased from the Sno line is how well made they are.  Each piece is hefty, solidly constructed, and built to last for years.  I wear my jewelry a lot, so having pieces that will compliment my wardrobe for years to come is a must.

And just so you know, neither Chania nor Sno has compensated me for telling you this, I just love to pass along great finds!  If you are interested in owning some of these Snö of Sweden pieces, or to view many more, simply click HERE to see more of their wonderful pieces.

Now, to mention another longtime blogging buddy.   Linda of Itsy Bits and Pieces is one of those people you hope to make friends with when you start blogging.  She's kind, generous, always supportive, and she has a great eye for vintage finds...she's the whole package folks!

Right before the holidays, a package arrived on my doorstep, and I knew right away it must be from Linda.  She knows my love for all things french and gifted me with some wonderful old pieces that I can't wait to get framed!

The two scenes of Paris will take pride of place alongside my china cabinet in the dining room, and the map of northern France will likely end up in my living room, I haven't decided yet since the colors also would look beautiful in my bedroom.

Along with the two Parisian scenes and french map, Linda also gifted me with this 8 of hearts card.  When I asked her if she knew my birthday was on the 8th, she said no, that it was just a serendipitous pick...lucky me!  I have a number of Linda's vintage cards, from bingo to flash cards, that I display in my antique flower frogs throughout the year, so this one will be perfect for Valentine's day, which is right around the corner...oh my!

If you want to find your own vintage goodies, be sure to visit Linda's blog HERE, and scroll down to click on her Etsy stores on her sidebar...you won't be disappointed!  Thank you Linda for your generosity and amazing friendship!!!

It's hard to believe that another year has flown by and that we are already one week into the new year...where does the time go people?!

I'm not one to make resolutions or to choose words that will represent the coming year...mostly because I'm too indecisive and scatterbrained.  But I do feel like 2014 will be a good year here at Low Tide High Style, made even better by the friendships I have forged over the past 4 years...and I look forward to hearing from all of you, new and old, in the coming year.

I read this quote the other day and I thought it was perfect as we look forward to what 2014 has to offer. 

Wishing you all the best in 2014!!! 

A Tale of 2 Eyes

Man, you people are the best, no I mean it, the absolute BEST!  I can't even get over all of your sweet comments and encouragement you've left me over the last week.  If anyone ever needed a reason to blog, all they have to do is to look at the unconditional support so many give when they leave comments, it's like a big shot of kindness topped with a huge helping of heartfelt love...so thank you one and all!!!

So...about the art show, and trust me, you aren't even going to believe this, but I swear it's true!  Last week Mr. Tide went to the eye doctor because he's been having issues with allergies throughout the summer, but it had gotten worse and his eye was somewhat bloodshot so he went and had it looked at.

When he got home he informed me that he had developed an infection, but that the doctor said not to worry because they see this sort of thing happen a lot during the change of seasons.  Good enough we thought, and he began his eye drops to take care of the issue so that he would be in tip top shape to go with me on Sunday, which was still a couple of days away.

Then on Saturday morning I woke up with one bloodshot eye, but we thought, well I must have gotten something in my eye, because we had changed sheets, scrubbed everything in sight, just on the off chance that it was contagious.  And he had caught his infection so quickly that there was no way it could have transferred to me, plus I didn't have the allergy issues he had which brought his on in the first place!

So I called the eye doctor, who promptly informed me that there wasn't anything he could do, but he would see me on Monday.  I explained that I had an art show the next day, and that he had prescribed drops for my husband just a day or so before, so could he please help me out...the reply was a kind but firm...see you on Monday!!!

So as weird as I was about not wanting to go to the art show 3 weeks ago, the moment I knew I COULDN'T go, I was dying to go!  Yes, I'm so weird sometimes, and when I'm told I can't do something, well then I'm determined to do it...go figure!

When I woke up on Sunday morning I actually ran into the bathroom to look in the mirror to see if my eye had gotten better, but it was actually worse.  So here I was with the perfect outfit to wear, freshly cut and colored hair (I had my hair appt. on Wednesday), and we had even made arrangements for someone to let our dogs out!

I thought I would be relieved to have to cancel, but instead I was like a caged animal all day long wondering how the night would go and thinking that it was worse not knowing than it was to go!  

So, to make a long story longer, we didn't go, and I have no clue whether or not my eagle picture was selected by anyone!  I sent an email to the organization that hosted the fundraiser and they sent me a very polite reply saying that they would be sending out letters to all of the participants next week, to let each of us know the status of our artwork...ie. yay yours got picked, or hey come pick your artwork up!

The irony of this whole thing...the picture I donated was called Eagle Eye...and it was my eye that kept me from going!!!  Oh, and see that pretty picture of the water and the fall foliage up above?!  Well my friends, that is how I got the infection to begin with!  Despite my crazy sanitizing efforts to rid us of any chance that Mr. Tide could infect anyone else, we neglected to clean the eyepiece on my camera!!!  Yup, the man almost NEVER uses my camera, but just a few days prior he took it out and snapped a few shots of the trees overhanging the water and an egret...which none of those shots turned out!

The moral of the story, well there isn't one, except that  my husband should stay away from my camera (I'm kidding), and that just when you think you don't want to do something, well  something may just prevent you from doing it, and you'll wish like heck you could have done it!!!

I've spent the last few days putting drops in my eyes 4 times a day, washing my hands every 20 seconds, and going nowhere.  I've watched lots of movies though, and I did wander around in the backyard a little, so all's well that ends well...and besides if I was feeling a little blue I was always able to read your wonderful comments!!!

I hope you each have a very happy week, and when the letter comes bearing the good news or bad about my artwork, you'll be the first to know!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

You know, I think we all question why we blog from time to time...is it worth the effort, do we really love still putting forth that effort, and does anyone really care about what we put out there?

Even though I decided a long time ago to put on my blog what I want, not what I think others want to see, and have given myself permission to only blog when I feel up to it, or I have something I think is worth putting out there for others to see, the hope is always that someone else will love it too.

It has been really freeing to accept those principles, and so when others respond to something I love, well it makes me really, really happy, but also very, very thankful!

Thankful that something I created caused a reaction in someone else, and grateful that I found this medium of photography that helps me to connect with friends, family, and even perfect strangers!

It pushes me to keep going, to push through pain, frustration, equipment limitations, and dreaded self doubt in order to make those connections and to hear your reactions...to see my art not only through my eyes, but also through yours!

Creating for the sake of creating is lovely, but creating and knowing you've touched someone, no matter what you create, well that my friends is the reward!  And I have to say that it squashes down all the other things that keep us all from being creative human beings who have the ability to make this world not only more beautiful, but so much more compassionate and connected.

So thank you, for visiting here, even when I don't post, even when I don't post house things like I once did, and walking this creative journey with me.  Thank you for inspiring me in ways you receive no credit for, in ways you aren't even aware you are motivating me, and for just looking, smiling, and hopefully going on to be more creative yourselves.

I appreciate each and every comment you left on my last post, I really never thought that a bunch of images of birds on a blog that had started out as one talking about home decor and decorating would inspire such wonderful, thoughtful, and heartwarming comments, but then I shouldn't be surprised should I?  I've been lucky to have always had wonderful readership, smart, insightful readers who give freely without expectations...but still, I am blown away, and wanted to let you know that I never take it for granted!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

All Things Winged

This weekend was a beauty, a true indian summer weekend, with warm temps and sunny skies!  We were also having unseasonably high tides due to the wind, so Mr. Tide offered to paddle me around in the tandem kayak so that I could rest my shoulders and back and also so that I could hopefully take some pics of wildlife.

We decided to wander way up to the headwaters of the creek, where the marsh grasses grow tall and the eagles live.  Though we've never found a nest, we know there must be one up that way somewhere, probably too far for us to reach before the tiny trickle of water is completely blocked by overgrown wetlands.

I was so happy I felt up to going, but even happier that I was able to use my big lens for at least awhile, taking frequent breaks waiting for something to fly overhead.  Of course when I got back, I had to play around with the images I had captured.  On the one above I gave it a bit of a 1950s nostalgic look to it.  I told Mr. Tide that I could see it in a hunting lodge from the 50s, probably decoupaged onto a large wedge of wood...remember those?!

The images in this post were taken over several days, and even though I was sore from shooting the first day, I couldn't resist going out and trying again because it was so nice to be on the water again, and I wanted to take full advantage of it while I could!  No pain, no gain right?!

I was glad I pushed myself, because I captured some wonderful images of eagles on one of the days.  I always have trouble catching them in flight, especially from the land, as they often fly behind the trees before I can focus on them.

And the same is true for herons, they are so quick to fly away long before you get anywhere near them, but if you sit patiently in a kayak, sometimes they fly right past you.

This particular heron was perched high atop a long needled pine tree out in the open part of the creek, and surprisingly he or she was more than happy to let me snap a few shots before taking off.  It's the closest I've ever gotten to one and with the setting sun, the light was perfect!

But by far, this last image is my favorite.  This egret let me take some pictures of it perched atop this piling, but then it decided it was time to take flight.  I love that it had only one tiny claw touching as it lifted off...it is a quintessential "bird taking flight" pose in my mind!

There is something about winged things that makes me smile each time I see them....well most things, just not bats!  The quote below is so fitting for each of these images, so I will leave you to ponder your own winged destiny.

“I have come to accept the feeling of not knowing where I am going. And I have trained myself to love it. Because it is only when we are suspended in mid-air with no landing in sight, that we force our wings to unravel and alas begin our flight. And as we fly, we still may not know where we are going to. But the miracle is in the unfolding of the wings. You may not know where you're going, but you know that so long as you spread your wings, the winds will carry you.”
― C. JoyBell C.

Pretty Cool

I stayed inside most of the day, still not 100%, but not horrible either.  It was pretty boring to be honest, but I didn't want to push things since I wasn't back on my "A" game yet.

Throughout the day a group of wild turkeys was parading back and forth just outside our house, along the fence line, and at one point they were so close that I decided I couldn't stand it any longer and went out to grab some shots.

Turkeys are not dumb, and when they heard me bumbling around in the bushes trying to be "quiet," they took off and ran at top speed across the field, leaving me with mostly shots of turkeys on the run....not exactly what I was hoping for.

Not to be defeated I looked up and noticed that with an impending thunderstorm there were lots of birds taking full advantage of the thermals, and the kicked up surf for fishing.

I don't know what it is about the wind, but when it is really blowing, the osprey and eagles decide it's time to come off their perches and duke it out with one another.  I noticed a mid air dog fight taking place WAY off across the field above the tree line, so I positioned my camera and started snapping.

I realized when I do this that I will likely just get shots of black dots off in the distance, but the logical part of me never wins out and I snap away like I'm going to get a shot good enough for National Geographic...every single time!

What I didn't expect when I got back in and started downloading images was that even though these would be black specks yet again, they were pretty cool tiny black specks!  In the image above, it's not an osprey and an eagle, but 2 eagles fighting over a fish.  If you look closely you will notice that the bottom bird is turned completely upside down.  What appears to be something hanging off of him is actually one of his wings and those are his talons pointed up in the air ready to take away the other eagle's fish!

We see this kind of fighting nearly every day, but it seems to ramp up a little when the winds pick up.

Eagles are tenacious birds, and when they want something, like another eagle's fish, they don't take no for an answer!

Even though the images appear to be in black and white, they are straight out of the camera, except for cropping and adding my watermark in Photoshop.  I love how graphic they look, and the stark contrast between the birds and the cloudy skies.

In the image above you can see the fish dangling from the top eagle's talons and the other eagle in hot pursuit to get to that fish.

I imagine the conversation was going a little something like...hey gimme that fish...no it's mine...no it's MINE!

And then, as often happens, the second bird finally got a nice hit in and knocked the fish right out of the other eagle's grasp.  There it is falling as the second eagle makes his move to catch it in mid air.

He or she was determined to catch their prize and went into full on dive mode.

Because I was shooting from so far away, nearly a quarter of a mile, I wasn't even sure I was capturing anything worth keeping, and it is really hard to focus once they get down to the tree line and the contrast is diminished.  So sadly, I can't tell you if the fish was ever recovered by either eagle, or if another battle ensued.

I turned and started taking pictures of flowers...and then came inside to find I had captured this battle, once I downloaded the images.

Even though these aren't the best images in the world, I love when I get shots like this.  It reminds me of how lucky I am to live in a place where one minute I think I will get pictures of wild turkeys, the next I'm shooting tiny aerialists in the sky, and then roses back here on the ground.  Pretty darned cool!

I hope your week is off to a cool start too!

P.S.  Welcome to the world Little Prince! :)

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Unlike the poignantly moving and, at the time, controversial film by the same name as my post title which came out when I was a toddler (1967), our dinner guest, or should I say breakfast guest, is of a feathered nature.

When I stepped out onto our patio today to take the dogs out, I heard the familiar cries of one of our resident eagles.  Each morning and night they fly back and forth from their perches on the river, to their nest somewhere way up the creek from us.  I'm used to hearing them call to one another and yell at the osprey who constantly badger them, but this time the calls seemed much closer than usual.

With my camera never far away, I went back inside and put my long lens on in hopes that I might catch a glimpse of him or her in a nearby tree.  As I was scanning the trees, looking among the leaves, I happened to glance to my left towards the field and this is what I saw.

There were also two vultures, and along with the eagle, they appeared to be having a dinner party of sorts on something that must have been killed by the tractor that mowed the fields next to us yesterday.

I snapped a few shots of the eagle in the field, and then quietly tried to get a little closer, to no avail.  Before I could even get down the steps of the patio, the eagle was off and running.  I was still hundreds of feet away, but the eagle was having no part of it all, so I backed off and went back on the patio still snapping as he flew off.

In the photo above you can see him or her with a tiny bit of field grass still hanging from his mouth.  This may have actually been a female since they are the larger of the two sexes in the eagle world.

As much as I love capturing their sheer power and beauty, I don't like disrupting their daily routines.  So I kept my distance, which meant most of the rest of my photos were of eagle butts.  I have to say though, that even from a rear view, they are pretty amazing creatures!

Be Fearless

The osprey have mostly left our area, save a few stranglers working their way south.  Once they leave, the eagles move back along the shoreline to stake their claim to the tall pines for the best fishing perches. They are here all summer alongside the osprey, but they keep a much lower profile until their loud and sometimes obnoxious neighbors fly south, giving them free reign once again.

As the osprey give way to the eagles, you can almost feel a change in the air.  The thunderous sounds of their wings overhead seem so much stronger and more free than those of the smaller osprey that outnumber them during the summer months.  It truly is something to be sitting on the pier or on our patio and hear the sound of those big wings and the shadow they create as they fly out for the hunt each morning and back home when the sun goes down.

But it is on days like today that I think I admire those hulking birds of prey the most.  Rainy, windy days when the river is angry and the white caps make it look like a churning caldron.  The eagles seem to thrive on this sort of weather, almost daring the wind and the waves to ruin their day or keep them from their next meal.

Instead of hunkering down and letting the weather calm down, they choose to soar and ride the air currents like daredevils.  They screech to one another with the enthusiasm of young children chasing each other on a playground.  And they dive and dance, sometimes with a purpose and sometimes it seems as though they do it just for the shear enjoyment...without fear, without hesitation, without concern for who might be watching.

I think we can learn a lot from the eagles, about living each day and facing adversity with a strength and joy that makes us resilient.  Today, dare to spread your wings and fly as if no one was watching, without fear of failure, and with all the happiness you can muster...Be Fearless!!!

According to Plan

Thank you everyone for your wonderful birthday wishes, I had a great day!  It started with lovely cards from my family and a special gift from Mr. Tide.  He bought me a teleconverter for my big lens.  It is a special piece of equipment that can give your lens even more range, so it's great for trying to capture wildlife or things that are far, far away.

I slapped that puppy on just as soon as I could unwrap it and get it out of the box.  But there was a slight problem, it wouldn't work unless you were using manual focus.  This particular teleconverter overrides the auto focus feature on my camera.  Now that wouldn't be a problem except that the whole point of extending my telephoto lens was so that I could capture better shots of wildlife, like eagles, swans, herons, etc. 

All of those feathered friends I just mentioned aren't too keen on just sitting still and posing for portraits.  They are constantly moving, even if it's just a tiny head movement, so trying to use manual focus on something that is forever in motion just doesn't work.  And on today's digital cameras there isn't even a really great way to make sure you have sharp focus.  Remember on old film cameras when you could line up the two halves of the circle to make sure you were in focus...well those days are gone!  I would like to say that I can see as well as I did 20 years ago, especially for distance stuff, but the truth is I can't, so even on things that were sitting stock still I couldn't get a nice sharp photo. 

That meant that the only present Mr. Tide had gotten me for my birthday was heading back from whence it came.  I was fine with it, but he was really bummed.  It all worked out in the end though, and I ended up getting a few other lovelies to make up for it which I will show you soon.  In the meantime, I am back to long distance shots of eagles...these two were in my neighbor's tree today and I'm pretty sure I overheard them snickering about my eyesight and the fact that my teleconverter didn't work according to plan.

And another little hiccup of late, the winners of my last giveaway, I know you think I have forgotten you and left you in the lurch.  While I was sitting here thinking your photos were winging their way to your respective homes I got a little shock on Saturday when the mail was delivered.  I had carefully entered your addresses into the website of the place where I get prints made, only to have forgotten to click the "drop ship" button on each one.  So that means that it defers to my address as the default address...huge sigh!  So, your photos are all at my house and not with you...another huge sigh!  I braved Walmart (have I mentioned how much I hate Walmart?!) and bought some photo mailers so that I can get them in the mail by early this week.

Sometimes life just doesn't go according to plan I tell ya!  But hey, no one died, so it's all good in the end!

Take Wing

I took these shots of the juvenile eagle a few days before I left for Europe.  I was sitting down by the water enjoying the beautiful weather when he or she graced me with their presence by flying down the creek in search of lunch.  We have since found out that there are several juveniles who nest somewhere way up at the head of our creek...at least that's where we think they nest since in the 4 years we have lived here we've not been able to locate the actual nest.


 

I have a new appreciation for wildlife photographers and the skill it takes to nail a shot, especially when what you are trying to shoot could care less that you want to take their picture.  And swinging around a heavy telephoto lens, and trying to get a good shot while something is flying all around is a talent I've not yet mastered, but hope to.

Still, I loved this second photo, something about it just spoke to me, so unlike the first photo I didn't do anything to it but crop it and convert it from color to black and white to give it more visual impact.  For me, it embodies strength, grace, and an almost angel like quality, and I feel peaceful when I look at it.  I thought it would be fitting to post it today, since today would be the 34th birthday of my dear friend Dan who passed away a little over a year ago.  I'm sure his angel wings are equally as strong and majestic.

Eagle Eye

Ok, first of all you guys are so sweet to leave such lovely comments about both Misty Belle and my daughter...thank you!!!

The past few days I've been working like crazy!  Not on decorating my house like most of you...oh how I wish, but on stories that are due very soon.

The crazy thing about freelance writing is that it's often feast or famine, and when you do get assignments they are often on a tight turnaround schedule, sometimes just a few weeks.

I don't really mind the tight deadlines because it gets me motivated, and if I have too long I will sometimes put things off.  So when I'm in the zone for writing, I really do prefer to just keep at it until everything is done and sent off to the editor I'm working with at the moment.

What it does mean though is that everything else gets put on the back burner.  I don't reply to emails, except work related ones, I can't do my usual blog reading, and worst of all I can't vacuum the tumbling tumbleweeds of dog hair floating across the floors in my house!

Ok, that last part about not having time to vacuum is a bit of a stretch, I mean I could vacuum if I wanted to...but I like to use the ole' I'm "on deadline" excuse!  Eventually even I won't fall for this ruse though and I'll have to get this place shipshape and ready for Christmas, but not until I'm done with at least 2 of the 3 stories I need to write.

I may not have time to vacuum, but I did steal away from my computer for a few minutes to snap some photos of Mr. Eagle who was visiting our big dead tree today.  We haven't seen much of the eagles since one of the big branches they liked to perch on broke off in the wind.  Today, this one decided to land on the osprey nest.  It's funny, the eagles never go inside the nest, and up until the branch broke recently, they wouldn't even stand on the nest...they aren't too fond of osprey, either the birds themselves, or apparently even their empty nests!  But I was happy to see him fishing and standing on the nest today.  He had his eagle eye on me the whole time and I'm pretty sure he was saying "hey shouldn't you be working young lady?!"  What a nice eagle to call me young right?!

The other person keeping their eye on me is my daughter, yes that sweet looking one in the pictures in my last post.  She has decided that we need to go to a Scottish Walk up near DC this weekend, since we've recently discovered some very strong Scottish heritage on my side of the family, so she sends me emails every so often reminding me to write, write, write!  I told her I would have to wait and see if my stories were done before committing to come and spend the weekend with her, but she's not taking any chances and is keeping me on task so that we can go to the parade.  She assures me that it will all be worth it, this non-stop writing marathon I'm on, because there will be a 50 foot Loch Ness Monster float in the parade.  Now who wouldn't try to get their work done in order to see that?! *rolls eyes*

Just Around The River Bend

Hey, want to head out in the kayaks tonight?  It's a beautiful night, and we'll be able to catch the sunset!

Look at those trees barely clinging to the banks of the creek...pretty cool eh?

Look, there is our favorite bald eagle heading back home for the evening.  I told you we should have brought the telephoto lens!

Turn around and look back towards the house, isn't the sun pretty!

And check out the heron flying low along the water.  Dang, next time, I'm bringing that telephoto lens!

See these marsh grasses?  The herons love to fish alongside the tufts of grass!

Keep paddling, we're coming up on the long bridges that connect the creek to the river!

Look, the tide is coming in.

It's pretty windy, the little fish windsock says so!

And watch out for the crab pot lines hanging down from the bridge!  Wonder how many crabs are in there?

I love these old tree roots, don't you?!

Last bridge before the river!  How are you doing...getting tired yet?

Mr. Osprey is not happy that we're so close to his nest!

Wow, we've already gone over a mile, but just wait until you see the river!

Shhh, look up ahead, see the heron silhouetted up in that tree?  If we're quiet, we might be able to sneak up before she flies away!  Oh, and did I mention that we should have brought the telephoto lens?!

Nope, there she goes.  Heron's are so skittish aren't they?!

Hey cool, look...I got the osprey, the moon, and that tiny speck (just to the left and a little up from the moon) which is an airliner...all in the same shot!  

Ok, we're finally here.  There's the river straight ahead!

There we go, out in the river!  See Virginia off in the distance...it's about 5 miles away...think we can make it before the sun sets?!

Yeah, you're probably right...not one of my best ideas...we'll stay on this side tonight!

There's just enough wind to create a little wave action...isn't the rocking motion soothing?!

Such a pretty sunset isn't it?!  Look at how it reflects off of the water!

And check out that cloud back towards the creek!

Ok, the sun is getting pretty low, we better start heading for home, we have a few miles to go and we don't want to lose the light.

The waves make it so much easier to paddle back in don't they?!

Hey, don't paddle too fast or we'll get in trouble with the Natural Resources Police!

I don't know which I like best, going out or coming back in.

The creek is always so calm this time of night.

Wouldn't it be nice to just sit on this bench every evening and watch the sunset?!

And here we are back home again.  Did you have fun?  I know I sure did, we should do this again sometime soon!

Thank you everyone for your well wishes for Mr. Tide, he's feeling much better today!!