This, That, and the Other

After a long hiatus from my blog I am finally back to share a few photos of what I've been up to.  Hold onto your hats my friends because it's been non stop excitement around here...*rolls eyes*!!!

Actually, the truth is that I have spent most of this summer pulling back instead of pushing and running myself ragged like I sometimes do.  Instead, I have been relaxing, staying unplugged and really trying to soak in all that this summer has offered us, most especially the glorious weather we've been having.  Even as I am typing this on August 25th, historically a blazing hot time of year here, we have our house wide open and a cool breeze almost becomes chilly as the sun goes down...it is pure bliss in my book!

The photos in this post are a random hodge podge of things we saw on a recent kayak outing.  Nothing to write home about, and some of them are quite grainy, but I like them non the less.  The photo above shows the hate/hate relationship between the eagles and osprey each summer.  The osprey's talons say "I mean business," as the eagle swoops below the osprey as it wings its way past the osprey's nest.   The eagles seem rather unaffected by the constant warning cries of the osprey, and although I wasn't able to capture it, the eagle above did roll over and show his or her own talons as if to say...you wanna piece of me...I didn't think so!

The marsh mallows were closed for the night, sure to open in the early morning light of a new day.

There is something mesmerizing about marsh grasses to me....

It's as if they sing me the song of my people in hushed tones...so relaxing!

The muskrats get so close sometimes as we kayak that I worry they might try and climb in the kayak, but they always manage to dip below the surface and go about their merry way just before I am forced to figure out how I would fend one off should it become too curious about the crazy lady with the camera!

This was a sight we hadn't seen before...a Green Heron.  I had never heard of these before, but apparently they are quite common in our area, but also quite elusive, which likely explains why we have never seen one until this summer.  I would have missed him altogether if Mr. Tide hadn't noticed him far away on the edge of the creek up ahead of us.

By the time we made our way out to open water, the sun was setting; it was quite late

Twilight is a magical time on the water, everything is more intense and somehow a little eerie.   I can remember heading back in off of the water as a child and always hoping we would reach the dock before complete darkness fell on the water.  I'm pretty sure that means I'm not from good seafaring stock, as I prefer to be out on the water during the day, though I do love to sleep on a boat and feel the rocking motion...it's a complicated emotion I suppose! ;)

The beach is always quiet at sundown, another reason I like twilight on the water.

As we reached our pier that evening, the sun's rays were dancing on the water and it looked like liquid gold...so pretty!

As fall is quickly approaching, I feel even more compelled to spend time outdoors and soak up the rapidly diminishing daylight.  Unplugging has been such a wonderful and freeing thing for me, and I can't really think of any downsides except for being a little more out of pocket with those blogs I so enjoy reading.  I still take a peek, but for now, I will allow mother nature to hold my undivided attention.  Cold weather will be here soon enough, the computer will once again fill those long dark evenings, but for the moment, I will breath in the brackish air and dance under the moonlight!

Wishing you all a lovely end to August!

A Place to Sit a Spell

Not much new here.  As a matter of fact, I am typing this post with my left arm propped up on a towel on the arm of my desk chair.  It helps provide some cushion, and it, along with all of the acupuncture and doctor visits, is helping to resolve this pinched nerve.  Which is good, because patience is NOT my strong suit!

I have never been one to do things part way, which is how I got the pinched nerve to begin with.  I have been planking as part of my new exercise routine and apparently you aren't supposed to do it for as long or as intensely as I thought was appropriate, nor should you do it on a floor that isn't properly padded!

The one benefit of being pig headed is that sometimes our bodies force us to stop and slow down a bit when our minds would otherwise prevent such reprieves.

See that little hole in the vines draped from every branch of the huge poplar tree?  It is one of the favorite parts of my yard, I feel like it is my own little looking glass onto the creek.  Now that I have lots of computer free time, I often go out into the back yard as the light is waning and just stare through it as though it is a magical camera lens!

I haven't been using my camera much lately but last night I decided to take it along on my evening outing.

I always have company when I'm outside, and last night Misty Belle decided that a ball would help her entertain us while we sat.  She was correct as she acts like a complete loony toon when she has her favorite ball outside with her.  She doesn't expect us to throw it, in fact she prefers we not touch it at all, but she thoroughly enjoys playing with it, and in the process brings great joy to us, the onlookers.

The view if you look sideways from our chairs is out towards the field and the setting sun...it is always lovely this time of day.

We also have a hammock in this area, but last night I chose to sit in the chairs...having options is a wonderful thing don't you think?! ;)

Our Cosmos are just beginning to bloom and they look beautiful!  The foliage of Cosmos is almost as lovely as the blossoms themselves in my humble opinion.  It is a delicate, almost fluffy plant, topped off by flowers in shades that range from deep lavender to bright white in the mix that we purchased.  The petals spread wide to the heavens as though they are cupping every last drop of sunlight, while the foliage seems to hug the spindly blossoms and give them a cloud like base from which to grow.

After my jaunt around the yard, it was time to head back inside as the sun was setting.  Back inside I was greeted with the fact that we no longer have a proper place to sit in our living room.  We gave our son our old sectional couch for his new apartment.  I was thrilled at the possibility of replacing it, even though it was still in amazing shape, and I decided it would be fun to go out shopping for a new sofa after all of these years.

It turns out that as I get older, shopping really isn't my thing anymore.  I think it may be because I know exactly what I want, and I either can't afford it or I simply can't find it?!  I was tempted to rush into something that was "good enough," but instead I think I will take my time and wait until I find just what I want.  That of course means that I need to decide between color or neutral, skirted or not skirted, slipcovered or not, three cushion or two...the list goes on and one...hence the wait.

For now, I will simply enjoy the sad wing chairs we dragged together in one part of the room and my lovely coffee table which I hope will fit the new vision for the room.  I would LOVE to hear your opinions, experiences, etc. on different brands of sofas as I begin this quest to find a place to sit a spell.  Right now I'm leaning toward Lee Industries and maybe Hickory Chair...thoughts?