under a witching moon

After what felt like eons of rain, last night I stepped outside with Beulah to enjoy the air for a few minutes.  Just outside the back door we are surrounded by pine trees and it often feels like we are wrapped in a blanket of quiet.  However, just beyond the trees I happened to look up and see this:

Now that is a witching moon if I ever saw one!  I just stood and stared at it for a while.  What a beautiful sight!

a weekend away

I'm home and recuperating from a weekend trip to Williamsburg, VA this weekend.  It was quick and I seemed to spend an inordinate time sitting in traffic (I'll never get used to that around here), but it sure was fun!

There's nothing quite like sipping your morning coffee outdoors and admiring the early light streaming through the surrounding trees. I love those few moments before everyone else is awake and moving around ~ no sounds but the birds and insects ~ so nice.

Maria's six-year-old son took this shot of me and Beulah.  I think now I've reached the ripe old age of 32 I should allow no photos taken prior to coffee, shower, lip gloss...

We promised the kid a trip to the beach and there was no way he wasn't going.  Whereupon we {foolishly} followed directions from a local to the one that was "right down the road a ways."  An hour later we finally managed to get to the James River; there was much rejoicing. 

To my amazement, there was this huge oak tree up the bank from the river with acorns the size of a silver dollar.  I loved that you could enjoy the shade of an oak tree and look out over this extremely large, brackish river.  Beautiful.

Even the drive home was pretty.  Every state/country I've lived in has something special about it, something to love.  Virginia is truly a beautiful state.  I take the older highways whenever possible in order to see the countryside better.  It's always worth the extra half hour you spend winding along.

What a weekend.  I wish I could have stayed longer and will certainly have to return to see more of the historical stuff.  However, I got a little glimpse of it and will share it with you tomorrow.  For now, enjoy the trees!

out in the storm

A few days ago, as the sky darkened and the breezes kicked up I put a leash on Beulah and we headed out into the weather. I love walking around when rain threatens and more sensible people head indoors. Familiar sights look strange and new and you appreciate everyday beauty through a new set of eyes.


As we entered the nearby park the friendly stream I have started letting Beulah play in reflected the surrounding trees and weeds.


The dry grass rustled in the wind, anticipating the rain. Although we had quite of precipitation in the late spring, it has been so hot and humid that the landscape is already beginning to dry out. What was emerald green just a few weeks ago is now brown and brittle. This grass here reminded me of childhood drives past wheat fields in Rottingen.


Train cars idled, providing a color contrast with their surroundings and contributing to the quiet, empty feeling of the evening.


Newly grown Queen Anne's Lace looked so delicate as thunder began to growl and lightening flashed in the distance. Odd how the most tenacious weeds would produce such fragile-seeming blooms.


One would think Beulah would have been frightened or skittish, but that was not the case. After some initial starts when the thunder thudded around us she was happy as a clam to be able to run free in the wind for a moment or two.

We headed home just as the lightening started getting too close for comfort. For the rest of the evening I think both the pup and I felt a little bit of that wild storm-fast-approaching excitement as we watched the rest through a window. Despite all the anticipation, in the end there was very little rain. Just a sprinkling really, not even enough to wet the road completely. The first dry thunder storm of the summer.

the garden of virginia

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Virginia is gorgeous in the Spring! Every day there is a new flower popping out to say good morning! Here's a little taste of what Beulah and I are seeing right now on our daily morning walk:

Isn't it pretty? This state never ceases to amaze me when it comes to green grass and trees and flowers everywhere, all the time! It makes me feel like a whiner wishing for the beach so much! Hands down, this is the prettiest Spring I've seen in a long time.

spring??

I snapped these shots this morning as Beulah and I took our morning walk. My favorite flowers! They made me smile :)

Ft. Ward

This weekend Beulah and I visited our local Civil War historic site. Ft. Ward historic site and museum is right down the road from us and was a lovely place to spend an afternoon. It helped that the day was absolutely beautiful!



I enjoyed seeing all the historic remnants and soaking up some of the sunshine streaming through the trees. Beulah liked rolling in the leaves...




We sure enjoyed ourselves!

pitter patter

This morning the puppy and I awoke to the soft sound of rain on the windowpanes. We stepped outside for the morning walk and were greeted with something that hasn't happened in a while.... warm(ish), humid air and gentle rain!! It feels almost like Spring is starting to get here, slowly but surely. I'm ready for it!

beautiful day

I woke up this morning to a light sky and warm(er) air. It was so beautiful, I knew I had to take advantage of the day while we were lucky enough to have such lovely weather!

So, Beulah and I drove around a found a random little nature park in the middle of the town. We parked and headed out into the unknown, just wandering around, soaking in the bare trees, damp compost on the ground and little rushing stream running through it all.

I noticed these little growths on the trees and thought you'd like to see them.

Beulah had fun running in a "canine exercise" area and plunging into the stream headfirst on the way back to the car.

It was so nice to get outside!

ice world

This morning I woke up, stepped out the door with the puppy and felt my jaw hit the floor. EVERYTHING was covered in ice. Every blade of grass, branch on the tree and pine needle was frozen into icicles.


It was so beautiful! One of those moments where you just have to gaze in awe at the beauty of our world.

12 months, 12 goals

2011 goal number three: spend more time outdoors. There's something about spending time outside hiking, camping, or just sitting that is so relaxing and calming. I know for a fact that the more time I spend "communing with nature," if you will, the happier I am overall. And really, it's not like it's hard to do. Or expensive.


So, in 2011 (as soon as the weather gets a little warmer!!) I'm going to make it a point to take the dog and head out into Mother Nature. Resume the weekly hikes I was planning on last year. Really, truly go to all these nice parks around the area. Explore Virginia a bit more.


After all, if you know something makes you happier why the heck wouldn't you do it? I have no idea, but this year I'm changing my old patterns and consciously choosing the activities that I love.

winter walk

Yesterday evening I decided to play hookie at work and skipped out an hour early to take Beulah to the park while there was still light outside. As cold as it was outside - wind-howling, hand-numbing cold - it was worth it!

The park we have been visiting regularly since Beulah came home is deepening into its winter sleep. The trees are pretty much bare and even the puddles are frozen over. This last fact amused Beulah to no end. She couldn't figure out why she was having a hard time getting a drink from them, and then finally decided it was more fun to gnaw on the ice anyhow.

I love the change of seasons; all of them. It is so exciting each time the natural world changes and winter is just as amazing as the rest of the seasons. I treasure the time it provides me to catch up on things like... sleep, books, quiet time. It's like nature's own little "time out." This year, instead of whining about how cold it is, or how much I miss summer I'm going to do my very best to live in the moment and relish the stark beauty around me. Hold me to it!

hiking

Yesterday Beulah and I went on the first of what is to be many hikes. We went to this park (can't remember the name just now) that had a nice little trail and beautiful views of the kinda swampy land. Apparently it's a great place to see other wildlife, but... with a puppy in tow...

You can see how beautiful a day it was. The sun was shining and we just happened to be out and about during the "golden hour."

This park trail was pretty short and the boy scouts seemed to be up to something or another, so there were more people around than I might ideally like. But, that's one thing I like around here. People go outdoors and walk and jog and take the dogs. You don't see that everywhere.

Beulah had a blast! It was her first trip to the woods and she could hardly contain herself. She ran through the leaves and sniffed every tree. It was hard to keep up with her. My goal is to find some places we can go hiking and I can let her off the leash to run around a bit. This place was too crowded and there were quite a few other dogs.

We had such a good time. I woke up yesterday morning and decided that I am going to start actually doing all the things I say I want to do. Time to start taking action. One thing I always say is that I want to spend more time outdoors. Well, I'm no longer waiting for anyone to do it with me. I'm just going to do it! Yesterday was a good start.