APED - A Picture Every Day: March 2016

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Thursday's Azalea 03-31-16

Hello and happy Thursday. So, today I saw this license plate that said, "CRE8", and I thought, "That's a cool license plate". I didn't think much more about it until I sat down to work on the blog tonight. I knew I would do one of my azaleas that are so pretty in my yard. As I was deciding on which special picture, the message on that license plate entered my mind and I knew what I had to do.

This is a crop from one of my favorite pics; I added some grain; chose the pencil sketch filter; faded it out a little and, well, here it is! I hope you enjoy it. And, to whomever owns that license plate, thank you for the reminder.

I also hope you had a special and "CRE8"ive Thursday. Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Fruit and Veggie Wednesday 03-30-16

Hello and happy Wednesday. Today, I take you back to earlier this year when I went on a cruise. You know, eating is such a big deal on a cruise, that a person could eat 24 hours a day. One day, they reminded us how good raw fruits and vegetables can look. Do you think you can name all the fruits and veggies in this delightful creation? Would you eat each of them? I would eat everything here and I wish I could be this creative.

I hope you had a creatively good Wednesday. Thank you for looking. Remember to eat your fruits and vegetables. See you tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Raining and Fishing Wishing Tuesday 03-29-16

Hello and happy Tuesday. I want to go fishing. Here, on this covered dock, I could fish anytime I want, even if it's raining. Yippee. What a great Tuesday this would be - if I only weren't wishing to go fishing.

I hope you had a great Tuesday and got your wish. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Purple Martin Monday 03-28-16

Hello and happy Monday. I have for you today a pair of Purple Martins in a gourd. The darker one is the male and lighter one, the female. I'm hoping that they've chosen where they will spend their summer, mating and having children, and later flying back to South America. We "inherited" this pole with gourds. The pole was bent over and we had heard the martins around and wanted them to come back so we tried to straighten the pole. Well, we ended up breaking the pole near its base, we fell back, along with the pole and broke a couple of gourds (at least we didn't break anything on us)! We set the pole back up complete with the broken ones and the martins came back!! There are three pairs of them that I've seen so far and I hope they stay. I love their chatter and they are not really afraid to be around humans. I ordered another pole and more gourds so maybe others will join - the more the merrier. Plus, they eat mosquitoes, bees and wasps. I'm told they might even eat fire ants.

There's a lot more to know about Purple Martins, and, if you're interested, check out this site:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Martin/lifehistory

I hope you had a marvelous Monday and gained a little knowledge today. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Happy Easter 03-27-16

Hello and happy Sunday. Happy Easter. Easter is the day that Jesus arose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Easter came early this year. Easter isn't a date you can depend on each year - the date depends on the Spring/Vernal Equinox . Once that happens, then Easter is the Sunday following the next full moon.

Today is that Sunday. Today there are many religious celebrations. My photo was taken at a church when I was in Tampa, Florida. It is a tribute to Jesus rising above.

I hope you had a most enjoyable Easter Sunday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Saturday's Dogwood Flower 03-26-16

Hello and happy Saturday. Today, the day before Easter, I have for you a Dogwood Flower. This is the state flower of North Carolina. The Dogwood Tree is part of an Easter Legend that states:

“When Christ was on earth, the dogwood grew

To a towering size with a lovely hue.
Its branches were strong and interwoven,
And for Christ's cross its timbers were chosen.

“Being distressed at the use of the wood,
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
'Never again shall the dogwood grow
To be large enough for a tree, and so,
Slender and twisted it shall always be,
With cross-shaped blossoms for all to see.

“'The petals shall have bloodstains marked brown,
And in the blossom's center a thorny crown.
All who see it will think of me,
Nailed to a cross from a dogwood tree.
Protected and cherished this tree shall be,

A reflection to all of my agony.'”

It's a beautiful poem. I've heard it all my life and I love looking at the Dogwood Tree and its flowers. The trouble with legends is that sometimes, they are not true - as is the case here. Apparently, on all the websites I visited that told of the story, they verified that the Dogwood Tree has never grown in Israel, so the Crucifixion cross could not have come from the Dogwood. I don't care. It's still a moving poem and I will continue to think of it every time I see a Dogwood Tree and its flowers. Maybe the tree will seem a little prettier now that I know the truth.

I hope you had a beautiful Saturday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

if you want to check out the sites I went to for the information, look at http://www.creationtips.com/dogwood.html, and/or http://www.gardenguides.com/93373-history-dogwood-tree.html. There may be other sites as well.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Good Friday 03-25-16

Hello and happy Friday. This Friday, for us Christians, is called Good Friday. This is the day when Jesus carried his cross, was nailed to the cross, and died on the cross for the sins of all who believe in Him so that they won't perish and will have everlasting life. Many of us believe this. (There are many people who do not believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ or God and that is their choice. I accept that we are all entitled to learn and believe what we want.) For me, Christianity creates a comfort to know that our death from earth will not be the end, that something better is waiting for us and that we will be reunited with the loved ones that went on before us. It is also a feeling of love, a feeling that we are all worthy of love and that we need to love another and be kind to one another. It really doesn't matter the color of your skin, what religion you choose, your sexual identity or your occupation. In my Bible, Jesus loves us all, Jesus does not look for reasons to criticize or condemn. Jesus wants only to empower people with love and kindness. Not everyone who says they're Christian is filled with the love and kindness of Jesus - some people say hateful things to and about others. Even some of Jesus' disciples did and said hateful things. We are all human, after all. But we must not allow ourselves to be hateful and judgmental of others. Anger must not be allowed to fester within us. We must try to be more like Jesus and give understanding, compassion, tolerance and love. We must guard our thoughts, our actions and our words in order to recognize the love and kindness that is within all of us. When we do that, others will also recognize the love and kindness and will, in return, share that with us and others. I know I have a lot of work to do and am working on myself when it comes to guarding my thoughts, actions and words. It is not easy. I just try to take it one day at a time. Good thing because of Jesus on the cross there's forgiveness.

Jesus carried the cross ant then died on that cross so many years ago today for all who believe that He is the Son of God. John Brookfield believes. He is the man carrying the cross in the photos today. John believes that God called him to be fit spiritually and physically and to carry that cross and share God's message with others. Because of his calling, he founded God's Athletic Academy to help others become spiritually and physically fit. You can find out more about John on his website: www.Godsathleticacademy.com. John is also preparing a website that is to be called Cross Carrying Challenge that should be up and running soon. This wonderful and kind man carries a 100 or 200 pound cross up and down sidewalks near Pinehurst, NC. He's not looking for recognition or "atta boy" from others, he is doing what he knows God told him to do. How many of us would be so obedient?

I hope you had a peaceful, kind and loving Good Friday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Maundy Thursday Cross Carrying 03-24-16

Hello and happy Thursday. Easter is this Sunday and I have for you today a man carrying the cross. Today is considered Maundy Thursday, a holy day for Christians to commemorate The Last Supper and of Jesus washing others' feet. There are a few other things involved in Maundy Thursday and you can read it all at http://www.ibtimes.com/holy-thursday-2016-facts-history-meaning-these-5-maundy-traditions-honoring-last-2342285.

The man carrying the cross today is John Brookfield in Pinehurst, NC. This isn't his first day carrying the cross, but it is the first day I have spoken with him and asked to take his photo. I had been thinking about what I was going to do for this Easter - I had seen him before carrying the cross and hoped I would see him again, It was not my usual day to be in Pinehurst, but I had a doctor's appointment and, as we were leaving the appointment (my sister went with me), guess who we saw? We turned around, passed him and found a place to park. I went to meet him and he was receptive and willing to talk,

It turns out that John hadn't planned on carrying that cross today in that area. And, he expected he would be gone from that area before the time we arrived except that another woman had stopped him and they spoke for a few minutes. When I saw him carrying that cross up the hill - and, by the way, that cross weighs 100 pounds (he sometimes carries a cross that weighs 200 pounds) - he was supposed to be gone from the area. What a lucky girl am I? Or maybe I'm not so lucky - maybe I'm just blessed - maybe it was meant to be? Maybe God intervened?

In Mathew 16: 24-26, Jesus said, and I am paraphrasing, that anyone that wants to follow him should deny himself and pick up his cross and follow Jesus. John Brookfield is doing just that. I will give you a little more of John tomorrow, of his work, and of what tomorrow means to Christians.

I hope you had a great Maundy Thursday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Wednesday's Refuge 03-23-16

Hello and happy Wednesday. For today I am back at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge looking at a lonely tree, canal and wonderfully cloudy sky after a controlled/prescribed burn. When I look at it, I sometimes feel doom and gloom and, at other times, I feel a weird sense of comfort and peace. Either way, I enjoy strong emotions. I hope you experience some emotions with this as well.

I also hope you've had a great Wednesday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Tuesday's Spring Azalea 03-22-16

Hello and happy Tuesday. This is one of my azalea blooms, which is just in time for spring. I love azaleas. When I was growing up, my Mom had planted some wonderful azalea plants around the front porch and they grew bigger and better every year. To my recollection those azaleas were never trimmed, and we didn't care - they were fabulous! As an adult I have planted several azaleas at places I've lived and not one has ever flourished. The one you see today was planted by the previous owner of my current house and I am grateful. And, I have always been grateful to my mother for all of the beauty she brought into my life.

I hope you enjoyed this beautiful spring day and that you had occasion to be grateful. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Monday, March 21, 2016

BEE Aware! Spring is in the Air. 03-21-16

Hello and happy Monday. Today, I want you to "BEE" aware! Spring is in the air and the bee is looking to pollinate. Bees are essential to our renewal of resources each year. This particular bee is a carpenter bee. He like to bore holes and tunnels in wood - even around your house - but doesn't really cause any structural damage because it's all pretty shallow damage. The males of the Carpenter Bee are unable to sting so that's a plus in their favor. The females can and will sting but only if highly provoked - so leave them alone and no one gets hurt. Bumblebees (the ones with the fuzzy abdomen instead of the black, shiny one of the Carpenter Bee) do not like to sting either, but will if provoked. I guess, all in all, we are all pretty safe around bees; just don't go all crazy around them; let them do their job and we'll all eat better later.

I hope you had a fun and sting free Monday. Thanks for looking. Bee happy. See you tomorrow.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Sunday's Travelers Chapel 03-20-16

Hello and happy Sunday. While traveling on Highway 38 in Marlboro County, South Carolina, we passed by this small chapel on the side of the road. Fortunately, I had my camera with me and we turned around to get some photos. This very well kept little chapel is meant for travelers and anyone in need of respite. The Chapel welcomes weary travelers with two well padded benches, or pews, along the side walls with a large Cross on the middle of the back wall with a welcoming Jesus underneath and an angel on each side. There is plush carpet down the middle of the hardwood floor and covering the alter. In one corner of the entrance is a Bible on a stand; the other corner has a guest book to sign.

I don't have any information on how or when this Chapel was placed here, but it seems very appropriate in today's busy lifestyle that we have opportunities to slow down, relax, give praise and get renewed. There are a few of these tiny chapels along the highways of America, and you can find some of them on www.RoadsideAmerica.com. This one is not on the list - yet; maybe soon,

I hope you had a restful Sunday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Beautiful Muscovy Saturday 03-19-16

Hello and happy Saturday. Check out the Muscovy Duck I found in the water near my yard. Isn't he a handsome thing? Haha. Well, I guess his looks aren't quite what most would call "beautiful", but remember, in the words of a Ray Stevens song, "Everything is beautiful, in its own way.....".

I hope you had a beautiful Saturday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Flower Power Friday 03-18-16

Hello and happy Friday. I have some flower power for you today. Spring is in the air and the trees are flowering, the bees and butterflies are flying and spreading pollen just like the wind. While it's a beautiful time of year, many of us have allergies during this most beautiful and renewing time of year. So, with allergies, beauty and pain go together.

I hope you've had a beautiful and non allergenic Friday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Happy Thursday, St. Patrick's Day 03-17-16

Hello and happy Thursday. Happy St. Patrick's Day, too. Yeah, I know it's not a little Irish guy drinking green beer. It's a small frog with a little stone on his lip. He's green, though. So, be happy. Enjoy your day. Don't get pinched. Wear green. St. Patrick's Day was originally a religious feast for the patron saint of Ireland. It has become so much more of that now, with parades, parties, and just plain fun.

I hope you have some fun today on St. Patrick's Day. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Wednesday's Climb 03-16-16

Hello and happy Wednesday. So, today we have another butterfly, a Monarch Butterfly, that is loving on my flowering tree. When taking photos of butterflies I always sing, "Butterfly don't fly away, fly away, don't fly away", to to tune of the song "Hummingbird don't fly away", by Seals and Croft. Just like this butterfly I feel like getting to Wednesday is an uphill climb. Looks like this butterfly has almost reached the top. Maybe it's getting ready to slide down into Thursday and Friday.

I hope you had a wonderful Wednesday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Tuesday Brings A Butterfly 03-15-16

Hello and happy Tuesday. Spring is approaching and the butterflies are back! Yay! I love to see butterflies flitting around, stopping momentarily, then off again. They are a challenge for anyone with a camera to get a good photo. They are so very fun to watch.

I hope you had a terrifically fun Tuesday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Whooooo Loves Mondays? 03-14-16

Hello and happy Monday. My friend on her nest wants to know, "Whoooooo loves Mondays?" I understand that Mondays need to happen, but I am just not a fan. I was told of this little lady sitting on her nest by a local photographer I met at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. Thank goodness I was told where she was because I never would have found her on my own.

I hope you had a marvelous Monday. Thank you for looking. Owl see you tomorrow. ;)

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Sunday and the Moravian Little Church on the Lane 03-13-16

Hello and happy Sunday. This is the Moravian Church called The Little Church On The Lane, and is located in Charlotte, NC. This church is part of the Moravian Church, Southern Province and was founded in late 1920. There are three buildings here that are Sanctuary, Chapel and Education. The Moravian Church Vision Statement is: "Transforming communities, near and far, through the love of Jesus Christ." The Moravian Motto is: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love." That sounds like a winning motto to me. You can read more about the Little Church On The Lane and their mission works at: http://www.littlechurchonthelane.com/

I hope you had a lovely Sunday. Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Saturday's Wolf 03-12-16

Hello and happy Saturday. Today I have for you a Red Wolf at the Asheboro Zoo. He looks like a harmless dog, but don't be fooled - he is a formidable predator. The only wild Red Wolves in the world are found in five counties along the Alligator River Wildlife Refuge in Eastern North Carolina. Apparently, the Red Wolves were very endangered in the late 1970s and there were less than 30 wild wolves in the world. Less than 30? I'd say that's pretty endangered! The Recovery Program along the Alligator River began in 1987 and now there are about 120 wolves in the wild. Zoos, like the Asheboro Zoo, have been instrumental in the recovery through captive breeding, which leads to more pups being introduced into the wild. Every species, every life on this earth, is important and the loss of even one, like the red wolf, would make an unfavorable impact on our ecosystem.

I hope you had a favorable Saturday. Thank you for looking. See you for looking.

Friday, March 11, 2016

Friday Celebration 03-11-16

Hello and happy Friday. My friend, a Cattle Egret, looks happy and satisfied today so he's strutting his stuff! I'm sure he just had a good meal and this is his way of celebrating.

I hope this Friday gave you something to celebrate. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Lighthouse for Thursday 03-10-16

Hello and happy Thursday. Today I want to show you a lighthouse that we saw from the ship as we were leaving the Tampa, FL port on our way to Cozumel last month. I don't think it's a working lighthouse - it appears to be someone's private replica that they want others to enjoy as well. It's viewed from the top deck of our cruise ship and, to me, it looks like a toy scene. I do admit that I'm intrigued by this photo. I do wish I had a little more sky above the buildings, but I guess if I were into Photoshop-ing I could make that happen. Interesting.

I hope you had an interesting Thursday. Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Cruising Into The Sunset 03-09-16

Hello and happy Wednesday. Today, I think I'll just cruise on into the sunset. This was taken on our recent cruise as we were leaving Cozumel. As you can see, lucky for me, we weren't the only ship leaving port that evening.

I hope you had a wonderful Wednesday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

What Do I Think of Tuesday? Guess! 03-08-16

Hello and happy Tuesday. I am at a loss for words tonight. It's been a long day. I'm just going to let my friend here let you know what I think of Tuesday.

I hope you had a great Tuesday. Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Monday's Hitchhiker 03-07-16

Hello and happy Monday. It looks like this Pelican wants to hitch a ride. Yeah, Mr. Pelican, let's relax and ride the waves through Monday. Oh, wouldn't that be fun?

I hope you had a fun Monday. Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Sunday at The Refuge At First Baptist Church in Florida 03-06-16

Hello and happy Sunday. Today we go to The Refuge At First Baptist Church in Reddick, Florida. The Refuge was established in 1880. It's a wonderful looking church that sits on a corner and tries to make the best of every side. I haven't been able to find any information about this church online, but it is a beauty to see. It's somewhat eclectic with the shape and the windows, and you just gotta love the red door, too.

I hope you had a wonderful Sunday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Saturday's Paradise Tanager 03-05-16

Hello and happy Saturday. I have a Paradise Tanager for you today. This beautiful, multicolored bird is usually found in the tropical atmosphere of the Amazon. You and I can find this one in the Aviary at the Asheboro Zoo. It is considered a "neotropical bird" and you can read more about it at http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/lifehistory?p_p_spp=610796. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy just looking at this beauty. It's very fast, so it took me a while to get a good photo.

I hope you had a beautiful and colorful Saturday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Nikita Poses For Friday 03-04-16

Hello and happy Friday. Nikita, the 9 year old male Polar Bear recently relocated from Kansas City, (MO) Zoo to the fabulous Asheboro (NC) Zoo, posed for about 2 seconds. It's a good thing for me that I was ready. Welcome to North Carolina, Nikita. I know that Nikita and Anana play well together and I hope they continue having great fun and a good, loving relationship. I can assure you that I will keep an eye on them any chance I get. I hope you'll join me in keeping a loving eye on them and the rest of the residents at the Asheboro Zoo. It's a wonderful place to visit and you'll get lots of exercise as well.

I hope you had great fun today. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Zoo Fun on Thursday 03-03-16

Hello and happy Thursday. Meet Nikita (front), and Anana at the Polar Bear Exhibit at the Asheboro Zoo in North Carolina. Nikita arrived at the Zoo from the Kansas City (Mo.) Zoo in January and he and Anana were getting acquainted separately for a while and now together full time. Anana is 16 years old and came from Chicago a couple years ago. Anana means "beautiful" in Inuit. Nikita is 9 years old, somewhat bigger than Anana and, I'm told, he's still growing. Today was a meet and greet for these two new lovebirds. The lady at the entrance told me that the Governor of North Carolina came to see them. I believe her. There were many "official looking" people and professional photographers in attendance. I didn't get the memo about the event so I was wearing my big, floppy hat, sweatshirt and my big pants that have lots of pockets for my camera stuff. I didn't care - I just walked on by them wiith my camera, aimed at the duo and started pressing my shutter button. I had such fun! And, these two get along together so well and had so much fun playing in the water that you will get to see more pictures as time goes on.

I have seen a few zoos in my day and, I think that this Zoo is on the top of my list, I hope you have a good zoo in your area to visit. They supply much information and loads of fun for the entire family.

I hope you had some fun today. Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Winning on Wednesday 03-02-16

Hello and happy Wednesday. Have you ever seen Ospreys up high in nests on poles with platforms along the highway? You have if you've driven along Interstate 4 between Tampa and Orlando in Florida. I'm told that the poles with platforms were originally placed along the Interstate for the Eagles in an effort to keep them from making their nexts on top of power poles. We didn't see any Eagles on our drive, but there were plenty of Ospreys. I guess it's "first come, first serve" for the platforms. I didn't see any Eagle nests on the power poles either so I guess it's a "win" for the electric company and a "win" for the Ospreys. Maybe it's even a "win" for the Eagles.

I hope you had a winning day. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Tuesday Alone in Paradise 03-01-16

Hello and happy Tuesday. This is a relaxing day for one alligator in the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. You might would say this could be his definition of paradise. I think most of us would like a safe place to live, surrounded by water and all the food we could eat with the only drama in our lives being the changing weather and seasons. Ahhhhh, "la dolce vita".

I hope you had a sweet Tuesday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.