APED - A Picture Every Day: August 2016

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Sleepy Wednesday 08-31-16

Hello and happy Wednesday. Maybe today was a lazy, sleepy, day for you. It was not for me, but I hope that one day I will be able to have a sleepy, lazy, Wednesday. Dare to dream. I love the NC Zoo in Asheboro. Whether the animals are running around or sleeping on the rocks, any day is a good day at the Zoo.

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

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Tuesday's Unusual Duo 08-30-16

Hello and happy Tuesday. Today I feel as though I need a flower duo to see me through. Azaleas don't usually bloom this time of year, so these are a couple of extraordinary blooms that beat the odds. So, I feel as though I've won the lottery!

I hope Tuesday was a good day for you and you saw something extraordinary! Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Monday's Conquering 08-29-16

Hello and happy Monday. It was a good working Monday today. Still, I felt myself being taken away, in my mind, to the place you see above. This is the place I long to be - on good days and on bad days. This is my "meditation". No matter what happens during the day, if I - no, scratch that - when, I see this in my mind, I am immediately calmer, less stressed, more "at peace", and I feel I can "conquer" whatever I need to deal with today. I just take a deep breath, enjoy my vision, come back to the present, and conquer.

I hope you have someplace you can go in your mind that helps you conquer whatever comes your way during the day. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Sunday's House of Prayer for All People 08-28-16

Hello and happy Sunday. Welcome to the House of Prayer for All People located in Winnsboro, SC. From what I've read, the House of Prayer for All People believes in "One God, One Faith and One Baptism". This is a beautiful place of fellowship for all. I enjoyed the opportunity to make photographs at this location.

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

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Saturday's It's a Bird, It's a Plane...... 08-27-16

Hello and happy Saturday. Today, on the way back from my great niece's 1st birthday party, something was spotted off Hwy 34 in Winnsboro, SC and we just had to turn around and explore the scene. We turned onto Rockton Thruway and there it was on our left at 1610. Was it a bird, was it a plane, was it superman, you ask? It was, indeed a plane in a tree, with a faux man hanging onto the cockpit, and at least one bicycle dangling at the wing! Oh, what fun I had making some photographs, especially since the scene also included grave markers. I appreciate the work someone put into making this scene for me to photograph. This will definitely go into my "Highway Treasures" folder in my computer.

I hope when you are driving/riding along on the highways that you find something enjoyable to appreciate. I also hope you've had a great Saturday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Friday's Hummingbird 08-26-16

Hello and happy Friday. My little hummingbird friend - let's call him Friday - is coming in for a landing. He's a very welcomed visitor. The problem with Fridays is - just like my hummingbird Friday - they come in amidst much anticipation, give us a few thrills, and then they're off again. Fridays just never seem to last long enough. But, all good things must come to an end, I guess. At least Friday will be back again next week for more fun times.

I hope you have a thrilling Friday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Thursday's Surprise on a Tree 08-25-16

Hello and happy Thursday. I was wandering around the yard and look what I saw! It's flowers coming out of the trunk of the tree. I am not sure what kind of tree and flower this is, but I like it.
It's not often you find a surprise on a tree.... well, yes it is. Sometimes, though, surprises come along even when you're not looking for them. I guess that's why they're called surprises, haha.

I hope you enjoyed some surprises this Thursday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Wednesday's Muscovy Duck 08-24-16

Hello and happy Wednesday. When I was kayaking last Sunday, I went past one of my favorite subjects - the Muscovy Duck. This one appears to be lying on the nest, but left soon after we paddled by. That's ok, because I already obtained my photograph. When I saw my first Muscovy Duck I thought it was one ugly duck! The more I see them, the more I just enjoy looking at them. They are huge and somewhat majestic and when they fly with their huge wings they make a lot of noise. I am grateful that I get to see them often.

I hope you were able to see something you enjoy today. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Tuesday's Wingless Hummingbird 08-23-16

Hello and happy Tuesday. My little hummingbird friend seems to be misssing something - his wings! As a matter of fact, hummingbirds can hover in the air while flapping their wings a whopping 50 times a SECOND!! Wow. I guess this time he was flapping his wings faster than my camera could capture them. Too cool. This guy is very small - about 2-3 inches. He sometimes reminds me of a horsefly but makes as distinctive hum that lets me know he's in the area. I have also noticed lately that hummingbirds have some "chatter" with each other. It's nice to hear them talk to one another.

I hope you had a terrific Tuesday and you were able to "chat" nicely with another. Thank you for looking.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Monday's Butterfly and Lantana 08-22-16

Hello and happy Monday. As I was looking at my

butterflies on lantana from the weekend, I wondered

what the above would look like if I became a little

"artistic". I hope you like them. I really enjoy

watching the butterflies around the flowers. I'm

hoping that I can get a photo of all the different

butterflies and moths I see around the lantana.

I hope you had a picture perfect Monday. Thank you

for looking. See you tomorrow.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Sunday's Mount Pelier Presbyterian Church 08-21-16

Hello and happy Sunday. This friendly looking church caught my eye the other day as I was travelling Highway 501 South and 130 East in Rowland County, North Carolina. This is Mount Pelier Presbyterian Church. Although it has an unofficial Facebook page and is on the "find a grave" website, I could not find any other information about the age of the Church or its history. It sure is pretty, though, even a somewhat uncommon front entrance, and I enjoyed stepping out into the heat and taking photographs of the Church and of its grounds.

I hope you're having a great Sunday. Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Saturday's Story 08-20-16

"Hello and happy Saturday. So, I like to look at things or people and make up stuff like, what's going to happen, how that got there, what people are saying to each other. Many, many years ago, I was an extra in the movie Eddie. I met some new friends and we passed the long hours guessing where others came from and what was being said. It was great fun and I continue that today. I saw this scene on a recent kayaking experience and I have a story to go with it. I see the vine archway as an entrance into a fantasy area. To the right of the archway I see the "knees" of cypress trees as people going into the "light". Once there, they will receive only happiness and light. There will be no big drama, everyone will get along and fun - along with a little work of course- will be their daily routine. Oh, what a great life they will have!

Do you and a friend ever look at stuff, at people, and think in a fantasy? How about with TV - muting the TV and making up stuff about what the characters are saying? If not, give it a try, you may find something new to enjoy.

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

Friday, August 19, 2016

Friday's Bread Bowl and the Tupelo Gum Tree 08-19-16

Hello and happy Friday. I was on my way to Mullins, SC today and my GPS took me a different way. I found myself on Highway 501 South and, as I passed by this person on a tractor plowing a field I saw this little hand written sign, "Bread Bowls". I was thinking this was an advertisement for soup in a bowl, but as I drove by I noticed differently so I turned around and went back. The man you're looking at is Elisha Locklear, Traditional Chief of the Tuscarora Tribe of North Carolina. He is holding a cutting board that I bought made out of the Tupelo Gum tree. Around him there are bread bowls that he has hand cut from the Tupelo Gum trees. He shared with me stories of using the bread bowls and how it was a tradition to make bread from scratch on these boards. Chief Locklear told me that bread was made three times a day for the family. He also told me about the Tupelo Gum trees and how the wood of the tree became heavier and harder the higher you went up the tree. The bread bowls and my awesome new cutting board are very light because they came from a part of the tree that is closer to the ground. If you increase the size of the picture, you can read about the tradition of the bread bowl from the Tupelo Gum tree.

This was a great experience for me meeting the Chief of the Tuscarora Tribe of North Carolina. I really enjoy meeting new people, especially when they have created something and I love buying local whenever possible. As for the Tuscarora Tribe you can enjoy reading a little history about them at: http://www.tuscaroranationnc.com/history.

I hope you really had a great experience this Friday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Thursday's Steamboat Mural 08-18-16

Hello and happy Thursday. Okay, so I took a picture of a picture (actually a mural) to show you today. This is in downtown Conway, South Carolina. The steamboat belonged to F.G. Burroughs. Born in 1834, F.G. Burroughs grew up farming, but decided he didn't want to be a farmer and so he went to Conway (it was Conwayborough then) and opened a mercantile and manufactured turpentine. Many years later, a war, a marriage, some business partnerships and new ventures and he was setting his sights on Myrtle Beach. There was already steamboat trade like the boat in the mural from the Waccamaw River to there and he wanted to connect the beach with the railroad. He died in 1897, but his heirs continued his vision for Myrtle Beach. F.G. Burroughs felt that Myrtle Beach's Grand Strand could rival notable northern beach communities such as Coney Island and Atlantic City. Thanks to his heirs, his vision didn't die with him. You can read more about him at: http://www.hchsonline.org/bio/fgburroughs.html

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

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Wednesday's Hummingbird 08-17-16

Hello and happy Wednesday. My little hummingbird friend is coming in for a landing. I am certainly happy to oblige him, his family and friends with the sweet nectar that gives them fuel.

I hope you had a great, fuel filled day. Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Tuesday's Bluebird Bringing Happiness 08-16-16

Hello and happy Tuesday. Today's little bluebird is looking at me somewhat suspiciously. Maybe he wants to know what I'm after. Well, I, of course, am after a photograph, and, it looks like this coy appearing bluebird just gave me what I wanted. Some people think that bluebirds bring happiness. They are nice to look at and can bring a smile to my face. That kind of happiness, though, is gone when this beauty flies away. We need to find a way to be happy when the bluebird is gone. Our happiness lies within each of us, we just need to find a way to access and keep that happiness hour after hour and day by day. Boy is that hard! So, we take little moments like enjoying photography or being out in nature, looking at birds or even listening to music or watching a favorite show on TV to get our fix of happiness. We must enjoy it while we can.

I hope you had some happiness today. Thank you for looking, See you tomorrow.

Monday, August 15, 2016

Monday's Sunrise 08-15-16

Hello and happy Monday. Today's picture is from earlier this year while on our cruise. This photo has three things I enjoy - water, the sunrise and clouds for character. I love this sunrise. I love sunrises in general. The sunrise represents a new day, with new opportunities and new challenges to conquer. Sometimes the new day brings things we don't want like pain, anger, hurt and frustration brought to us by others and, once in a while, ourselves; like when we work too hard physically the day before and wake up sore; or someone intentionally hurts our feelings, or something breaks that we can't fix. Every new day is just that - new, and we look forward to meeting our challenges by doing everything better than we did the day before. Sure, the clouds let us know that nothing is perfect, it just that somedays it comes prety close. One things for sure, every sunrise brings change. A Greek philosopher , Heraclitus, around 500 BC, is credited with the saying, "change is the only constant ", which, af far as I'm concerned, basically sums up life. I think I'm ready for change, a good change. How about you?

I hope you had an almost perfect Monday. Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Sunday's Pireway Community Church 08-14-16

Hello and happy Sunday. Today's church is Pireway Community Church in Pireway, North Carolina. Pireway is a small, unincorporated community in Columbus County, NC. We were on the way to the beach and saw this lovely church and just had to turn around and go back and take pictures for today.

I wanted to accentuate the stained glass scene in the front of Jesus praying so I put it only in color, If you click on the picture and zoom in you will be able to see the artwork more clearly. In my opinion, it's quite likely that we could all pray more.

I hope you have a sensational Sunday. Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Saturday's Beach Flowers 08-13-16

Hello and happy Saturday. This is a day for play and I sure did play today! We went to the beach and it was awesome. During the play, though, I took a moment to notice a little nature and admire it, be grateful for it, and photograph it. This entire day was wonderful and it is days like this that I realize how much I have to be thankful for.

I hope you were able to enjoy Saturday with some play. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Friday, August 12, 2016

Friday Showers of Meteors 08-12-16

Hello and happy Friday. Very early this morning began the Perseid Meteor Showers. Today was the peak day for the meteor showers that come around every year at this time due to the Earth passing through dust and debris left behind by the Comet Swift-Tuttle. I tried to catch some at 1 a.m. this morning, but had no luck. I got back up at 3:30 a.m. and this was taken at 4:16 a.m. this morning with a 15 second exposure. If you look closely, it seems I captured two of the meteors. I guess it was worth losing a little sleep - at least to me.

I hope you had a good night's sleep last night. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow,

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Thursday's Payday 08-11-16

Hello and happy Thursday. You know, many times people get paid on Friday. Some people, though, are paid on other days of the week like Tuesday, or Thursday. For instance, I usually get paid on Thursday, and on that day, I celebrate a little. Well, today is Thursday, and it looks like this Cardinal is getting paid in the form of food and he's taking a moment to celebrate his payday with me. I will gladly celebrate with him and take his photograph. He's gone in an instant, of course, but his celebration, and his gratitude, will keep me smiling all day.

I hope you have something to smile about today. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Wednesday Landscape 08-10-16

Hello and happy Wednesday. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood today and we should celebrate! Let's run through the tall grasses to the trees and back. Or, we can just lie in the tall grasses, look up at the clouds and talk about what people, animals or things the clouds resemble. Have you ever done that: just look up in the clouds and see hands, a dog, an elephant, a plane? I have many, many times. It's fun to do and the clouds keep changing into new things. Imagination helps us out a great deal by relaxing us sometimes and other times seeing possibilities in what is and what could be. Sometimes, as we get older, we need to practice using our imagination more often as we tend to get caught up in the realities of our days. I'm all for practicing a little every day.

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

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Tuesday's Flower Fun 08-09-16

Hello and happy Tuesday. I thought today that I would have some fun with a camellia picture I took in the late winter/early spring. I put my camellia into a pencil sketch, faded it a little, increased saturation and, well, I hope you like the result. Sometimes it's fun doing a little something different, and sometimes, different is good.

I hope you had a different kind of good day. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Monday, August 8, 2016

Monday's Peek-A-Boo 08+08=16

Hello and happy Monday. It's Peek-A-Boo time again! Can you spot the grasshopper in the leaves? I guess that's pretty easy. This grasshopper has the least amount of color of any I've ever seen. I don't think I've seen that many grasshoppers, because the ones I see are usually green. Different colors are cool, and I hope I see many colorful grasshoppers in the future. But for now, it's Peek-A-Boo time.

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

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Sunday's Pinehurst Baptist Church 08-07-16

Hello and happy Sunday. This is Pinehurst Baptist Church in Pinehurst, NC. The Church first came into service in June of 2002. This is the newest or youngest church I believe I have posted this year. They do have a website if you're interested at: http://fbcpinehurst.com/

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

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Saturday's Lantana 08-06-16

Hello and happy Saturday. I always want to look at pretty flowers on Saturdays and this lantana is a fine example. Lantana attracts bees and hummingbirds and helps continue the ecosystem in which I enjoy living. Plus, they are pretty so I also enjoy that aesthetic.

I hope you're having a good Saturday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Friday, August 5, 2016

Friday's Little Yellow Bird 08-05-16

Hello and happy Friday. Say hello to my little yellow bird friend. I'm not sure what kind of bird this is, so I put this picture online and did a Google search. Google came back with it's "best guess is: bird". Well, I knew that already! Ha. But, today is Friday, and this little, beautiful bird came to my place for dinner. It's the first time I have seen this little guy, or gal, but it totally made my day.

I hope you had something or someone that "made your day" today. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Thursday's Fluff 08-04-16

Hello and happy Thursday. What's up? My young, fluffly Cardinal friend looks like he's ready for a little mischief. It looks to me like he has a gleam in his eye and is having a good time. I hope so. It's very hot outside and yet he looks cool. I used to have a coat that was fluffy like that when I was young; except that it was pink. My pretty pink, fluffy coat was hand made by my grandmother and I love it. This little Cardinal's coat is natural, though. I'm sure he's quite proud of it.

I hope you had or did something you were proud of today. As the saying goes, "It's a great day to have a great day!" Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Wednesday's Hummingbird 08-03-16

Hello and happy Wednesday. I kept trying to follow and photograph the hummingbirds as they fed from my feeder, but this cutie wanted to sit on a branch in my tree. So, I'm flexible. I followed this one up to the tree and he obliged and sat for just a few seconds, making me a lucky gal. Given the colors on this one, if I hadn't followed during his flight, I may not have seen it in the tree. If I can trust myself to believe what I found on the internet, I think this is a male and is called an Anna's Hummingbird. I wasn't able to find the history of the naming of this beauty, but, I have a great friend named Anna and she's just as cute as this hummingbird.

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

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Tuesday's Peak-A-Boo 08-02-16

Hello and happy Tuesday. I have an anole for you today that likes playing Peak-A-Boo. That is a fun game I like to play sometimes. I'm glad this little anole has a sense of play. Of course, I realize that it may not have been play for him; he may have just been looking for a little insect for breakfast. It's always fun to pretend, though. Imagining what people, cats, dogs, birds, or anoles are thinking is something I've always enjoyed. What do you imagine? Do you have fun in your imagination - or do you imagine serious stuff? Does some of what you imagine come true?

Whatever you imagine, I hope you had a terrific Tuesday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Muscovy Monday 08-01-16

Hello and happy Monday. Welcome to my portrait of a Muscovy Duck. This one was in my yard yesterday after a big storm. I was glad to see him. He or she seems to be sporting a nice Pompadour hairstyle. I like it! I didn't realize this until I read the site that I'm about to give you that the Muscovy Ducks eat mosquitoes! I want this one and all her friends to come around all the time. You can read more about this fascinating duck at: http://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/poultry/poultry-poultry/breed-spotlight-muscovy-duck/.

I hope you've had a fascinating Monday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.