Friday's Fish Finder 11-25-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  Tonight I thought I would show you my Friday Fish Finder. You know, when I was younger, we had fish every Friday at school.  That's right - EVERY Friday; week after week after week.  It was always fried, too.  For the longest time, I thought that was the only way to cook fish.  But now, being the adult that I am, I have learned differently.  Rarely do I eat fried fish, mostly it's baked, steamed or on the grill.  Every now and then I even enjoy sushi.  The point is, all that fish on Friday as a child did not curb my enthusiasm for seafood.  It's quite likely that I eat fish three or four times a week.  That's still not as many times as this big, but graceful, Pelican eats fish per week.  I enjoy watching him fish whenever I get lucky enough.  The way he slams into the water, though, seems a little rough and looks like it might hurt a little.  It also looks like it would scare any fish away, but, he usually comes back up with a meal.  Fish for this guy!!

I hope you had a fabulous Friday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Feathery Friend 11-11-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  This little bird is staring at me, make him stop!  Did you ever do that as a child - complain to your parent that your brother or sister was staring at you - making you uncomfortable.  "Stop looking at your sister (brother)" your mom or dad would say.  Did you stop, or did you keep staring?  Or, did you look away for a few seconds, and then begin staring again, only to have your parent repeat the "stop" order?  Fun times, huh?  We laugh about those times as adults now, but back then it was some serious stuff.  My bird friend is a beautiful reminder of "the stare"!

What happened to remind you of something from your childhood today?  I hope it made you smile.  I also hope you had a fabulous Friday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Great Blue Heron 11-04-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  I hope you're in the mood for fishing today.  Well, if you're not, my little friend here, the Great Blue Heron, is surely in the mood.  Fishing for me is relaxing, entertaining and social.  I don't have to be good at fishing.  For the Great Blue Heron, fishing is vital to survival.  That is pretty stressful for them I imagine.  I like to eat fish but I'm glad my life doesn't depend on me being able to catch a fish.  

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

Friday's Flower Fun 10-28-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  I just wanted to have a little fun today with the last of this year's lantana.  I put my cute little photo in pencil and fiddled with that for a minute, then did a focal zoom on my one sharp flower, and then boosted the saturation.  Oh, and for a final bit of fun around the edges, I added a little vignetting, purely for my pleasure.  :)

I hope you had a little bit of pleasure today.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Faith Reminder 10-21-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  As many of you know, a couple of weeks ago Hurricane Matthew came through our area, then went up to Lumberton, NC, blasted them with about 17 inches of rain, damaged the Lumber River's levies or dams and all that water flooded Lumberton and headed south, joined the Little Pee Dee River and caused our flooding.  The Little Pee Dee River crested on the 12th or 13th of October at over 17 feet which is more than 8 feet above flood stage.  This kind of flooding hasn't happened since 1928 when the Little Pee River crested at 16 feet.  I guess we made history.  

Today was the first time we were able to get back to our house to see the destruction caused by Matthew.  My house is about 4 feet off the ground, a good 50-75 feet from the shallow canal that is indirectly fed from the Little Pee Dee River.  We were evacuated by boat the week before last (October 10th) when the water reached our doorway.  At that time the Little Pee Dee River was as 14.5 feet and were previously told that was as high as the water would get.  But things changed and we took what little possessions we had to have and the dog and cat (I would not leave without them).  

I really can't explain what it felt like to go inside and see my brand new, glossy bamboo floors dulled, buckled, and molded; walking on them, sometimes tripping over the buckling; hearing the carpet in the bedrooms squish as I walked in and the bumps left by the swelling of the sub floor; the smell of mold and mildew and food from the refrigerator and freezer that had been closed and without power for two weeks.  Yes, we opened the windows and doors and wore knee high boots and gloves.  Tomorrow we will go back and also add masks to our attire.

As badly as it smelled inside, the stench outside was just as bad and, at times, worse.  We know that our neighbors lost their goats in the flood and many others lost pets and other livestock they were unable to save.  I grieve also for their loss.

We have a pond in our yard and we feed the fish.  With the flood we are sure the fish went on to a bigger world, but we tried to safe the food in a tightly closed metal container.  It didn't work.  I guess the water was standing in the room a little too long and it seeped into the container ruining the food; so we opened the container, took it out to the pond and poured it in. 

Now I'm getting to where today's photo came from.  As I was returning to the house from the pond I went through an area still slightly under water.  It was there that I noticed this page through the water.  It looked like music so I looked closer.  Now, it looked like a page out of a hymnal.  I looked around and there were no other pages, no book cover, just this one page.  I carefully plucked it from the water, and sure enough, it was a page from a hymnal.  As you can see, the first song is "Now Every Morning is the Love", and the second song is, "Lord in the Morning Thou Shalt Hear".   Now, I am not a very religious person - I think I may be a bit more spiritual, so I am going to take this as a sign that I should continue to have faith that everything will be alright; that everything will work out.  It's not going to be easy, but that's the way it goes sometimes.  You just have to keep on keeping on; keep working; keep smiling; keep singing!  Karaoke anyone?

I hope you had something to sing about today.  Thanks for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Majestic Elephant 10-14-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton    

Hello and happy Friday.  Today I have for you a portrait of the majestic elephant.  I wasn't aware of this until today but the elephant is on the endangered list.  Elephants are being killed for their ivory by unethical, unlawful, greedy individuals who have no regard for life.  And, it seems, also for sport by wealthy individuals.  But this beautiful creature was found at the Asheboro, where his or her life is protected.  It feels nice to be protected sometimes.  I thank the elephant for being so close so as to allow me a chance at photographs.  

I hope you felt grateful and protected today.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Bluebird Refuge 10-07-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.   Talk about a tree house!!  One lucky Bluebird family has a great set-up.  It almost looks as if the vine are holding up the tree house.  It appears to be a perfect place for them to raise a family.  From what I've read, Bluebirds need our help to shelter them and provide a safe place.  Even when we think we've provided a nice home, they still have challenges such as house sparrows preying on the baby bluebirds and trying to steal their house.  Just goes to show you, challenges and dangers occur throughout the ecosystem.  Maybe we need to think more about what we can give back to our ecosystem than what we're taking.

I hope you had a wonderful and giving Friday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Hummingbird Farewell 09-30-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  For many, this is the last day of the work week.  For all of us this is the last day of the month of September.  This is also the last time we'll see the hummingbirds this year because they have left my house on their migration to Central America or Mexico.  I will certainly miss them, their distinctive hum, and their chatter.  I've learned a bit about their habits.  When they return next year I will have more feeders and more plants that they may enjoy.  I'm hoping they bring some friends along when they return.

I hope you had a wonderful Friday.  Thanks for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Fort Pickering Lighthouse, Salem, MA 09-23-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  Today, we went to Salem, Massachusetts and you're looking at the Fort Pickering Lighthouse.  This lighthouse was commissioned in 1869 and is cast iron and the inside is lined with brick.  The first light shown through with a Fresnel lens on January 17. 1871.  If you would like to read more about it, please go to website:  http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?.

ID=481.

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

Friday Flowers and Butterfly 09-16-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday!  We did it.  We morphed from our Monday's cocoon to be a beautiful Friday butterfly, free to be and do what we want and enjoy what we like this weekend.  Yippee!!  Enjoyment is a requirement for a healthy and happy life and I like to grab whatever enjoyment I can each and every day.  

I hope you enjoyed something this Friday.  Thank you for looking.  Enjoy tonight.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Aviary 09-09-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  Today, I had the day off.  Yay!  I had to run an errand, so, since I had to get out of the house anyway, I went to the NC Zoo in Asheboro.  And, lookee where I found myself - in the Aviary, where I found this character.   I didn't get a chance to find out what kind of bird this is and I couldn't find it on the internet, but I feel like this bird is asking what everyone wants to know:  "What's in YOUR wallet?"  Haha.

I hope you had a happy Friday and that you know where you put your wallet!  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Duck 09-02-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  I live in the Great U.S. of America in the Southeast, so today the remnants of Hurricane Hermine - now called Tropical Storm Hermine - are moving through my area toward the Atlantic Ocean.  While I am glad that I am safe and dry inside as the rain falls and the wind blows, I am equally glad that the Muscovy Ducks are out and about and seem safe as well.  Two of them came by this morning to say Hi when the rain was slow and steady.  I'm sure they took shelter when the downpours came and the wind gusts arrived.  I know the Muscovy Ducks are ugly but I do enjoy their presence and I actually like looking at them.  It is as my mother would say, "They're so ugly they're cute."  I totally agree!

I hope you were able to stay nice and dry this Friday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Hummingbird 08-26-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

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.

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

Copyright 2016AJ Horton

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.

Friday Showers of Meteors 08-12-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

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,

Friday's Little Yellow Bird 08-05-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

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.

Friday's Feeding Celebration 07-29-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  My two little baby birds are looking at me like, "Did you say it's Friday?"  Yes I did, little buddies, and that means it's time to refill your feeder, so celebrate!  

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

Friday's Preparation 07-22-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  This is the last work day of the week.  Yay.  So, on this day, I am dreaming of the weekend, and what I want to do this weekend; and preparation is the key.  So, as you can see, we are preparing for a morning kayaking trip in the a.m.  The anticipation is exciting.  In the south, the coolest time of the day is the early morning, so we must plan our trip accordingly.  You know what they say:  "proper preparation prevents poor performance".  I think a man named Smiley came up with that, not sure.  Either way, it's a good rule to live by.

I hope you had a good Friday and are properly prepared for the weekend.  If not, I guess you like to play it by ear.  In any case, thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Food 07-15-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  We made it.  And, someone got to get just a little food from me.  Say hello to Mr. Cardinal, who, while he doesn't look too happy to have his photo taken, must be glad to have a little food for his belly.  I've been having Internet problems all day.  I've even called our fine representatives to help get me up and running again and still had problems on and off, so seeing this Cardinal took my mind off things for just a few minutes.

I hope you had a fabulous and trouble free Friday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Friday's Scene 07-01-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday!  I was out riding around today and when I saw this scene behind the DMV in Mullins, SC, I had to have it.  So, I'm thinking today may be a good day to go retro.  There's just something about old barns, equipment, a dead tree and a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.   This one may have even looked good in infrared, but I don't have that kind of camera and, even though I could choose infrared in Picasa, I just thought of it, so, maybe another time.  It was a great day today.

I hope you had a great day today as well.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.